Look, you may be groaning: "Why am I being made to think about Christmas now?" when the clocks have barely gone back, but you'll be thanking us when you hit the supermarkets.
Good Housekeeping has just released its Christmas taste test list, and it's one of the most respected (certainly by us, anyway).
The team ate and drank their way through 175 different festive foods from more than 40 stockists across 12 categories: champagne, smoked salmon, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, Christmas pudding, brandy butter, mulled wine, Christmas cake, mince pies and stilton.
For those of you dying to know - the best mince pie belongs to Iceland. Take that, Heston.
Budget generally ruled - which is happy news for our wallets - the supermarket retailer with the highest number of winners and runners up is Tesco – 1st or 2nd in five of the 12 categories – and it knocked previous overall winner Aldi off the top slot for Christmas pudding, too. Waitrose and Morrisons also figured frequently in the top five.
Good Housekeeping Consumer Director Caroline Bloor: “Our top scorers show that price is no indicator of deliciousness. And, with Iceland’s astonishing performance, you don’t need to splash out on the mince pies either!”
Here are the full results:
Winner: Waitrose Blanc de Blancs Brut £24.99 for 75cl
Runner up: Majestic’s Oeil de Perdrix, £19.99 for 75cl
Best of the rest: Bertrand de Bessac Champagne, from Waitrose, £29.99 for 75cl
Winner: Iceland Deluxe Mince Pies, £1.59 for 6
Runner up: Bettys Classic Mince Pies, £10 for 12
Best of the rest: Morrison’s Mince Pies, £1 for 6
Story continues below the slideshow:
Supermarket Tricks
Shopping carts(01 of11)
Open Image ModalInvented in the 1930s to help shoppers tote their purchases, shopping carts are often grabbed automatically on the way into the store -- and then filled along the way out. Don't absentmindedly go for a cart. Instead, choose a small handled basket, or only buy what you can carry in your arms, especially on those quick runs for one or two items. (credit:Flickr: coolmikeol)
Bakery, Floral & Produce Near The Entrance(02 of11)
Open Image ModalAs soon as you walk in a supermarket, your senses are lambasted into happiness with the aroma of baking bread or fresh cut flowers and the colorful sights of the produce department. The shot of dopamine (and salivation) you get from these joyful sensations will make you more likely to impulse spend; enjoy the pleasure, but remember your list! (credit:Flickr: paulswansen)
Dairy In The Back(03 of11)
Open Image ModalThe number one item bought at most supermarkets is milk, which is almost always in the very back of the store, past shelves of high mark-up products, new items and enticing endcaps. If milk is your mission, it is easy to lose focus and grab extra items on the path to the back of the store. (credit:Flickr: Walmart Stores)
Misty Produce(04 of11)
Open Image ModalMost supermarkets mist their fruits and vegetables every so often, despite the fact that it makes the produce rot faster. Why? Because humans like shiny things. We equate a dewy mist with being fresh, and consider shininess to always add value, from hair to cars and laptops to produce. Shinier = Better. Those misters are only there to make your brain think the produce is fresher and more valuable than it actually is. (credit:Flickr: rutlo)
Tiny Aisles & Slow Music(05 of11)
Open Image ModalEver notice that supermarket aisles barely provide enough room for two carts to pass? That's no accident -- stores want you to go through them as slowly as possible. Slow music also makes you move slower, and the more stops you make, the more items you will buy. Shop at non-crowded times of the day (like early morning) to lessen this effect. (credit:Flickr: paulswansen)
Endcaps With No Sales(06 of11)
Open Image ModalFeatured items are always located on the endcaps or the ends of aisles with a huge price sign, but often these products are not on sale at all. The special location makes shoppers think that the price has been lowered, but in reality the endcap's prime real estate is used to sell products with a higher markup -- not lower. (credit:Flickr: ilovememphis)
Sales Signs With No $(07 of11)
