German grocery chain Aldi has been found to be offering the best range of Christmas food and drink for shoppers who are looking to stick to a budget this year.
With many households continuing to feel the pinch of the cost of living crisis, knowing where to pick up the most affordable Christmas dinner without breaking the bank can be handy knowledge this year. And, luckily, a great tasting festive feast doesn't have to be an massive expense this year, based on the results from a recent taste test conducted by Good Housekeeping.
The prestigious institute brought back their Christmas Taste Test for 2022 to find the best supermarket for a budget festive dinner, reports The Express.
A panel of experts tucked into 33 categories of food and drink that covered all our festive favourites, including pigs in blankets, smoked salmon, roast potatoes and canapes.
A total of 470 festive products from over 130 brands and retailers were sampled, including vegan and vegetarian options, to find the best value offering. Particular attention was paid to the most affordable option, due to the soaring costs of energy and food prices this year.
And while many retailers have reacted to the cost of living with decent prices, the test found that Aldi is once again the top of the pile for a low-cost good quality festive slap-up.
The budget supermarket chain regularly wows shoppers with its show stopping Christmas range, and this year was no different, as it scored top marks for starters, mains and desserts.
After the experts tasted a total of 26 whole turkey crowns, Aldi came out on top with a score of 79/100 for its Specially Selected Roly Poly Stuffed Crown, £16.99 for 1.5kg which was named the Best Budget Crown.
Its Slow Cooked Wagyu Ribs with a Red Wine Sauce, (£6.99 for 600g), also scored 79/100, and was named Best budget Christmas meat centrepiece. The tasting experts said it “proved great value”.
The dish is presented in a caramelised red wine jus, and testers hailed the gelatinous meat for being extremely moreish.
The supermarket was also awarded Best budget vegan main for its Aldi Festive Wreath, which is priced at £3.99 for 480g. It scored 70/100.
Aldi also took the coveted top spot for the Best Budget roast potatoes with Its Specially Selected Goose Fat Roast Potatoes scored 72/100 and cost £1.59 for 800g.
For mince pie lovers, the supermarket’s offerings were awarded Best Budget Mince Pie. Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies scored 71/100 and are £1.79 for six.
Aldi Specially Selected Chocolate Panettone £3.99 for 750g was also named Best Budget Panettones scoring 76/100.
As for what supermarket was awarded number one, M&S Food sat within the top five in an impressive 19 categories. Waitrose & Partners did particularly well on the turkey front, with Sainsbury’s leading the way on sweet treats.
Angela Trofymova, Head of Food & Drink Testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute said: “We’ve been testing for Christmas from May all the way through to October, and are thrilled to be able to share our top picks for the season."
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