Marks & Spencer emerged as the clear winner in the annual BBC Good Food Christmas dinner taste test. The supermarket topped six out of 17 categories, including sharing the title for best turkey crown, best gammon, and best Christmas pudding.
The M&S Oakham hot maple-glazed turkey crown, priced at £50, received high praise from judges for its “sticky, peppery hot maple glaze and fruit-packed stuffing.” It shared the top spot with Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference British free-range bronze turkey crown with pork, apricot, pear, cranberry, and candied ginger stuffing, priced at £22.75 per kg, which impressed with its “golden, glossy glaze and crispy bacon.”
M&S also clinched the best Christmas pudding title with its Collection 12-month matured version featuring pecans and panettone, priced at £16, described as “delicious” with abundant fruit and large nut chunks.
Morrisons excelled in three categories, taking the lead in best showstopper dessert, best classic, and best flavored mince pie with its Cherry Bakewell variation. Their mince pies were commended for being “soft with good almond flavor that’s not overly sweet.”
Tesco secured the title for best pigs in blankets, while Lidl won for best trifle, and Aldi shared the award with M&S for best smoked salmon. A total of 185 Christmas products across 17 categories were put through rigorous testing.
Lulu Grimes, the managing editor of Good Food, highlighted, “This year’s Christmas Supermarket Taste Test proves that you can enjoy a fantastic festive spread without overspending. Supermarkets offer impressive main courses and nostalgic desserts, allowing you to focus on enhancing your family’s favorite Christmas recipes and creating lasting food memories.”
Cassie Best, the head of food at Good Food, mentioned, “Our Christmas tasting process begins in August, sampling hundreds of products to anticipate who will make it to the winners’ list. The competition was tough this year among the 13 participating supermarkets, each offering a fantastic array of festive foods. We believe our winners’ list showcases the best supermarket offerings this season. Combining supermarket purchases with our thoroughly tested Christmas recipes ensures everyone can relish a spectacular and budget-friendly Christmas feast.”