Good Housekeeping's Big Christmas Taste Test: The best Christmas food and drink for 2026, revealed

The Good Housekeeping Institute’s Christmas Taste Test is back for its 27th year! And once again our experts have been hard at work, this time testing a whopping 36 categories (yes, we started in May) in our test kitchen.

Sampling more than 660 festive products from over 80 brands and retailers, our experts have found the very best Christmas food and drink to buy, to make sure this year’s feast is one to remember.

From party-ready picky bits and delicious pigs in blankets, to traditional and flavoured smoked salmon, and fresh and frozen turkeys, we’ve tested everything you need for the big day.

We’ve also rounded up the tastiest sides (because they can be the best bit) – and if you fancy trying something new this year, we’ve got the best roasts that aren’t turkey.

New categories for this year include seafood platters – time-saving selections of fish and shellfish for effortless hosting – and trifles, because sometimes nothing beats a nostalgic Christmas pud.

For gifting (and self-gifting), look to our expert-rated and beautifully presented biscuit tins and gingerbread houses. And for those with a sweet tooth, we’ve tracked down the most showstopping Christmas desserts, the best Christmas puddings and panettone, and the best mince pies – whether you’re a traditionalist or prefer a fun flavour twist.

To wash it all down? From supermarket Champagne and Prosecco, through to the best port, we've got everything you need to refresh your drinks trolley this season.

The best in test...

We’re pleased to reveal that Aldi is the overall winner of our 2026 Christmas taste test, with 13 products appearing in first or second place across all categories. The supermarket scooped the top spot seven times in total – including for the best pigs in blankets, Christmas pudding, mince pies, stollen, and whole turkey.

When it comes to value, Lidl led the way in testing, claiming 11 'Best value' accolades. These include the Prosecco, roast potato, meat-free main and yule logs categories.

Read on to discover all the GHI’s top Christmas food and drink products for 2026.

Our panel tried a mix of fresh and frozen whole birds and turkey crowns this. year, and Tesco came out on top overall with its British Free Range Bronze Turkey Crown with Pork, Cranberry & Chestnut Stuffing (84/100), while Aldi won best whole turkey with its well-priced centrepiece (82/100).

For those looking for a change, we can also reveal our best Christmas meat alternative to turkey, from glazed ham and slow-cooked specials to bone-in joints. Waitrose took first place here, scoring 85/100 for its No.1 Slow Cooked Citrus Glazed Gammon. And if you're looking for something to serve on Boxing Day, try COOK's Festive Turkey Pie, which scored 83/100.

Catering for a meat-free crowd? Frozen food specialists COOK also came in first place for the veggies, scoring 79/100 for its new Brie, Portobello Mushroom & Caramelised Onion Wreath.

For a special Christmas Day breakfast, why not indulge in some delicious smoked salmon from luxury retailer Daylesford, which came out top in our tests with its Royal Fillet (86/100).

Or for a subtle festive twist, Morrisons' The Best Signature Collection Scottish Smoked Salmon with Cornish Seasalt & Black Pepper (82/100) was named the best flavoured smoked salmon in this year's taste test.

Kick your main meal off in style with Tesco’s restaurant-quality Seafood Gratins, which scored an impressive 88/100.

Christmas dinner isn’t complete without roasties and pigs in blankets, and this year, they’re ultra-decadent. Aldi reigned supreme for a second year running with its Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets (88/100). And you'll want to serve them alongside these Tesco Finest Roast Potatoes with Confit Garlic.

Elsewhere, ASDA picked up first place in our sides category for its decadent Pork, Italian Chestnut & Brown Butter Stuffing Parcels (82/100).

To ensure this year's gatherings go off with a bang, our expert panel sampled 48 meat, seafood and vegetarian canapés to pair with your festive fizz.

Special mentions here go to the Edenmoor Sausage Roll Wreath (94/100), which was the highest scoring product across all categories in this year's Christmas Taste Test. The best picky bits, meanwhile, can be found in the form of Waitrose's Homemade Polar Bear Bao Buns (92/100) and Tesco Finest Arancini Stacks with Chorizo & Cornichons (91/100).

