Christmas is fast approaching, and that means many of us will be starting to think about what food to buy.
In perfect time, Good Housekeeping has revealed the results of its annual Christmas blind tasting, and the results are surprising.
When it came to the Frozen Turkey and Crowns category, Iceland stormed the leaderboard with its ‘Easy Carve Turkey’ (£26 for 4.2kg) – achieving a score of 88/100.
The frozen food giants also came out on top in the Stilton category, with its ‘Luxury British Blue Stilton’ (£2 for 200g) scoring 81/100 and being praised for its tangy, salty taste.
Along with Iceland, Morrisons also performed well in the taste test, with its ‘Morrisons The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies’ (£2 for six) and ‘Morrisons Free From Mince Pies’ (£2 for four) winning in the Mince Pies and Gluten-Free Mince Pies categories, with a score of 83/100 and 78/100, respectively.
The Christmas Cake category saw Sainsbury’s and Morrisons sharing the title, joint winners for the ‘Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Falling Leaves Iced Rich Fruit’ (£15 for 1.3kg), and ‘Morrisons The Best Poinsettia Fully Iced Christmas Cake’ (£12 for 1.5kg)- both scoring 83/100.
High street favourite M&S won in the Traditional Christmas Pudding category, with its The Collection 12 Month Matured Vintage’ (£14 for 800g) being praised for its “warming spices and subtle orange flavour”.
For something meatier, Good Housekeeping also tested seasonal favourites such as pigs in blankets, turkey alternatives and beef roasting joints.
The ‘Co-op Mini Chorizo Wrapped in Pancetta’ (£3 for 170g) was a firm favourite, scoring 78/100.
The tasters also loved Aldi’s ‘Specially Selected Bone in Rib of Beef Joint with Salt and Pepper’ (£14.99 per kg for 1.2 – 2.7kg) which scored 85/100 and was praised for its “juicy meat and melt in the mouth texture”.
It is also more than half the price of its runner-up, ‘The Ginger Pig Cote de Boeuf’ (£54.40), which scored 82/100.
Food aside, Asda achieved first place in the Mulled Wine category for its ‘Asda Mulled Wine in a Box’ (£8 for 2.25l).
‘Laborie Methode Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs 2010 (£14.95, Amazon) was the winner in the Sparkling Wine category.
M&S’s ‘Herbert Beaufort Grand Cru NV’ (£35) was the top-scoring champagne, with a score of 84/100 and praise for its “velvety smooth bubbles, refreshing and easy drinking finish.”
Beloved by many Britons, M&S actually appeared in the top five of eight different categories.
But it was Aldi that came out on top, with the most top-scoring entries in the taste test this year, boasting 10 products in the top five categories.
The Good Housekeeping test blind tastes 401 individual items and takes samples from 56 retailers across the UK.
