Fourteen Christmas puddings, one winner. Will Heston Blumenthal’s ‘hidden orange’ pudding come top of our taste test two years in a row?
It seems but a few months ago that we crowned Heston Blumenthal and his ‘hidden orange’ creation the winner of the 2012 Christmas pudding taste test. Yet here we are again: 14 Christmas puddings to try, 15 willing volunteers, and five pots of cream. So let the taste test commence…
The contenders
In the ring this year were puddings from:
- Sainsbury’s (orange and cranberry Taste the Difference);
- Tesco Finest (‘ultimate’, steeped in brandy and port);
- Aldi (‘connoisseur’);
- Riverford (light and fruity organic);
- Puddings & Pies;
- Melrose and Morgan;
- Waitrose Duchy Originals (organic);
- Lidl (‘Snowy Lodge’ pecan-topped pudding);
- Foods of Athenry (gluten and yeast free);
- Jenkins and Hustwit;
- Heston for Waitrose (‘hidden orange’);
- M&S (‘intensely fruity’);
- and two puddings from Morrisons (‘candy apple’ and ‘wonderfully fruity’).
Our most expensive pud was the whopping 1.2kg Tesco Finest Ultimate Christmas Pudding (£16), and the cheapest was Aldi’s Connoisseur Christmas Pudding (907g) for £3.89. Each pudding was tasted blind by 15 colleagues, and they were served warm with optional cream. For reference, a 450g pud would serve about four Christmas diners.
The results
Last place – Food of Athenry gluten-free
Taking the gluten out of any pudding or cake often has a negative impact on the taste (the Foods of Athenry pud scored 36%). The Irish-made pudding was “far too crumbly” for one taste-tester, and “unusually savoury” or “just dry” for others. It is, however, one of the very few gluten-free (and yeast-free) Christmas puds out there, so could be a good find for some of you. And it won a Great Taste Award!
Price: around £6.35 for a 200g pudding
12th place – Lidl Snowy Lodge pecan-topped pudding
Bit of an odd one, this. It scored 40% and was heavily marked down for its “totally weird” appearance. Our taste testers didn’t like the “jammy-type” sauce covering the pudding, and one person even said it “looks like it’s bleeding!” The highest score our Lidl pud achieved was 7/10.
Price: £9.99 for a 907g pudding
11th place – Jenkins & Hustwit
Northumberland Farmhouse fruit cake specialist Jenkins & Hustwit scored 42%, with comments including “scary and powerful”, “mushy” and “far too soft”. One taste tester did, however, declare it to be “the best spiced pudding of the lot”. So it’s not all bad news. And it was one of my personal favourites, too!
Price: £6.10 for a 500g pudding
10th place – M&S ‘The Collection’ intensely fruity
Perhaps the prettiest packaging of the lot: M&S’s offering came wrapped in golden paper, and looked very elegant indeed. Sadly, though, it didn’t deliver on taste, scoring 52%. Comments included “too many raisins”, “pretty average”, and “no definitive taste”. One taste-tester did like the abundance of fruit though, and said it had “a nice kick of booze” to it.
Price: £12.99 for 907g
9th place – Puddings & Pies
Handmade in Dorset, the Puddings & Pies entry scored 54% and was criticised by one tester for its “really mushy texture”, but picked up by another for being “too dry”! Goodness knows what was going on with our taste testers this year. Many complimented the “nice orange flavour throughout” and one person even scored it a 9/10. Puddings & Pies also sell a make-it-yourself pudding, where you mix the dry and wet ingredients together yourself. Perhaps a good one for the kids?
Price: £9.65 for a 450g pudding.
8th place – Melrose & Morgan
A pretty posh pudding as they go, with the addition of English quinces, figs and Somerset Cider Brandy. The London-based artisan producers scored 55%, provoking comments such as “heavy texture”, “a bit dull”, “quite nice – but not great” and “ever so boozy”. The Melrose & Morgan pud did get one “fantastic” comment though.
Price: £16.95 for a 900g pudding
7th place – Waitrose Duchy Original (organic)
An OK performance from Waitrose Duchy Original. It scored 58% and comments ranged from “lovely soft texture” to “not too overpowering” and “pretty standard I’m afraid”. Our taste testers liked the “solid, proper look” of this pudding.
Price: £13.50 for a 907g pudding
6th place – Riverford (organic)
Riverford’s pud deliberately tries to be much lighter than your average Christmas pudding, with the aim being to fit in more Christmas dinner first. It did pretty well in our taste test, scoring 60%. Comments included “tastes a bit like carrot cake, but with more fruit”, “light and orangey”, “awesome” and “a cake-like texture”.
Price: £9.99 for a 450g pudding
Joint 5th place – Aldi (connoisseur) and Morrisons (wonderfully fruity)
Nothing could tear these two apart. Both scored an impressive 62%, with the Aldi option complimented for its “caramel tones” and “boozy hit”; and Morrisons scoring points for its “fruity and light texture”, “subtle booze” and “great big chunks of nuts”.
Price: Aldi, £3.89 for a 907g pudding; Morrisons, £5.99 for a 454g pudding
Fourth place – Morrisons candy apple
The second Morrisons pudding in our taste test and it scored an impressive 67.5%. Flattering comments for this unusual pud (have you ever seen a ‘candied apple’ Christmas pudding before?) included “simple yet fruity”, “very pretty to look at”, “very smooth”, “wonderful fruit and alcohol flavour matching” and “intense and fruity”. No mention of the apple though.
Price: £9.99 for a 907g pudding
Bronze medal – Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference
This was the best Christmas pudding offered by Sainsbury’s, and it comes laced with Cognac and studded with orange and cranberries. Its high quality didn’t go unnoticed – “balanced, boozy and almondy”, “incredibly moist”, and “one of the best I’ve ever eaten” were included in the comments, and it scored an overall 68%.
Price: £12 for a 900g pudding
Silver medal – Tesco Finest
‘The Ultimate Christmas Pudding’, according to the label. It may just be that, certainly if you're looking for a traditional version, if our taste test is anything to go by. It scored 71%. The Tesco offering is packed with juicy vine fruits steeped in brandy and port, and comes decorated with glace cherries, walntus and candied apricots. Our tasters loved it: “tremendous – it makes me happy!”, “lots of interesting things going on here”, “chunky fruit and nuts”, and “looked good, tasted even better” were among the shining comments.
Price: £16 for a 1.2kg pudding
And the winner is… Heston Blumenthal for Waitrose hidden orange
Cripes, he’s done it again! Heston Blumenthal makes it two years in a row with his much sought-after ‘hidden orange’ pudding. In fact, it scored top marks (72%) even though no-one actually broke through to the orange in the centre. Comments included “great consistency”, “rich and full-flavoured”, “mature in taste”, “easily my favourite”, and “super tasty”. Congratulations Heston – it seems you cannot be beaten when it comes to Christmas pud.
Price: £14 for a 1.2kg pudding
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