With the big Christmas food shop upon us, many families are looking for ways to enjoy festive treats without breaking the bank. To find the best value, a comprehensive taste test was conducted, comparing seasonal essentials from seven major UK supermarkets: Asda, Tesco, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons.
The Clear Winner for Festive Value
The overall verdict from the testing, which took place in December 2025, was clear. Lidl emerged as the top performer, securing the best value and taste across multiple key categories. The budget supermarket impressed testers with its mince pies, stollen, stuffing mix, and hot chocolate.
Category Champions Revealed
In the battle of the mince pies, Lidl's offering far surpassed all rivals, including the famous Mr Kipling brand and a pricier version from Marks & Spencer. At just £1.25 for a box of six, they were the cheapest and favourites, praised for their homemade look and generously filled, fruity mincemeat.
When it came to stollen, Lidl again took the crown. Its £3.99 700g loaf, produced in Germany, was deemed the most traditional tasting. Testers loved its perfect texture, dusting of icing sugar, and the large chunk of marzipan running through it.
Aldi claimed victory in the yule log category with its Specially Selected Yule Log. Priced at £5.45, it offered better value per 100g than some basic versions. Made with Belgian milk chocolate, it was described as decadent but not sickly, with plenty of chocolate fudge icing and buttercream.
Other Noteworthy Performers
While Lidl dominated, other supermarkets shone in specific areas. Marks & Spencer's Outrageously Chocolatey biscuits were the taste test favourite, though at £6.50 they were the most expensive. However, the box contained 12 varieties, totalling 24 biscuits.
Tesco's chocolate biscuits also scored highly for offering a good variety at a more affordable price, especially for Clubcard holders. Meanwhile, Tesco's cranberry sauce was praised for its tangy flavour, making it a joint second-place winner alongside Aldi's yule log and M&S's biscuits.
The testing covered a full festive spread, also evaluating stuffing mixes and hot chocolates to give a complete picture of where to find quality and value this Christmas.
