Christmas food can be an expensive gamble, so if you want value for money this year then it’s a really good idea to take a moment to track down the best quality dishes and ingredients. The best way to do this is to check out some reliable foodie reviews and what’s made it to the top of the taste test lists to find the star products, but that can take ages so I’m going to save you some time here.

Earlier this year I had the chance to visit the food and drink showcases of some of Britain’s top supermarkets to try their 2018 Christmas offerings, and pick out the best of the best. Here are my Penny’s Picks favourites, along with all kinds of other tasty products that have won the most prestigious awards this year.

Today I’m serving up the most delicious smoked salmon, Christmas dinners and trimmings, and vegetarian /vegan alternatives for your chewing pleasure. If you see something on pre-order that you like then don’t hang about as those bookings close in a few days, and remember most in-store-only festive fresh food tends to drop on the 19th of December in case you want to be first in the queue.

Smoked salmon

This popular starter and buffet food has some stand-out stars this season. Here’s the best of the bunch…

• Asda Extra Special Heather Honey & Black Pepper Smoked Salmon | £3.99, the BBC GoodFood Christmas Taste Test winner, Good Housekeeping #3 and also a Penny’s Pick for being beautiful quality and not too sweet, available from 19th December. Buy / pre order here.
• Tesco Ready to Eat Smoked Salmon Slices | £6.25 for 2.40g, the Good Housekeeping runner-up. Buy here.
• Aldi Specially Selected Treacle Smoked Salmon | £3.79, Good Housekeeping #7 tied, and cheapest among winners. In store only.
• Lidl Deluxe Trio of Smoked Salmon | £5.99, Good Housekeeping #7 tied. In store only.
• Lidl Oak Smoked Scottish Salmon Rich & Intense | Great Taste Awards 1*. In store only.
• Co-op Irresistible Scottish Beech & Oak Smoked Salmon | £5.00, BBC GoodFood Christmas Taste Test highly commended. In store only.
• Aldi Specially Selected Whisky Smoked Salmon | £3.79, Penny’s Pick for its rich, smoky flavour that belies the small price tag. In store only.
• Booths Bucks Fizz Smoked Scottish Salmon | £6.00, if you feel like spending a little more then try this decadent Penny’s Pick for its unusual marinade of Champagne and Sicilian orange oil and slow smoking over oak chips. Buy here.

Turkey

This is usually the most expensive part of a Christmas meal, so you’ll want to get your money’s worth. Here are to top picks…

• Lidl Deluxe Large Broadland Free Range Bronze Turkey | price TBC, Quality Food Awards Christmas ‘Gold Q’ award & meat category winner. In store only.
• Iceland Easy Carve Whole Turkey Topped with Streaky Bacon | £26.00, The Good Housekeeping winner + Quality Food Awards shortlisted. Buy here.
• Marks & Spencer British Turkey Crown with Pork, Sage & Onion Stuffing with Bacon Lattice | From £32.40, Good Housekeeping runner up. Buy here.
• Sainsbury’s Whole Basted British Turkey, Large | £20.00, Good Housekeeping #6. Buy here.
• Aldi Specially Selected Stuffed Turkey Crown | £15.99, Good Housekeeping #8, and the cheapest in their top 10. In store only.
• Aldi Specially Selected Christmas Dinner Wellington | £6.99, Penny’s Pick for an interesting twist on the traditional dinner, with turkey and stuffing in a pastry case. Under the £10 mark and good for smaller families. In store only.

Christmas dinner trimmings

While you could make your own stuffing, pigs in blankets and cranberry sauce, these award winners are time saving and reasonably priced for anyone in a hurry.

Stuffing

• Lidl Deluxe Apricot & Stilton Stuffing Parcels | £2.79, Good Housekeeping winner and The Grocer Own Brand Awards category champion + innovation winner. In store only.
• Aldi Specially Selected Stuffing Croquettes | £2.99, Good Housekeeping runner up. In store only.
• Tesco Finest British Pork, Bramley Apple Cranberry and Honey Stuffing Stars | £2.50, Good Housekeeping #5 and joint cheapest in top 10. Buy here.
• Marks & Spencer Pork, Sage & Onion Stuffing | £2.50, Good Housekeeping #6 and joint cheapest in top 10. In store only.
• Aldi Specially Selected Stuffing Yule Log | £3.99, Quality Food Awards Christmas shortlisted. In store only.

Pigs in blankets

• Co-op Mini Chorizo Wrapped in Pancetta | £3.00, Good Housekeeping winner. In store only.
• Aldi Specially Selected Three Little Pigs | £2.99, Good Housekeeping runner up. In store only.
• Aldi Specially Selected Pigs in Blankets | £2.49, Good Housekeeping #3 and cheapest in their top 10 + Quality Food Awards Christmas shortlisted. In store only.
• Asda Extra Special Pigs in Blankets | £2.98, Good Housekeeping #4. Buy here.

Cranberry sauce

• Waitrose & Partners Cranberry & Port Sauce | £2.19, Good Housekeeping winner. Buy here or at Ocado.
• Aldi Specially Selected Cranberry and Port Sauce | £0.99, Good Housekeeping runner up and joint cheapest in top 10. In store only.
• Asda Extra Special Cranberry Sauce with Ruby Port | £1.00, Good Housekeeping #3. Buy here.
• Lidl Deluxe Fresh Cranberry & Port Sauce | £1.49, Good Housekeeping #4 tied. In store only.
• Aldi Specially Selected Cranberry and Orange Sauce | £0.99, Good Housekeeping #4 tied. In store only.

