Fortnum & Mason Triumphs as Duck & Waffle Chef Tests Mince Pies

Forty floors above the City of London, Daniel Doherty is working his way through a pile of mince pies with nothing more than a glass of water to drink.

The executive chef at Duck & Waffle says it would be rude not to try one or two pies at Christmas, although the nine that he is facing in Bloomberg’s annual blind tasting is a challenge -- each a sticky mixture of fruit (apples, raisins, candied citrus) and warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg bound with a touch of booze in a pastry. In the U.K. they’re a handheld seasonal treat often sold by the box.