To make your spread even fancier, opt for one of our top-scoring charcuterie or seafood platters. Sainsbury’s Ultimate Luxury Seafood Platter scored 84/100 and includes lobster, while the Tesco Finest Fondue Grazing Platter contains everything you need for a cosy (and tasty!) night in.

The secret to curating the perfect Christmas cheeseboard is to include a variety of textures and tastes to suit every guest, and Haute Fromagerie impressed with its ready-made French Selection Pack (92/100). Elsewhere, for all your festive snacking needs, Co-op's Irresistible Wagyu Beef & Caramelised Onion Crisps scored 84/100.

The festive season doesn’t really start until you take your first bite into a warm mince pie. We sampled 42 classic, flavoured and gluten-free varieties across this popular category (it’s tough at the GHI). Drumroll please...

Scooping the top spot in the classic category are Aldi's Specially Selected Mince Pies, achieving an impressive score of 86/100. Meanwhile, the Tesco Finest Amaretto Mince Pies are our top-rated flavoured version (85/100), and coeliacs will want to head to Waitrose where they’ll find the tastiest Free From Milk & Gluten Free Mince Pies (84/100).

From classic Christmas cake and Christmas puddings to show-stopping dessert centrepieces, our testers munched their way through 170 festive sweet treats.

For traditionalists, the top-rated pud was the Aldi Specially Selected 24 Month Matured Christmas Pudding with a score of 85/100. For a delicious flavoured alternative, Morrison's The Best Limoncello And Clementine Christmas Pudding (78/100) was a hit with our panel.

Bettys took the top spot in the Christmas cake category, scoring 85/100 for its Soft Iced Robin Christmas Cake. Meanwhile, Aldi won the stollen test with its Specially Selected Luxury Topped Stollen, scoring 82/100.

And for all-out decadence the whole family will enjoy, Iceland scooped first place in our Christmas dessert category with its Luxury Chocolate Éclair Wreath (83/100). Independent bakery Brownie and the Bean nabbed the coveted first prize for its Christmas Chocolate Brownie Yule Log (86/100) and Waitrose reigned supreme with its classic No.1 Raspberry & Strawberry Trifle.

We also tried a selection of panettone, with the crown going to Morrisons' The Best Classic Panettone (88/100).

And because there’s always room for something sweet, our experts also nibbled their way through a range of Christmas biscuit tins and gingerbread houses. The Tesco Finest Chocolate Coated Chocolate & Hazelnut Cookies (90/100) stood out from the crowd, while Lidl's Gingerbread Train kit (89/100) was best for those who prefer a DIY approach.

For our Christmas drinks test, we scoured the supermarket wine aisles to find the best bottles for every festive occasion.

If you’re restocking your wine rack with red, two bottles tied for the top spot: The Exceptional by ASDA Amarone and Aldi Specially Selected Châteauneuf-du-Pape, both scoring 89/100.

If you're after a great white wine, look out for the Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Discovery Collection Beaujolais Villages Blanc and Waitrose No.1 Margaret River Chardonnay. They both scored 89/100 and would make a lovely match for roast turkey.

Taking the top spot in our Champagne taste test is Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Exclusive Champagne Brut NV (83/100) with Morrisons bringing the vintage supermarket steal to the party (82/100). If you’re looking for Italian fizz, the Exceptional by ASDA Prosecco Brut won first place with 87/100, and Lidl's affordable supermarket alternative also proved popular (80/100).

Morrisons The Best Aged Tawny Port (85/100) is our most highly rated drop in the port category, with notes of toasted almonds, chocolate and caramel, and Morrisons' The Best Pedro Ximenez won the hearts of the sherry fans, scoring 85/100.

Daylesford's Organic Mulled Rosé was awarded the best mulled wine this year, scoring 83/100 and offering something a little bit different, and Sainsbury's Taste the Difference XO Cognac Fine Champagne proved a winning premium brandy with 84/100.

And finally, for the best festive liqueur, pop into Aldi for its sparkling Stefanoff Toffee Vodka Liqueur (88/100) or head to Tesco to pick up good ol' fashioned Bucks Fizz, which scored (80/100) in our cocktail category.

It's suddenly feeling a lot like Christmas...