As the festive season arrives, the annual deluge of Christmas drinks has hit UK coffee shops. The Mirror's lifestyle team, comprising Zoe Cripps and Grace, embarked on a delicious mission to find the ultimate holiday beverage.
Armed with a formidable caffeine tolerance, they spent a week in November 2025 sampling the seasonal offerings from six national favourites: Pret A Manger, Black Sheep Coffee, London Grind, Leon, Caffè Nero, and Blank Street.
The Ultimate Festive Drink Showdown
The test aimed to determine which new creations were worth the calories and the potential queue. This year's menus showed a distinct trend, with matcha appearing as a prominent festive flavour alongside traditional favourites.
Some drinks provided silky, nostalgic comfort, while others offered bold and experimental tastes. Opinions were divided on several offerings, but one drink emerged as a clear and faultless winner.
Pret A Manger's Cosy Comforts
Pret's festive menu for 2025 focuses on cosy, classic flavours. Returning favourites like the Gingerbread Latte sit alongside newer options such as the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate.
Zoe reported that the winter menu was a significant improvement over the summer's offerings. Her standout was the Frosted Mint Hot Chocolate, which she described as creamy and delicious without a lingering toothpaste aftertaste. She also praised the classic Gingerbread Latte, particularly loving the cinnamon sprinkle on top.
Top order: Frosted Mint Hot Chocolate
Black Sheep Coffee's Indulgent Offerings
Black Sheep Coffee's Christmas range leans into indulgence. Highlights include the returning Mint White Chocolate Chip Matcha and a classic Gingerbread Latte, served in their limited-edition cups.
Zoe noted that a visit to Black Sheep is highly worthwhile, also giving a shout-out to their festive sandwich selection. She appreciated the inclusion of white hot chocolate, a rarity on most menus, and found the mint and matcha pairing particularly successful. The Gingerbread Latte scored a solid 9/10, though one drink was served lukewarm.
Top order: Mint White Chocolate Chip Matcha
The Unbeatable Winner: London Grind
Grind's 'Winter Warmers' menu features flavour-packed options like the Gingersnap Latte, Pecan Pie Chai, and a Chilli Hot Chocolate. For cold-drink enthusiasts, there's an Iced Sour Cherry Matcha.
It was here that the team found their champion. Both Zoe and Grace were in full agreement that the Salted Pistachio Matcha was in a league of its own. Zoe declared it the most delicious drink she had ever tasted, awarding it her unofficial holiday hero award. She described it as slightly salty, a little sweet, with the matcha flavour shining through perfectly.
Top order: Salted Pistachio Matcha
Other Notable Contenders
Leon delivered a Gingerbread Latte that Grace described as having the perfect level of warm spice, calling it Christmas in a cup. The flavour is also available in matcha and hot chocolate forms.
Caffè Nero offered one of the more unique line-ups, with Grace singling out the Bailey's Tiramisu Latte as a dreamy, non-alcoholic version of the classic festive tipple, complete with a sponge finger on the side.
Blank Street strayed from tradition with dessert-inspired creations. Grace loved the Iced Blondie Latte, praising its original salty-sweet cookie butter, miso, and caramel flavourings as unlike anything else on the high street.
After a week of rigorous tasting, the verdict was clear. While many cafés served excellent festive drinks, London Grind's Salted Pistachio Matcha was crowned the undisputed winner for 2025, a truly unbeatable holiday treat.
