BBC Good Food Summer Taste Awards 2022 results
From bangers, burgers and buns to quiche, picnic salads and hummus, our expert BBC Good Food judges blind-tested 200 products to find the very best supermarket own-brand products to buy for your barbecues and picnics this summer.
We’ve found everything you need for sunny days when you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen, including barbecue-ready burgers, sausages and scotch eggs. Our expert panel blind-tasted more than 200 products to find the best supermarket buys this season.
For full lists of winners, including the products we awarded highly commended status, visit our hub pages for the best barbecue food and the best picnic food.
BBC Good Food Summer Taste Awards 2022 winners: best barbecue food
Best hot dog buns
Joint winner: Aldi Specially Selected brioche hot dog rolls £1.09 (pack of six)
Handily pre-sliced to make barbecues a breeze, these are shiny, light and fluffy.
Joint winner: M&S brioche posh dog buns £2.15 (pack of six)
A sturdier brioche bun, these will hold up against plenty of sauce.
Buy online at Ocado (£2.15)
Best sausages
Winner: Morrisons The Best Italian-style sausages £2.75 (pack of six)
These Italian-style sausages stand out for having the best meaty texture and the most flavour, with plenty of herbs and seasoning.
Buy in store at Morrisons (£2.75)
Best burger buns
Winner: M&S Collection brioche buns £1.70 (pack of two)
These are glossy, with a well-balanced flavour – not too savoury or sweet.
Best burgers
Winner: Aldi Specially Selected the ultimate burger £2.69 (pack of two)
‘Savoury, umami goodness’ was one judge’s verdict. These are juicy, with satisfying texture.
Available in store at Aldi (£2.69)
Best vegan burgers
Winner: Aldi Plant Menu ultimate no beef burgers £1.99 (pack of two)
A clear winner, this is a good meat substitute option. It has a firm bite and smoky flavour.
Available online at Aldi (£1.99)
Best veggie burger
Joint winner: Tesco Fire Pit quarter-pounder halloumi burgers £2.20 (pack of two)
A simple yet satisfying slab of halloumi makes the ideal base for adding your own marinade or spice rub.
Available in store at Tesco (£2.20)
Joint winner: M&S masala cauliflower bhaji burgers £3 (pack of two)
These would work well in a burger or just with salad and classic barbecue accompaniments. They have clearly visible veg and mild spicing.
Available in store at M&S (£3)
Best barbecue sauce
Winner: M&S The Grill House BBQ sauce £1.65 (300g)
This sticky sauce would work just as well as a marinade. With a deep base note of heat, the initial sour notes lead into a smoky and sweet sauce.
Available in store at M&S (£1.65)
Best chicken
Winner: Tesco piri piri half chicken £4 (502g)
The appealing sticky glaze on this half chicken adds plenty of flavour to the perfectly cooked meat – a summery crowd-pleaser.
Available in store at Tesco (£4)
Best meat kebab
Winner: M&S British rump steak kebabs £11 (pack of two)
The three elements of these kebabs work perfectly together: substantial hunks of tender rump steak, soft peppers and a smoky, sticky glaze.
Available in store at M&S (£11)
Best vegan kebab
Winner: Co-op GRO cauli shawarma kebabs £3 (pack of four)
One for spice fans – these kebabs are very tender in texture and quite fiery, but that doesn’t mask the other flavours.
Available in store at Co-op (£3)
Best cocktail sausages
Winner: Waitrose cocktail sausages £2.50 (260g)
These were by far the most visually appealing of those we tasted, and have a moreish pork flavour and texture.
Available online at Waitrose (£2.50)
BBC Good Food Summer Taste Awards 2022 winners: best sweet treats
Best summer cake
Winner: Asda blueberry cheesecake £13 (1154g)
For a summery centrepiece, this cheesecake-inspired cake has a pretty design and tangy blueberry jam that cuts through buttery icing.
Available online at Asda (£13)
Best trifle
Winner: M&S our best ever trifle £7.50 (900g)
This has clear, generous layers that don’t merge once cut into. It also has lovely fruity jam and contrasting textures of custard and cream.
Available online at M&S (£7.50)
Best scones
Winner: Co-op Irresistible sultana scones £1.80 (pack of four)
These have a buttery flavour with plump and juicy sultanas, a deep golden colour and a subtle hit of salt to offset the sweetness.
Available in store at Co-op (£1.80)
Best tea time treat
Winner: Waitrose cherry bakewell crumble cakes £3.50 (pack of two)
With a rich almond flavour and hidden centre of sweet cherry jam, this is a must-try for bakewell tart lovers.
Available in store at Waitrose (£3.50)
BBC Good Food Summer Taste Awards 2022 winners: best picnic food
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.
Available online at Aldi (£2.39)
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 (99p)
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.
Available in store at M&S (£6)
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)
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)
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.
Available online at Asda (£2.10)
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)
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)
How we tested
We invited 12 supermarkets to submit their best summer products across 25 categories. Packaging was completely removed and judges tasted all items blind. Comments and a score out of 10 were submitted for each product in the category via anonymous online judging forms. The entire judging process was overseen by an independent adjudicator. This year, the team tested over 200 products. As well as the winners here, the Good Food judging panel also awarded ‘highly commended’ status to those that just missed out on the top spot.
For full lists of winners, visit our hub pages for the best barbecue food and the best picnic food.
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.
