Aunt Bessie’s came in second place
A budget supermarket’s own-brand frozen Yorkshire puddings have been crowned the nation’s finest, beating the longstanding favourite Aunt Bessie’s. Yorkshire puddings are an essential component of any proper roast dinner, though making them from scratch can be messy and laborious.
As a result, countless households nationwide opt for frozen Yorkshire puddings, with Aunt Bessie’s traditionally being a go-to choice. However, a rigorous taste test conducted by Which?, the UK’s leading consumer champion, saw a supermarket’s own-brand snatch the crown.
The comprehensive trial involved 74 participants, who were blind-tasting and scoring seven premium supermarket own-brand Yorkshire puddings from the freezer aisle alongside Aunt Bessie’s offerings.
While Aunt Bessie’s impressed the panel, they fell short of claiming the number one position, with the victor proving both more affordable and more delicious.
Bear in mind that Yorkshire pudding dimensions vary, so it’s worth checking before purchasing. Most are medium-sized, weighing around 48g each, though Aunt Bessie’s are slightly larger at 55g, while Tesco’s are smaller at 33g.
Aldi Specially Selected Large Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings triumphed with an impressive score of 73%. At £1.99 for 288g, they were also joint-cheapest, securing a Great Value badge from Which?.
Roughly two-thirds of testers praised the Yorkshire puddings for their crispy exterior and airy centres, while remaining soft with the perfect level of moisture. Just shy of three-quarters of participants deemed the golden colour absolutely spot-on. These own-brand Yorkshire puddings earned the prestigious Best Buy status from Which?.
Aunt Bessie’s Spectacular Yorkshire Puddings secured second spot, retailing at £2 for 220g and achieving a score of 72%.
These family favourites proved popular with taste testers, with two-thirds praising both their visual appeal and satisfying crunch. Testers also commended their fluffy interior and noted they had just the right amount of moisture.
What sets Aunt Bessie’s apart from other Yorkshire puddings is their inclusion of herbs and spices, featuring rosemary, cumin, sage and horseradish. While this enhances the taste, a third of testers felt the flavouring was somewhat overpowering.
Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire puddings are stocked at various supermarkets and stand out as one of the few vegetarian-friendly options, as they’re made without beef dripping.
Tesco Finest 6 Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings shared second place alongside Aunt Bessie’s, also notching up 72%. Testers were impressed by the texture, with over half expressing satisfaction with the taste. The consistency received approval from most testers, though 41% found it excessively soft.
Despite their runner-up position, they proved to be the smallest and priciest puddings in the trial.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Yorkshire Puddings claimed third place with a score of 71%. At £2.60 for 252g, they offer better value than Tesco but cost more than both Aunt Bessie’s and Aldi.
Two-thirds of testers approved of the puddings’ golden colour, with even more praising their crispy exterior.
Half the testers were pleased with the flavour, though the majority felt they lacked firmness.
How did other supermarket Yorkshire puddings stack up?
- Waitrose No. 1 6 Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings – 69% £3 for 252g (£1.19 per 100g)
- Iceland Luxury 4 Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings – 68% £2 for 192g (£1.04 per 100g)
- Lidl Deluxe Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings – 67% £1.99 for 288g (69p per 100g)
- Morrisons The Best 6 Yorkshire Puddings with Beef Dripping – 65% £1.99 for 240g (83p per 100g)