Which? reveals its 2017 Christmas food Best Buys

Which? declares the winners in this year’s battle of the mince pies

Consumer Champion awards only one Best Buy in the premium traditional category  as the Which? independent, expert tasters declare M&S The Collection Mince Pies the prize pies for Christmas 2017.

The Which? panel of four experts were very clear in their criteria for mince pie excellence.  Marks were awarded for buttery aroma, crumbly pastry and a well-spiced mincemeat containing fruits, nuts and a hint of booze.

The M&S pies were declared the clear winner with a score of 71%, achieving the only Best Buy in the premium traditional category. The experts praised the fruitiness and citrus notes of the generous filling noting that it lives up to the “pretty appearance” of this years’ star pies.  At £2.50 for six, they are also the joint most expensive mince pies Which? tasted this year.

At the other end of the scale, Morrisons The Best All Butter Mince Pies (£2, 56%) were the lowest rated premium pies we put to the expert taste-test.

In addition to the traditional pies, the Which? panel also tasted a range of free-from mince pies, noting an improvement in quality over recent years.  This year, our experts have awarded a record three Best Buys in this category, whilst noting that many are still a little free-from flavour and personality.  Some pies from different supermarkets also looked identical, leading to speculation that all nine tasted were made in one of a handful of factories.

The Free-From Mince Pies from Asda, Tesco and Morrisons all scored a commendable 70%.  The Asda pies are sugar-topped and generously filled with a “spiced and Christmassy” mincemeat despite being our cheapest Best Buy this year at £1.50. Retailing at £2, the Morrisons mince pies also score highly for filling excellence, with the panel declaring the flavour the “star of the show”.  The Tesco Free From Deep Filled Mince Pies at £1.75 impressed the taste experts with their “good, crisp pastry”, despite being let down by an under-spiced filling.

Nikki Stopford, Director of Research at Which? said:

“For most of us, mince pies mean Christmas. At Which? we know that people count on us to find and endorse the very best, which is why our mince pie tasting process is expert and independent, using the very best panel of tasters.

“This year’s Best Buys deliver on aroma, flavour, texture and appearance.  Shoppers can buy these mince pies with confidence and enjoy the taste of Christmas.”

Notes to editors:

  1. The mince pies were warmed before being blind-tasted in various order by the Which? panel of experts.

    1. Dan Lepard, award-winning baker, food writer and broadcaster

    2. Matt Jones, baker and owner of Bread Ahead

    3. Charlotte Marrifield, owner of Harrogate Cake Company

    4. Patrick Moore, founder of More? The Artisan Bakery and Cafe

  2. Marks were allocated as follows:

    1. 40% taste

    2. 20% aroma

    3. 20% texture

    4. 20% appearance

  3. All prices are for six mince pies in the traditional category and for four pies in the free-from category, unless otherwise stated.  Prices are correct as of 15th October 2017

  4. Which? also tested eleven more unusual and creative non-traditional mince pies.  The selection was too diverse to compare like with like, so we didn’t formally score or award Best Buys.  However, the Which? pie experts do recommend trying the Waitrose All-Butter Chocolate And Ginger Mince Pies (£2 for four).  For the full verdict on these and the other wild-card pies, plus video footage of the tasting, go to which.co.uk/mincepies

  5. Which? tasted the following mince pies. For the full results tables, please visit: which.co.uk/mincepies

    1. Premium traditional: M&S The Collection Mince Pies, Asda Extra Special All Butter Mince Pies, Spar Mince Pies, Waitrose 1 Mince Pies, Lidl Deluxe Luxury Mince Pies, Sainsbury’s All Butter Mince Pies, Co-op Irresistible Mince Pies, Iceland Luxury Mince Pies, Tesco Finest All Butter Pastry Deep Filled Mince Pies, Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies, Morrisons The Best All Butter Mince Pies

    2. Free From: Asda Free From Mince Pies, Morrisons Free From Mince Pies, Tesco Free From Deep-filled Mince Pies, Sainsbury’s Deliciously Free From Mince Pies,  M&S Classic 4 Gluten Free Mince Pies, Co-op Free From Mince Pies,  Aldi Gluten Free Mince Pies,  Lidl Favorina Gluten Free Mince Pies, LoveMore Mince Pies

Which? reveals the only Christmas pudding to receive Best Buy status this year

Independent expert tasting by the Consumer Champion has named Lidl’s 24-month matured Christmas pudding the star pudding and only Best Buy for Christmas 2017, and reveals a good budget alternative from Asda.

