Who better to sort the mush from the lush than our in-house perfectionist Felicity Cloake and our resident baker Benjamina Ebuehi?

• The best Christmas drinks, from gingerbread rum to mulled rose

According to an informal survey of my nearest and occasionally dearest, many younger Britons believe that they don’t like mince pies. It’s a claim that I always counter annoyingly with: “No, you just haven’t had a good one”, before forcing a homemade version, all crumbly, buttery pastry and plump currants, in their faces. To be fair to them, though, mince pies are baked so firmly into our festive tradition that some retailers seem to take sales for granted, and concentrate on price and shelf life rather than quality. (Which isn’t to say I won’t force down a fair few over the festive season.)

That, at least, is the only excuse for the pappy pastry and unpleasantly sour gloopy filling that has marred so many Christmases past for me, but I come into this taste test determined to see the positives, mostly because I don’t want my fellow taster, the deliciously upbeat professional baker Benjamina Ebuehi , to think I’m a grinch.

Sankeys will return in January 2026 in a city centre venue – and no phones will be allowed on the dancefloor

Queues ran down the street outside, condensation dripped off the walls inside, memories were made – and lost – and it all unfolded without a smartphone in sight. For those who remember the Manchester nightclub Sankeys in its heyday 30 years ago, the venue was a clubbing mecca.

“Sweat was dripping off the walls,” said Lee Spence, a promoter and resident DJ at the club from 2002 to 2012, who remembers once double booking Chase & Status and Carl Cox on the same night. “It was an atmosphere like nothing else I’d really seen.”

Who better to sort the mush from the lush than our in-house perfectionist Felicity Cloake and our resident baker Benjamina Ebuehi?

• The best Christmas drinks, from gingerbread rum to mulled rose

According to an informal survey of my nearest and occasionally dearest, many younger Britons believe that they don’t like mince pies. It’s a claim that I always counter annoyingly with: “No, you just haven’t had a good one”, before forcing a homemade version, all crumbly, buttery pastry and plump currants, in their faces. To be fair to them, though, mince pies are baked so firmly into our festive tradition that some retailers seem to take sales for granted, and concentrate on price and shelf life rather than quality. (Which isn’t to say I won’t force down a fair few over the festive season.)

That, at least, is the only excuse for the pappy pastry and unpleasantly sour gloopy filling that has marred so many Christmases past for me, but I come into this taste test determined to see the positives, mostly because I don’t want my fellow taster, the deliciously upbeat professional baker Benjamina Ebuehi , to think I’m a grinch.

Pentagon press passes once held by credentialed journalists are now in the hands of rightwing pundits and Trump allies

Being a member of the Pentagon press corps was once one of the more prestigious assignments in US journalism, a position reserved for heavy hitters from venerable newspapers and news channels, reporters at the peak of their powers.

Not any more. A press conference last week – held at a crucial time for a Pentagon embroiled in scandal – was instead attended by more than a dozen rightwing activists, with the government being held to account by a close ally of Donald Trump, an employee at Turning Point USA and someone from a pillow salesman’s nascent media company.

Pentagon press passes once held by credentialed journalists are now in the hands of rightwing pundits and Trump allies

Being a member of the Pentagon press corps was once one of the more prestigious assignments in US journalism, a position reserved for heavy hitters from venerable newspapers and news channels, reporters at the peak of their powers.

Not any more. A press conference last week – held at a crucial time for a Pentagon embroiled in scandal – was instead attended by more than a dozen rightwing activists, with the government being held to account by a close ally of Donald Trump, an employee at Turning Point USA and someone from a pillow salesman’s nascent media company.

Pentagon press passes once held by credentialed journalists are now in the hands of rightwing pundits and Trump allies

Being a member of the Pentagon press corps was once one of the more prestigious assignments in US journalism, a position reserved for heavy hitters from venerable newspapers and news channels, reporters at the peak of their powers.

Not any more. A press conference last week – held at a crucial time for a Pentagon embroiled in scandal – was instead attended by more than a dozen rightwing activists, with the government being held to account by a close ally of Donald Trump, an employee at Turning Point USA and someone from a pillow salesman’s nascent media company.

Four people arrested after apparent protest against UK inequality claimed by civil-resistance group Take Back Power

The Tower of London has been closed to visitors on a busy Saturday after food was thrown at a display case containing the crown jewels in an apparent protest against inequality in the UK.

Four people were arrested after the action, which was claimed by Take Back Power – a self-described new non-violent civil-resistance group. It said custard and apple crumble was flung at the case, which contained the imperial state crown.

Four people arrested after apparent protest against UK inequality claimed by civil-resistance group Take Back Power

The Tower of London has been closed to visitors on a busy Saturday after food was thrown at a display case containing the crown jewels in an apparent protest against inequality in the UK.

Four people were arrested after the action, which was claimed by Take Back Power – a self-described new non-violent civil-resistance group. It said custard and apple crumble was flung at the case, which contained the imperial state crown.

Four people arrested after apparent protest against UK inequality claimed by civil-resistance group Take Back Power

The Tower of London has been closed to visitors on a busy Saturday after food was thrown at a display case containing the crown jewels in an apparent protest against inequality in the UK.

Four people were arrested after the action, which was claimed by Take Back Power – a self-described new non-violent civil-resistance group. It said custard and apple crumble was flung at the case, which contained the imperial state crown.