In the run up to December 25, we’ll all be trying to work out which supermarket we’ll be heading to for the big Christmas shop.
With eight major retailers in the UK, it can be tricky to pick a favourite, as they all have their own pros and cons.
But if you can’t be bothered to figure out which one is right for you, you’ll be pleased to hear the hard work has been done for you.
The team over at the Good Housekeeping Institute (GHI) have revealed the results of their annual festive taste test and they’ve officially crowned Waitrose as the overall winner.
Waitrose products scooped either first place or second place in 11 out of 31 different food and drink categories for Christmas.
The retailer won first place five times, getting the gold for its stollen, vegetable side dishes, starter and sharers, flavoured mince pies and alternative meat centrepieces.
Interestingly, it wasn’t M&S following in second place, but Asda, which was rated the best for canapes, red and white wine, turkey crown and yule log.
But, of course, when it came to the ‘best value’, the UK’s cheapest supermarket came out on top, with Aldi scoring high for its flavoured Christmas puddings, roast potatoes and pigs in blankets.
Turkey
According to the GHI panel Asda’s Exceptional by Asda Heritage Slate Turkey Crown with Caramelised Apple & Cranberry Stuffing and a Honey & Maple Glaze (£50.04) was the overall winner in the fresh and frozen turkey category, scoring 85/100.
The Trimmings
Christmas dinner isn’t complete without some tasty side dishesand it was Aldi that dominated this category. The budget retailer impressed with its Specially Selected Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets, scoring 88/100 and these were named the best and the best value.
Similarly, the Ultimate Specially Selected Wagyu Fat Roast Potatoes from Aldi were ‘unrivalled’ in the roastie category, with another solid 88/100.
Waitrose also wowed with its No.1 Ultimate Cauliflower Cheese, which earned 85/100.
Desserts
When it comes to Christmas puddings, the best classic pud, according to the panel was the Taste the Difference 18 Month Matured Christmas Pudding from Sainsbury‘s, which scored 86/100.
However Aldi’s Specially Selected Orange and Maple version got higher marks in the flavoured pudding category, with 90/100.
Elsewhere, Tesco had the most memorable Christmas cake with it’s Finest Jeweled Topped Fruit Cake (82/100) and the Exceptional by Asda Chocolate Yule Log was deemed the best value (85/100).
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Mince Pies
Iceland was the surprising winner of the best classic mince pie, with the Luxury 6pk All Butter Mince Pie (80/100).
But when it comes to flavoured ones, Waitrose’s No.1 Golden Mince Pies with Limoncello ranked higher than any other mince pie, with a score of 91/100.
Festive Party Food
Asda and Aldi were the standouts for canapes and party food, with top options including Exceptional by Asda Eight Butter Chicken Mini Naans (92/100), Aldi’s Specially Selected Ham & Cheese Scones (92/100) and the Exceptional by Asda Prawn Lollipops (89/100).
For vegetarians, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Crispy Mushroom Tartlets were the top scorer (91/100).
Tipples
Nothing says Christmas like a glass of bubbly, and these tests claimed Della Vite’s Superiore D.O.C.G Prosecco was the top choice (84/100), which costs £21.75 a bottle and can be purchased at Sainsbury’s, Ocado and John Lewis.
For a cheaper option, M&S was the best value drink with its La Vita Prosecco, that’s £7 a bottle (71/100).
In total more than 680 festive treats were tried from more than 107 brands and retailers in order to produce a final list of the ‘very best Christmas food and drink’.
And the experts claim there’s been some ‘fantastic innovation’ in food and drink this year, as well as plenty of retro flavours making a comeback.
Callum Black, the deputy head of testing at GHI said: ‘It’s been a fantastic year for innovation in all its forms – we’ve seen an excellent selection of twists on traditional favourites with the popular food trends of 2025, especially from our winning supermarket with a phenomenal pistachio stollen alongside pistachio liqueurs and a stunning pistachio Panettone.
‘But there’s no less of the love of nostalgia we’ve seen of the past few years – the flavours of Black Forest, Tiramisu and sticky toffee are cropping up in Christmas puddings, cheesecakes and even gingerbread houses meaning those classic comfort foods are never far away this Christmas.’
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