With Christmas a mere 71 days away, Britons are starting to make plans for what their families will be eating and drinking on the big day.

There are hundreds of options to choose from, as every major supermarket has released their festive ranges, so the Good Housekeeping Institute has swooped in to help ease any decision-making fatigue.

The Good Housekeeping Institute has released the results of this year’s Christmas Taste Test, crowning Waitrose as the overall winner with 11 of the retailer’s products appearing in first or second place across all categories.

Waitrose came out on top in five categories, including Stollen, Vegetable Sides, Starter and Sharers, Flavoured Mince Pies, and Alternative Christmas Meat Centrepieces.

Asda came in second place and was rated best for Canapes, Red and White Wine, Turkey Crown and Yule Log.

However, the budget supermarket that scooped up several top spots is Aldiwhich was given the title for ‘Best Value’.

Aldi beat out all the other supermarkets for its Flavoured Christmas puddings, Roast Potatoes and Pigs in Blankets.

However, the coveted classic mince pie category did not see either Waitrose, Asda or Aldi crowned – Iceland took the top spot for its classic mince pie.

The product testing team tested than 680 festive products from over 107 brands and retailers over a period of five months to determine the very best Christmas food and drink for 2025.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Callum Black, Deputy Head of Testing at The Good Housekeeping Institute added that some of his top picks for the best value items included Aldi’s pigs in blankets and Christmas pudding, as well as Co-op and Asda for desserts and tipples.

‘Some of best value options aren’t just the cheapest but scored phenomenally well including Aldi’s Specially Selected Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets, their Wagyu Fat Roast Potatoes and the Orange and Maple Christmas Pudding, which all happen to be the winners too!’ he said.

‘Other notable shout-outs go to Co-op for both their classic Merry Mince pies and Irresistible Gingerbread and Maple Mince Pies scooping the runner-up slot and best value tags, while if you’re after a cost effective tipple this year Asda’s Cream Sherry comes in at an enticing £10.77 for a litre, and a sparkling score of 84 making it the runner-up.

‘These cost-effective stars mean that whenever you see our logo this Christmas you can be confident that even if it’s a bargain you’re guaranteed a stand-out taste approved product too.’

Turkey crowns

Winner: Asda – Exceptional by Asda Heritage Slate Turkey Crown with Caramelised Apple and Cranberry Stuffing and a Honey and Maple Glaze, £32.53-£62.55

Asda’s turkey crown was deemed truly exceptional with a score of 85/100. The price ranges from £32.53 for a 1.5kg bird to £62.55 for a 2.5kg bird.

In second place was Aldi’s Specially Selected British Road-in-the-Bag Roly Poly Stuffed Turkey Crown (£31.48-£48.28 for 1.5kg-2.3kg).

Co-op took the Value title for its Basted Medium Turkey Crown, which is priced at £36.50 for a 2.5kg bird.

Whole turkeys

Winner: Riverford Organic Farmers – Turkey XL, £170.50

The whole turkey category was a rare one in which no supermarkets took the first spot. Instead, Riverford Organic Farmers’ whole turkey was crowned the best, with a 6.5kg bird setting customers back by £170.50.

However, Morrisons does share joint second place with Kelly Bronze. The supermarket’s Best Signature Collection Giant Double Stuffed Whole Turkey with Smoked Bacon (£72 for 6kg) scored the same as the latter’s Organic Whole Turkey (£125 for 5-6kg).

The Value winner was Co-op’s Medium Turkey which costs £38.50 for a 4.75kg bird.

Mince pies

Winner: Iceland – Luxury 6pk All Butter Mince Pies, £3

Iceland’s classic mince pies scored 80/100, putting it ahead of the pack. In second place was Co-op’s Merry Mince Pies (£1.50 for a pack of six).

When it came to flavoured mince piesthough, Waitrose’s No.1 Golden Mince Pies with Limoncello (£4 for a pack of four) was a clear winner and was rated higher than any other mince pie at 91/100.

These were followed closely by Co-op’s Irresistible Gingerbread and Maple Mince Pies (£2.85 for a pack of four).

Roast potatoes

Winner: Aldi – Specially Selected The Ultimate Wagyu Fat Roast Potatoes, £2.99

Aldi’s luxurious roast potatoes were described as ‘unrivalled’ by the Good Housekeeping Institute’s testers, and are an absolute bargain at only £2.99 for an 800g pack.