Open Image ModalWe all know the $0.99 trick ($0.99 seems to cost much less than a penny than $1.00), which uses our subconscious desires to trump our logical brains that know better. Another version of this trick is to remove the almighty dollar sign, which makes us think about spending money. Numbers alone make us think about saving money. Your brain processes $2.99 as more expensive that 2.99 -- and supermarkets all over are following this trend of dropping the dollar sign. (credit:Flickr: paulswansen)
"Limit 10 Per Customer"(08 of11)
Open Image ModalLimiting the number of items you can buy makes the product seem scarcer and therefore more valuable. You might think everyone else is buying the limit and you will be left with none. Whenever you see a limit placed on the number of items that can be purchased, the grocery store is trying to tweak your brain. (credit:Flickr: iboy_daniel)
Free Samples(09 of11)
Open Image ModalWould you like to try some cheesy poofs? Free samples not only slow you down even more, but also engage the reciprocity factor in your mind. When someone gives you a gift, you want to give them one too -- and this works with free samples very well. You may buy a box of poofs just to "even the score" and uphold your side of this psychological force. Don't fall for it! (credit:Flickr: avlxyz)
Eye Level(10 of11)
Open Image ModalExpensive name brand items are always at eye level, with cheaper brands and generics on the top or bottom of the shelves where you are less likely to see them. One exception: The sugary cereal aisle, where the most expensive products are placed at children's eye level and are likely to catch kids' eyes. (credit:Flickr: mroach)
Understaffed Checkout Lines(11 of11)
Open Image ModalDo the check stands at your supermarket seem to always have lines no matter when you go? Grocery stores don't want you zooming through the checkout stands, because this is where overpriced, impulse items like candy, soda, magazines and DVDs are located. While you're waiting you may get hungry, thirsty or bored -- all of which work in favor of grabbing a stimulating magazine or candy bar. Be aware that you are being stalled for a reason, and resolve not to add to your cart in the checkout line. (credit:Flickr: Robert Couse-Baker)
Winner: Tesco Finest* 9 month Matured Cherry Topped Xmas pudding, £5 for 454g
Runner up: Co-Op Truly Irresistible, £5 for 454g
Best of the rest: Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Cognac Laced Christmas Pudding, £12 for 900g
Winner: Lidl Valley Spire Mature Blue Stilton, £1.69 for 220g
Runner up: Tesco Finest* Mature Stilton from Long Clawson, £2.30 for 215g
Best of the rest: Harrods Christmas Stilton Jar, £22.50 for 340g
Winner: Marks & Spencer Collection Bright Lights White Christmas Cake, £25 for 1.57kg
Runner up: Tesco Finest Hand Decorated Fully Iced Holly Wreath Christmas Cake, £10 for 907g
Best of the rest: Morrison’s Signature Fully Iced Brandy Fed Christmas Cake, £7.99 for 907g
Winner: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Oaked Smoked Salmon, £4.50 for 120g
Runner up: John Ross JRJ Balmoral Fillet, £30 for 500g
Best of the rest: Morrison’s Christmas Tree Smoked Salmon, £2.99 for 100g
Winner: Asda Red Velvet Yule Log, £9 for 889g
Runner up: The Co-operative Loved by us Irish Cream Yule Log, £4 serves 10
Best of the rest: Tesco Finest* Belgium Chocolate Yule Log, £3 serves 8
Winner: Waitrose Rémy Martin Brandy Butter, £2.65 for 150g
Runner up: Selfridges Brandy Butter, £4.99 for 140g
Best of the rest:The Co-operative Loved by us Brandy Butter with Courvoisier and Cognac, £1.75 for 200g
Winner: Marks & Spencer Collection British Oakham Butter Based Turkey Crown, £35 for 2.05kg
Runner up: Waitrose frozen free-range turkey breast crown, £23 for 2-2.5kg
Best of the rest: Morrison’s Free Range British Whole turkey, £33 for 4-4.6kg
Winner: Asda Extra Special Honey and Rosemary Parcels, £3 for 6
Runner up: Morrison’s Signature Festive Fruit, £2.99 for 6
Best of the rest: Tesco finest* British Pork, Sweet cured Smoked Bacon & Caramelised Red Onion Stuffing Portion, £3.29 for 300g
Winner: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mulled Wine
Runner up: Marks & Spencer Red Mulled Wine
Best of the rest: Tesco mulled wine
Winner: Marks & Spencer Cranberry & Port Sauce, £3 for 300g
Runner up: Tesco Cranberry Sauce, £1.49 for 400g
Best of the rest: Batts Cranberry Sauce, 69p for 200g