The Good Housekeeping Institute 2026 BBQ Blind Taste Test results have been released, revealing the best foods to indulge in over the long weekend. Tesco has emerged as the top supermarket, with five category wins across BBQ heroes, desserts, cocktails, and meat-free sausages.
It might not feel like it with the currently dreary weather, but this bank holiday weekend is set to be hotter than Athens with temperatures expected to climb as high as 26 degrees - in other words, it'll likely be the perfect BBQ weather.
And coming just in time to help nail your menu are the results of the Good Housekeeping Institute 2026 BBQ Blind Taste Test, revealing all the best foods to indulge in over the long weekend. The institute taste-tested a record 233 products across 16 categories, including burgers, kebabs, and sausages, and analysed taste, texture and aroma to find the best on offer in UK supermarkets.
The supermarket to claim the top spot was Tesco, with five category wins across BBQ heroes, desserts, cocktails and meat-free sausages; Waitrose came shortly behind as runner-up, thanks to its standout chicken and sides offerings. Meanwhile, it was Aldi that triumphed in the best value categories, with six wins for its trademark low prices.
Callum Black, Deputy Head of Testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute, said: 'This is our biggest BBQ taste test to date, and the standard has been incredibly high across every category.
'Retailers are pushing flavour boundaries this year, taking inspiration from global cuisines with products ranging from miso-glazed burgers and Thai-style marinades to chimichurri steak butter and hot honey sauces. 'Whether you're planning a garden gathering, feeding a crowd or looking for quick summer dinner inspiration, there are standout products at every price point.
' The Good Housekeeping Institute's 2026 BBQ Taste Test results are in - and Tesco has come out on top this year Good Housekeeping Institute 2026 BBQ Taste Test: The results in full Burgers BEST OVERALL BURGER Exceptional by ASDA 2 Buttered Miso Beef Steak Burgers - £4.46 for 340g Score - 88/100 JOINT RUNNER-UP Tesco Finest Chuck, Brisket & Bone Marrow Beef Burgers£5.50 for 340g83/100 JOINT RUNNER-UP Co-op Irresistible Ultimate Burger - £4.50 for 340g Score - 83/100 BEST VALUE BURGER By Amazon Quarter Pounder Beef Burgers - £3.75 for 454g Score - 73/100 Sausages BEST OVERALL SAUSAGE, AND BEST VALUE Aldi Specially Selected Caramelised Onion & Vintage Cheddar Ultimate Sausages - £3.49 for 454g Score - 89/100 RUNNER-UP The Jolly Hog Proper Porker Sausage - £4 for 400g Score - 88/100 Steak BEST OVERALL STEAK Tesco Finest Thick Cut Rump Steak with Green Peppercorn Butter - £11 for 382g Score - 94/100 RUNNER-UP Co-op Irresistible Aberdeen Angus Rump Steaks with Chimichurri Butter- £9 for 368g Score - 85/100 BEST VALUE STEAK TGI Fridays Tennessee BBQ Sirloin Steaks - £10 for 514g Score - 70/100 Chicken BEST OVERALL CHICKEN Waitrose No.1 Curried Spatchcock Chicken with Coronation Sauce - £15 for 1.92kg Score - 88/100 RUNNER-UP Co-op Greek Chicken Breast Sizzle Steaks - £5 for 350g Score - 86/100 BEST VALUE CHICKEN Aldi Ashfields Buffalo Chicken Wings - £3.69 for 600g Score - 81/100 BBQ Hero Launches BEST OVERALL BBQ HERO AND BEST VALUE Tesco Finest Red Thai Style Pork Belly Slices - £6 for 500g Score - 94/100 RUNNER-UP The Jolly Hog Hot Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork Shoulder - £5.75 for 380g Score - 92/100 Kebabs BEST OVERALL KEBAB Exceptional by ASDA Rump Steak King Kebab - £9.97 for 476g Score - 85/100 RUNNER-UP AND BEST VALUE Aldi Ashfields Minted Lamb Kebabs - £3.49 for 360g Score - 84/100 Ribs BEST OVERALL RIBS M&S Collection Soy Vinegar Pork Rib Rack - £12.50 for 800g Score - 87/100 RUNNER-UP Co-op Slow Cooked BBQ Ribs - £5.50 for 470g Price - 83/100 BEST VALUE RIBS Aldi Oakhurst Slow Cooked BBQ Pork Ribs £4.69 for 600g Score - 80/100 Meat-Free Burgers BEST OVERALL MEAT-FREE BURGER Biona Black Bean Cashew Burgers - £4.85 for 160g Score - 81/100 RUNNER-UP Symplicity Burgers - £4.25 for 230g Score - 79/100 BEST VALUE MEAT-FREE BURGER Lidl Vemondo Mexican Bean Burgers - £1.89 for 228g Score - 72/100 Meat-Free Sausages BEST OVERALL MEAT-FREE SAUSAGE Tesco Plant Chef Cumberland Style Meat-Free Bangers - £2.30 for 300g Score - 89/100 RUNNER-UP THIS!
