Champagne at prosecco prices? Every little thing helps. Tesco's finest champagne has beaten prestigious French label Moët & Chandon in a festive quaff test.
Tesco Finest Premier Cru Brut Champagne received a top score of 82% in a blind taste test carried out by consumer organization Which?. The bubbles, which cost £25 a bottle, were praised by judges for their “nutty aroma and fresh, fruity flavour.” The supermarket's fizz beat Moët & Chandon, scoring 77% and costing almost twice as much at £44.
Aldi's Veuve Monsigny Champagne was also a hit with the judges. The product received a score of 80% and, like Tesco Fizz, won Consumer Champion's coveted 'Best Buy' gong. According to tasters, the 22-pound bubble has “aromas of crunchy green apple with hints of pecans, spice, and butterscotch.”
Waitrose's Brut NV Champagne received the same score as Aldi and is also a 'Best Buy'. Priced at £25, it is described as having “pleasant peach, pear and apple flavours, and a wonderful nutty and winter spice taste”.
Toasting with champagne may be an annual festival tradition, but many families can't afford it. Less expensive sparkling wines were also tested on the road. The cheapest of these, Lidl's Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene, received a score of 80%. At £7.49, the affordable bottle is said to be a “great alternative to champagne and perfect for Christmas parties”.
Natalie Hitchens, editor of Which? Home Products and Services, said the committee had identified “affordable and delicious options that are dramatically cheaper than the famous Champagne House alternatives”. “Our taste tests show that you don't have to spend a fortune to buy quality and value for money supermarket champagne or sparkling wine,” she said.
Shoppers are already preparing for Christmas, according to the latest supermarket data, with October sales figures revealing households are stocking their cupboards with festive treats. While some people may complain that they can't wait for Christmas when mince pies hit shelves in September, Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insights at Kantar, a grocery industry analyst, says consumers are He says there is a demand for it. He said 648,000 shoppers bought a Christmas cake last month and 14.4% of households bought a mince pie.
So, if mince pie season is already in full swing, which one should you buy? Luckily, which one? You don't have to, because they also sell the high-end supermarket mince pie brand at their own pace.
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Tesco and Asda's products were flat, not for the first time, but Waitrose's number one brown buttermince pie was the winner of the day, becoming the 'best buy' at £4 for a pack of six. Aldi's special mince pies also impressed the judges with “a great buttery taste and delicious filling”.
“Competition was fierce this year, but Waitrose was the only winner of our 'Best Buy' recommendation,” Mr Hitchens said. But for those looking for a more affordable option, Aldi's pies at £2.29 for six, or 38p each, are 'delicious but don't cost a fortune'.