The Which? panel of four experts tasted 10 different Christmas puddings from leading supermarkets, looking for a balance of sweetness, spice and booze, a variety of fruits and nuts, plus a texture that’s cakey but not too firm.

The Lidl Christmas pudding (£11.99, 907g) was the only pud awarded Best Buy status this year, scoring 81% in the taste test. Packed with “a good variety of nuts and fruit”, this pudding impressed the panel with its texture and cracked, homemade look. Lidl’s offering was also commended for its boozy aroma, although this did lead the panel to label it quite a grown-up pudding.

Higher prices didn’t necessarily equal better quality this year as the taste test also revealed a good choice for under a fiver. Asda’s Extra Special Christmas Pudding came fourth out of the 10, scoring 72% and costing only £4. This was preferred by the panel to the more expensive puddings from Waitrose and Aldi. The Asda pudding is smaller at 454g than some of the others, but even buying two would still save you money compared to other puddings in the tasting.

The Christmas pudding to score the least in the taste test was Aldi’s Specially Selected Vintage Christmas Pudding, costing £9.99 but scoring only 51%.

Some of the panel felt that, on the whole, the quality of puddings was lower than in previous years, and were disappointed by the lack of [stone?] fruits, nuts and spices in many of the puddings they tried. They also sampled Morrisons’ golden Pear and Pedro Ximenez Sherry Christmas Pudding (£8), and praised its “glorious gold presentation” but felt that it offered “style over substance”, scoring only 59%.

Nikki Stopford, Director of Research at Which? said:

“Christmas dinners would be incomplete without a show-stopping Christmas pudding to round it off. We want people to be confident that the pudding they choose isn’t going to disappoint and that’s why Which? set out to find the very best on offer.

“Only products that deliver excellence are awarded Which? Best Buy status, so shoppers can be confident that this year’s star pudding will be the perfect finish to their Christmas dinner.”

Notes to editors:

  1. The 10 Christmas puddings were microwaved according to instructions on the pack before being blind-tasted in various order by the Which? panel of experts.

    • Dan Lepard, award-winning baker, food writer and broadcaster

    • Suzy Pelta, bakery author and broadcaster

    • Ryan Simpson, chef proprietor of Orwell’s Restaurant

    • Patrick Moore, founder of More? The Artisan Bakery and Cafe

  2. Prices are correct as of 15th October 2017

  3. All puddings in the test contain alcohol and are suitable for vegetarians.

  4. Which? tested the following puddings. For the full results tables, please visit: which.co.uk/xmaspud

    • Lidl Deluxe 24-month Matured Christmas Pudding, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference 18 Month Matured Cognac Laced Christmas Pudding, M&S Collection 12 Month Matured Vintage Christmas Pudding, Asda Extra Special Christmas pudding, Iceland Luxury 12 Month Matured Christmas Pudding, Tesco Finest Cherry Topped Christmas Pudding, Waitrose 1 Remy Christmas Pudding, Co-op Irresistible Christmas Pudding, Morrisons Pear and Pedro Ximenez Sherry Christmas Pudding, Aldi Specially Selected Exquisite Vintage Pudding

Veuve Clicquot tops the festive pops in Which? Christmas tasting

A Which? panel of wine experts has awarded Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label champagne a Best Buy and the top score in this year’s festive taste test, just ahead of its fellow Best Buy rivals.

While the most expensive at £39, the panel praised its “rich and opulent style”, noted it was “nicely balanced” and had “good length of flavour”. The champagne scored a mark of 83% in a blind taste test by a panel of wine experts and was awarded a Which? Best Buy.

Other champagnes commended by the panel and awarded a coveted Which? Best Buy were the Waitrose Blanc de Noirs Brut NV Champagne (82% and £21.99 a bottle) and Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut NV Champagne (£35 a bottle and 81%). The panel noted the “nice balance of acidity with sweetness” of the Waitrose champagne and praised the “delicate and refined style” and “perky fizz” of the Laurent-Perrier.

At the bottom of table for champagnes this year is the Asda Extra Special Premier Cru Champagne, priced at £19 but scoring just 67%.

Topping the prosecco list  with 78% was Spar Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG (£12 a bottle) which was commended for its “pleasant balance” and “meaty, savoury style”. The Which? Experts were less complimentary about the Aldi Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore at £7.99, awarding it 66%.

