Christmas puddings tried and tested: from Aldi to M&S

Christmas puddings are a little like Marmite: you either love them beyond all measure, or you’d be perfectly happy if one never crossed your path again. But, unlike Marmite, there are dozens on the market to pick through – and given that most of us will only eat one a year, it’s important to get the right pudding for you. We’ve taste-tested more Christmas puds than one person should ever eat to bring you the best of the best.

Best overall pudding runner up: Aldi Specially Selected Marc de Champagne Christmas Pudding, 400g, £4.99

What they say: A celebration of vine fruits, glacé cherries and nuts blended with cider brandy, Champagne and a splash of Marc de Champagne brandy. Sprinkle with silver glitter to finish.

What we say: This is, in some ways, a silly pudding. It comes with a little sachet of silver glitter to sprinkle over the top once cooked – but we couldn’t help loving it. As well as being fun and festive, it tastes great, with the cider brandy and winey flavours coming through strongly. The cherries on top are both a pretty and delicious addition.

Waitrose No 1 Christmas Pudding, 400g, £7

What they say: Richly fruited Christmas pudding with COURVOISIER® VSOP Cognac, cream and pecans. Made with plump vine fruit, cream, pecan nuts and a generous splash of Fine Champagne Cognac, and matured for a year to develop a rich, rounded flavour.

What we say: The constituent parts of this pudding are great: it’s delicious, and boozy, with big, juicy generous bits of fruit, and we loved the pecans. It turns out beautifully, but on serving lacks structural integrity, so the last couple of portions crumbled, and were more deconstructed Christmas pudding than we would have liked.