BBC Good Food’s Christmas Supermarket Taste Test Award winners revealed – with Aldi scooping the most wins

• BBC Good Food’s annual Christmas Supermarket Taste Test Awards results are in
• READ MORE: The Range shoppers are left ‘howling’ over ‘rude’ sausage dog Christmas decoration – but can you spot the blunder?

Asda’s £18 turkey has beaten its rivals to the number one spot in this year’s BBC Good Food’s Christmas Supermarket Taste Test Awards.

The Asda Extra Special corn-fed, Norfolk Bronze turkey crown with pork, sage & caramelised onion was named top bird by judges, who said the item ‘stays moist under a flavoursome bacon covering and the stuffing is a welcome addition’.

Coinciding with the release of the magazine’s festive issue, the annual awards seek to find the very best products for consumers ahead of the holiday season.

Over 180 products across 18 categories from 13 supermarkets were blind-tasted and anonymously rated by a panel of expert judges; categories include best turkey crown, best pigs in blankets, best cranberry sauce and best Christmas pudding.

This year, Aldi took the crown for most winners – scooping five of the 18 categories, while Lidl was awarded four top positions.

Aldi won best pigs in blankets, best gammon, best alternative Christmas main, best cranberry sauce and best Christmas cake. 

Lidl scored the awards for best smoked salmon, best vegetarian main, best vegan main and best biscuit tin. 

Waitrose won two of the sought-after mince pie categories – best classic mince pie and best flavoured mince pie, while Sainbury’s won best gluten-free mince pie and best Christmas pudding, as well as best gravy.

During the reviewing process, all packaging was removed and food prepared and cooked following pack instructions and presented by an independent home economist. 

The judges submitted comments and a score out of 10 for each product in the category via anonymous online judging forms. 

The Christmas issue of BBC Good Food is out now

Christine Hayes, Editor-in-Chief of BBC Good Food, said: ‘Now more than ever it feels better to give than receive, and we’ve chosen ‘Make it meaningful’ as our theme for this year’s BBC Good Food Christmas, with ideas for thoughtful Christmas bakes to gift or share. 

‘Our expertly judged BBC Good Food Christmas Supermarket Taste Awards help save valuable shopping time, leaving more time for baking and prepping, by guiding you to the best supermarket festive buys. 

‘The range and quality on offer across all supermarkets are excellent and our judges had a difficult time selecting the winners – the final list is proof you can eat the best food at Christmas and still stick to a budget.’

The Christmas issue of BBC Good Food is out now, get your copy in-store or from MagsDirect.co.uk, and go to bbcgoodfood.com for recipes, features and food and drink ideas and inspiration. 

So which supermarket won what? 

Best smoked salmon

Winner: Lidl Deluxe smoked Scottish salmon, £3.49 (100g)

Judges’ comments: ‘This has good-sized slices with a classic, crowd-pleasing smoked flavour that would work well in sandwiches.’

Best hot canapé

Winner: Iceland Cathedral City mini ham & cheese crumpets, £3 (pack of 8)

Judges’ comments: ‘A winning combination of soft crumpets, salty lardons and lots of melting cheese – must be eaten hot from the oven as soon as possible.’

Best turkey crown

Winner: Asda Extra Special corn-fed, Norfolk Bronze turkey crown with pork, sage & caramelised onion, £18 per kg (2kg average weight)

Judges’ comments: ‘The lean meat is easy to cut, the turkey stays moist under a flavoursome bacon covering and the stuffing is a welcome addition.

Best alternative Christmas main

Winner: Aldi Specially Selected wagyu wing rib, £24.99 per kg (2kg average weight)

Judges’ comments: ‘This impressive-looking joint would make a great showstopper. The meat has good texture and the outside sears well.’

Best gammon

Winner: Aldi Specially Selected bone-in crackling gammon joint, £17.99

Judges’ comments: ‘A clear winner for the judges – this centrepiece gammon is complete with crunchy crackling and juicy, tender meat.’

Best pigs in blankets

Winner: Aldi Specially Selected caramelised onion chipolatas wrapped in bacon, £2.79 (pack of six)

Judges’ comments: ‘Caramelised onions give these a touch of sweetness, with pleasing crispy bacon and good texture to the sausage meat.’

