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Bargain supermarket crowned better than M&S for Christmas dinner – and it's not Aldi | The Sun

Bargain supermarket crowned better than M&S for Christmas dinner – and it's not Aldi | The Sun

A BARGAIN supermarket has been crowned better than M&S for Christmas dinner, and it's not Aldi.

The discount retailer often beats rivals on taste and price, but it's Asda that's come out ahead for a festive feast this year.

M&S is a destination for food treats over the Christmas period too, but Asda beat the posh food shop in Good Housekeeping's annual taste test.

The supermarket, which is known as the cheapest for a trolley of groceries, came second only behind Waitrose in a blind tasting by a panel of experts and consumers that included festive faves ranging from mince pies to pigs in blankets.

The lucky tasters put over 500 products and more than 100 different brands through their paces.

They were assessed on appearance, aroma, flavour, texture and handed a score out of 100.

Asda topped the charts ahead of all the others though in five categories: starters, dessert, Christmas pudding, champagne and festive liqueurs.

It also came runner-up for a further two Christmas dinner essentials – pigs in blankets and mince pies.

Meanwhile, it was Waitrose that was crowned top for turkeys and roast potatoes, as well as Prosecco and its glazed ham.

Plus Iceland is the place to go for mince pies, as the freezer fave pipped all the other shops to the tasty top spot.

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Here we go through some of the categories where Asda triumphed, and the full list of winners is further below.

Best starter

Asda's scallop and prawn vol au vents with spiced rum and brown butter sauce scored 93 out of 100, taking the top spot for starters.

The platter costs £7.50 for 234g, and beat M&S's shallot tarte tatin on 91 out of 100.

Independent brand Field & Flower was named best budget buy for its turkey biryani scotch egg (£3.98 for 160g) with 80 out of 100.

Best Christmas pudding and stollen

Asda's Extra Special 6-month matured jewelled topped Christmas pudding (£12 for 450g) beat Waitrose into second place with 86/100.

When it comes to best budget buys, Co-op's Irresistible Christmas pudding (£5 for 400g) was top on 76 out of 100.

Cake lovers also voted Asda's Extra Special spiced rum and brown butter flavoured stollen wreath (£8 for 600g) joint runner-up with Aldi's Specially Selected luxury stollen loaf (£5.49 for 600g).

Both scored 76/100 just one point behind Waitrose's ultimate stollen (£10 for 600g).

Best champagne and festive liqueurs

Asda took the top spot in the champagne category and festive liqueurs too.

Its Extra Special Louis Bernard champagne vintage brut (£28) beat Waitrose's champagne blanc de noirs brut NV (£26.99) by one point, scoring 81 out of 100.

The best budget buy went to Lidl's Montaudon champagne brut with 78 out of 100, and it will set you back just £13.99.

Best pigs in blankets

Asda also came in second place for festive favourite pigs in blankets.

Its Extra Special porkers, priced at £3.25 for 210g, scored 82 out of 100, just behind Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference ones, £4.25 for 294g, on 86 out of 100.

However, Aldi did pip Asda to the porcine posts when it comes to value for money.

The discounter's Specially Selected pigs in blankets (£2.29 for 210g) were named the best budget buy with 80/100.

Best mince pies

In the mince pies category, Asda was also voted in second place, scoring 82 out of 100 for its Extra Special luxury mince piece (£2.50 for six).

It was beaten to the top spot by Iceland's all butter mince pies (£2.50 for six) with a score of 85 out of 100.

Best budget buy was awarded to Aldi and it's £1.99 Specially Selected mince pies (£1.99 for six).

Full list of taste test winners

Salmon

  • Winner: Fortnum & Mason Fortnum’s Farmed Scottish Smoked Salmon, £14 for 200g, 85/100
  • Runner-up: M&S Collection Scottish Smoky & Robust Smoked Salmon, £5.75 for 100g, 83/100
  • Best budget: Lidl Deluxe Strong & Robust Smoked Scottish Salmon, £3.49 for 100g, in-store only 77/100

Starters

  • Winner: Asda Scallop & Prawn Vol au Vents with Spiced Rum & Brown Butter Sauce, £7.50 for 234g, 93/100
  • Runner-up: M&S Shallot Tarte Tatin, £6 for 280g, 91/100
  • Best budget: Field & Flower Turkey Biryani Scotch Egg, £3.98 for 160g, fieldandflower.co.uk, 80/100

Turkey

  • Winner: Waitrose & Partners Medium Free Range Bronze Feathered Whole Turkey with Giblets, £60-£90 for 4-6kg, 87/100
  • Runner-up: Abel & Cole Organic KellyBronze Large Turkey, £125 for 6-7kg, 83/100
  • Best budget whole turkey: Co-op Medium Whole Turkey, £35 for 4.75kg, 76/100

