Best supermarket picnic food 2022
Heading out to a picnic? Before you hit the supermarket, read the results of our Summer Taste Awards 2022 to discover the best picnic pastries, hummus, salad and more.
Our expert team of Good Food judges blind-tested products across ten picnic categories to bring you our definitive shopping list for summer 2022. From hummus and falafel, to ready-made salads and picnic pastries, read on to discover which supermarket products came out on top in our picnic categories
For more, visit our Summer Taste Awards winners page, plus read about which barbecue products we loved.
Best ready-to-eat quiche
Winner: Aldi Specially Selected cherrywood smoked bacon & mature cheddar cheese quiche £2.39 (400g)
A generous amount of bacon lardons and crisp pastry make this quiche stand out.
Best coleslaw
Winner: Aldi Specially Selected coleslaw 99p (300g)
Everything you’d expect from a good coleslaw, with crunchy veg and nice acidity in a creamy, well-seasoned dressing.
Available online at Aldi (£0.99)
Highly commended: M&S Caesar Slaw £2 (300g)
For a twist on the classic coleslaw, this Caesar-style dip had a strong cheese flavour coming through and satisfying larger pieces of shredded veg.
Available in store at M&S (£2)
Best hummus
Joint winner: Waitrose Levantine Table houmous with chickpeas & zhoug £2.50 (200g)
Silky in texture, but topped with whole chickpeas and a herby, garlicky zhoug – it’s great with crusty bread.
Available online at Waitrose (£2.50)
Joint winner: Morrisons The Best pesto & parmesan houmous £1.75 (170g)
You might not think these two elements should go together, but this is a delicious hybrid dip.
Available in store at Morrisons (£1.75)
Best sausage roll
Joint winner: Waitrose No.1 pork & apple sausage roll £2.39 (160g)
Our pick for a large sausage roll with meat, complemented by lots of sweet apple chunks.
Available in store at Waitrose (£2.39)
Joint winner: M&S handcrafted sausage rolls £6 (pack of nine)
These are perfect for sharing at a picnic, with buttery pastry and a generous amount of meat.
Best vegetarian pastry rolls
Winner: Waitrose No.1 four-cheese & caramelised onion rolls £2.75 (pack of two)
The pastry is dark and crisp, while the filling has a mild flavour from the cheese and soft caramelised onions.
Available online at Waitrose (£2.75)
Highly commended: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Greek Inspired Barrel Aged Feta & Spinach Rolls, 188g, £2.30
With a creamy cheese filling, these have a strong feta and herb filling and crisp pastry. A good alternative pastry that meat-eaters and vegetarians alike will enjoy.
Available online at Sainsbury's (£2.10)
Best ready-made picnic salad
Winner: Morrisons The Best spinach & pine nut pasta salad £2.25 (230g)
Classic pesto pasta salad done well, with good flavour from the cheese. Kids and adults will enjoy.
Available online at Morrisons (£2.25)
Highly commended: Co-op Thai Bang Bang Chicken Noodle Salad, £3.75 (270g)
A great selection of ingredients and flavour combinations that worked well together. This was very colourful and summery, whilst the creamy dressing had balanced sweetness and spice.
Best Scotch egg
Winner: Asda Extra Special Scotch egg £2.10 (pack of two)
This has well-seasoned pork with a nice coarse texture, pleasing rustic crumb coating and good colour on the egg yolk.
Best pork pie
Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Melton Mowbray pork pie £1.69 (295g)
Described as ‘what a pork pie should be’ by the judges, this has superbly crisp pastry, good jelly and a nicely seasoned, peppery pork filling.
Available online at Aldi (£1.69)
Highly commended: M&S Collections Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, 440g, £3.70
The most dramatic looking pie when whole (good for sharing), this crust had a crisp bite and biscuity flavour. The meat looks the least processed, with satisfying chunks of pork and warm, peppery flavour.
Best ready-made handheld pastry
Winner: Morrisons Deli extra large battered chicken tikka samosa £1 (100g)
This chunky samosa has extra crunch from the battered layer, plus a well-flavoured filling.
Available in store at Morrisons (£1)
Highly commended: ASDA 10 Chicken Tikka Pasties, £2 (300g)
The pastry on these mini pasties had an attractive shine, whilst the relatively smooth filling had subtle curry warmth.
Available in store at ASDA (£2)
This review was last updated in May 2022. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