The full results of the Christmas Taste Test
CHAMPAGNE UNDER £40 (37 tested)
Winner: Herbert Beaufort Grand Cru NV, M&S, £35 (84/100)
Runners-up: Les Pionnies 2012, Co-op, £26.99 (82/100)
Comte de Senneval Brut NV, Lidl, £10.99 (82/100)
Best of the Rest: Tesco Finest Premier Cru NV, £19 (81/100)
Asda Extra Special Louis Bernard NV, £18 (81/100)
Laytone Brut Reserve, Jerobams, £22.95 (81/100)
SPARKLING WINES UNDER £15 (48 tested)
Winner: Laborie Methode Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs Brut 2010, Amazon, £14.95 (82/100)
Runners-up: Morrisons The Best Prosecco £8 (81/100)
Best of the Rest: Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva, Tesco, £12 (79/100)
Cabalié Sparkling 2016, Laithwaites, £12.99 (79/100)
L’Extra par Langlois Brut NV Crémant de Loire, Majestic, £13.99 (78/100)
MULLED WINE (9 tested)
Winner: Asda Mulled Wine in a Box, £8 for 2.25l (82/100)
Runners-up: M&S Red Mulled Wine, £6.50 for 75cl (81/100)
Best of the Rest: Belgars Mulled Wine, Ocado, £3.99 for 75cl (80/100)
Aldi Mulled Wine, £3.49 for 75cl (80/100)
Harvey Nichols Mulled Wine, £15 for 75cl (74/100)
STILTON (19 tested)
Winner: Iceland Luxury British Blue Stilton, £2 for 200g (81/100)
Runners-up: Booths Potted Blue Stilton, £10 for 300g (80/100)
Co-op Potted Stilton, £4.50 for 225g (80/100)
Whole Foods Market Colston Bassett Stilton, £2.99 for 100g (80/100)
Paxton and Whitfield Stilton, £6.75 for 250g (80/100)
MINCE PIES (29 tested)
Winner: Morrisons The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies, £2 for 6 (83/100)
Runners-up: Pret’s Mince Pie, £1.45 for each (79/100)
M&S The Collection Mince Pies, £2.50 for 6 (79/100)
Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies, £1.35 for 6 (79/100)
Best of the Rest: Iceland Luxury Mince Pies, £1.89 for 6 (78/100)
GLUTEN FREE MINCE PIES (13 tested)
Winner: Morrisons Free From Mince Pies, £2 for 4 (78/100)
Runners-up: Cottage Delight Gluten-Free Luxury Mince Pies, £3.95 for 4 (75/100)
Best of the Rest: Mr. Kipling Free From Mince Pies, £2.50 for 4, Tesco (73/100)
CRANBERRY SAUCE (27 tested)
Winner: Waitrose & Partners Chilled Cranberry sauce, £2.19 for 300g (84/100)
Runners-up: ALDI Specially Selected Cranberry and Port Sauce, 99p for 230g (78/100)
Best of the Rest: Asda Extra Special Cranberry Sauce with Port, £1 for 230g (77/100)
PIGS IN BLANKETS (18 tested)
Winner: Co-op Mini Chorizo Wrapped in Pancetta, £3 for 170g (78/100)
Runners-up: Aldi Specially Selected Three Little Pigs £2.99 for 288g (74/100)
Best of the Rest: Asda 10 Extra Special Pigs in Blankets, £2.98 for 210g (70/100)
Aldi Specially Selected Pigs in Blankets, £2.69 for 250g (70/100)
BEEF ROASTING JOINTS (22 tested)
Winner: ALDI Specially Selected Bone in Rib of Beef Joint with Salt and Pepper, £14.99 for 1.2 – 2.7kg (85/100)
Runners-up: The Ginger Pig Cote de Boeuf, £54.40 for 1.6kg (82/100)
M&S The Collection Dry Aged Rib of Beef, £28 per kg for 1.3 – 1.75kg (82/100)
Best of the Rest: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Boneless Beef Rib Topped with Sticky Honey, Mustard and Horseradish Glaze, with Spicy Mustard Seed and Herb Crumb, £35 for 1.7kg (81/100)
Eversfield Organic Beef Rib Joint on the Bone, £60 for 2.4kg (78/100)
SAUSAGE MEAT STUFFING (16 tested)
Winner: Lidl Deluxe Apricot & White Stilton Stuffing, £2.39 for 300g (82/100)
Runners-up: ALDI Specially Selected Stuffing Croquettes, £2.99 for 300g (81/100)
