Good Food’s annual blind taste test reveals the best supermarket foods to eat this summer, including £5 Co-op ice cream and Lidl sausages

Good Food has revealed the results of its 2024 Summer Taste Test Awards – and it’s great news if you want to enjoy a barbecue on a budget.

AldiBurgers and LiddellThe company’s sausages have won an annual taste test that highlights barbecue food, ice cream and picnic food, just as the UK enters a mini-heatwave.

Good Food’s panel of judges (overseen by independent reviewers) blind tasted more than 140 products across 16 categories from 12 UK supermarkets to choose the best ones to buy.

While the Best Grilled Food category includes vegetarian diet and vegetarian burgers and meat and fish kebabs, while the “best picnic food” category includes sausage rolls, coleslaw and sauces.

Therefore, using these products requires almost no prep time, and you don’t have to worry about being stuck in the kitchen while your friends and family are having fun outdoors.

As FEMAIL reveals the time-saving products that stand out, we hope the winners will inspire people to cook up some delicious summer feasts in the coming weeks.

BBQ Food

The best sausage

Starting with sausages, Lidl’s Deluxe Sausages with Honey Mustard (£2.49 for 400g) came top in Good Food’s Summer Taste Test Awards.

The judges agreed that they “combined the rich flavor of mustard with a hint of sweetness from honey.”

Runners-up included Asda’s Premium Pork and Chorizo ​​(£3 for 400g/£5 for 2 packs), chosen for its subtle “spice flavour”, and Tesco’s Finest 4 Signature Pork Sausage (£4 for 440g).

Tesco’s sausages stood out for their “juicy taste” and were described as being the “perfect size” for a hot dog.

Best Vegetarian Sausage

Stick with your sausages – just swap the meat for plant-based alternatives – Asda’s OMV! delicious vegetarian butcher-inspired pork-free sausages (£2.95 for 360g) were voted the best vegetarian option.

Best burger

When it came to burgers, the food judges first judged the bread, with Marks and Spencer’s 4 Japanese Milk Buns (£1.85 for 300g), described as having a “soft texture, tender mouthfeel and pleasant sweet flavour”, taking the top spot.

The best burger, according to the judges, can be found at Aldi. The budget supermarket’s Ultimate Burger costs £2.89 for 340g.

Not only do Aldi’s burgers “stay juicy and take on a lovely colour while cooking”, they also have a “great texture” and are a “perfect size for any bun”.

Best Veggie Burgers

If you’re looking for a vegan alternative, then your top pick is Martha’s “creamy and savoury” halloumi quarter pounder (£5 for 240g), which the judges agreed “pairs perfectly with a dollop of relish or chutney”.

Marks & Spencer beat out strong rivals such as the Co-op in this category, with its Gro Bean Burger (227g, £1.90) praised for its “ability to hold its shape whilst retaining a soft, dense bean texture”.

Best Veggie Burgers

For those who prefer a plant-based diet, Morrisons’ Plant Revolution Veggie Burger (454g, £1.99) came top in the ‘Best Veggie Burger’ category.

Judges described the plant-based burger as “a brilliantly tasty meat alternative”, praising it for “delivering a satisfying, authentic experience”.

The best meat or fish kebabs

In the ‘Best Meat or Fish Kebab’ category, Martha’s British Caesar Chicken Breast Kebab (£20 for 600g) was crowned champion for its ‘tangy marinade’, closely followed by Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Texas BBQ King Kebab (£6.50 for 700g).

However, for some judges, Sainsbury’s product was “a little too sweet”.

… the remaining

Good Food judges also named the Best Entertaining BBQ Hero, dividing the BBQ category into two categories: meat and fish, and vegetables.

In the meat and fish subcategories, M&S took the honours again for its Master Grill Outdoor Bred Tomapork (592g, £10), which “really impressed the team with the quality of the meat”.

Meanwhile, in the vegetarian sub-category, Waitrose took the crown with its 4-pack of Harissa Halloumi Kebabs (£4.25 for 240g), which was hailed as “guaranteed to please the crowd”.

ice cream

The overall winner of the category was the Co-op’s Irresistible Vanilla & Caramel Gelato (£4.75 for 360g), which the judges said had “a perfect balance between salty and sweet with its salted caramel flavour”.

Runners-up included Aldi’s “vibrant and fruity” Gianni’s Raspberry Sorbet (£1.99 for 500ml) and the Co-op’s Irresistible Tiramisu Gelato (£4.25 for 380g), which “caters to those with a sweet tooth”.

The judges added: “This gelato has a classic tiramisu flavour with hints of caramel and has a multi-layered structure to maximise flavour.”

Morrisons’ Best Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream (£3.49 for 500ml) and Aldi’s Gianni’s Mango Sorbet (£1.99 for 500ml) were also recognised in the ice cream category.

runner up

Gianni’s Raspberry Sorbet, Aldi, £1.99 (500ml)

Judge’s ruling: “This vibrant fruit sorbet has a refreshing raspberry flavor with a hint of tartness.”

The Co-op’s Irresistible Tiramisu Ice Cream, £4.25 (380g)

Judge’s ruling: “This gelato has classic tiramisu flavors with caramel notes and is layered for optimal flavor.”

Morrisons Best Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream, £3.49 (500ml)

Judge’s ruling: “When it comes to ice cream, sometimes classic flavours offer a great alternative, and our judges thought so, with this ice cream’s classic vanilla flavour being outstanding.”

aluminumdi’s Gianni’s Mango Sorbet, £1.99 (500ml)

Judge’s ruling: “This sorbet is smooth, light and delightfully flavorful with an invigorating mango flavor.”

picnic food

When the weather warms up, no one wants to spend all their time in the kitchen preparing picnic food. Luckily, the Good Food Summer Taste Test Awards team has found some supermarket summer treats to add to your picnic basket.

Picnic Center

In the Picnic Centerpieces category, Asda’s exceptional Quiche Lorraine (£3.50 for 400g) came out on top.

Because of its “Soft, creamy filling”, with judges suggesting heating it before eating.

The Best Coleslaw

The Best Coleslaw category was won by Aldi, whose Special Cream Coleslaw (£1.25 for 300g) stood out to the judges “because of its tartness balanced with a nice touch of sweetness”.

With “just the right amount of sauce and veggies, plus some herbs for spice,” Aldi’s coleslaw is clearly the way to go this summer.

Best Dipping Material

In the Best Dip category, the judges selected The Co-op’s Irresistible Whipped Feta and Mint Dip (£2.50 for 160g) and Waitrose’s Creamy Pecorino & Tomato pesto dip (£2.85 for 170g) were joint winners.

The Co-op’s dip is “light and smooth with whipped feta, and lots of dried mint and olive oil”, while Waitrose’s is praised for its “combination of tomato pesto and pecorino cheese”.

Sausage Rolls

The grand finale of any picnic has to be the sausage roll, and luckily for us the food judges have the final say on which food to choose.

Tesco Finest Pork Sausage Roll (188g £2.95) was voted “A sausage roll perfect for a picnic.’

They added: “Its buttery, smooth pastry encasing well-seasoned sausage meat makes for a delicious snack.”

But if you don’t eat meat, don’t worry. The judges voted Tesco’s Finest 4 Cheddar and Caramelised Onion Roll (188g, £2.95) as the best vegetarian picnic pastry.

Tesco’s biscuits were praised for their “thick pastry, nigella seed topping and cheesy, well-balanced filling”.