The UK supermarkets with the ‘best’ food and drink for Christmas have been revealed

As December 25 approaches, we’ll all be trying to figure out which supermarket to head to for our big Christmas shop.

With eight major retailers in the UK, it can be difficult to choose a favourite, as they all have their own advantages and disadvantages.

But if you can’t be bothered to find out which one is right for you, you’ll be happy to hear the hard work has been done for you.

The team at the Good Housekeeping Institute (GHI) have revealed the results of their annual festive taste test and they’ve done it officially crowned Waitrose as the overall winner.

Waitrose products achieved first or second place in 11 of 31 different food and drink categories for Christmas.

The retailer won first place five times, taking gold for stollen products, vegetable side dishes, appetizers and sharers, flavored mince pies and alternative meat centrepieces.

Interestingly, it wasn’t M&S ​​that followed in second place, but Asda, which was rated best for its canapés, red and white wine, turkey crown and yule log.

But, of course, when it comes to ‘best value’, the UK’s cheapest supermarket comes out on top, with Aldi getting high marks for its flavorful Christmas puddings, roast potatoes and pigs in blankets.

Türkiye

According to the GHI panel, Asda’s Exceptional by Asda Heritage Slate Turkey Crown with Caramelised Apple & Cranberry Stuffing and Honey & Maple Glaze (£50.04) was the overall winner in the fresh and frozen turkey category, with a score of 85/100.

The decoration

No Christmas dinner is complete without delicious side dishes and it’s Aldi that dominates this category. The budget retailer impressed with its Specially Selected Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets, with a score of 88/100 and these pigs were named the best and best value.

Likewise, Aldi’s Best Specially Selected Wagyu Fat Baked Potatoes were ‘unrivalled’ in the baked category, with another solid 88/100.

Waitrose also impressed with No.1 Best Cauliflower Cheese, which scored 85/100.

Desserts

For Christmas puddings, the best classic pudding according to the panel was Sainsbury’s 18 Months Taste the Difference Christmas Pudding, which scored 86/100.

However Aldi’s Special Choice Orange and Maple version scored higher in the flavored pudding category, with 90/100.

Elsewhere, Tesco had the most impressive Christmas cakes with the Best Gem Topped Fruit Cake (82/100) and the Exceptional by Asda Chocolate Yule Log deemed the best value (85/100).

mince pies

Iceland was the surprise winner for best classic mince pie, with its Luxurious All Butter Mince Pie 6pk (80/100).

But when it comes to taste, Waitrose’s No.1 Golden Mince Pie with Limoncello ranks higher than any other mince pie, with a score of 91/100.

Celebration Party Food

Asda and Aldi were the standouts when it came to canapés and party food, with top picks including Exceptional by Asda Eight Butter Chicken Mini Naans (92/100), Aldi’s Special Choice Ham & Cheese Scones (92/100) and Exceptional by Asda Prawn Lollipops (89/100).

For vegetarians, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Crispy Mushroom Tartlet was the top scorer (91/100).

Tip

Nothing says Christmas better than a glass of fizz, and the test claims Della Vite’s Superiore DOCG Prosecco is the top pick (84/100), priced at £21.75 a bottle and available to buy at Sainsbury’s, Ocado and John Lewis.

For a cheaper option, M&S is the best value drink with its La Vita Prosecco, which is £7 a bottle (71/100).

In total, more than 680 festive treats were tried from over 107 brands and retailers to produce the final list of ‘best Christmas foods and drinks’.

And experts claim there have been some ‘fantastic innovations’ in food and drink this year, as well as many retro flavors making a comeback.

Callum Black, deputy head of testing at GHI said: ‘It’s been a great year for innovation in all its forms – we’ve seen a huge selection of variations of traditional favorites with popular food trends in 2025, especially from our winning supermarkets with phenomenal pistachios served alongside pistachio liqueur and the amazing pistachio Panettone.

‘But the love of nostalgia we’ve seen in recent years hasn’t waned either – flavors of Black Forest, Tiramisu and sticky toffee appearing in Christmas puddings, cheesecakes and even gingerbread houses mean those comfort food classics will never go away this Christmas.’

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