ALDI and Lidl have beaten luxury rivals including M&S and Waitrose to be crowned joint winner for the best supermarket barbeque food.
The budget supermarkets each took first position in five categories in this year’s Good Housekeeping Institute’s taste test.
Iceland’s Luxury Cumberland Sausages won first place and cost £2.80 for 340g
Tesco and Waitrose secured top spot in just one best BBQ food category each.
Aldi‘s Oakhurst Chicken King Kebab Butter Chicken, described by judges as “striking a mouth-watering hint of heat”, took the crown for best kebab and costs £5.79 for 924g.
Best budget kebab also went to Aldi for its Smokey Beef Kebab with Mozzarella and Italian Herbs costing £2.99 for 320g – even though gram for gram, the luxury option is cheaper.
Its “excellent value” vegan Plant Menu Ultimate Sausage, £1.99 for 270g, impressed with its “salty crisp skin and convincingly juicy texture”.
The retailer’s BBQ & Buffalo Mixed Chicken Wings, £2.99 for 800g, and its Specially Selected Vintage Cheddar Slices, £2.25 for 160g, also took top spot in their categories.
Rival discount supermarket Lidl matched Aldi win for win though.
Lidl scooped best budget burger with its Deluxe Aberdeen Angus Beef Burgers, £2.99 for 340g.
Its Deluxe RSCPA Honey & Mustard Sausages, £2.49 for 400g, won best budget sausage while the Tikka Chicken Breast Sizzle Steaks, £3.49 for 350g, were loved by the panel for their “sweet and spicy flavour”.
Lidl’s Birchwood Slow Cooked Sweet BBQ Rib Rack, at £4.69 for 600g, added to the supermarket’s best budget wins.
And in the meat-free burger category, Lidl’s Vemondo Vegan Moroccan Burgers, £1.59 for 250g, was voted best budget buy.
Best BBQ favourites
With a “herby cheese melt” included, Tesco Finest New York Style Beef Burgers costing £4 for 400g grabbed first place for best burger.
Iceland‘s Luxury Cumberland Sausages cost £2.80 for 340g and impressed the panel with its rich pork meat, seasoned with a crack of black pepper and dried sage.
King of the kebabs was the Aldi Oakhurst Chicken King Kebab Butter Chicken at £5.79 for 924g, flavoured with cinnamon, cumin, paprika and garlic.
At £6.50 for 1.1kg Campbells Chicken Drumsticks came out top in their category “thanks to their exceptional quality”, despite not coming with any marinade or seasoning.
There were ten contenders for the top spot-on ribs, but Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Sweet Honey BBQ Slow Cook Rib Rack, £6.25 for 646g, were the judges’ clear winners.
Vegetarians and vegans might want to head to Waitrose, whose GoVeggie Aubergine and Feta Burgers were the panel’s favourite meat-free burgers and cost £2.95 for 210g.
The judges commended them for being “packed with fragrant herbs – including cumin, coriander and mint – creating a filling, falafel-like texture”.
Luxury supermarket M&S took top spot in just two categories with its Katsu buns costing £1.50 for four winning best burger bun.
Also in the bread department, M&S’ Brioche Posh Hot Dog Buns were voted best in class and cost £2.80 for six.
Stacey Smith, food and drink senior editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute, said: “With summer just around the corner, and an extra bank holiday on the cards, we want every BBQ up and down the country to be brimming with the tastiest products.”
Best supermarkets for BBQ food
Here’s the full list of winners, runners up and best budget buys for supermarket barbeque food.
Best burger
Tesco Finest New York Style Beef Burgers, £4 for 400g
Score: 86/100
Joint runner-up burger
Co-op Irresistible Hereford Beef Burgers, £4.75 for 340g
Score: 83/100
Joint runner-up burger
Sainsburys Taste the Difference British Beef Steak Burgers, £3.75 for 240g, in stock 26th April
Score: 83/100
Best budget burger
Lidl Deluxe Aberdeen Angus Beef Burgers, £2.99 for 340g, in-store only
Score: 72/100
Best sausage
Iceland Luxury Cumberland Sausages, £2.80 for 340g
Score: 80/100
Runner-up sausage
Campbells Pork Haggis and Herb Sausages, £3 for 454g
Score: 79/100
Best budget sausage
Lidl Deluxe RSCPA Honey & Mustard Sausages, £2.49 for 400g, in-store only
Score: 73/100
Best kebab
Aldi Oakhurst Chicken King Kebab Butter Chicken, £5.79 for 924g
Score: 86/100
Runner-up kebab
Waitrose Shawarma King Kebab, £9for 1.5kg
Score: 84/100
Best budget kebab
Aldi Smokey Beef Kebab with Mozzarella and Italian Herbs, £2.99 for 320g
Score: 77/100
Best chicken
Campbells Chicken Drumsticks, £6.50 for 1.1kg
Score: 83/100
Runner-up chicken
Lidl Tikka Chicken Breast Sizzle Steaks, £3.49 for 350g, in-store only
Score: 82/100
Best budget chicken
Aldi BBQ & Buffalo Mixed Chicken Wings, £2.99 for 800g
Score: 79/100
Best ribs
Sainsburys Taste the Difference Sweet Honey BBQ Slow Cook Rib Rack, £6.25 for 646g
Score: 87/100
Runner-up ribs and best budget
Lidl Birchwood Slow Cooked Sweet BBQ Rib Rack, £4.69 for 600g, In-store only
Score: 83/100
Best meat-free burger
Waitrose GoVeggie Aubergine and Feta Burgers, £2.95 for 210g
Score: 78/100
Joint runner-up meat-free burger
Miami Burger Plant Based Classic Miami Burgers, £3.50 for 200g
Score: 74/100
Joint runner-up meat-free burger
Devil’s Kitchen Shiitake Mushroom Burger £3.75 for 226g
Score: 74/100
Joint runner-up meat-free burger
Morrisons Plant Revolution Vegetable Burger £1.99 for 454g
Score: 74/100
Best budget meat-free burger
Lidl Vemondo Vegan Moroccan Burgers, £1.59 for 250g
Score: 72/100
Best vegan sausage
Aldi Plant Menu Ultimate Sausage, £1.99 for 270g
Score: 88/100
Joint runner-up vegan sausage
ASDA OMV! 3 Chilli No Pork Sausages, £2.50 for 300g
Score: 79/100
Joint runner-up vegan sausage
Co-op GRO Sizzlin’ Sausages £1.85 for 300g
Score: 79/100
Best budget meat-free sausage
Lidl Vemondo Vegan Sausages, £1.59 for 270g, in-store only
Score: 72/100
Best cheese slices
Aldi Specially Selected Vintage Cheddar Slices, £2.25 for 160g
Score: 88/100
Best burger buns
M&S Katsu Bun, £1.50 for four
Score: 87/100
Best hot dog buns
M&S Brioche Posh Hot Dog Buns, £2.80 for six
Score: 81/100
Best tomato ketchup
Stokes Real Tomato Ketchup, £2.90 for 300g
Score: 85/100
Best mayo
Sainsburys Taste the Difference Roasted Garlic Aioli, £2.20 for 190ml, in-store from 14 May.
Score: 87/100