In second place was Tesco’s Finest Maris Piper Roast Potatoes with Salted Butter and Confit Garlic (£5), while Asda was the value winner for its Exceptional by Asda Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes with Herb Seasoning (£2.75).

Pigs in blankets

Winner: Aldi – Specially Selected Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets, £2.49

Aldi scored top points for in the classic category of pigs in blankets with its Specially Selected Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets, which were also rated Best Value at £2.49.

The winner of the flavoured category of pigs in blankets was Lidl, whose Deluxe Pigs in Blankets with Honey & Mustard scored 82/100.

Christmas meat centrepieces

Winner: Waitrose – No.1 Wagyu Topside, £26

The wagyu topside offered by Waitrose is priced at £26 for 800g and is described by the retailer as an ‘exceptionally delicious roast beef’ with a marble score of six, making it ‘meltingly tender and flavoursome, but not too fatty’.

The runner-up in this category was Co-op’s Irresistible Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket with Truffle and Red Wine Gravy (£17 for 913g).

Iceland’s Hog Roast won the Value title for its Three Hog Roast, priced at only £8 for 1kg.

Christmas pudding

Winner: Sainsbury’s – Taste the Difference 18-Month Matured Christmas Pudding, £9

Sainsbury’s beat out all the other supermarkets in the classic category for Christmas puddings, earning a score of 86/100.

This was followed by artisan bakery Meg Rivers’ Traditional Christmas Pudding, which will set customers back by an eye-widening £22.

Aldi’s Specially Selected 24-Month Matured Christmas Pudding was the Value winner in this category, costing just £7.99.

In the flavoured category, Aldi was crowned again for its Specially Selected Orange and Maple Christmas Pudding (£9.99), with Tesco’s Finest Sticky Toffee Panettone Christmas Pudding (£11) taking the second spot.

Meat-free mains

Joint winners:

Lodge Farm Organic – Festive Cheese and Leek Wreath with Red Onion Relish, £25

Cook – Nut Roast, £7.95

No supermarket clinched the top spot for meat-free mains, with both Lodge Farm Organic and Cook scoring 85/100 for their offerings. It’s worth noting that Lodge Farm Organic’s wreath weighs in at 1.9kg, while Cook’s nut roast weighs in at 540g.

However, Sainsbury’s did score the highest for vegan mains for its Christmas Mushroom Wellington, priced at £10 for 500g.

Christmas cake

Winner: Tesco – Finest Jewelled Topped Fruit Cake, £15

Tesco’s showstopping Christmas Cake took the top spot in this category, no doubt thanks to the vibrant glacé cherries, pistachios and pecan halves that crown the luxurious bake.

Waitrose’s No.1 Hand-Decorated Matured Rich Fruit Cake (£20) was a very close second, scoring just one point less than Tesco’s offering.

Meanwhile, Aldi’s Specially Selected All Over Iced Rich Fruit Cake (£9.49) was named the Value winner.

Starters and sharers

Winner (starter): Waitrose – No.1 Scallop and King Prawn with Roasted Garlic West Country Butter, £7.50

Winner (sharer): Tesco – Finest Pork, Smoked Bacon and Maple Sausage Roll Wreath, £9

Waitrose’s scallop starters, which come in a pack of four, were the top rated with a score of 84/100. They are served in their shells, making them a pretty dish to boot.

Meanwhile, if you’re feeding a crowd, Tesco’s meaty wreath also scored 84/100, making it a popular choice.

The Value winner in this category was Iceland’s Luxury Caramelised Onion and Goat’s Cheese Tarts, priced at just £3.50 for a pack of two.

Panettone

Winner (flavoured): Tesco – Finest Gingerbread Panettone, £12

Winner (classic): Aldi – Specially Selected Classic Panettone, £4.99

Tesco’s gingerbread panettone, which comes with a salted caramel sauce filling and salted caramel fudge pieces, was a team favourite and scored an impressive 92/100.

Meanwhile, Aldi’s classic panettone also scored highly, with 90/100, and was also crowned the Value winner.

Festive tipple winners

• Red wine: Asda – Extra Special Amarone, £19.97
• White wine: Asda – Extra Special Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, £23.98
• Mulled wine (joint winners) – Selfridges – Selection Mulled Wine, £15.99 and Sainsbury’s – Taste the Difference Mulled Wine, £6.25
• Festive liqueur: Lidl – Toffee Yum Yum Cream Liqueur, £7.29