Beef & other meats

Not everyone likes turkey, do they? You might prefer a different top-rated centrepiece for festive mains, and I’ve included some meat and poultry that’s suitable smaller meals and general cooking too.

• Aldi Specially Selected Bone in Rib of Beef Joint with Salt & Pepper | £12.99 per kg, Good Housekeeping Winner. In store only.
• Waitrose & Partners juniper smoked spiral crackling gammon | £42.47, a huge BBC GoodFood Christmas Taste Test all out winner that serves approx 20 people. Buy here or slightly smaller version at Ocado for £37.17.
• Morrisons Sage & Onion Glazed Spatchcock Chicken | £4.50, The Grocer Own Brand Awards category champion. Buy here.
• Iceland Luxury Rosé Veal Saltimbocca | £6.00 for 300g, The Grocer Own Brand Awards innovation winner. Buy here.
• Lidl Deluxe French Trimmed Pork Loin with Honey & Mustard Butter | Price TBC, The Grocer Own Brand Awards innovation winner. In store only.
• Marks & Spencer Collection Dry Aged Rib of Beef | from £36.40, Good Housekeeping joint runner up. Buy here.
• Asda Extra Special Beef Rump Joint with a Portobello, Porcini & Truffle Duxelle | £30.00, BBC GoodFood Christmas Taste Test highly commended and Good Housekeeping #6. Buy / pre-order here.
• Booths Beef Chateaubriand | £25.00 Good Housekeeping #7. Buy here.
• Aldi Specially Selected 30 Day Aged Sirloin Steak | £4.49, Great Taste Awards 1*. In store only.
• Co-op Irresistible Treacle & Ale Gammon Joint | £8.00, Quality Food Awards Christmas highly commended. In store only.

Fish and shellfish

If you prefer fish, there are some excellent new offerings for 2018. These are some of the very best.

• Lidl Whole Salmon Side with Rosemary & Garlic | £8.99, Quality Food Awards Christmas fish category winner and also a Penny’s Pick. Available in lemon & dill flavour too. In store only.
• Aldi Specially Selected Lightly Smoked Salmon Fillets | £4.29, Great Taste Awards 2*. In store only.
• Aldi Specially Selected King Prawn & Scallop Gratins | £3.99, Quality Food Awards Christmas shellfish category winner. In store only.
• Iceland Luxury Mediterranean Butterflied Sea Bass Fillets | £5.50 for 263g, Quality Food Awards Christmas Highly Commended. Buy here.
• Aldi Specially Selected Salmon Melt in the Middle Fishcake | £1.89, Quality Food Awards Christmas Highly Commended. In store only.
• Aldi Topped Side Lightly Smoked of Salmon with Prosecco, Orange & Cranberry | £10.99, Quality Food Awards Christmas Highly Commended. In store only.
• Co-op Prawn and Lobster Thermidor | £5.00 for 210g, this is a luxurious Penny’s Pick that would make a decent sized starter for two, or could be extended with potatoes and vegetables to become a main course. In store only.

Main course vegetarian

Offerings from the main supermarkets have definitely improved in the last couple of years, and there are some really good vegan options around now as well. Have a peek at these.

• Aldi Specially Selected Vegetable & Nut Roasts with Sweet Potato and a Camembert Sauce Centre | £3.49, Quality Food Awards Christmas winner, and a Penny’s Pick for melty deliciousness. In store only.
• M&S Baked ricotta stacks with mushroom and leeks in a creamy white wine sauce | £7.00 for two, an elegant looking BBC GoodFood Christmas Taste Test winner. Buy here. < sorry, these just sold out, but their butternut rosti (£7) are a great alternative.
• Asda Extra Special Vegan Mushroom Nut Roasts with Caramelised Star Melts | £2.50 for 2. This gets a Penny’s Pick for being vegan and nicely festive – and convenient if you’re catering for different dietary needs at the same meal. Buy here.
• Lidl Deluxe Spinach, Vintage Cheddar & Garlic Wellingtons | £1.99, The Grocer Own Brand Awards category champion. In store only.
• Aldi Specially Selected Vegetable Parcels with Spinach, Leek and Cheddar | £1.99, Great Taste Awards 1*. In store only.
• Booths Roasted Beetroot, Feta and Pine Nut Tart | £7.50, Good Housekeeping runner up. Buy here.
• Iceland Luxury Easy Carve Cauliflower | £3.00 for 465g, Quality Food Awards Christmas shortlisted, essentially this is a big cauliflower cheese with a whole cauliflower. Buy here.
• Morrisons The Best Mushroom, Spinach & Madeira Encroute | £5.00, Good Housekeeping #3. Buy / pre-order here.
• Aldi Specially Selected Roasted Butternut Squash Roast | £2.99, Good Housekeeping #4. In store only.
• Co-op Goat’s Cheese & Butternut Squash Rosti | £3.00, Good Housekeeping #5. In store only.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this list of tasty goodness for festive feasting. Want another helping?

The next article is all about desserts and other sweet treats, including the best Christmas puddings, Christmas cake, mince pies and alternative dishes. Following that we’ll have the best value cheese, snacks, and buffet and party food. Bon appetit!