olive summer supermarket awards 2025

Prepare to spice up your summer with a diverse range of new supermarket BBQ essentials, innovative spins on picnic classics and a sharing bread for the perfect spread. From king-sized kebabs to fish skewers and honey-glazed pork belly, we have everything you need for a summer of exciting entertaining.

olive Summer Awards 2025 winners

Best barbecue buys

Best sausages

Winner: Tesco Fire Pit 7 Jumbo Cheesy BBQ Pork Sausages

A crowd-pleasing sausage with a subtle flavour twist from a hint of extra mature Cheddar, ideal for a big barbecue. These are well-seasoned with a hint of smokiness and with a plump appearance.

Available from:
Tesco (£4.75/595g)

Highly commended: Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate Honey & Chilli Pork Sausages

Add a touch of subtle spice to your barbecue with these chilli-infused sausages. Judges thought these had a good texture and balanced sweetness from honey to counteract the chilli.

Available from:
Aldi in-store (£3.49/480g)

Best vegan sausages

Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate No-Pork Sausages

If you're looking for a meat-alternative style vegan sausage, try these from Aldi. Our judges were impressed by the meaty texture and authentic taste.

Available from:
Aldi in-store (£2.49/270g)

Highly commended: Morrisons Plant Revolution Italian-Style Sausages

These herby sausages are packed with flavour from basil, oregano, smoky paprika and tomatoes. The tomatoes and red pepper give an attractive appearance. The texture does not particularly resemble meat, if that feeling is something you prefer to avoid in a vegan option.

Available from:
Morrisons (£2.50/300g)

Best burger buns

Winner: Co-op Irresistible Soft & Buttery Brioche Buns

A great option if you like a brioche bun for your burger. Judges appreciated that these come pre-sliced – handy for saving time if feeding a crowd. The buns are fluffy with a slight sweetness.

Available from:
Co-op in-store (£1.95/4 pack)

Highly commended: Tesco Finest Buttermilk Rolls

Not everyone loves a brioche bun at a barbecue. These versatile white buttermilk rolls are super soft and would work brilliantly for sandwiches on a picnic as well as at a barbecue – although the soft texture may not hold up for too long against super juicy fillings.

Available from:
Tesco (£1.80/4 pack)

Best burgers

Joint winner: Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Dry Aged Aberdeen Angus Burgers

This is a classic all-rounder burger. After cooking, it had caramelised well around the edges for pleasing texture and still stayed juicy in the middle. It is well-seasoned and ready to be loaded up with your favourite burger toppings.

Available from:
Sainsbury's (£4.25/pack of 2)

Joint winner: Tesco Finest Wild Garlic Beef Burgers

These burgers provide a good herby hit for some added flavour on your BBQ, and are well-seasoned too. They remained juicy after cooking and have a super soft texture.

Available from:
Tesco (£4.50/pack of 2)

Highly commended: Lidl Deluxe 2 Aberdeen Angus 6oz Beef Burgers

These are another classic thick, chunky burger – no smashburgers here! They caramelise well around the edges but judges thought they could have more salt, so season well before cooking.

Available from:
Lidl in-store (£3.95/pack of 2)

Best veggie burgers

Winner: Waitrose Vegetarian Aubergine & Feta Burgers

Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will enjoy these burgers. They're filled with veg and a generous amount of feta gives salty tang. The veg-forward texture almost reminded judges of soft falafels.

Available from:
Waitrose (£2.95/pack of 2)

Best vegan burgers

Winner: Lidl Vemondo Vegan Burgers

Beetroot adds vibrant colour as well as a good earthy flavour to these vegan burgers, offering a hit of veg. Load up with some crunchy toppings or a toasted bun to add some texture to the soft burger.

Available from:
Lidl in-store (£1.89/250g)

Highly commended: Tesco Plant Chef 2 Sri Lankan Inspired Burgers

A good choice if you're looking to replicate the appearance and texture of a meat burger. There is a subtle sweetness from the peppers and sweet potato, with a slightly artificial aftertaste that could be balanced out by adding your own toppings.

Available from:
Tesco (£2.20/pack of 2)

Best meat or fish kebab

Winner: Morrisons The Best Tandoori Chicken King Kebab

Juicy chicken is always a crowd-pleaser at a barbecue. This has a mild tandoori marinade that keeps the chicken super tender and juicy after cooking, with a sweet drizzle of mango chutney and nigella seeds to finish that add crunch.

Available from:
Morrisons in-store

Best BBQ hero for entertaining (meat or fish)

Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Coronation Chicken King Kebab

Another crowd-pleasing chicken kebab option. The coconut sauce is rich and creamy with mild spice and aromatic toasted coconut. Make this the centrepiece of a summer lunch and surround with salads, naan breads or herby grains.

Available from:
Aldi in-store (£5.49)

Highly commended: Co-op Big on BBQ Hot Honey Pork Belly Slices

These look simple and are an enjoyable budget addition to your next barbecue. The pork belly is marinaded in honey which provides a sweet, sticky glaze for the soft and tender meat.

