For many Brits, the festive spread of 'picky bits' and canapés rivals the main Christmas dinner itself. With supermarket shelves groaning under the weight of seasonal offerings, one woman embarked on a mammoth taste test to separate the culinary triumphs from the disappointments.
The Festive Food Challenge
Becca Stock, a 28-year-old content creator with over 554,600 TikTok followers, took inspiration from BBC's 'Eat Well For Less' to conduct a comprehensive review. Her mission was clear: to sample and rank 30 different Christmas party food items from major UK supermarkets, helping shoppers find the best value and flavour for their festive gatherings.
In a video that amassed over 473,000 views in just 22 hours, Becca methodically worked her way through the mountain of snacks, scoring each out of ten and ranking them from worst to best. "I've been to every supermarket and bought their best looking party food - let's go through it and rate it from worst to best," she announced at the start of her festive feast.
The Bottom of the Pile: Disappointing Bites
The dubious honour of last place, at number 30, went to Tesco's Mini Turkey and Bacon Pasties. Becca criticised them for tasting more of potato and stuffing than turkey, awarding a lowly 2.5 out of 10. Sharing the same poor score were Aldi's Indian Inspired King Prawn Selection Box, which included samosas and curry butterfly prawns, dismissed as either dry or mushy.
The reviews slowly began to climb from this low point. Tesco's Mini Buttermilk Chicken Burgers scored a three, while the Co-op's Mexican Style Pulled Beef with Smoky Ketchup managed a three and a half for being 'tasteless'. Hopes were dashed for the Co-op's Gruyere Cheese and Caramelised Onion Crostini, which landed in 26th place with a score of four for its 'weird' taste.
Other middling performers included M&S's Patatas Bravas Stacks (scoring four for being just 'smoky') and Tesco's Mini Philly Cheese Beef Sliders (four and a half). Items from Asda and Co-op, including arancini and toads in the hole, just missed the top 20 with scores of five.
Rising Through the Ranks: The Contenders
The list entered more promising territory around the halfway mark. Aldi's Japanese Style Chicken Sliders became the 20th item, scoring five and a half for being 'too plain'. Asda's Prawn Toasties and M&S's Extra Mature Barber's Cheddar and Ham Scones followed with the same score, both criticised for dryness.
Sainsbury's King Prawn Collection, featuring sesame-topped baguettes and prawns in coconut batter, earned a respectable six out of ten. Asda's French Brie Bites and Onion Bhaji Dippers scored six and a half. The first seven out of ten was awarded to Waitrose's Mini Garlic Chicken Kievs, securing the 14th spot.
In the run-up to the top ten, Sainsbury's Chicken Tikka Samosas (seven), Co-op's Melt in the Middle Fish Cakes (seven and a half), and Waitrose's Katsu Spring Rolls (seven and a half) all impressed with their flavours.
The Top Ten Christmas Party Food Champions
Kicking off the elite selection in tenth place were M&S Maple and Bacon Pancake Stacks, praised for their sweet and smoky balance, scoring seven and a half.
In ninth place, Asda's Mini Festive Feast Toasties were declared "a pretty good toastie" and given a solid eight out of ten. M&S Butter Chicken Mini Naans and Co-op's Vegetable Buns shared the eighth and seventh spots respectively, both also scoring eight.
The scores jumped to a nine for Aldi's Katsu Spring Rolls, which Becca hailed as "the best supermarket spring rolls" she'd ever tried. Waitrose's Mini Beef Burgers in fifth place were described as "a bloody good burger," earning another nine. Waitrose's Cheese and Bacon Tartlets took fourth.
The podium places were dominated by high scorers. Waitrose's Satay Chicken Skewers clinched third with a stellar nine and a half, tasting like they came "from a restaurant". The runner-up spot went to Waitrose's Bacon Carbonara Cups, which left Becca exclaiming, "This is such a good idea!" The innovative snack, featuring spaghetti and creamy sauce wrapped in bacon, also scored nine and a half.
The Ultimate Winner: A Perfect Ten
The crown for the best Christmas party food of 2025, however, went to a surprising contender. Aldi's Mini Barber Cheddar and Ham Scones achieved the only perfect score of ten out of ten.
Becca praised their perfect balance of cheese and butter, declaring them the undisputed champion. Her final verdict on the winning item was a testament to its appeal: "I will not cook these for my Christmas party, I will just be eating these."
For festive shoppers looking to impress their guests without breaking the bank, this comprehensive taste test highlights that quality can be found across the price spectrum, from discount retailers to premium stores, as long as you know what to pick.
