Good Food Summer Taste Awards 2025 results

These sausages were a hit with the judges; they're plump and well seasoned with a nostalgic flavour. Ideal for a barbecue on a sunny day.

Available from:
Tesco (£4.75/595g)

Highly commended: Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate Honey & Chilli Pork Sausages

Our judges praised the coarse texture of these sausages, noting a good level of spice pleasantly balanced by honey sweetness.

Available from:
Aldi in-store (£3.49/480g)

Best vegan sausages

Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate No-Pork Sausages

For meat-free summer grilling, this is a great option (for vegans as well as veggies) at your next barbecue. The judges were impressed by its remarkably authentic sausage taste and meaty texture.

Available from:
Aldi in-store (£2.49/270g)

Highly commended: Morrisons Plant Revolution Italian-Style Sausages

Here's an alternative to the usual vegan sausage with a pleasant flavour and appearance thanks to red peppers, although the texture is not particularly meaty. Subtle undertones of paprika lend smoky notes.

Available from:
Morrisons (£2.50/300g)

Best burger buns

Winner: Co-op Irresistible Soft & Buttery Brioche Buns

These are crowd-pleasing, fluffy burger buns that come handily pre-sliced. They have a good level of sweetness to balance against any rich, savoury fillings.

Available from:
Co-op in-store (£1.95/4 pack)

Highly commended: Tesco Finest Buttermilk Rolls

If you don't fancy a brioche bun, these Tesco rolls are a fine go-to. They are super soft and doughy and would be great with cheese for a picnic, but some judges were concerned they may be too soft to hold up against a dense, juicy burger.

Available from:
Tesco (£1.80/4 pack)

Best burgers

Joint winner: Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Dry Aged Aberdeen Angus Burgers

With a good balance of seasoning and staying juicy after cooking, this is a good all-round burger for piling on the toppings. It caramelised well around the edges.

Available from:
Sainsbury's (£4.25/pack of 2)

Joint winner: Tesco Finest Wild Garlic Beef Burgers

These are very juicy, with an almost buttery-soft texture. They're seasoned well, too, packing a good hit of herbs – so much so, they reminded judges of a quality Cumberland sausage.

Available from:
Tesco (£4.50/pack of 2)

Highly commended: Lidl Deluxe 2 Aberdeen Angus 6oz Beef Burgers

Judges felt these could have slightly more salt and a more even texture, but these are thick, chunky burgers that caramelise well around the edges while staying juicy in the centre.

Available from:
Lidl in-store (£3.95/pack of 2)

Best veggie burgers

Winner: Waitrose Vegetarian Aubergine & Feta Burgers

Almost like big falafels, these veg-filled burgers pack good flavour with a salty tang of feta. They also have a better texture than other veggie burgers our judges tried.

Available from:
Waitrose (£2.95/pack of 2)

Best vegan burgers

Winner: Lidl Vemondo Vegan Burgers

For a plant-based burger that truly celebrates veg, these beetroot burgers tick the box. As well as looking good, they have a satisfying beetroot flavour. They are quite soft, so serve with crunchy toppings or in a crusty roll to add some texture.

Available from:
Lidl in-store (£1.89/250g)

Highly commended: Tesco Plant Chef 2 Sri Lankan Inspired Burgers

These look meaty, with a texture to match and subtle sweetness. Load them up with toppings to balance out the flavour, which is otherwise slightly artificial.

Available from:
Tesco (£2.20/pack of 2)

Best meat or fish kebab

Winner: Morrisons The Best Tandoori Chicken King Kebab

The judging panel praised the juiciness of the chicken and the balance of sweet and savoury flavours in the (mild) marinade. Nigella seeds on top add a pleasing crunch.

Available from:
Morrisons in-store

Best BBQ hero for entertaining (meat or fish)

Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Coronation Chicken King Kebab

With a creamy coconut sauce and tender chicken, this king kebab reminded judges of a creamy korma or butter chicken. It also looks attractive for serving to friends or family. Serve with rice and salad.

Available from:
Aldi in-store (£5.49)

Highly commended: Co-op Big on BBQ Hot Honey Pork Belly Slices

Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy these pork belly slices; the honey marinade provides a sticky glaze for soft, tender meat.

Available from:
Co-op in-store (£4/340g)

Best BBQ hero for entertaining (fish or seafood)

Winner: Tesco Fire Pit Mango Coconut & Lime Fish Skewers

Want to try something different on the barbecue this year? These fish skewers are a top pick. The juicy fish has a lovely kick of chilli, tempered by sweet mango and zesty lime.