Best of the Rest: Asda Extra Special British Pork and Caramelised Onion stuffing with Bacon Wraps, £3 for 300g (79/100)
Heston from Waitrose Christmas Stuffing Bundt, £9.99 for 475g (78/100)
FROZEN TURKEYS AND CROWNS (19 tested)
Winner: Iceland Easy Carve Turkey with Streaky Bacon, £26 for 4.2kg (88/100)
Runners-up: M&S British Tukey Crown with Pork, Sage and Onion Turkey Stuffing with Bacon Lattice, £21.60 for 1.68kg (85/100)
Best of the Rest: Loué Free-Range Bronze Turkey, £69 for 5kg, Donald Russell (84/100)
Eversfield Organic Bronze Turkey, £95.70 for 6kg (84/100)
Sainsbury’s Whole Basted Turkey, £25 for 5-6.49kg (83/100)
COOK Stuffed Crown of Turkey, £45 for 2.1kg (83/100)
CHRISTMAS PUDDING (39 tested)
Winner: M&S The Collection 12 Month Matured Vintage Christmas Pudding, £14 for 800g (84/100)
Runners-up: Heston from Waitrose Golden Delicious Pudding, £14 for 800g (79/100)
Best of the Rest: Cole’s Black Forest, £6.99 for 454g (77/100)
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference 18 Month Matured Christmas Pudding, £9 for 900g (76/100)
Daylesford Organic Christmas Pudding, £20 for 900g (74/100)
BRANDY BUTTER (15 tested)
Winner: Co-op Brandy Butter, £2 for 200g (84/100)
Runners-up: ALDI Brandy Butter with Courvoisier Cognac, £1.59 for 200g (82/100)
Best of the Rest: Morrisons The Best French Brandy Butter, £2.50 for 200g (81/100)
Iceland Luxury Brandy Butter, £1.79 for 200g (80/100)
Lidl Courvoisier Brandy Butter, £1.49 for 200g (79/100)
CHRISTMAS CAKE (24 tested)
Joint Winner: Morrisons The Best Poinsettia Fully Iced Christmas Cake, £12 for 1.5kg (83/100)
Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Falling Leaves Iced Rich Fruit Cake, £15 for 1.3kg (83/100)
Runners-up: Waitrose &Partners 1 Rich Fruit, £16 for 1.3kg (81/100)
Best of the Rest: Morrisons The Best Hand Finished Star Christmas Cake, 900g for £10 (80/100)
M&S 6 Month Matured Golden Shimmer Tree CAKE, £20 for 1.4kg (80/100)
Daylesford Organic Fruit & Nut in Tin Christmas Cake, £20 for 800g (80/100)
YULE LOG (10 tested)
Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Belgian Chocolate Yule Log, £5.99 for 749g (83/100)
Runners-up: Lidl Deluxe Chocolate Yule Log, £3.49 for 476g (77/100)
Best of the Rest: Daylesford Chocolate & Orange Yule Log, £18 for 750g (75/100)
Asda Extra Special Yule Log, £3.50 for 475g (74/100)
M&S The Collection Santa’s Rooftop Chocolate & Caramel Yule Log, £18 for 860g (74/100)
MEAT-FREE MAINS (24 tested)
Winner: COOK Portobello Mushroom Wellington, £10 for 360g (89/100)
Runners-up: Booths Roasted Beetroot, Feta & Pine Nut Tart, £7.50 for 400g (85/100)
Best of the Rest: Morrisons The Best Mushroom, Spinach & Madeira En Croute, £5 for 465g (83/100)
Aldi Roasted Butternut Squash Roast, £2.99 for 400g (81/100)
Co-op Butternut, Goats Cheese and Red Onion Rosti, £3 for 321g (78/100)
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Festive Jewelled Squash & Pistachio Pilaf, £7 for 750g (78/100)
SMOKED SALMON (32 tested)
Winner: St James Smokehouse Scotch Reserve Gin & Tonic Scottish Smoked Salmon, £5.69 for 100g (83/100)
Runners-up: Tesco Ready to Eat Smoked Salmon Slices, £6.25 for 240g (82/100)
Aldi Specially Selected Whiskey Smoked Salmon, £3.79 for 100g (82/100)
Best of the Rest: The Pished Fish The Sozzled Santa Smoked Salmon, £7.45 for 100g (81/100)
Asda Extra Special Heather Honey & Black Pepper Smoked Salmon, £3.99 for 120g (81/100)