Isn't Pork Plant-Based Sausages - £3.75 for 270g Score - 83/100 BEST VALUE MEAT-FREE SAUSAGE Lidl Vemondo No Pork Sausages - £1.99 for 300g Score - 73/100 Fish BEST FISH Hook, Line & Sinker Smoked Garlic Butter Cornish Hake - £6.75 for 240g Score - 86/100 RUNNER-UP Sainsbury's Soy & Garlic Albacore Tuna Steaks - £5.95 for 222g Price - 82/100 BEST VALUE FISH Tesco Firepit Mango Coconut Lime Fish Skewers - £4 for 300g Score - 76/100 Sides BEST BBQ SIDE Waitrose Sweetcorn with Garlic Butter - £3 for 245g Score - 89/100 RUNNER-UP Tesco Finest Four Cheese Potato Salad - £3.50 for 270g Score - 88/100 BEST VALUE SIDE Aldi Specially Selected Caesar Potato Salad - £1.59 for 250g Score - 72/100 Hot Sauce BEST HOT SAUCE Waitrose Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce - £2 for 250g Score - 90/100 RUNNER-UP Co-op Hot Honey Sriracha - £2.10 for 340g Score - 88/100 Hero Summer Sauces BEST SUMMER SAUCE Aldi Bramwells Skeeters Original BBQ Sauce - £1.69 for 350ml Score - 91/100 RUNNER-UP Black Bee Honey Raw British Hot Honey - £8.50 for 227g Score - 90/100 Summer Desserts BEST SUMMER DESSERT Tesco Finest Fruit 'Punch' Panna Cotta - £5 for 400g Score - 81/100 RUNNER-UP Waitrose Alphonso Mango Desserts - £7.50 for 147g Score - 77/100 BEST VALUE SUMMER DESSERT Lidl Deluxe Tiramisu Trifle - £2.99 for 300g Score - 74/100 Ice Cream BEST ICE CREAM Häagen-Dazs Tiramisu Ice Cream - £5.75 for 420ml Score - 89/100 RUNNER-UP Jude's x Guinness Chocolate Guinness Cake Ice Cream - £5.75 for 460ml Score - 88/100 BEST VALUE ICE CREAM Lidl Clotted Cream Ice Cream Tub - £3.29 for 2 litres Score - 79/100 Canned Cocktails BEST CANNED COCKTAIL Tesco Strawberry Daiquiri - £1.30 for 250ml Score - 84/100 RUNNER-UP Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop – Melon - £2.66 each Score - 83/100 Tesco Finest Thick Cut Rump Steak with Green Peppercorn Butter was the joint-highest savoury product, with a score of 94 out of 100.
The institute wrote: 'Tesco's British rump steak is matured for 30 days and coated in a traditional American-inspired dry rub, making it a standout choice for BBQ season.
'GHI testers praised its juicy texture and rich aroma, while the accompanying peppery butter baste added an extra layer of flavour. ' Also scoring 94 was Tesco's Red Thai Style Pork Belly Slices, with judges praising the product's 'fragrant marinade', which 'balances sweetness with gentle heat' - and with a price of £6 for 500g, it was also the Best Value winner in the BBQ heroes category.
Other products that impressed included Aldi's Specially Selected Caramelised Onion & Vintage Cheddar Ultimate Sausages, Waitrose No.1 Curried Spatchcock Chicken with Coronation Sauce and Waitrose Sweetcorn with Garlic Butter. In the hot sauce category, Waitrose's Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce secured the top spot, thanks to its fruity, fiery flavours. No course was left behind by the Good Housekeeping Institute, and the winner of the best ice cream was Häagen-Dazs Tiramisu Ice Cream.
'Inspired by the classic Italian dessert, this indulgent ice cream combines mascarpone ice cream with coffee and cocoa swirls plus sponge pieces throughout,' the results read. The taste test results can be found in full on the Good Housekeeping UK website.
BBQ Taste Test Good Housekeeping Institute Tesco Waitrose Aldi Burgers Kebabs Sausages Chicken Steak Chicken Breasts Chicken Wings Kebabs Ribs Burgers Sausages Fish Sides
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