Taste test: the best Christmas puddings for Christmas 2017

Moist, boozy, spicy and with a nice crunch thanks to the almonds, this was a firm favourite purely because it tasted just like a Christmas pud should. The Cognac is certainly there but it doesn’t overpower all the different spices and fruit, so it won’t make the kids turn up their noses. You also get a lot of pudding for your money – this says it will serve eight, but you could probably stretch it to ten.

With a sweeter flavour than most and a rich, melt-in-the-mouth texture, this is a pudding for those who prefer candied peel, sultanas and raisins over spice, nuts and booze. It has a treacly, almost burnt sugar flavour to it which is very pleasant, and while the brandy and rum is only just there, it’s enough to make a spoonful feel like an indulgent treat.

One for the booze hounds here – the cider, brandy and port infused throughout this fruit-filled pud is definitely noticeable, and ensures everything is kept juicy, sweet and moist. It’s a smart little pudding that would feed four hungry people, and the large pieces of almond and pecan add to the rich, moreish texture.

Made properly a world away from the industrial factories of the supermarkets, this is an award-winning company that specialises in Christmas puddings. It’s less sweet than the others, absolutely filled to the brim with fruit and doesn’t contained candied peel, which can put some people off. There’s brandy involved, but the biggest flavour comes from Brentwood Brewing Company’s Chockwork Orange beer, which is added for its citrus, malty taste.

Prince Charles knows what we want when it comes to a figgy pudding – this was our favourite overall thanks to the perfectly balanced flavours, particularly plump vine fruit and a lingering flavour of Cognac after each mouthful. It’s all organic, doesn’t contain anything you wouldn’t put in your own pudding and has some fantastic crunchy almonds and walnuts studded throughout. If you want the very best on your table this Christmas, this is the one to go for.