Aldi Specially Selected Christmas Food Review

Reviewed by Louisa Nashir

I was recently chosen to receive £30 in vouchers to use at Aldi to review some of their Specially Selected Christmas food range. The vouchers arrived very quickly and I went along to my local store in Eccles, Manchester to choose the items I was going to review. I shop weekly at Aldi as I find the food delicious, well prepared and good value for money which in this current economic climate really is invaluable.

The items I chose to review were…

Specially Selected Four Bird Roast – £9.99
Specially Selected Luxury Iced Christmas Cake – £6.49
Specially Selected 6 Luxury Mince Pies – £1.69
Specially Selected Italian Biscuit Collection – £3.99
Choceur Chocolate Cranberry and Raisin Assortment – 99p
Belmont Danish Tradition Butter Cookies – 99p
Dairyfine Milk Chocolate Golden Coins and Snowmen – 50p each
Passions Savoury Snack Mix – 99p
Ocean Rise Salmon Fillets in Chilli and Lemon Sauce – £1.79
Chantenay Carrots, British Onions, Broccoli and Swede (All from the 49p Super 6 vegetable deal)

Every item in my basket was easy to find and looked extremely appetising in their boxes and packets. The staff at the Eccles store were friendly as usual and within no time at all it was time to go home and unpack the goodies from the reusable AldiFlexi Loop Carrier Bags (6p each) I purchased whilst there.

I decided to use the items for dinner that night as it was a cold and miserable day and I knew the family would be home from work and school soon hungry.

I read the cooking instructions on the Four Bird Roast and found them easy to follow and set about covering the roast in foil as instructed, I then went on the prepare the carrots, broccoli and swede for steaming and boiling. I found the vegetables to be very fresh and the smell from them was delicious and earthy.

Whilst the roast was on I nibbled on some of the chocolate cranberries and raisins as they are a particular favourite of mine and I found them to be perfect. The dry cranberries mixed with the creamy chocolate was a real treat for my tastebuds and the super sweet raisins and chocolate was irresistible!

Before I knew it the family were home and asking for food so I opened up the snack mix for them to pick at and in no time at all the container was empty! I think it’s safe to say they all enjoyed the snacks.

A little while later it was time to serve the meal and carve the roast, I usually leave the carving to my husband as it isn’t one of my strongest points but I found the four bird roast easy to cut and it kept its round shape which displayed the glazed bacon, 4 different meats and stuffing perfectly. It really looked delicious and the aroma was amazing! I really looked forward to tucking in!

The whole meal looked like one you would purchase whilst out in a fancy eatery and the flavours were out of this world.

I am a huge fan of cranberries so was delighted to find them in my stuffing and all over the bacon covered roast.

The four birds (Turkey, Chicken, Duck and Goose) flavour did not overpower each other and was a really special meat option compared to the usual turkey/chicken we buy. The meats themselves were moist and very tender but also bursting with flavour. Without a doubt I would buy this again.

At first the children were not too keen on the appearance as it’s not something we have ever given them before but they were pleasantly surprised when they tasted it and seemed to really enjoy their meal.

A little later we sampled the Iced Christmas Cake and I felt bad cutting into such a beautiful looking cake, the decoration is sublime and looks very expensive.

The cake itself was packed full of fruit, marzipan and icing which my husband adored. Unfortunately I am not a huge lover of marzipan so I sampled a tiny bit but couldn’t eat any more so peeled it off. The children both polished their cake off with no complaint and both my husband and I enjoyed this cake immensely. The girls really loved how the cake sparkled and then went on to use the lovely golden ribbon for one of their dolls.

Over the next couple of days we went on to sample the other items we had picked…

Salmon Fillets – Tender salmon with a burst of delicious chilli and lemon. My husband really enjoyed this with a salad and roll for his lunch at work and said he would be putting these on our weekly list. He said he felt full for ages after eating these and was actually amazed when I told him how much they cost. Great Value!

Mince Pies – These are buttery, crumbly and heaven! We love mince pies and eat loads around Christmas time. We all commented on how well they were presented and how packed they were. Unlike some other brands these pies had a generous amount of filling in them and the snowflake design on top really makes them stand out from the crowd. These are a must have for Father Christmas’ visit on Christmas Eve!

Italian Biscuit Collection – The first thing I noticed was how big the box was! These are going to last for ages as there are so many of them which I am sure you will agree is fabulous for £3.99. The biscuits were perfect with my coffee and even on their own. The children weren’t too keen on them but that wasn’t a bad thing as it meant the box lasted a lot longer.

Milk Chocolate Coins/Snowmen – We buy these every year for the children’s stockings and they are always received well. The chocolates are creamy and smooth and the net holds a fair amount. These will certainly put a smile on your children’s faces.

Danish Butter Cookies – We chose these for the children as they love butter cookies. For 99p I must say these are a bargain! The box is big and you get a lot of cookies for your money. The children’s favourite way of eating these is with hot chocolate and dunking them.

As I mentioned previously I shop at Aldi every week so knew the items I would be reviewing would be fantastic, I can honestly say that this Christmas will be an ALDI CHRISTMAS as the huge range of items they sell are good value, delicious and are presented to such a high standard.

I love Aldi and often tell both friends and family to try it out as I know they will not be disappointed!

Rating: 5/5

For more information about Aldi, to see their products or find your nearest store visit www.aldi.co.uk.