Available from:
Tesco (£3.75/6 skewers)

Good Food Summer Taste Awards 2025 winners: best picnic food

Best coleslaw

Winner: Co-op Irresistible Deliciously Rich Coleslaw

Here's a quality traditional coleslaw. All the elements are well balanced – it's creamy, nicely acidic, has good crunch and is well seasoned.

Available from:
Co-op in-store (£1.95/300g)

Highly commended: Lidl Deluxe Premium Coleslaw

Here's another good traditional coleslaw for your barbecue feast. It's got good crunch and a pleasant tang.

Available from:
Lidl (£1.29/300g)

Best sausage roll

Joint winner: Co-op Irresistible Perfectly Seasoned Ploughman's Sausage Rolls

As the name suggests, these sausage rolls are cleverly inspired by the flavours of a traditional ploughman's – meaning added cheese and sweet onions in the filling. The pastry is deeply golden with an onion crumb for extra flavour.

Available from:
Co-op in-store (£3.50/4 pack)

Joint winner: Lidl Chef Select Sausage Rolls

These long sausage rolls would be just as good for an on-the-go lunch as a picnic feast. There's a small amount of sausage to pastry, but the sausagemeat is richly seasoned with lots of black pepper. A classic.

Available from:
Lidl in-store (£1.69/360g)

Best vegetarian picnic pastry

Winner: Co-op Irresistible West Country Cheddar & Habanero Chilli Jam Pinwheels

These would be even better given a quick blast in the oven to crisp up the pastry and served warm. Ideal for enjoying in the garden, but they work well for a day out, too. Our judges liked the attractive pinwheel design and intense chilli jam filling.

Available from:
Co-op in-store (£3.50/88g)

Best picnic centrepiece

Winner: Lidl Deluxe Quiche – Maple Bacon

Topped with generous slices of bacon, this large quiche feels worthy of being a centrepiece. The filling is luxurious, firm and creamy, but as the quiche is not too thick, it isn't overwhelming. Instead, it's very moreish, with the bacon adding a pleasing saltiness.

Available from:
Lidl in-store (£2.99)

Highly commended: Tesco Finest Greek Feta & Spinach Quiche

France meets Greece with this quiche. It's attractive with tall pastry, a smart crimped edge, lots of cherry tomatoes on the top and clear chunks of feta. The filling is well seasoned with plenty of herbs.

Available from:
Tesco (£4.25/400g)

Best sharing bread

Winner: Aldi Rosemary & Rock Salt Sharing Focaccia

Everyone will enjoy tearing into this very thick and fluffy focaccia. There is a good sprinkling of rosemary on top and a strong initial olive oil flavour that gives way to soft, white bread.

Available from:
Aldi in-store (£1.99/220g)

Highly commended: Sainsbury's Harissa & Honey Flatbreads

Serve a stack of these paprika-dusted flatbreads alongside dips, ready to tear and dunk, or use as wraps. Surprisingly moreish!

Available from:
Sainsbury's (£1.90/pack of 2)

Best antipasti platter

Winner: Waitrose No.1 Italian Grazing Platter

A grazing platter makes having a picnic a breeze. This has the best selection of ingredients with a good variety of tastes and textures, ensuring there is something for everybody. Artichoke hearts and large caper berries add a touch of luxury, and the meat is high-quality. Pickled onions are an unusual touch, but they're not too strong.

Available from:
Waitrose (£10/380g)

Best hummus

Winner: Waitrose No.1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Houmous

Deliciously light and fluffy, not too oily or garlicky and with good chickpea flavour, this dip should go down well with everyone.

Available from:

Waitrose (£2.75/170g)

Highly commended: Aldi Specially Selected Extra Smooth Classic Houmous

This version had a complex, lemony flavour and it's decorated with extra chickpeas to look smart if serving up to guests.

Available from:
Aldi in-store (£1.49/170g)

How we tested

We invited 12 supermarkets to submit their best summer products across 16 categories. Packaging was completely removed and judges tasted all items blind. Comments and scores (divided into weighted scores for taste, texture and appearance) were submitted for each product in the category via anonymous online judging forms. The entire judging process was overseen by an independent adjudicator. This year, the team tested over 140 products.

This review was last updated in June 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.