Available from:
Co-op in-store (£4/340g)

Best BBQ hero for entertaining (fish or seafood)

Winner: Tesco Fire Pit Mango Coconut & Lime Fish Skewers

These tropical-inspired skewers make it easy to serve fish at your next barbecue. The juicy fish has a good level of chilli heat, with enough coconut, sweet mango and zesty lime to balance out the spice.

Available from:
Tesco (£3.75/6 skewers)

Best coleslaw

Winner: Co-op Irresistible Deliciously Rich Coleslaw

Every barbecue needs a classic coleslaw. This traditional style coleslaw is well-balanced and seasoned: balancing out the creamy and acidic elements of the dressing, surrounding veg that still has good crunch.

Available from:
Co-op in-store (£1.95/300g)

Highly commended: Lidl Deluxe Premium Coleslaw

Another traditional style coleslaw with good crunch and pleasant tang from the dressing.

Available from:
Lidl (£1.29/300g)

Best picnic buys

Best sausage roll

Joint winner: Co-op Irresistible Perfectly Seasoned Ploughman's Sausage Rolls

For a sausage roll with a subtle twist, try these chunky ploughman's-inspired sausage rolls from Co-op. Cheese and sweet onions are mixed into the flavourful filling, with deep golden pastry and an extra onion crumb to finish.

Available from:
Co-op in-store (£3.50/4 pack)

Joint winner: Lidl Chef Select Sausage Rolls

A classic long sausage roll – bring these to a picnic, add to a lunch box or pack for a long train journey or road trip. The sausage filling isn't that generous but it is well seasoned, surprisingly moreish and has a good hit of black pepper.

Available from:
Lidl in-store (£1.69/360g)

Best vegetarian picnic pastry

Winner: Co-op Irresistible West Country Cheddar & Habanero Chilli Jam Pinwheels

These have an attractive pinwheel design and spicy chilli jam filling to add to a picnic spread. They are ready-to-eat, but judges felt they would be even better after a quick blast in the oven to crisp up the pastry. Ideal for serving with summer drinks in the garden.

Available from:
Co-op in-store (£3.50/88g)

Best picnic centrepiece

Winner: Lidl Deluxe Quiche – Maple Bacon

A classic quiche using quiche Lorraine flavours. The bacon topping adds a pleasing saltiness that cuts through the luxuriously cream and rich filling. Can be eaten cold or reheat in the oven to crisp up the pastry, if having a picnic in the garden at home.

Available from:
Lidl in-store (£2.99)

Highly commended: Tesco Finest Greek Feta & Spinach Quiche

Bring the flavours of Greece to a classic French quiche with this feta and spinach filled option. It looks attractivge for a picnic centrepiece, with a smart crimped edge to the pastry and juicy cherry tomatoes. The filling is well seasoned with plenty of herbs.

Available from:
Tesco (£4.25/400g)

Best sharing bread

Winner: Aldi Rosemary & Rock Salt Sharing Focaccia

A thick and fluffy foccacia ready to tear-and-share and dunk into dips at your next picnic. It has a fragrant sprinkling of rosemary on top, classic olive oil flavour and soft white bread underneath.

Available from:
Aldi in-store (£1.99/220g)

Highly commended: Sainsbury's Harissa & Honey Flatbreads

A packet of flatbreads is a versatile summer buy: use to wrap grilled meats at a barbecue, tear into crispy croutons to scatter over salads or simply dunk into dips. Judges enjoyed the gentle spice of the paprika dusting here.

Available from:
Sainsbury's (£1.90/pack of 2)

Best antipasti platter

Winner: Waitrose No.1 Italian Grazing Platter

This grazing platter is a great one-stop buy to ensure your picnic has variety, saving you buying lots of different pots and tubs. It has a varied selection of tastes and textures for everyone to enjoy. The high-quality meat selection is a highlight with pork salami and garlicky coppa. Unusual additions include large caper berries and pickled onions.

Available from:
Waitrose (£10/380g)

Best hummus

Winner: Waitrose No.1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Houmous

A well-executed ready-made houmous that has everything we look for in this classic dip: good chickpea flavour, smooth and fluffy texture, balanced olive oil and garlic notes.

Available from:

Waitrose (£2.75/170g)

Highly commended: Aldi Specially Selected Extra Smooth Classic Houmous

A scattering of chickpeas and herbs elevate the appearance of this simple houmous. Judges enjoyed the complex, lemony flavour of the dip.

Available from:
Aldi in-store (£1.49/170g)

How we chose the winners

The olive team chose 16 categories, having researched the products that you, our readers, would be most likely to buy this summer. We invited all the big supermarkets to select the products they wanted to nominate (just one entry per category, so they had to choose carefully). Our expert panel of judges blind-tasted them, rating each on taste, texture and appearance. We then awarded winner accolades to our favourites.