Tried & tested: the best non-supermarket Christmas puddings

Winner

Warrens Bakery Premium Christmas Pudding

£8.75, 454g (01736 788538; www.warrensbakery.co.uk) Utterly delicious—good texture, plenty of fruit and a marvellous rich colour. ‘Tastes just like Christmas,’ we thought. Christmas pudding as it should be. A total triumph.

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Second place

Harrods Decadent Christmas Pudding

£25.95, 1.3kg (020–3626 7020; www.harrods.com) Lovely, moist texture and the hint of pecans went down a storm—plus, it’s beautifully presented (we wouldn’t expect anything less from Harrods). Comfortably took the runners-up slot.

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Third place

Plum, Duff & Stuff Traditional Christmas Pudding

£12.50, 681g (www.plumduffandstuff.co.uk; 01823 432095) Traditional by name, traditional by nature—we thoroughly enjoyed the plentiful fruit bursting from this delightfully juicy pudding.

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Finalists

Daylesford Organic Christmas Pudding with Sixpence £20, 900g (01608 731700; www.daylesford.com) A moreish, soft texture and a rather subtle flavour, which garnered approval for not being too sweet. Scored highly on our list.

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Matthew Walker Golden Mulled Plum & Port Christmas Pudding £15.79, 800g (www.matthewwalkerchristmaspuddings.co.uk) Quite rich and boozy—naturally a strong favourite with the team.

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Burtree Gluten Free Christmas Pudding £8.99, 450g (www.burtreepuddings.co.uk; 01325 463521) Very moist and full of flavour, this won points for being heartily traditional.

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Tiptree Organic Christmas Pudding £10.99, 454g (01621 815407; www.tiptree.com) Zesty and not too rich, a good one to try when luring younger members of the family away from the chocolate coins.

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The Carved Angel Apple Strudel Christmas Pudding From £10.95, 454g (www.thecarvedangel.com; 01752 345120) Enjoyably eccentric in its striking golden colour and sticky consistency, with tones of apple and cinnamon. Perfect for those after something a bit different.

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Dukeshill Christmas Pudding £20, 454g (0845 370 0129; www.dukeshillham.co.uk) Dukeshill certainly doesn’t scrimp on the fruit—its puddings are crammed with it. Not too heavy either, which bodes well after a turkey feast.

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Melrose and Morgan Christmas Plum Pudding £10, 450g (www.melroseandmorgan.com; 020–7485 1600) An enticingly smooth, light texture, plus it scored the highest marks for presentation from the Editor, who was a big fan of its pretty, polka-dot wrapping.

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Bettys Champagne Christmas Pudding £24.95, 760g (0800 456 1919; www.bettys.co.uk) Bettys’ new recipe for this year got a big thumbs up from the team—unique in its citrusy, rich, Champagne taste.

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Cole’s Brandy, Port and Walnut Christmas Pudding £7.99, 454g (01799 531053; www.colespuddings.com) Rich and a lovely dark colour, we liked the juicy combination of brandy and Port.

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LillyPuds Traditional Christmas Pudding £9.25, 454g (www.lillypuds.co.uk; 07792 223301) Generous with fruit, this is a good one for those who dislike stodgy richness and want a lighter option.

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Chatsworth Farm Shop Christmas Pudding £6.99, 400g (www.chatsworth.org; 01246 565411) A recipe from the archives of Chatsworth, this pudding is not for the meek—traditional with a strong aftertaste.

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The Old Fashioned Pudding Company Traditional Christmas Pudding £11, 550g (www.oldfashionedpuddings.co.uk; 01733 333204) The light and crumbly texture divided critics, but the taste did not—full of flavour, made with Irish stout and French brandy.

A wonderful Christmas pudding recipe, with a surprise ingredient

My grandmother's delicious traditional Christmas pudding recipe

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