There’s a chill in the air; festive films have landed on Netflix, and the supermarket aisles are filling up with tempting treats which can mean only one thing… the countdown to Christmas is well as truly on! And,whilst Christmas may not be the same this year, all the stresses and strains of the last few months provide the perfect excuse to indulge in a few Christmas treats!

…But which of the festive fancies currently stocked on supermarket shelves are as tasty as they seem?

In this blog-post, we let our taste-buds do the talking as team RL review which sweet-treats have made it onto the ‘nice list’

1 – McVities Cranberry and Orange Jaffa Cakes – RP £1.20 - Score: 4/10

Review by Bea: “You can’t go wrong with a Jaffa Cake,right?... Well, that’s what I thought until I tried McVities limited edition‘Cranberry and Orange’…

As a lover of flavours Cranberry and Orange, I had high hopes for this creation, however, unlike the traditional Jaffa flavour, this combination lacked Jaffa’s signature zesty hit.”

2 – ALDI Specially Selected Gingerbread Fudge – RP £1.79 - Score: 7/10

Review by Faith: “This fudge is delicious! It really melts in the mouth, and a strong, real-gingerbread flavour comes through.”‍

3 – M&S ‘Percymas’ Mince Pies –RP £2 - Score: 5/10

Review by Bea: “I’m a sucker for Percy Pig sweets, so when I heard M&S were launching their ‘Percymas’ pies, I made it my mission to find a pack!

Sadly though, these pies didn’t really live up to my expectations…in fact, they were mediocre at best – they were far too chewy and sweet for me... at least they looked cute though!”

4 – Famous Names Signature Chocolate Box Selection – RP £5 - Score: 10/10

Review by Jane: “I may have opened this box of chocolate liquors a little earlier than planned… so much for saving them until Christmas!

These chocolates may be retro, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that these chocolates were amazing (and highly addictive)! I will definitely be buying another box… and will try to resist eating them before Christmas this time!

5 – Lidl Luxury Stollen with Jamaican Rum – RP £4.99 - Score: 9/10

Review by Darren: "Marzipan is a little like the Marmite of the sweet world - you either love it or hate it and there is plenty to love about this 'Deluxe' stollen from Lidl.

A generous swirl of sweet marzipan combines with a light stollen, festive fruits, a dusting of snowy sugar and flaked almonds for a decidedly moreish Christmas treat, made all the more enjoyable with a warming note of Rum ...yum!

6 – ALDI Haysmith’s Spiced Plum & Clementine Gin  - RP £14.99: Score 8/10

Review by Faith: “I’m very pleasantly surprised by this gin! To my relief, there wasn’t much of a spiced flavour; instead, some strong orange notes came through. The flavour combination was lovely too – it wasn’t too sweet, and still tasted like real gin!”

7 – After Eight Gin & Tonic Dark Chocolate Mints – RP £2.00 - Score: 5/10

Review by Kate: “A box of After Eights and a gin & tonic are two things that you will undoubtedly find in my house at Christmas, so I think Nestle were on to a winner when they conjured up this festive combo. After following the ‘best served chilled’ advice, I removed them from the fridge with the highest of hopes, but dare I say it, these little squares fell a bit flat for me.

At first bite, you’re greeted with the unmistakable After Eight taste, rich dark chocolate with a hit of minty fondant, closely followed by a very slight (and I mean very slight) taste of gin. Did I dislike the taste? No. Would I buy them again? Also no! I think I’ll just stick to what I know and love – original After Eights all day long!” 

8 – McVities Gingerbread Digestive Biscuits – RP £1.50 - Score: 9/10

Review by Bea: “These biscuits should come with a warning:once opened, you will lose self-control and end up devouring the whole packet!

 Indulgent with a subtle, yet fiery gingerbread flavour, these chocolate covered digestives are a real all-rounder – not too sickly or too sweet: a perfect accompaniment to an afternoon cuppa!”

9 – Waitrose Mini All Butter Mince Pies -  RP - £3.50 - Score: 5/10

Review by Jane:  “I mistakenly thought that as they were mini, I would eat one and that would suffice!  Unfortunately, that was not the case and I ate about three at once, which is surprising as I didn’t even really like them!

 These mince pies were very buttery, but it was an artificial buttery taste and there wasn’t any ‘zing’ from the mincemeat, it was bland….I’ll be back to Greggs mince pies as soon as I can get my hands on them – They are still the best I’ve found!”

10 – Tesco Finest Stollen Slices – RP£3 - Score: 8/10

Review by Kevin: “One of the best parts about the lead up to Christmas is the fact that Stollen finds its way on to supermarket shelves. This week, it was the turn of Tesco Finest Stollen Slices which I can safely say did not disappoint!

These slices had plenty of marzipan (which is key with any stolen), along with a good selection of fruit and a few almonds. Importantly not dry, which can be a negative with some stollen… the downside? one slice is never enough!!