Best cranberry sauce

Winner: Aldi Specially Selected cranberry sauce, £1.49 (215g)

Judges’ comments: ‘A great classic cranberry sauce: a touch sweet but would be brilliant in a Boxing Day sandwich of leftovers.’

Best gravy

Joint winner: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference turkey gravy granules, £1.90 (200g)

Judges’ comments: ‘Keep this on standby for any gravy emergencies – it is thick, savoury, well-seasoned and full of nostalgic flavour.’

Joint winner: Waitrose turkey gravy, £5, 400g

Judges’ comments: ‘Rich and savoury, this fresh gravy would easily help any dry turkey.’

Best vegetarian main

Joint winner: Tesco Finest roasted butternut, spinach & sage galette, £7 (500g)

Judges’ comments: ‘This hearty galette impressed the judges: it is incredibly flavoursome, enjoyably cheesy and has plenty of veg.’

Joint winner: Lidl Deluxe Winter cheddar, leek & parsnip sharing wellingtons, £3.49 (600g)

Judges’ comments: ‘An indulgent option, this is rich and cheesy, although judges would have liked more decoration.’

Best vegan main

Joint winner: Morrisons Plant Revolution turkey crown with horseradish crumb & sage melt, £6 (497g)

Judges’ comments: ‘Some judges felt this is the best vegan meat alternative they’ve ever tried. It has a distinct meaty flavour and crispy skin. Available from 18 December.’

Joint winner: Lidl Deluxe Winter vegan parsnip and portobello pies

Judges’ comments: ‘A hearty main to enjoy all winter, this has good pastry and plenty of gravy surrounding the veggie filling.’

Best Christmas cake

Winner: Aldi Specially Selected luxury all over iced Christmas Cake, £8.99 (907g)

Judges’ comments: ‘With plenty of juicy fruit and some pieces of nut, this has good overall texture and flavour. The simple decoration is pretty and the marzipan tastes good.’

Best Christmas pudding

Winner: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference 18-month matured Christmas pudding, £10.50 (800g)

Judges’ comments: ‘Large pieces of fruit make this pudding stand out, along with a light cake-crumb texture.

Best showstopper dessert

Joint winner: Booths’ millionaire choux wreath, £15 (800g)

Judges’ comments: ‘A showstopper with wow-factor, this choux wreath has lots going on: crisp choux pastry, decadent chocolate topping, plenty of creamy sweetness.’

Joint winner: M&S Snowy winter white chocolate & passion fruit yule log, £15 (850g)

Judges’ comments: ‘This smart white yule log balances sweet white chocolate with a tart refreshing passion fruit filling for a well-balanced twist on a festive classic.’

Best free-from dessert

Winner: M&S clementine frangipane, £8 (365g)

Judges’ comments: ‘This clever pudding just needs to be microwaved to be ready in minutes. The intense almondy orange cake has a comforting soft texture and pretty decoration – it would be great with cold cream poured on top.’

Best classic mince pies

Winner: Waitrose No1 brown butter mince pies, £4 (pack of six)

Judges’ comments: ‘A classic-tasting, richly spiced mince pie. The mincemeat has good texture and the buttery pastry stands out among others tried.’

Best flavoured mince pies

Winner: Waitrose No1 crumble-topped mince pies with cranberry & orange, £3.75 (pack of four)

Judges’ comments: ‘These large shallow mince pies caught our attention for their juicy fruit filling, strong orange flavour and buttery crumble top adding more texture.’

Best gluten-free mince pies

Winner: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Free From mini mince pies, £2.75 (pack of nine)

Judges’ comments: ‘This pack of nine mini mince pies has strongly spiced mincemeat with melting buttery pastry.’

Best biscuit tin

Winner: Lidl Favorina all butter shortbread tin, 500g, price TBC

Judges’ comments: ‘This simple festive-design tin could easily be kept and reused, but it was the quality of the shortbread inside that makes this a winner: thick biscuits, buttery flavour, simple but done well.’

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