Business, Charity | Posted on December 4th, 2025 | return to news

Southern Co-op mince pie giveaway for those with festive names

People with names such as Noel, Holly, Ivy or Carol can claim a free box of mince pies at stores on selected days.

If you’re called Noel, Holly, Ivy or Carol you’ve probably become fed-up with people asking you if you were born at Christmas.

However, this year you have a chance to benefit from your name as Southern Co-op stores are going to reward you for your moniker.

Customers with a festive name on Southern Co-op’s list will be able to claim their free box of Co-op Merry Mince Pies on either 3, 9 or 17 December. Each date will correspond to certain monikers, and these will be revealed on Southern Co-op’s Facebook channel.

Customers must have a name which features on the following list and will need to present a form of ID at their local stores till confirming this: Holly, Joy, Noelle or Noel, Carol, Eve, Buddy, Chris or Kris, Nicholas or Nick, or Ivy.

Those who meet the criteria could then share in a little Christmas spirit, one pie at a time, but they’ll have to be quick to claim their festive treat, with free mince pies only available on each day while stocks last.

Southern Co-op will also donate £2 to local foodbanks for every box claimed, helping to spread Christmas cheer to those who need it most this season.

The giveaway is part of Southern Co-op’s wider Magical Moments campaign, which is all about celebrating Christmas, offering support to communities, and bringing unexpected moments of joy to people’s day.

Imogen, manager of the store on Madeira Road in Bournemouth, said: “Christmas can be an incredibly busy time, so we thought we’d spread a little magic in our Dorset stores and give our shoppers something to smile about.

“Whether you’re a Holly lighting up the room, a Nick checking your list twice, or a Carol in full song, this giveaway is our way of saying thank you to our fantastic customers for their support — and it’s even better knowing that every mince pie box given away will be helping others.”

Simon Eastwood, chief operating officer at Southern Co-op, said: “Giving back to those in need this season is something which is incredibly important to us as a co-operative and we hope our customers make the most of the free mince pies on offer.”