{"id":9036,"date":"2023-10-10T12:18:57","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T12:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eathabesha.com\/?p=9036"},"modified":"2023-10-10T12:18:57","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T12:18:57","slug":"best-supermarket-for-christmas-dinner-2023-named-and-its-not-ms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eathabesha.com\/everyday-meals\/best-supermarket-for-christmas-dinner-2023-named-and-its-not-ms\/","title":{"rendered":"Best supermarket for Christmas dinner 2023 named – and it’s not M&S"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In its 24th year, the Good Housekeeping Christmas Taste Test requires a panel of expert and consumer testers to blindly taste and rank products from over 129 brands and retailers in order to find the best quality food and drink for shoppers this festive season.<\/p>\n

Each product is scored out of 100, and assessed for its appearance, aroma, flavour, and texture. With the cost of living crisis affecting homes and families across the UK, affordability was also high on the agenda this year, with the panel looking out for great-tasting, budget-friendly options.<\/p>\n

New categories this year include dessert wine, sherry, sweet stollen, and Christmas crisps.<\/p>\n

Waitrose has been crowned the overall winner of the 2023 Christmas Taste Test, winning a whopping six categories – Whole Turkey, Flavoured Salmon, Roast Potatoes, Prosecco, Meat Centrepieces and Christmas cake.<\/p>\n

It was a good year for the green and white supermarkets as ASDA finished in second place, winning the categories for Starters, Dessert, Christmas Pudding, Champagne, and Festive Liqueurs.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong> Cheapest UK supermarket lowers prices this month – full list of reduced items<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The main event<\/h3>\n

The focal point of a Christmas dinner, the testers for Good Housekeeping tried a mix of fresh and frozen whole birds and turkey crowns. Waitrose\u2019s Medium Free-Range Bronze Feathered Whole Turkey with Giblets scored impressively (87\/100), sharing joint first place with Tesco\u2019s Faff-free Two Bird Ballotine (87\/100).<\/p>\n

But if you fancy mixing things up a bit, the panel also tested the best alternative Christmas meats – with Waitrose and Tesco once again finishing in joint first place, this time for their respective pork entries (84\/100).<\/p>\n

Tesco took home first place for its vegetarian offering – Finest Roasted Butternut Spinach & Sage Galette (82\/100). While Aldi had the best vegan option, the Specially Selected Vegan Festive Wreath (80\/100).<\/p>\n

The best place to grab your sides is Sainsbury\u2019s, as their Premium Pigs in Blankets scored incredibly well (86\/100). Waitrose\u2019s Herby Roasties were loved by the panel for their rich garlic and sage flavour and irresistible crisp texture.<\/p>\n

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Canapes and starters<\/h3>\n

For those with hosting duties this Christmas, canapes can be a lifesaver. The Panel sampled 44 meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan canapes. Lidl\u2019s Deluxe Chip Rosti Baskets with Mushy Peas and Battered Fish get a special mention (91\/100), as do Marks & Spencer\u2019s Rosti Pulled Beef Tower (89\/100), and another offering from Lidl – their Deluxe Mini Soufflette Selection (83\/100).<\/p>\n

The best Christmas starter was deemed to be ASDA\u2019s Scallop & Prawn Vol au Vents with Spiced Rum & Brown Butter sauce – excelling in the category (93\/100).<\/p>\n

Sweet treats<\/h3>\n

An incredibly important category, the festive season isn\u2019t in full swing until you take your first bite in a warm mince pie. The panel sampled 44 classic, flavoured and gluten-free varieties in this popular category. The award for best mince pie goes to Iceland for their Luxury All Butter Mince Pies (85\/100), meanwhile Cartwright & Butler Cranberry & Orange Mini Mince Pies were the top-rated alternative (85\/100). Costa is the place to be if you live a gluten-free diet, with their Coeliac-friendly mince pies taking the top spot (88\/100).<\/p>\n

ASDA\u2019s Extra Special six-Month Matured Jewelled Topped Christmas Pudding wins the prize for best Christmas Pudding (86\/100), and Meg Rivers\u2019 Gin Christmas Pudding appealed to the panel as a delicious alternative (84\/100).<\/p>\n

The No.1 Rich Fruit Cake was another victory for Waitrose (86\/100), while its fruity festive bread also took home first prize in the brand-new stollen category (77\/100). A more decadent offering, ASDA took the top spot in the Christmas dessert categories for its Extra Special Chocolate % Honeycomb Avalanche Dessert (87\/100). Amazon was commended for its budget-friendly, own-brand yule log, while Ocado\u2019s Marie Panettone Capolavoro Noir was ruled the best panettone with a seriously impressive score (94\/100).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Drinks<\/h3>\n

ASDA\u2019s extra special Louis Bernard Champagne Vintage Brut was the pick of the champagnes (81\/100), while Waitrose had the best prosecco offering with their Blueprint Prosecco DOC (80\/100). Morrisons retained their crown as having the best mulled wine, and Ocado is the go-to for their Stellar Organics Heaven on Earth dessert wine.<\/p>\n

The full results are as follows:<\/h3>\n

Smoked salmon<\/strong><\/p>\n