Best Christmas puddings of 2024 taste tested, from Waitrose, Tesco and more

Aged preserves, wines and cheeses are wide considered the tallness of premium indulgence. But however precisely does aged pudding work?

Following the invention of the pudding cloth successful the 16th century, accepted plum pudding went from being a strangely meat-heavy crockery made by packing fat, spices, fruits, meats, grains and vegetables into carnal stomachs for preservation, to becoming the aromatic and alcohol-infused dessert we cognize and emotion (or hate) today.

Though suet remains a cardinal constituent successful plum pudding (vegetarians and vegans beware), the humble pudding cloth tin sphere a dessert of immoderate size for months connected extremity – removing the request for those pesky carnal organs. The ‘plum’ facet of the dessert simply refers to the dried fruits specified arsenic raisins, currants and prunes that are often enveloped successful the dessert mixture.

Traditional plum pudding makers thin to adhere to the distinctly festive recipe, which includes 13 ingredients to correspond the apostles, and flaming brandy to symbolise the passionateness of Christ. No wonderment Cromwell felt the request to prohibition it. Thankfully, King George I is said to person brought the dessert backmost to the forefront pursuing his ascension to the throne, which is wherefore he’s sometimes referred to arsenic the “Pudding King”.

Whether oregon not it tin beryllium deemed a household favourite remains up for debate, but serving up a classical plum pudding is surely an important Christmas contented for many. It’s made by mixing flour, breadcrumbs, your prime of currants and fruits, spices, orangish rind, eggs, ale oregon stout, sweetener and brandy. Though not often commercially available, immoderate bakers inactive see a fortunate coin oregon wishbone successful their mixture.

Once combined, the substance is packed into greased pudding basins and covered tightly with floured pudding cloths tied with string. They are past boiled successful steamers for astir six to 8 hours and tin beryllium stored for arsenic agelong arsenic you need.

Before serving, marque definite to steam the pudding again earlier heating 2 tablespoons of brandy, mounting it alight, and pouring it implicit the dessert. Aged plum pudding is simply a mentation of the dessert which, erstwhile made, has been near successful its pudding cloth for an extended play of clip to make adjacent fruitier aromas.

From classical supermarket favourites to high-end aged puds, we’ve curated a enactment of the champion plum puddings for Christmas 2024 below.

F&M

As accepted arsenic it gets, the behemoth Christmas pud from Fortnum’s – our beloved precocious Queen Lizzie’s section supermarché – weighs a whopping 1.36kg. Made utilizing existent beef suet, this pud is made utilizing Fortnum’s ain Cognac, Pusser’s full-strength Navy Rum and is served with Cognac butter. We’re feeling somewhat tipsy conscionable reasoning astir it.

Tesco

The cleanable Christmas pudding for those who can’t basal the bitter flavours of a accepted option, Tesco’s Finest Black Forest pud is filled to the brim with Belgian cocoa chunks. It’s besides made with vine-ripened fruits, glace cherries and almonds which person been coated successful a aureate syrup sauce. All of the heritage, nary of the dusty aged taste.

Harrods

According to Harrods, the retailer doesn’t usage the word ‘ultimate’ lightly – and we can’t assistance but concur, for this pud is genuinely filled with the finest ingredients possible. From Chilean occurrence raisins, Vostizza currants, nuts, cherries and candied peel to Pedro Ximénez sherry/cognac, cider, port, rum and brandy with a panettone crumb – it’s worthy the other fewer pounds (in some senses of the word).

M&S

When it comes to accepted English eating, nary 1 does it amended than M&S. This perfectly saccharine and aromatic 12-month matured Christmas pud is made with vine fruits, brandy-soaked cherries, Braeburn apples and nuts. It’s enriched, but not overwhelmed with, brandy and rum earlier being finished with cognac.

Cartwright & Butler

We adore however this accepted plum pudding from Cartwright & Butler is realised successful a uncommon perfectly spherical form. The astir hard signifier of pudding to make, it’s sometimes referred to arsenic a cannonball due to the fact that of its hefty weight. The accepted look comprises fruit, nuts and spices for a genuinely aromatic, festive Christmas centrepiece.

ASDA

An exceptionally nutty enactment for those who similar a pudding which isn’t arsenic dense connected the dried effect topping arsenic different accepted centrepieces, Asda’s dessert is filled with sumptuous vine fruits, glacé cherries, almonds and walnuts arsenic good arsenic a classical blend of Cognac and sherry.

Georgie Porgies Puddings

Packaged successful a accepted pudding cloth, Devon-based Georgie Porgie’s Puddings has made a sanction for itself arsenic the apical recreator of King George I’s favourite Christmas dessert. You tin pre-order this pud up to a twelvemonth successful advance, and it’s disposable successful 4 antithetic sizes – from 142g to an eye-watering 2.2kg. Extra points for being wholly spherical.

Waitrose

Though 1 of the much costly supermarket Christmas puds, the Waitrose No.1 Christmas Pudding is created with an abundance of luxuriously plump, dried fruits, pecans and Cognac earlier being matured for an full twelvemonth to make that signature, incredibly affluent flavour.