Supermarket own-brand Yorkshire puddings have beaten a big-name brand in a new Which? taste test. Aldi and Lidl's frozen puddings tied for first place, scoring 76 per cent each and earning best buy recommendations.
The consumer group brought together a panel of 69 Yorkshire pudding lovers to compare frozen options from Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, and Iceland against Aunt Bessie's classic version.
Joint winners and value for money
Aldi's Specially Selected Large Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings (£1.99 for a 290g pack) and Lidl's Deluxe Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings (£1.99 for a 288g pack) both scored 76 per cent.
Aldi's puddings were said to be 'popular across the board', with three quarters of tasters satisfied with their colour and two thirds claiming they had 'just the right' level of crispiness on the outside. Which? notes that Aldi's puddings are among the biggest featured in the test at 48g each, working out at just 33p per pud, which helped earn them a great value accolade.
Lidl's puddings were enjoyed just as much, with testers praising the colour and texture, the moistness of the inside, and the 'spot on' crispy outside. The price matches Aldi, meaning Lidl also won a great value award.
How the other brands ranked
Morrisons the Best Yorkshire Puddings with Beef Dripping (£3.60 for 240g) followed close behind with 75 per cent. They scored highly for their appearance, described as 'look tasty' on the outside, with a 'fluffy' inside that wasn't too moist.
Aunt Bessie's Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings (£3 for 180g) scored 72 per cent, described as 'dark' in colour, 'crisp on the outside' and 'pleasantly fluffy' inside.
Asda's Exceptional Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings (£2.37 for 288g) and Tesco Finest Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings (£2.55 for 195g) both scored 71 per cent. Testers thought Asda's were 'good looking puds' with a 'pleasing crunch', but they lost points for their 'bland' flavour. Tesco's were 'small' but had a nice appearance with an 'excellent texture', though the flavour was said to be 'lacking'.
Iceland's Luxury Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings (£2 for 160g) came bottom with 69 per cent. Tasters generally liked the appearance and crisp outer texture, but were not impressed by the 'rather bland taste and overly soft inside'.
How the test was conducted
All of the puddings were blind-tasted and rated by 69 people at the Which? test lab. The panel featured consumers who buy and eat Yorkshire puddings regularly and broadly represent the demographic profile of adults in the UK.
Each pudding was tasted in a fully rotated order to avoid bias, and each tester had a private booth. The food was rated across several categories, with overall scores based on 50 per cent flavour, 20 per cent appearance, 20 per cent texture, and 10 per cent aroma. Pack and pudding sizes varied between brands, with the smallest pudding weighing less than 33g and the biggest 48g.
Jessica Carson, Which? taste test expert, told Metro: 'A roast dinner deserves a perfectly puffed, golden Yorkshire pudding, but getting homemade batter to rise to perfection can test even the most confident cook. Luckily, you don't need to leave it to chance. Which? has found a supermarket-own-brand alternative that's guaranteed to rise to the occasion – costing just 33p per pud.'
