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Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, stuffing, and, of course, turkey are all synonymous with a classic Christmas dinner.
But for many Brits, there’s one item that trumps them all: the beloved pig in blanket. If there are two things that are meant to be together, it’s a teeny tiny sausage and a little piece of bacon.
If you’re already thinking about the big day (we know, it’s only October), Good Housekeeping has done the nation’s work and revealed the winners of its 2026 Christmas taste test.
And, as part of that, it’s ranked the best pigs in blankets.
At the top of the list are Aldi’s, which aren’t any old sausage: they’re double-wrapped in oak-smoked dry-cure bacon.
The experts praised the Specially Selected Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets for their ‘juicy, natural’ pork flavour, as well as the ‘well-balanced herby seasoning and salty, crisp smoked bacon.’
They were given an impressive score of 88 out of 100.
Plus, at £2.69 for 250g, they were the cheapest of the lot, hailed for their ‘excellent value.’
Sainsbury’s was named the runner-up with the Taste the Difference Discovery Old English Pigs in Blankets, priced at £4.50 for 294g, and given a score of 83.
Frozen pigs in blankets were also considered as part of another category, and COOK was named the winner, with a pricey £8 for 400g of pigs in blankets, and a score of 82.
To reach their conclusions, the Good Housekeeping Institute tested 26 types of pigs in blankets from major supermarkets and online butchers.
There was a specific process to follow, too, as each product was cooked in accordance with its packet instructions and tasted blind, which means the testers had no idea which brand they were testing to avoid bias.
Aldi’s winning double-wrapped piggies will be available on supermarket shelves on November 25.
500 mince pies and 261 pigs in blankets later…
As for the rest of Good Housekeeping’s 2026 Christmas taste test, piggies weren’t the only festive food on the table.
More than 600 entries were blind taste-tested, and there were winners across categories including Christmas centrepieces, sides, party food, desserts and drinks. As such, as many as 500 mince pies were consumed, as well as 261 pigs in blankets and 70kg of turkey.
It was a landslide victory for Aldi, which came up trumps in seven categories, including Christmas pudding, mince pies, stollen, and whole turkey. The latter of which gained a score of 82 out of 100.
Similarly, there were wins for fellow budget supermarket Lidl, which took home the prizes for best prosecco, flavoured salmon, meat-free mains, and Yule logs.
Roast potato fan? This year, you’ll want to head to Tesco for the Finest Roast Potatoes with Confit Garlic, which scored 84 out of 100.
The supermarket also took home an award for its Finest Bronze Turkey Crown with Pork, Cranberry and Chestnut Stuffing, again receiving a chart-topping 84.
Already thinking ahead to pudding and can’t be bothered to bake your own? It was a win for Aldi again, and this time, on the Christmas pudding front, with the Specially Selected 24 Month Matured version, at 85 out of 100.
For an alternative dessert, Morrisons was given the flavoured pudding title, crowned for The Best Limoncello and Clementine Christmas Pudding (78/100), while Betty’s Soft Iced Christmas Cake was also recognised.
Stacey Smith, senior food and drink editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute, said: ‘The Christmas Taste Test is one of the highlights of our testing calendar, giving us the opportunity to discover the very best festive food and drink products on the market.
‘The winning products reflect the exceptional quality and variety available, helping shoppers shop with confidence and make every part of the festive season feel that little bit more special.’
The full results are available on the Good Housekeeping website.
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