Christmas 2015: Tesco vs Aldi
Yes, it’s another Christmas post! I didn’t want to overload you all with Christmas (I’m aware quite how ridiculous it is to be talking about Christmas in July) but I got some great comments and responses to my Waitrose Christmas post so I wanted to cover the other two supermarket press days I attended: Tesco and Aldi. Rather than split it into two posts, which might just be Christmas overkill, I decided to talk about both today and give you another insight into what’s in store for Christmas 2015:
As the lift doors opened onto the Tesco Christmas Press Event, we were instantly transported into a Winter Wonderland. A fully laid Christmas table stood in front of us, looking like it was waiting for Christmas Day to arrive. I loved the use of wooden scrabble tiles to create placeholder names, and the dried oranges and cinnamon sticks were another cute detail to the table. Tesco were definitely pushing the ‘DIY’ approach to Christmas, which has become so popular, probably thanks to Pinterest. Although of course there was the option for a ready-made Christmas, I liked that Tesco were offering some flexibility in their products; you can either buy a certain item yourself, like a candle table decoration, or buy the individual elements to create your own personalised version, like we did
Food wise, as soon as I spotted the Prosecco and Elderberry flavoured crisps, I headed straight over to try this unusual flavour. Prosecco seems to have found its way into a huge amount of products for Christmas, including the Prosecco Panettone from Waitrose and these crisps from Tesco. I for one am not complaining, as I love the stuff! The crisps were certainly unusual and the sweet taste slightly threw me. There was an undoubted ‘fizz’ aftertaste and I think they’re a great fun product to try with a glass of Prosecco whilst watching the Christmas TV; they were actually quite tasty and will definitely be a talking point!
The adorable snowman cheesecake is again a fun addition to the Christmas range. I love these kinds of products, especially for a special occasion, and I think the snowman is just so cute! Another standout product for me were the cheeses, In particular, I loved the Red Leicester rolled in cracked peppercorns. It’s presented unusually in a long oblong and you can buy it in slices. It’s something slightly different to add to your cheeseboard, both visually and taste-wise, and I’m excited for it to hit stores.
I then headed to the Aldi Christmas Press Day. I must admit that I don’t shop at Aldi, as my local town doesn’t have one, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was really pleasantly surprised with the amazing quality and range on offer. My favourite meat dish was the ‘easy carve stuffed duck’ which looked delicious and is a great idea to avoid the faff of carving on Christmas Day. I also managed to try some of the turkey on offer and it was really tasty and not dry at all.
Aldi offer some impressively affordable gin. including a special litre bottle which is expected to cost just £13. This year, they have branched out to also sell Whitley Neill gin, a branded gin but still with a small price tag as you would expect from Aldi. Finally, you simply have to try the Salted Caramel Vodka – it tastes just like butterscotch and would be perfect with cream soda (think Butterbeer!) or over ice-cream; yummy!
All in all, I’ve been really impressed with the supermarket offerings for Christmas and I’m so grateful for, if slightly bemused by, the invitations I have received! Although I am a big lover of Summer, these events have got me so excited for Christmas and I am already mentally buying presents and stocking up on food and alcohol! What are you excited to try?
