Mincemeat got its name because in the early middle ages (when mince pies were first served) that’s exactly what it was. Back then the pies would be filled with a mixture of minced meat, chopped up fruit and a liquid to preserve it. Thankfully the meat was later removed and ‘mincemeat’ became the mixture of dried fruits and spices that we’re used to today.  Traditionally mincemeat is made with animal-derived suet, but a lot of the mincemeat you would buy in supermarkets now is marked vegan. We know that, in the UK, Tesco definitely does a vegan mincemeat for under £1, because we buy it every year. If you want to fill your home with the scent of Christmas, you can even make the vegan mincemeat for these vegan Christmas brownies yourself.