Asda under fire for refusing to serve customer mince pie sample without ID

The pies contain a small amount of port and brandy

Consumers spent £450m more in supermarkets than in the same period last year (Getty/iStock)

Asda has come under fire for refusing to give a mince pie sample to a customer who was not able to show ID to prove she was over 18 years of age.

21-year-old Merryn Walker was asked to show proof of her age at a large branch of the supermarket in Donnington.

The reason is that the 'Luxury All-Butter Mince Pies' contain a small amount of port and brandy.

But Walker, a student, didn’t have any ID to hand.

“It’s crazy,” she said. “You could probably eat a box and not be inebriated.”

The mince pies, described as “generously filled with spiced vine fruits and a splash of rich ruby port and French brandy, all encased in crumbly shortcrust pastry,” are four per cent brandy and 1.5 per cent ruby port.

But despite the fact that customers need ID to try a sample of one of the baked treats in store, you don’t need to show proof of age to buy them.

A spokesperson for Asda told The Independent: “We know our customers will love the fantastic festive food we have available this year, which is why we’re sampling bite sized portions of some of the tasty treats in the build-up to Christmas.

(Asda (Asda)

“For obvious reasons products containing liquid alcohol are only offered to customers over the age of 18.

“However, mince pies are a family staple and would usually be made available to all – but, we would never criticise an individual for trying to do the right thing when presented with a customer who’s lucky enough to look younger than their years.”