Which? survey data shows that opting for independent butchers, farms and markets is likely to bag you the best Christmas dinner.
In January 2021, we asked 9,211 Which? members where they bought their Christmas dinners, asking them to rate how satisfied they were with the food they bought and its quality, taste and value for money.
Farms, markets and butchers topped our rankings, but some supermarkets weren’t far behind, including one popular budget retailer.
See a snapshot of the survey findings below, but for the full results on everything from turkey to desserts head to our best places to buy your turkey and trimmings guide.
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Best fresh turkeys for Christmas
Independent farms and markets supplied our most satisfied members with their fresh whole Christmas turkeys last year, closely followed by butchers.
| Retailer | Customer score |
| Farm/market | 94% |
| Butchers | 93% |
If you’re supermarket shopping, one budget retailer came up trumps with top turkeys that members rated highly for quality, value and taste, while other major supermarkets had more disappointing scores.
Best places for a turkey crown, breast and joint
Our members rated butchers highest when it came to turkey crowns, breasts and joints, with farms and markets coming in second.
The highest scoring supermarket differed to the top-rated pick for fresh whole birds, and beat rivals by some margin.
| Retailer | Customer score |
| Butchers | 93% |
| Farm/Market | 92% |
Best place to buy a frozen turkey
A frozen bird takes the last-minute hassle out of Christmas food buying if you aren’t an order-ahead type.
| Customer score | |
| Top-rated supermarket | 81% |
| Lowest-rated supermarket | 71% |
While ratings for taste and quality didn’t differ massively by retailer on the frozen front, some fared better than others for customer satisfaction and perceived value for money.
There was a 10% difference in customer score between the top and bottom-rated supermarkets.
How to cook a complete Christmas dinner – tips and advice to take you from start to finish
Best places to stock up on roast veg, stuffing, sausages and more
Independent butchers, farms and markets, greengrocers or veg box schemes came up trumps for almost every relevant aspect of festive food shopping in our survey.
In the battle of the supermarkets, a few familiar names also consistently came near the top of every list, so some shoppers may end up much more satisfied than others come Christmas.
See the full results table in our guide to finding the best turkey, trimmings and more.
Planning meat–free festivities or catering for vegans? See our guide to supermarket vegan mains and plant-based meat substitutes
More Christmas food and drink rated
We’ve been busy testing and reviewing hundreds of festive food and drink options since August, so you can have a celebration to savour this year.
Our independent expert panel blind-tasted 39 supermarket champagnes, sparkling whites and red wines to uncover the best, while our consumer panel consumed nearly 400 mince pies.
Here’s a snapshot of the latest taste tests and advice:
Plus, our consumer tasting panels have been busy chomping through extra mature cheddar cheese, ground filter coffee, low-alcohol beer, and much more besides. You’ll find all the latest reviews in our best food and drink guide.
Stir-up Sunday – want to bake your own? See our complete christmas pudding baking guide and how to make mince pies. Plus, tips for easy slow-cooker mulled wine.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/11/best-places-to-buy-your-christmas-food/