Reviewed: the very best supermarket Christmas puddings

It is the pièce de résistance at every dinner party so make sure you have got a showstopping dessert on offer this Christmas. From gooey Yule logs to gluttonous triffles, there’s something out there to suit everyone. But if you like something a bit more traditional, go for a classic Christmas pudding. Here’s our round up of the best supermarket puddings on offer:

Are you the designated driver? You might want to steer clear of this pudding. The 24 months of “maturing” with Courvoisier Cognac, have rendered this pudding monumentally boozy. Infrequently the fruit an pecan nut elements of the pudding come to the fore, but both are ultimately drowned out. 2/5 just doesn’t come with the right boozy hit. 3/5,

You might expect a Waitrose pud to be at the top of the price range, but this isn’t the dearest available by a long chalk. Despite this, it tastes expensive - the 12 month maturing process evidently adding to the rich, rounded flavour, the Courvoisier VSOP cognac cream permeating the plump and juicy fruit, the pecans light to the bite. Rich, although not too heavy, it will provide eight (modest) portions and a classy end to Christmas dinner. 4/5.

The high fruit to cake ratio of this Christmas pud means this is a particularly moist affair - another benefit/side-effect depending on your outlook - is that the fruit retains the Courvoisier VS Cognac flavour brilliantly giving this a rich, expensive taste and heady aroma. It’s also packed full of nuts to add crunch and definition to the dish, although the cake itself has a cloying texture and it sticks to the palette. 3/5

This pudding may well be as close to home-made as you can get. The texture is moist and there is a melee of flavours, particularly rich with fruit. Though there is less of a taste of brioche or almond, this doesn’t take anything away from what is a decadent yet authentic Christmas pudding. 4/5