2017's best summer supermarket products for BBQs and picnics

A clear winner for its impressive show-off factor, it really delivers on flavour with a well-balanced smoke and a sharp, not-too-sweet BBQ sauce. The meat is tender and falls off the bone.

Winner: M&S posh dogs, £4.50/600g

A well-seasoned sausage with a subtle smoky flavour and a dense, meaty texture. Would work well in a bun or on its own.

Winner: Co-op Irresistible Hereford cheddar and onion burgers, £3.19/340g.

Just how a burger should be; caramelised and juicy with a rounded beefy flavour (we loved the cheddar, too, which gave the burger an umami boost).

Highly commended (not pictured): Iceland Luxury 2 ultimate 5oz steak burgers, £2/284g.

The aged beef flavour really shines in these meaty patties.

Check out our top burger recipes here for a homemade feel.

Winner: M&S edgy veggie burger, £3.75/240g

This veggie burger has a good colour, firm texture from the grains, and it holds up really well in a burger bun – a cracking addition to any barbecue.

We have a vegan burger recipe to try making at home, it's perfectly grillable.

Winner: Iceland 4 sliced brioche rolls, £1/220g

These rustic brioche buns are light and sweet with a savoury edge. They’re beautifully glazed and would be even better lightly toasted on the barbecue.

Winner: M&S 4-grain pastry mini pork and smoked ham pies, £2.50/200g

A great example of a classic pork pie with smoky, meaty filling, crisp pastry and an added crackle from the seed topping.

Joint winner: M&S lamb kofta wrapped runny egg, £3.50/240g

We love this quirky scotch egg with its spiced kofta coating, bright, runny yolk and well-balanced seasoning.

Joint winner: Co-op hand-finished scotch egg, £1.29/140g

A very well-rounded, classic scotch egg with a textured crumb and meaty pork casing.

Prefer to make your own scotch eggs? Try our easy scotch egg recipe here.

Winner: M&S handcrafted smoked bacon and mushroom sausage rolls, £2.75/192g

This sausage roll is punchy. It packs in plenty of flavour with a generous filling of tender pork, smoky bacon and earthy mushrooms, and a cheesy crumb to cover the flaky pastry.

Winner: Co-op Irresistible chocolate brownie stackers, £2.79/155g

Fudgy and squidgy, these chocolate brownies have a pleasant sweetness and an intense chocolate hit. You’d never guess they were gluten-free.

For plenty more gluten free inspiration, check out our gluten free section with hundreds of easy and inspiring recipes.

Winner: M&S Castillo de Monterey Godello 2015, £9.50/75cl

This wine is fresh and light so would go with most summer foods. Serve chilled on a hot day, or even as a base for white wine sangria.

Winner: Iceland Arctic royal Argentinian red shrimp, £5/300g

All you need to do is pop these big, juicy prawns on the barbecue for a tender and sweet addition to your spread.

Highly commended (not pictured): M&S piri piri king prawns with roquito peppers, £5/220g

If you’re looking for a flavour hit, these marinated prawns do the trick with an intense sauce and added sweetness from the roquito peppers.

Winner: M&S chilli and halloumi kebabs, £4/225g

Vegetarians won’t feel left out with these indulgent kebabs. The halloumi melts on the grill but retains a pleasant squeak, and the salty hit with the gentle heat from the chilli is umami heaven.

Winner: Iceland chicken and chorizo kebabs, £3.50/525g

We chose this kebab as our winner due to its classic, distinct flavours – sweet, well-cooked peppers, juicy chicken and subtly-spiced chorizo – that deliver individually as well as together. A real crowd-pleaser.

Winner: M&S lamb shawarma velvet hummus, £4.50/348g

We love the tender lamb shawarma topping on this classic Middle Eastern dip. The quality of the chickpeas really shines through, making this velvety hummus one of the best we’ve tried.

Highly commended (not pictured): Ocado greek-topped hummus, £1.20/150g

The silky texture of this dip is beautiful, and the oregano is fragrant and delicious.

Try one of our homemade dip recipes here.

Winner: M&S sea salt and rosemary focaccia chips with extra-virgin olive oil, £2/200g

A perfect shovel for dips. These super-crunchy chips have a subtle kick of rosemary, a pronounced olive oil flavour, and just the right amount of seasoning.

Winner: M&S chicken liver parfait, £3.50/80g

This picnic product delivers on appearance, texture and taste. We love the pretty jar filled with silky parfait that’s well seasoned and not too powerful.

Winner: M&S sparkling sangria-inspired spritzer, £2/750ml

This non-alcoholic spritzer would be super refreshing on a summer’s day. It has a pleasant lemony note and would make a great base for other sangria cocktails.

Joint winner (18a): Co-op Irresistible chocolate hazelnut truffle ice cream, £2.50/500ml

We’re getting a luxury Nutella vibe from this indulgent ice cream. It has a lovely creamy texture with added chocolate pieces and swirls of chocolate hazelnut spread.

Joint winner (18b): Iceland Italiano lemon meringue ice cream, £1.50/900ml

For those who like their ice cream zesty, this scoop has got it going on; sweet and crisp meringue, sharp lemon and a sherbet zing.

We have loads of ice cream recipes to make at home from scratch, try one from our ice cream collection.

Winner: Asda Extra Special hand-stretched caramelised onion and mozzarella flatbreads, £1.75/220g

An indulgent addition to a summer spread, these pillowy flatbreads are soft and moist thanks to the sweet onion and salty mozzarella topping. Ditch the sandwiches and stick to this, we reckon.

Joint winner (20a): M&S roasted cauliflower, freekeh and tahini salad, £2/195g

An on-trend and colourful salad with a nutty texture, plenty of nourishing ingredients and a creamy dressing.

Joint winner (20b): Co-op beetroot, goat’s cheese and black grain salad, £2.50/225g

There are lots of interesting elements to this vibrant salad – dramatic colour from the beetroot, vinegar dressing to cut through the creamy goat’s cheese, and lovely nutty textures from the black grain.

Winner: Asda petit pois, courgette and ricotta quiche, £2.28/400g

A perfectly cooked, creamy egg filling with pops of minty pea and courgette and the extra short, crisp pastry make this a winner.

If you prefer to make your own, we have some savoury tart and quiche recipes here.

Winner: Asda raspberry and prosecco pavlova stack, £5/638g

A frozen dessert that really holds up after defrosting. It looks pretty and there’s a good balance between the sweet meringue and the sharp raspberries.

Winner: M&S Valencian orange and chocolate cheesecake, £4.50/535g

The team loved the beautifully smooth and moussey texture of this indulgent dessert. We liked the posh Jaffa Cake flavours, but it’s not too rich, so both kids and grown ups will enjoy it.

Look out for this winning sticker on the products in stores near you. It’s the olive mark of excellence!

listen to cookery writer Anna share her brilliant slow-cooking tips for summer. (Hint: your barbecue routine will never be the same!)

olive magazine podcast ep16 - Dan Doherty's new book, summer slow cooking and afternoon tea sundaes