The best supermarket Yorkshire pudding has been named, and it's not a popular brand like Aunt Bessie's. Yorkshire puddings are a staple food on the Sunday lunch table across the country. These simple yet delicious Sunday roast entries make a perfect vessel for tasty gravy and an exciting addition to the plate. While they are rather easy to make at home from scratch, most people buy them refrigerated or frozen at their local supermarket.
While you might have found the one you personally think is the best, a recent blind taste test gave us a more solid answer. Consumer group Which? conducted one of its many blind taste tests, gathering people to try different variations of the same thing to determine which one is the very best. Recently, the group conducted a test of supermarket ketchup, supermarket cheddar cheese and supermarket Marmite. They also conducted a study on Yorkshire puddings, gathering 74 people in their specialist lab for the experiment.
READ MORE: 'I compared supermarket sausages — winner tasted better than Richmond'
READ MORE: I tried 7 supermarket steaks — the cheapest was the best
Nobody knew which one they were eating at the time. Plus, they did it solo, so they could not discuss their thoughts with anyone else. The final score was calculated from multiple factors, each with a different weight.
Naturally, taste accounted for most of the final score, with 50% dedicated to flavour. Then, 25% went to appearance, 15% to texture and 10% to aroma.
While Aunt Bessie's was well-liked, it didn't score the best. First place went to the Aldi Specially Selected Large Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings, which scored an impressive 73%. This bag costs just £1.99 (for 288g), making it one of the best value entries on the list as well.
The reviewers appreciated the crispy outside of these Yorkshire puddings, as well as the moist fluffiness of the inside. Meanwhile,the appearance was also highly scored by tasters.
Aunt Bessie's came in second place, with a slightly lower score of 73%. "While Aunt Bessie's Yorkshires were pipped to the post by Aldi, the famous brand's puddings still put in a good showing," Which? said.
"Two-thirds of tasters felt they really looked the part, and the crunchy outer texture was highly rated. Most also enjoyed the soft inside and noted that the moisture levels were good."
However, a third of tasters found the flavour overpowering, as these Yorkshire puddings contain herbs like rosemary, sage and cumin. They cost £2 for a 220g bag.
Tesco Finest came in third with a 72% score, followed by Sainsbury's Taste the Difference with 71% and Waitrose No.1 with 69%.
The best supermarket Yorkshire puddings in the UK, according to this blind taste test, are:
- Aldi Specially Selected Large Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings
- Aunt Bessie’s Spectacular Yorkshire Puddings
- Tesco Finest 6 Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings
- Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Yorkshire Puddings
- WCheck out a recipe for Yorkshire pudding that rises to perfection every time here.aitrose No.1 6 Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings
- Iceland Luxury 4 Beef Dripping Yorkshire
- Lidl Deluxe Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings
- Morrisons The Best 6 Yorkshire Puddings with Beef Dripping
The full results of the study can be viewed here.
While most people buy their Yorkshire puddings from the supermarket, many aren't aware of how easy they are to make at home. They are simply comprised of eggs, plain flour, milk and oil/fat.