Bargain supermarket crowned better than M&S, Waitrose and Tesco for Christmas dinner
A BARGAIN supermarket has been crowned better than M&S, Waitrose and Tesco for Christmas dinner.
Aldi is known for its low-cost grocery goods – but it has now been crowned one of the best-tasting supermarket for Christmas too.
The German discounter knocked out M&S, which is notorious for its festive treats out of the park.
Upmarket Waitrose and ever-reliable Tesco were also trumped by the bargain store in Good Housekeeping’s annual taste test.
Lucky tasters put over 730 products from over 97 brands through their paces.
The grub is assessed on appearance, aroma, flavour and texture, and then rated out of 100.
Aldi topped the charts with 15 of the brand’s products appearing in first or second place across all categories.
For example, its mince pies, which cost just 38p each were crowned the star of the show.
Elsewhere, its Specially Selected Orange and Maple Pudding scored 88/100 and was a fan favourite amongst panellists.
The citrus take on the classic cost just £9.99.
Coming in second was the Meg Rivers Christmas Pudding which will set you back £18.50.
Aldi’s Veuve Monsigny Premier Cru Champagne also claimed the title of “Best Champagne’” and cost £22.
Panelists rated the tipple 85/100.
The budget bubbly outperformed pricier competitors such as Selfridge’s and M&S’s which cost £34.99 and £28, respectively.
But Aldi was not the star of the show in every instance.
For example, Waitrose’s came out on top in the Christmas Turkey category for its £60 bird.
Plus ,Sainsbury’s took the crown in the Pigs and Blankets category for its premium £4.50 ‘Taste the Difference’ pork snack.
Full list of taste test winners
Baked Goods
- Winner: Co-op Ready to Bake Cinnamon Danish £3.00, 86/100
- Runner-up: Tesco Finest Cranberry & Orange Pane-toastie £5.50
Smoked Salmon
- Winner: Fortnum and Mason Farmed Scottish Smoked Salmon £15.00, 85/100
- Runner-up: Tesco Finest Strong and Robust Scottish Smoked Salmon £4.60, 81/100
Flavoured Smoked Salmon
- Winner: Asda Exceptional Fig, Whisky & Spiced Honey Smoked Salmon £4.60, 78/100
- Runner-up: Tesco Finest Smoked Salmon with Whisky £5.50, 76/100
Meat Canapés
- Joint Winner: COOK Chicken, Ginger & Lemon Grass Bites £8.50, 89/100
- Joint Winner: Morrisons The Best Pork Belly with Maple BBQ Sauce £6, 89/100
- Runner-up: Asda Red Thai Santa Hats £2.75, 87/100
Seafood Canapés
- Winner: Morrisons The Best Prawn Bao Bun £5.50, 91/100
- Runner-up: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference 8 Crispy Prawn Toasties £5.25, 89/100
Veggie Canapés
- Joint Winner: Morrisons The Best Vegetable Tempura Nests with Sweet Chilli Dip £5, 85/100
- Joint Winner: Co-op Katsu Bites £3.50, 85/100
- Runner-up: Waitrose 8 Mexican Style Vegetable Tacos £8, 81/100
Starters and Sharers
- Winner: Waitrose No. 1 Lobster, Crab and Prawn Cocktail £5.95, 93/100
- Runner-up: Tesco Finest Chicken & Roasted Mushroom Quenelles £4, 91/100
Turkey Crowns (and Other Non-Whole Turkey)
- Winner: Waitrose Glorious Treacle Glazed Turkey Crown £60, £30 per kg, 89/100
- Runner-up: Lidl Deluxe Free Range Bronze Turkey Crown £27.90 – £41.85, £13.95 per kg, 87/100
Whole Turkey
- Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Roly Poly Whole Turkey £39.96 – £59.84, £9.99 per kg, 86/100
- Runner-up: Riverford Organic Farmers Turkey XL £155, 6.5kg, 83/100
Meat Mains
- Winner: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Bone in Crackling Gammon with a Festive Spiced Glaze £30, 89/100
- Joint Runner-up: Aldi Specially Selected Crackling Gammon Joint Sugar Baked £18.99, 85/100
- Joint Runner-up: Asda Exceptional Fig, Whisky & Spiced Honey Gammon Joint £20, 85/100
Roast Potatoes
- Winner (Best Roast / Vegan Roast): COOK Roast Potatoes £3.50 – £4.95, 80/100
- Joint Runner-up (Best Goose Dripping): Morrisons The Best Goose Fat Roast Potatoes £4, 79/100
- Joint Runner-up: McCain Triple Cooked Roasts £3, 79/100
Pigs in Blankets
- Winner: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Proper Pig in Blankets £4.25, 86/100
