There are a variety of opinions on panettone, the Italian sweet bread which has become a Christmas staple for many around the country.
Whether you’re a fan of a traditional panettone with its tall sides and domed top and filled with raisins and candied orange, or the many variations of panettone which now line shelves, we’re here to help.
We’ve tasted nine panettone from a range of shops which cover everything from the traditional to unique to find the best – and worst – supermarket panettone of 2024.
At a glance, here are the best panettone you can buy from the supermarket:
Read on for our full review.
One of the final products we tried, Waitrose’s Christmas Limoncello Fizz Panettone was a pleasant surprise.
The sponge was moist and a little boozy with the sparkling wine syrup, while the candied lemon peel and pockets of lemon curd were well distributed throughout.
In addition, the stencil and sherbert icing sugar was a fun DIY element which really helped make the panettone stand out from the crowd.
If you’ve had a heavy meal (or, like me, you’re tuckered out after eating several panettone) the fresh hit of lemon is likely to help revitalise your spirits.
5/5
You can buy this showstopping panettone here.
If you’re more of a traditionalist however, we can report that the Waitrose Christmas Classic Panettone is also excellent and in a very close second to the brand’s Limoncello offering.
Again, the sponge was soft and buttery with sultanas and candied orange peel distributed evenly throughout. It was light without being too heavy and very flavourful without tasting artificial.
4.5/5
You can buy this panettone here.
Arriving in a beautifully decorated box, I was worried that the interior of Asda’s Exceptional range Classic Panettone wouldn’t live up to the exterior. I was glad to have been proven wrong.
While not quite as moist as others we tried, the sponge still tasted lovely and buttery with the sultanas and candied orange peel well distributed throughout.
4/5
You can buy this panettone here.
Lidl’s Deluxe Panettone Classico was very similar to Asda’s, in both appearance and taste.
While Lidl’s panettone was slightly more dense, giving it a more bread-like texture, it was still soft and included more filling throughout.
The sponge was really where it fell just slightly short of Asda, as it lacked the same buttery taste and missed out on a more consistent overall flavour as a result.
Regardless, given that it costs £4.99 for a 750g Lidl Deluxe Panettone Classico you should absolutely consider this as an option if you’re looking for a traditional panettone – especially considering Asda’s Exceptional Panettone is £6 for 500g.
3.9/5
You can buy this panettone here.
In addition to their classic panettone, Lidl also over several flavours of their Deluxe Gift Wrapped Panettone including the Capuccino and Chocolate Panettone.
I’m not the biggest coffee drinker in the world, but this shared all the things I liked about Lidl’s classic panettone and elevated them slightly.
It was laced with a lovely creamy filling and chocolate chips which had a hint of coffee about them, while the white chocolate and coffee topping really added a nice texture and crunch.
3.5/4
You can buy this panettone here.
There’s quite a lot going on with Tesco’s Blackberry and Dark Chocolate Panettone, from the beautiful box that it’s packaged in, to the many flavours packed within.
The sponge is lovely and soft, with candied blackberries, dark chocolate chips and a berry and marsala syrup laced throughout while the panettone is also topped with dark chocolate, dried fruits and almonds.
The flavours and textures are nice, but it feels more like a pudding than a panettone.
We struggled to eat more than the tiniest bit because of how rich it was, and even the dark chocolate doesn’t help alleviate how sweet it can be.
3/5
You can buy this panettone here.
One of the first Panettone’s we tried was M&S’s Classic Panettone, though in its smaller 100g form.
While I enjoyed the overall depth of flavour, the texture of this one really fell flat to me.
Compared to some of the others we tested, there was less sultana and candied peel distributed throughout the sponge which, while buttery, was also slightly dry.
Some of these problems could be down to us having tried the smaller version, but it was fairly average among the others.
3/5
You can buy this panettone here.
Much like the classic M&S Panettone, the Quattro Chocolate Panettone wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything special either.
Again, the texture just wasn’t quite right. It was too dry and it felt like there was even less filling involved with this one, which just highlighted how bland the sponge tasted.
2/5
You can buy this panettone here.
I was immediately struck upon opening Morrisons’ The Best Passionfruit Martini Panettone just how much it smelled like the drink.
While overall it wasn’t terrible, it did divide my partner and I who were tasting it. I liked that it was a bit different and that it tasted quite tangy and fresh, though a passionfruit martini is a favourite drink of mine which could explain my preference for it.
Even though I did enjoy my first bite, it very quickly grew sickly sweet and even I had to admit defeat.
Meanwhile my partner took his first bite and immediately said “I do not like that at all.” He found it overly sweet, and was offput by the flavour. We did both agree that the texture was nice, though it was fairly boring to look at.
2/5
You can buy this panettone here.
