Tesco tops festive-food test as 2025 Christmas picks revealed

Tesco topped a year-end test of Christmas food offerings, with the retailer earning top marks for starters, mains and desserts in a Daily Mail guide to festive foods for 2025.

The guide lists category winners across a range of holiday basics, including best starter: Tesco Finest Scottish Terrine; best pate: Tesco Finest Three Bird Pate; best cranberry sauce: Waitrose Christmas Cranberry Sauce; best carrots: Waitrose Honey Roasted Chantenay Carrots; best pigs in blankets: Exceptional by Asda Maple Pigs in Blankets; best stuffing: Waitrose No.1 Stuffing Balls; best potatoes: Marks & Spencer Irish White Potatoes; best beef main: Tesco Finest Beef Wellington; best turkey: Tesco Finest Bronze Turkey; best dessert: M&S Collection 12 Month Christmas Pudding; and best cheese: M&S Cheesemongers Selection. The testers noted that Tesco offered the widest selection and strong value, while Marks & Spencer drew praise for traditional desserts and a strong cheese board.

The Daily Mail testing process involves cooking or serving every product strictly according to the package instructions and having a reviewer assess flavor, texture and overall suitability for a festive table. Price, ease of preparation and the potential to serve as a show-stopper were also considered, with an eye toward practicality for both small and large gatherings. The piece notes that readers can shop the picks online or in stores, and mentions typical price ranges alongside notes about seasonal availability.

The list of winners underscores how the market is balancing tradition with convenience. For starters, the Tesco Finest Scottish Terrine is highlighted for its centerpiece appeal and ease of sharing, while the Three Bird Pate is praised for its richness and portion size. In the cranberry category, Waitrose’s sauce is described as having a mulled-wine depth that pairs well with cheese boards and roast dinners alike. In the vegetable category, Waitrose’s honey-roasted chantenay carrots are noted for delivering a simple, reliable sweetness that can streamline pre-Christmas cooking.

Among the more indulgent items, Asda’s maple pigs in blankets are celebrated for their sweet-savoury balance, though testers cautioned they might skew sweeter than some palates prefer. The Waitrose No.1 stuffing balls are seen as a step above standard stuffing with added chestnuts and bacon lardons, even as some flavors feel concentrated on the surface rather than evenly dispersed through the mix. In potatoes, Marks & Spencer Irish White Potatoes are praised for crispiness and fluffiness after roasting, a key factor for roast dinners that extend beyond the main course.

Prices cited in the guide illustrate the trade-off between premium quality and value. The Three Bird Pate is listed around £8 for a 375g pack, while Waitrose’s cranberry sauce runs about £3 a jar. Asda’s maple pigs in blankets are priced around £3.97 for a 210g pack. The stuffing balls from Waitrose can ring in at around £8 for 12, and Marks & Spencer’s Irish White Potatoes are positioned as a budget-conscious staple at roughly £2.25 for a 2.5kg bag. For mains, the beef Wellington from Tesco Finest is described as a showpiece at roughly £35 per item, and the Tesco Finest Bronze Turkey is priced at about £11 per kilogram, offering a balance between quality and affordability for larger roasts.

The review notes that the beef Wellington is especially convenient for those who want a restaurant-style centerpiece without the fuss of making a full beef Wellington from scratch, while the bronze turkey remains a reliable crowd-pleaser for family gatherings. The 12-month matured Christmas pudding from M&S Collection is highlighted for its boozy depth, an attribute that can stretch servings during a busy dessert course, though notes on reheating warn that texture may shift slightly after warming.

The overall verdict from the guide is that Tesco held the strongest all-around package for Christmas food in 2025, offering breadth of selection and competitive pricing for a large part of the meal. Marks & Spencer is singled out for its traditional Christmas puds and a well-curated cheese selection, while Waitrose is commended for specialty items such as the cranberry sauce and certain vegetables that elevate a dinner without adding complexity to preparation. The article also emphasizes practical shopping advice: book delivery slots early when shopping online and consider a few days ahead in-store to avoid last-minute shortages or spoilage.

Looking at how the guide situates its top picks, the emphasis on ease of preparation and show-stopper potential reflects a broader trend in 2025: many households seek premium-quality products that can be assembled quickly and still deliver a festive impact. While Tesco tops the list for overall performance, the guide makes clear that shoppers can mix and match across retailers to suit preferences, budgets and guest lists. The article also points readers toward general availability guidance, noting that some items are purchasable online with the option to have them delivered closer to Christmas, while others are best sourced in-store in the days leading up to the holiday.

Retailers themselves have responded to this demand by expanding ready-made and partially prepped options, particularly in starters and sides, while maintaining the tradition of a showpiece main course. In this year’s testing, the emphasis on balance—between value and quality, speed and ceremony—appears to reflect how households approach Christmas dining, blending convenience with the desire for a memorable centrepiece and a cheese board that can carry the meal through dessert and beyond.