The premier winter red wine was Tesco Finest GSM 2015 which had a score of 77%. The wine at £8 a bottle is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The panel noted its “bright, juicy and fleshy” style.

Nikki Stopford, Director of Research at Which? said:

“If you are splashing out on a great champagne as a Christmas treat, we have found a few bottles that are definitely worth the indulgence. We also uncovered some excellent mid-range options, so you don’t need to break the bank  to enjoy a great glass of bubbles this Christmas..

“Shoppers can be confident they’re getting the best quality champagne, prosecco and red wine to be enjoyed over the festive period, knowing everything has been independently tasted by Which? leading experts.”

Notes to editors

  • We asked supermarkets to nominate an own-label or exclusive non-vintage Champagne, plus a prosecco and winter red wine. Our expert panel blind-tasted 37 Champagnes, proseccos and winter red wines

  • The tasting panel were:

    • Oz Clarke, wine taster and award winning wine writer, speaker and broadcaster

    • Helen McGinn, author and international wine judge

    • Kathryn McWhirter, wine author and translator

    • Charles Metcalfe, co-chair of the International Wine Challenge

    • Sarah Abbott,Master of Wine, Swirl and Savour wine events founder, International Wine Challenge co-chair

  • For the full list of champagnes, prosecco and wines we tests plus the results, go to which.co.uk/champagne

  • Serving tips from our experts:

    • If you find that your screwtop red wine is a bit flat when you crack it open, it might be lacking oxygen. Pour a bit out, put the cap on, and give it a good shake.

    • If a red is too tannic, try decanting it. Don’t serve it too cold, and our experts suggest pairing it with foods high in protein, such as cheese or meat, to help reduce the tannins, too.

    • Don’t serve red wine too warm. To get it to the perfect temperature in a centrally heated home, pop it in a wine bucket with some cool water. Check it every so often to make sure it isn’t getting too cold.

    • Stop fizz frothing over when pouring it for a horde at a party by putting a little
      in the bottom of each glass just as guests arrive. Then top up when serving.
      At a Christmas party, don’t lift your glass higher while being served bubbly
      – a lower glass (and tilted) makes it easier for your host to pour, so you’re likely to end up with more in your glass.

  • For more expert tips and advice on choosing and pairing wine and food this Christmas, go to which.co.uk/champagne

Spar prosecco tops the Christmas taste test

Which? has revealed a prosecco from convenience store Spar outshone its supermarket rivals to be crowned taste champion by an independent panel of experts.

The Spar Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG costs £12 a bottle and scored 78% in a blind taste test. It was was awarded the only coveted Which? Best Buy for prosecco this Christmas. The panel commended the fizz for its “pleasant balance” and “savoury style.”

Also rated highly was the Asda Fillipo Sansovino Prosecco (£7.98 a bottle) and the Waitrose San Leo Prosecco Brut NV Italy (£10.99 a bottle) which both scored a commendable 77%.

Aldi Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore £7.99 (66%) was the lowest-scoring fizz in this category for 2017.

Nikki Stopford, Director of Research at Which? said:

“It just goes to show you don’t have to be a leading supermarket to achieve a Which? Best Buy accolade. You can now enjoy a glass of Best Buy Christmas fizz from your local Spar, so get yours while stocks last!

“Shoppers can be confident of getting the best quality prosecco to enjoy over the festive period, knowing it has been independently tasted by the Which? panel of experts.”

Notes to editors

  • We asked supermarkets to nominate a prosecco which were expertly tasted by our panel

    • Oz Clarke, wine taster and award winning wine writer, speaker and broadcaster

    • Helen McGinn, author and international wine judge

    • Kathryn McWhirter, wine author and translator

    • Charles Metcalfe, co-chair of the International Wine Challenge

    • Sarah Abbott, Master of Wine, Swirl and Savour wine events founder, International Wine Challenge co-chair

  • For the full list of prosecco we tasted plus the results, visit which.co.uk/prosecco

  • Serving tips from our experts:

    • Stop prosecco frothing over when pouring it for a horde at a party by putting a little in the bottom of each glass just as guests arrive. Then top up when serving.

    • At a Christmas party, don’t lift your glass higher while being served bubbly – a lower glass (and tilted) makes it easier for your host to pour, so you’re likely to end up with more in your glass.

  • For more expert tips and advice on choosing and pairing wine and food this Christmas, go to which.co.uk/pr

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