With the festive season rapidly approaching, a new survey provides good news for consumers. In this year’s annual Good Housekeeping Christmas taste test, judges for the most part placed supermarket foods above luxury items in their list of festive must-haves on the dinner table.
While Morrisons has been seen to somewhat fall behind in the supermarket ratings over the past few years, its festive offerings tended to top the tables, not only beating off close rivals such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco but also high end retailers such as Fortnum and Mason and Harrods.
Morrisons’ Signature Stilton, Free Range Frozen Turkey and Fruit and Cognac Stuffing Balls all took the top place in their respective categories – something which could see the supermarket chain posting excellent results in the New Year as consumer demand for these products skyrockets.
Elsewhere, Tesco took first prize for its Mulled Wine this year, with experts praising the combination of spices and flavours along with the reasonable cost. Marks & Spencer also rose to the challenge, claiming eight places in the top five across the 13 judged categories.
Consumer director at Good Housekeeping, Caroline Bloor, advises consumers to splash out on luxuries where appropriate but to save money by following the magazine’s recommendations.
She says; “Shopping for Christmas dinner – one of the most eagerly anticipated meals of the year – can be very stressful.
“Deciding what to choose when faced with products you may only buy once a year can be hit and miss: that’s why we’ve done all the hard work for you and tracked down the best options across 13 categories.
“In most categories, the overall winner is from a high street supermarket – if you’re going to splash out, save your money for the champagne and smoked salmon.”
Yet there is good news for consumers looking to save even more, as once again budget chain Aldi claimed the top prize for its Connoisseur Christmas Pudding. In fact, only four categories awarded top prize to luxury brands – Loch Fyne Bradan Orach Traditional Smoked Salmon, Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV Champagne, Harrods Orange and Cranberry Ham and Heston from Waitrose Spiced Shortcrust Mince Pies all managed to beat off the competition from their cheaper rivals.
The festive season can indeed be stressful, but by following the tried and tested methods of Good Housekeeping consumers can save both time and money. Now all that remains is to put the products to the test when faced with hungry relatives on Christmas Day!
Do you tend to follow Good Housekeeping’s recommendations each year, or do you try to make items such as Christmas pudding and mince pies yourself?
