With just over a month to go until Christmasthe race to stock the freezer and pantry with festive supplies is on.

Luckily, Consumer champion Which? has put together a list of ‘Best Buys’ to help Britons save money on Christmas essentials after releasing the results of its festive taste test.

Which? invited a panel of bakers, wine experts, chefs, and consumer panels to judge the best champagne, mince pies and smoked salmon on the shelves this year, from major supermarkets to premium brands.

Thrifty revellers will be delighted to discover that Which? has uncovered a Best Buy champagne, top-rated mince pies and unbeatable smoked salmon that can all be bought for a very pocket-friendly total of £21.

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In fact, the winners of this year’s champagne competition saw very budget-friendly supermarket options triumph over industry favourite Moët et Chandon, while the best smoked salmon is only £3.09 for 100g.

Harry Rose, Which? Magazine Editor, said: ‘Christmas can sometimes feel like it’s about spending money than spending time with loved ones and costs can quickly spiral – especially if you are the one hosting.

‘Our expert taste tests prove that top-notch bubbly doesn’t require a hefty price tag.

‘You can secure our entire Best Buy Christmas spread— delicious champagne, ish mince pies, and great-tasting smoked salmon—and still have change leftover compared to buying just one bottle of Moët or Veuve.’

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Which? Champagne winner: Tesco Finest Premier Cru Brut, £26

Champagne lovers can raise a glass with Tesco Finest Premier Cru Brut Champagne, which gained an overall score of 84 per cent.

The testers praised the Champagne, which is produced by Union Champagne, and described it as a ‘decadent champagne with a proportion of reserve wine giving lovely truffle notes’.

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The group comprises almost 2,000 growers across the Champagne region, with about 90 per cent of its grapes sourced from prestigious Grand or Premier Cru sites

They also said the celebratory tipple had ‘an elegant, long-lasting bubble’.

One expert added she would be stocking up for her upcoming get-togethers

Which? Champagne Best Buy: Lidl Comte de Senneval Brut Champagne, £13.99

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In second place was Lidl’s Comte de Senneval Brut Champagne with a score of 82 per cent, and it was also named Which?’s Best Buy for its extremely affordable price tag of just £13.99.

This bubbly was given yet another badge for Great Value and was described by the panel as having a ‘pretty nose of gentle nuts and honeysuckle’ and a ‘zippy palate of pineapple and mango’.

But how did the premium champagne brands like Moët et Chandon and Veuve Clicquot compare?

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Both of these did well in the tests, but did not make the cut due to their inflated price tags – a bottle of Moët et Chandon starts at around £45, while the cheapest bottle of Veuve Clicquot is about £50.

Each supermarket was asked to put forward their best non-vintage champagne up to £50, whilst premium brands were selected by a Which? Market Analyst meeting the same criteria.

They were judged by a panel of four independent wine experts, including Masters of Wine Sam Caporn, Peter McCombie and Ray O’Connor, and drinks writer and author Helen McGinn, who is also the co-chair of the International Wine Challenge.

Each champagne was judged on aroma and flavour, and was blind-tasted.

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Which? Mince Pie winner: Waitrose Brown Butter Mince Pies, £4 for 6

The consumer champion named Waitrose as the mince pie champion for the second row in a year, again for the supermarket’s Waitrose Brown Butter Mince Pies.

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At £4 for six mince pies, Which? testers scored them at an impressive 78 per cent.

The panel especially loved the ‘ ish’ brown butter pastry, which they said was a little crumbly but robust enough to contain the generous filling.

Testers also loved that the filling had a ‘classic Christmassy aroma’ and comprised of an ‘impressive’ variety of fruits, including vine fruits, glacé cheeries and apricots, as well as slivered almonds that added a ‘lovely nuttiness’.

One expert even admitted that they would happily pass Waitrose’s mince pies off as their own, which was quite the endorsement.

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Which? Mince Pie runners-up: M&S Collection Mince Pies, £4 for 6 and Iceland Luxury Mince Pies, £3 for 6

Two other supermarket mince pies did well in Which?’s extensive testing, including M&S Collection Mince Pies, which scored a healthy 74 per cent.

The pies were described as having a generous amount of filling that was packed with fruity flavour and balanced spice and zest levels, as well as a ‘lovely citrussy aroma’.

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Iceland Luxury Mince Pies were also well-reviewed by the testers, who gave them a 73 per cent score.

The testers enjoyed the delicate, buttery pastry and moist filling. Their only criticism was that they could have done with spices, but at £3, they offered decent value for money.

The mince pies were judged on taste, appearance, texture and aroma, and were served to the testers warm from the oven to give the flavours the best chance to shine.

Which?’s expert tasting panel for mince pies included baker and food writer Dan Lepard, pastry chef and bakery owner Anna Higham, Bake Off: The Professionals finalist Darryl Collins, and Martha Collison, a baking expert and cookbook author.

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Which? Smoked Salmon Best Buy and Great Value: Aldi Specially Selected Mild & Delicate Smoked Salmon, £3.09 for 100g

Which said: ‘Our tasters loved its gentle smoky flavour, balanced saltiness and good thickness’.

Budget supermarket Aldi came out on top for smoked salmon, both for offering ‘excellent taste’ and a great price.

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While the testers scored two smoked salmon products at 70 per cent, earning both of them a joint Best Buy title, Aldi’s smoked salmon was one of the cheapest packs tested, which also earned it the Great Value recommendation

The testers said they loved the ‘gentle smoky flavour’ in the salmon, as well as the well-balanced saltiness, adding that it had a ‘good thickness’.

Which? Smoked Salmon Best Buy: Mowi Organic Scottish Smoked Salmon, £8.05 for 100g

This premium brand of smoked salmon is available in a number of supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Waitrose, and even Fortnum & Mason.

It was named a joint Best Buy as it also scored a good 70%, based on flavour, aroma, appearance and texture.

Testers said it had ‘fantastic flavour, with a lovely subtle smokiness and satisfying texture’.

Which? brought together 72 fans of smoked salmon for a specialist tasting, who blind tasted slices from 10 packs of mild and delicate smoked salmon.

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Each slice was carefully scored for colour, thickness, saltiness and flavour intensity.