Proof is in the Sainsbury's pudding

Daily Mail5 April 2012

A luxury Christmas pudding from Harrods has come out second-best in a taste test - to one from Sainsbury's.

Egon Ronay rated the cognaclaced Taste The Difference product the clear winner in a blind sampling of eight stores' top-of-the-range puddings.

It costs £7.99 for the 2lb version tested by the food critic, who said it 'tastes like a real Christmas pudding. It has a festive taste and real character'.

Next came the Harrods Supreme, at £19.95 for 3lbs. Ronay said it had 'considerably less taste. It is too chunky and has a little bit of unidentifiable aftertaste'.

He did not even attempt to rank the rest, saying they were generally disappointing. 'I think that lack of the character I am looking for is possibly down to the quality of the alcohol and the quantity. There were one or two which could have been improved by putting a little bit more alcohol in.'

In alphabetical order, with his comments, the rest were:

Asda Extra Special mature Christmas pudding, £5.92 for 2lbs: 'Like a paste - like a thick jam or marmalade.'

M&S luxury Christmas pudding, £8.99 for 3lbs: 'Sticky and on the sweet side.'

Morrisons rich fruit Christmas pudding, £2.89 for 1lb 10oz: 'Not a typical Christmas pudding taste. It still hasn't got the character I am looking for.'

Somerfield luxury Christmas pudding, £4.99 for 2lbs: 'A bit sticky but had a much more Christmassy taste and a festive character.'

Tesco Finest matured Christmas pudding, £8.49 for 2lbs: 'A fairish taste, yet what makes it on the crude side, amongst other things, are whole pieces of almonds, some of them peeled and some of them unpeeled.'

Waitrose richly fruited Christmas pudding, £12.99 for 1lb 9oz: 'Another one which had this strange aftertaste they put in. It was also on the solid side.'

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