Turkey crowns and non-traditional birds

  • Winner: Tesco Finest Slow Cooked Two Bird Ballotine, £39 for 1.43kg, 87/100
  • Runner-up: M&S Slow Cooked Turkey with all the Trimmings, £45 for 2.93kg, 83/100
  • Best budget: Aldi Specially Selected British Roly Poly Turkey Crown, £15 for 1.9-2.3kg, 71/100

Roast potatoes

  • Winner: Waitrose & Partners Roasted Potatoes, £4.50 for 800g, 80/100
  • Runner-up: Morrisons The Best Goose Fat Roast Potatoes, £2.99 for 800g, 79/100
  • Best budget: By Amazon Roast Potatoes, £1.97 for 400g, 70/100

Pigs in blankets

  • Winner: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Proper Pigs in Blankets, £4.25 for 294g, 86/100
  • Runner-up: ASDA Extra Special Pigs in Blankets, £3.25 for 210g, 82/100
  • Best budget: Aldi Specially Selected Pigs in Blankets, £2.29 for 210g, 80/100

Meat-free centrepieces

  • Winner: Tesco Finest Roasted Butternut, Spinach & Sage Galette, £7 for 500g, 82/100
  • Runner-up: M&S Butternut Squash and Brie En Croute, £12 for 400g, 81/100
  • Best budget: Aldi Specially Selected Vegan Festive Wreath, £4.99 for 480g, 80/100

Christmas meat centrepieces

  • Joint winner: Waitrose & Partners Old Fashioned Glazed Ham, £40 for 2kg, 84/100
  • Joint winner: Tesco Finest Crackling Porchetta Pork Joint, from £15 for 1.5-1.8kg, 84/100
  • Runner-up: Aldi Wagyu Exquisite Wing Rib, £49.98 for 2kg, 82/100
  • Best budget: Iceland Slow Cooked Shin of Beef in Dripping Gravy, £10 for 1kg, 78/100

Yule log

  • Winner & best budget: Our Selection by Amazon Chocolate Yule Log, £5 for 457g, 78/100
  • Runner-up: Co-op Irresistible Chocolate Yule Log, £5 for 457g, 77/100

Christmas pudding

  • Winner: Asda Extra Special 6-month Matured Jewelled Topped Christmas Pudding, £12 for 450g, 86/100
  • Runner-up: Waitrose & Partners No.1 12 Month Matured Christmas Pudding, £12.50 for 800g, 83/100
  • Best budget: Co-op Irresistible Christmas pudding, £5 for 400g, 76/100

Christmas pudding with a twist

  • Winner: Meg Rivers Gin Christmas Pudding, £18 for 800g, megrivers.co.uk, 84/100
  • Runner-up: Harvey Nichols Chocolate Christmas Pudding, £10.95 for 454g, 83/100
  • Best budget: Aldi Specially Selected Maple Fudge Pudding, £4.99 for 400g, 76/100

Stollen

  • Winner:  Waitrose & Partners Our Ultimate Stollen, £10 for 600g, 77/100
  • Joint runner-up: Asda Extra Special Spiced Rum and Brown Butter Flavoured Stollen Wreath, £8 for 600g, 76/100
  • Joint runner-up and best budget: Aldi Specially Selected Luxury Stollen Loaf, £5.49 for 600g, 76/100

Christmas cake

  • Winner: Waitrose & Partners No.1 Rich Fruit Cake, £18.50 for 1.5kg, 86/100
  • Runner-up & best budget: Aldi Specially Selected Rich Iced Fruit Cake, £8.99 for 907g, 85/100

Mince pies

  • Winner: Iceland Luxury 6 All Butter Mince Pies, £2.50 for 6, 85/100
  • Runner-up: Asda Extra Special Luxury Mince Pies, £2.50 for 6, 82/100
  • Best budget: Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies, £1.99 for 6, 80/100

Panettone

  • Winner: Tre Marie Panettone Capolavoro Noir, £24 for 830g (Ocado), 94/100
  • Runner-up & best budget: Aldi Specially Selected Chocolate Panettone, £3.49 for 750g, 88/100

Champagne

  • Winner: Asda Extra Special Louis Bernard Champagne Vintage Brut, £28, 81/100
  • Runner-up: Waitrose & Partners Champagne Blanc de Noirs Brut NV, £26.99, 80/100
  • Best budget: Lidl Montaudon Champagne Brut, £13.99, 78/100

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Prosecco

  • Winner: Waitrose & Partners Blueprint Prosecco DOC, £7.99, 80/100
  • Runner-up and best budget: Lidl Prosecco Spumante Valdobbiadene Superiore, £7.49, in-store only, 79/100

Sherry

  • Winner: Morrisons The Best Pedro Ximénez, £7 for 37.5cl, 90/100
  • Runner-up: Solera 1847 Cream Sherry, £17.50 for 75cl (Ocado), 85/100
  • Best budget: Aldi Specially Selected Pedro Ximénez Sherry, £5.49 for 37.5cl, 78/100

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