It’s my favourite time of year for food and drink. Between the sweet treats like stollen and mince pies and the exciting party food choices that all the big retailers sell, there’s always something new and exciting to bring home.
There are also always some slightly more…well…unusual supermarket Christmas foods on offer.
I’m sure you’ve spotted some of them when you’ve been out doing your weekly shop. Here are some of the stranger supermarket Christmas foods I’ve found so far this year, courtesy of Asda, Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Tesco…
Asda
It seems that weirdly-flavoured cheeses are popular this year, and Asda are getting in on the act. Their Pigs in Blankets Cheddar is a little out there, but it’s by no means the strangest item on this list – after all, cheese and bacon go pretty well together.
What’s more unusual is their Gingerbread Cheddar, which even comes in the shape of a gingerbread man…
Aldi
Aldi have also embraced the unusual cheese flavours this year, with three standout contenders for this list.
While cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks are a party classic, Aldi have combined the two in their Barber’s Coastal Cheddar and Pineapple.
If that’s not festive enough for you, might I point you in the direction of the Barber’s Coastal Cheddar with Maple Syrup, which is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit.
Not quite “out there” enough? No problem: buy a wedge of Ballycastle Wensleydale with White Chocolate and Caramel. Definitely one of the most unusual cheese combos I’ve seen this year – so much so that I bought it, and it’s actually ok. Not entirely sure what you’re supposed to serve it with, though…
If cheese isn’t your thing, maybe you’d like to invest in some mayonnaise for those leftovers sandwiches. This year, Aldi’s supermarket Christmas foods range includes both a Gravy Flavoured Mayonnaise and a Sage & Onion Stuffing Flavoured Mayonnaise, both of which I imagine would work pretty well in sandwiches…
Check in the sandwiches section in Aldi and you’ll find this Christmas Dinner Wrap: a Yorkshire pudding stuffed with turkey, sausage, stuffing, cranberry sauce and more, with a little pot of gravy on the side. I’ve reviewed this one over on Instagram…
Sainsbury’s
I’ve only managed to get to a Sainsbury’s Local so far, but I hear they have a Mince Pie Wensleydale in their larger stores – has anyone seen it yet?
What I did manage to find, though, was this Mince Pie Brioche Style Wrap: a wrap stuffed with mincemeat, caramel and shortcake balls, available as a main as part of their lunch deal.
Tesco
Tesco are also joining in on the unusual cheese front, with two offerings to add to your festive cheeseboard.
The first is a Sticky Toffee Cheddar – in all fairness, it’s a combination I’ve seen before from cheese companies exhibiting at food festivals.
Wensleydale and fruit is a classic pairing, but Tesco have gone a step further. Their Black Forest Wensleydale features sweetened dried cranberries, sugar-infused cherries, chocolate chips, black cherry jam and LUXARDO® Kirsch – it only has one review on their website at the time of writing, but that review is a five-star one.
Moving onto snacks…last year, M&S brought out some incredible milk chocolate and cinnamon coated tortilla rolls, and Tesco have their own alternative this year in the form of their Spicy Maple Tortilla Rolls. I can see these working, but I’m not sure if they’re supposed to be eaten as a sweet or savoury treat…
The same goes for their White Chocolate Miso Flavour Popcorn – I’m very tempted to actually buy this one and try it.
Finally, combining a popular Christmas drink with an equally popular snack, they’ve brought out a Bucks Fizz Popcorn (I refuse to add their incorrect apostrophe), with flavours of orange and Champagne.
Which one of these supermarket Christmas foods is the weirdest, in your view? Have you tried any of them yet? Let me know in the comments!