Farms, markets and local shops beat the bigger brands and supermarkets to be crowned the best place to buy Christmas turkey and trimmings.
In January 2020, we asked 5,288 Which? members about their Christmas dinners. They told us how satisfied they were with the food they bought and rated the quality, taste and value for money.
Farms, markets and local shops topped our rankings, but some supermarkets weren’t far behind.
Find out which supermarkets offered the tastiest food last Christmas – see the best place to buy your turkey and trimmings.
Best place to buy Christmas turkey
Farms and markets supplied our most satisfied members with their Christmas turkeys last year, closely followed by butchers.
Of the 10 supermarkets we collected ratings for, it was a low-cost retailer that impressed most with it’s outstanding value for money.
| Retailer | Customer score |
| Farm/market | 94% |
| Butchers | 92% |
There are few things more disappointing on Christmas day than a dry turkey – follow our tips on how to cook a turkey crown.
How to choose the best frozen turkey
Christmas might be a little different this year, so you could be considering buying frozen turkey rather than fresh. We spoke to butchers to get their top tips for buying a tasty frozen bird.
- Buy local ‘Ensure you’re buying a bird that has been looked after in the field, has traceability and is frozen professionally. A frozen turkey from a local, quality farmer or butcher, rather than a mass produced supermarket bird, is a sustainable, high quality option.’ (Katherine Bevan, Bevan’s Butchers)
- Eat within three months ‘The key to a great frozen turkey is ensuring it’s frozen at the peak of freshness. You can also take note of the date it’s been frozen, to avoid keeping it for too long which can lead to freezer burn. We recommend to never keep meat frozen for more than three months as after this, the quality can be affected.’ (James Copplestone, Farmison & Co)
- Never refreeze ‘To guarantee your bird maintains flavour and quality it should be flash frozen at a much lower temperature than your average household freezer. This will prevent the formation of ice crystals in the muscles, and as long as the bird isn’t thawed and refrozen along the way, the end result will be a delicious turkey full of flavour.’ (Katherine Bevan, Bevan’s Butchers)
Best place to buy Christmas vegetables
While fresh vegetables such as carrots, parsnips and Brussel sprouts may not be the stars of the show, they are still an essential part of Christmas dinner.
The members we spoke to who were happiest with their veg, bought it from a greengrocer, farm, market or through a veg box scheme – a useful option for those who need to do their shopping online.
| Retailer | Customer score |
| Greengrocer | 92% |
| Veg box scheme | 91% |
| Farm/market | 90% |
Find out how to cook Brussel sprouts this Christmas.
Best place to buy sausages and stuffing
For sausages and stuffing, its butchers that lead.
But if price is your priority, you could be better off choosing a supermarket stuffing. Only one low-cost retailer was rated excellent value for money. The rest (including the butchers) scored four stars or less.
Sausages
| Retailer | Customer score |
| Butchers | 92% |
| Farm/market | 89% |
Stuffing
| Retailer | Customer score |
| Butchers | 91% |
| Farm/market | 90% |
Best Christmas pudding
Whether you like it with brandy sauce or cream, a delicious Christmas pudding is the ultimate way to conclude your feast.
We uncovered just one Best Buy Christmas pudding this year. Our tasters thought the winning pud had a good balance of spice and booze and a lovely moist texture. It’s also a great-value option, costing less than half the price of others we tested.
See our top pudding picks in our guide to the best Christmas pudding.
Best mince pies
This year, we tested 11 supermarket premium mince pies to bring you our recommendations for this festive treat.
We found two Best Buys, both earning high marks for their tasty pastry and filling.
See best mince pies rated by our consumer tasting panel.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/11/revealed-the-best-place-to-buy-your-christmas-turkey-and-trimmings-2/