COSTA coffee has beaten supermarkets to win the top spot for mince pies in a well-respected Christmas food taste test.
Tesco was praised for its gingerbread latte festive cream, £10, topping the liqueurs category.
While Morrisons was applauded for its chocolate orange pudding, costing £6.
Taste testers from Good Housekeeping Magazine tried 423 products – the most amount ever – to rank the festive treats.
Posh shops Waitrose and Marks and Spencer won the most categories, with both winning three first places each.
M&S topped the list with its Christmas pudding, gravy and frozen turkey crown.
Full list of Xmas taste test winners
FROZEN TURKEYS AND CROWNS (11 TESTED)
Winner: M&S British Stuffed Oakham Turkey Crown, £28 for 2kg. 92/100
Runner-Up: Aldi Specially Selected Stuffed Turkey Crown, £17.99 for 1.8-2.3kg. 88/100
GRAVY (11 TESTED)
Winner: M&S Onion Gravy, £2 for 350g. 81/100
Runner-Up: Aah! Bisto Onion Gravy Granules, £1.50 for 170g. 77/100
MEAT STUFFING (14 TESTED)
Joint Winners:
Sainsburys Taste The Difference 6 Pork, Chestnut & Bacon Stuffing Parcels, £7 for 252g. 82/100
Farmison &Co Free Range Pork, Plum Pudding & Apple Brandy Stuffing, £6.95 for 450g. 82/100
Runner-Up: Pipers Farm Sage and Onion Stuffing, £11.90 for 500g. 80/100
PIGS IN BLANKETS (15 TESTED)
Winner: Farmison & Co Luxury Chestnut, Sage and Apricot Pigs In Blankets, £7.95 for 300g. 86/100
Runner-Up: M&S British Outdoor Bred Pork 12 Pigs in Blankets wrapped in Oak Smoked Bacon, £3.50 for 282g. 84/100
TRADITIONAL SMOKED SALMON (15 TESTED)
Winner: Bleiker’s Smokehouse, Yorkshire Peat Smoked Salmon, £3 for 100g. 87/100
Runner-Up: ASDA Mild & Delicate Smoked Salmon, £4 for 120g. 84/100
FLAVOURED SMOKED SALMON (11 TESTED)
Winner: Booths Gravadlax Smoked Salmon, £6 for 100g. 95/100
Runner-Up: Bleiker’s Scotch Whisky Smoked Salmon, £3 for 100g. 82/100
MEAT FREE MAINS (12 tested)
Winner: Lidl 2 Caramelised Onion & Goat's Cheese Tartlets, £1.69 for 240g. 82/100
Runner-Up: Waitrose & Partners Vegan Festive Swirls, £6.99 for 481g. 79/100
MINCE PIES (15 TESTED)
Winner: Costa Coffee All Butter Mince Pie, £2 for one mince pie. 90/100
Runner-Up: Iceland Luxury 6 Mince Pies, £1.89 for pack of six. 87/100
GLUTEN-FREE MINCE PIES (11 TESTED)
Winner: Costa Coffee Gluten Free Mince Pie, £2 for one mince pie. 73/100
Runner-Up: M&S Made Without Gluten Free 4 Mince Pies, £2.50 for 205g. 72/100
MINCE PIES WITH A TWIST (12 TESTED)
Winner: PAUL Mince Pie Croissant, £2.65 for 116g. 92/100
Runner-Up: Waitrose & Partners 9 Mini Mince Pies Selection, £3 for 240g. 86/100
CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS (13 TESTED)
Winner: M&S Vintage Christmas Pudding, £15 for 800g. 92/100
Runners-Up: Daylesford Organic Traditional Christmas Pudding, £20 for 900g. 87/100
CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS WITH A TWIST (8 TESTED)
Winner: Sainsburys Taste the Difference Salted Maple & Pecan Christmas Pudding, £6 for 400g. 86/100
Runners-Up: M&S Collection Chocolate & Orange Pudding, £12 for 700g. 84/100
CHRISTMAS CAKE (15 TESTED)
Winner: Waitrose & Partners No.1 Richly Fruited Christmas Cake, £16 for 1.3kg. 82/100
Runner-Up: M&S Christmas Collection Christmas Cake, £10 for 907g. 75/100
YULE LOG (11 TESTED)
Winner: Waitrose & Partners Christmas Chocolate Yule Log, £5 for 825g. 81/100
Runner-Up: M&S Woodland Yule Log, £20 for 1.05kg. 80/100
DESSERT CENTREPIECE (13 TESTED)
Winner: Morrisons The Best Chocolate Orange Pudding, £6 for 500g. 86/100
Joint Runner-Up: Aldi Specially Selected Golden Twist Sticky Toffee Pudding, £5.99 for 700g. 82/100
Joint Runner-Up: 82/100 Co-op Truly Irresistible Fully Loaded Billionaires Dessert, £6.00 for 600g
CHAMPAGNE (11 TESTED)
Winner: Waitrose & Partners Waitrose Blanc de Noirs Brut NV Champagne, £23.99 for 75cl. 84/100
Runner-Up: Aldi Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut, £12.69 for 75cl. 81/100
PROSECCO (11 TESTED)
Winner: Ocado Abbazia Fiorino Prosecco d.o.c., £9.99 for 75cl. 90/100
Runner-Up: Aldi Organic Prosecco, £7.99 for 75cl. 87/100
FESTIVE LIQUORS (14 TESTED)
Winner: Tesco Finest Gingerbread latte Irish Cream Liquor, £10 for 70cl. 90/100
Runner-Up: M&S Luxurious Chocolate Salted Caramel Brownie Cream, £12 for 70cl. 84/100
PRE MIXED NEGRONI (8 TESTED)
Winner: Primo Aperitivo, Primo Aperitivo Negroni, £27 for 50cl. 83/100
Runner-Up: Master of Malt Sacred Negroni, £29.95 for 70cl. 81/100
VINTAGE PORT (8 TESTED)
Winner: Graham's LBV 2015 – Bicentenary Edition, £13.99 for 70cl. 85/100
Runner-Up: Cálem LBV 2015, £20.29 for 70cl. 79/100
RUBY AND CRUSTED PORT (11 TESTED)
Winner: Adnams Finest Reserve Port, £13.99 for 70cl. 85/100
Runner-Up: Rozes Port Ruby, £12.99 for 70cl. 81/100
While the Christmas cake, champagne and yule log were winners for Waitrose.
The Costa coffee mince pies cost £2 each, which is six times more expensive than rivals.
For example, a pack of six from runner-up Iceland costs £1.89.
Costa was praised for its “cripsy, golden pastry and zesty citrus filling with a mixed spice flavour.”
The taste test, which is now in its 21st year, looked at products which are available online and in-stores as shoppers prepare for a Christmas with Covid restrictions.
It is used a barometer for shoppers on what they should and shouldn’t buy.
Alexandra Hale, food & drink specialist for Good Housekeeping, said: “We all know that this Christmas is going to be very different to last year.
“That’s why we think the public deserve to know where to spend their hard-earned money to ensure they have the best tasting food and drink possible this Christmas.”
Last year, Morrisons’ £10 prosecco was named top fizz in the blind taste test.
While Spar was beat posh rivals to win the best mince pie in BBC Good Food’s taste test.
Costa’s Christmas menu includes a lobster toastie and After Eight muffin. While Morrisons is selling a £50 box full with Christmas supplies to feed a family of four.
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