- Runner-up: Aldi Specially Selected Pigs in Blankets £2.49, 83/100
Pigs in Blankets (Flavoured)
- Winner: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Caramelised Onion Chipolatas £4.25, 85/100
- Runner-up: Aldi Specially Selected Caramelised Onion Chipolatas Wrapped In Bacon £2.49, 82/100
Meat-Free Mains
- Winner: COOK Roasted Pepper and Goat’s Cheese Quiche £22, 83/100
- Runner-up + Most Impressive Looking Centrepiece: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mushroom, Cavolo Nero and Chestnut Filo Pie £12, 82/100
Vegetable Sides
- Winner: Taste the Difference Sprout, Leek and Cavolo Nero Gratin £5.50, 88/100
- Runner-up: Co-op Winter Roasting Tray with Sage and Sea Salt Melt (vegan) £2.80, 83/100
Christmas Pudding
- Winner: Meg Rivers Traditional Christmas Pudding £18.50, 85/100
- Runner-up: Bettys Classic Christmas Pudding (Large) £27, 84/100
Flavoured Christmas Pudding
- Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Orange and Maple Pudding £9.99, 88/100
- Runner-up: Meg Rivers Gin Infused Christmas Pudding £17.85, 84/100
Dessert Centrepieces
- Winner + Best Budget: Asda Crème Brûlée £5, 88/100
- Runner-up: Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate Gold Coin £6.99, 87/100
Panettone
- Winner: Waitrose Limoncello Fizz Panettone £12, 94/100
- Runner-up: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Classic Panettone £16.50, 90/100
Yule Logs
- Winner: Asda Clementine and White Chocolate Yule Log £10, 85/100
- Joint Runner-up: Aldi Specially Selected Belgian White Chocolate Yule Log £8.99, 81/100
- Joint Runner-up: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Millionaire’s Yule Log £11, 81/100
Stollen
- Winner: Meg Rivers Christmas Tart £14, 89/100
- Runner-up: Aldi Specially Selected Luxury Topped Stollen £5.99, 83/100
Mince Pies
- Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies £2.29, 88/100
- Runner-up: Fitzbillies Classic Mince Pies £18, 84/100
Mince Pies with a Twist
- Winner: Booths 4 Viennese Topped Mince Pies £4, 91/100
- Runner-up + Best Budget: Asda Whisky, Fig and Spiced Honey Florentine Mince Pies £2.50, 83/100
Gluten-Free Mince Pies
- Winner: Costa Vegan Gluten Free Mince Tart £2.30, 82/100
- Runner-up: Waitrose Free From Milk & Gluten Free Mince Pies £2.90, 81/100
Christmas Cake
- Joint Winner: Biscuiteers Christmas Cake £68, 85/100
- Joint Winner: Daylesford Iced Christmas Cake £45, 85/100
- Joint Runner-up: Iceland Luxury Christmas Cake £10, 81/100
- Joint Runner-up: Aldi Specially Selected All Over Iced Christmas Cake £8.99, 81/100
Biscuit Tins
- Winner: Bettys Biscuit Tin Selection £25, 96/100
- Joint Runner-up: Fitzbillies Cambridge Gingerbread £17, 82/100
- Joint Runner-up + Best Budget: Co-op Highland Shortbread Selection Box £4, 82/100
Christmas Crisps
- Joint Winner: Waitrose Turkey & Stuffing Flavour Tortilla Chips £2, 85/100
- Joint Winner: Asda Extra Special Beef & Red Wine Gravy Hand Cooked Crisps £1.35, 85/100
- Runner-up: Savoursmiths Christmas Ham with Umami Truffle Glaze £2.95, 81/100
Christmas Heroes
- Winner: Asda Exceptional Bone Marrow Beef Pie £10, 91/100
- Runner-up: Specially Selected Honey Roast Hot Smoked Salmon Side £9.99, 90/100
Gingerbread Houses
- Winner: Asda Gingerbread House Kit £5, 89/100
- Runner-up: Waitrose Build Your Own Gingerbread House £6, 88/100
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes – plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury’s also sells £2 “Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me” fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps – food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains – yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains – sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they’ve found on the cheap, including food finds.
“Downshift” – you will almost always save money going for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as “downshifting” and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.