I tried flavoured panettones for Christmas – the winner is the ‘perfect afternoon pick-me-up’ and better than M&S

ORIGINALLY made in Italian bakeries to celebrate the start of the festive season, a traditional panettone should contain orange peel and raisins.

And while the classic version is still popular, fast forward to 2023 and you can now buy panettone in all sorts of alluring flavours.

From chocolate or cherry to tiramisu or champagne, these unusual varieties are boosting the appeal of panettone in the UK with many supermarkets reporting a boost in sales.

Consumer expert Martyn James said: "From Christmas markets to more cosmopolitan aspirations, our tastes over the Christmas period have expanded massively over the last decade and now incorporate more worldwide treats than ever before.

"But ultimately, one of the big reasons for the humbler panettone success is simple; you buy it, you don't have to cook or prepare it.

"I suspect that sales of the Italian classic will continue to rocket as all you need to do is buy and deliver it."

Lynsey Hope tried some of the supermarket's unusual flavour combos for 2023 and here, she shares her verdict:

Lidl Deluxe Champagne Panettone  (750g)

• £8.99
• £1.20 per 100g

A lovely panettone with a light and airy sponge but I was left disappointed as I couldn't taste any champagne.

It was a generous size and a great price, but would have preferred a little more boozy flavour for my buck.

• TASTE: 6/10
• VALUE: 7/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 6/10

M&S Triple Chocolate Panettone (750g)

• £12
• £1.60 per 100g

It wouldn't be Christmas in my house without an M&S Triple Chocolate Panettone - we all love this.

It's rich and indulgent but if you can't indulge a little at Christmas, when can you?

It looks like a big chocolate cake and has a generous amount of ganache on top and lots of chocolate chips inside.

The star of the show is the gooey chocolate sauce throughout - it's lovely.

Probably more for chocolate fans than panettone fans, but it's seriously delicious.

• TASTE: 10/10
• VALUE: 9/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 10/10

Morrisons The Best Tiramisu Panettone (750g)

• £7.50
• £1 per 100g

A surprise hit! I worried the flavour of this would be overbearing but the sponge was moist and soft and the mascarpone filling in the centre was sweet and delicious.

It's topped with dark chocolate and amaretti biscuit pieces.

Super tricky to cut into, but worth the effort.

I couldn't help but keep going back for more.

• TASTE: 9/10
• VALUE: 9/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 9/10

Asda Extra Special Chocolate Orange Panettone (500g)

• £6
• £1.20 per 100g

Small but indulgent, this panettone is dotted with milk and white chocolate drops.

The sponge was light and airy and it looked a bit like a giant cupcake.

The oozing chocolate sauce was rich and delicious.

There wasn't much of the promised candied orange and the orange flavouring on the whole was subtle.

Sweet and sickly, but perfect for Christmas.

• TASTE: 8/10
• VALUE: 7/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 7/10

Waitrose No 1 Sicilian Orange Nocciolato Panettone (750g)

• £12
• £1.60 per 100g

The top of this Waitrose panettone is decorated with almonds and pearl sugar and it has a zesty, orange flavoured sponge.

It doesn't veer too far from the classic recipe but if you want a slight twist or something impressive to offer out to guests, this is very enticing.

It's beautifully presented in a box with ribbons, so would make a lovely gift too.

• TASTE: 10/10
• VALUE: 8/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 9/10

Tesco Finest Chocolate Star Panettone (650g)

• £12
• £1.85 per 100g

A very novel and attractive looking panettone, it's a lovely addition to any festive spread.

The kids' eyes lit up when they saw it.

However, the sweet bread was too dry and there weren't enough chocolate chips scattered throughout.

It was pricier per 100g than Waitrose and M&S and not worth the extra dosh.

• TASTE: 6/10
• VALUE: 4/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 5/10

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Cherry and Almond Panettone (750g)

• £10.50
• £1.40 per 100g

Soft and buttery with lots of interesting flavours coming through from the cherries and almonds and it had a delicious hazelnut glaze on top.

It could have done with a few more nuts and some slices were a little lacking in cherries, but the taste was spot on.

A lovely gift or could be added to a hamper, unless you scoff it first.

• TASTE: 8/10
• VALUE: 7/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 8/10

Aldi Specially Selected Chocolate Panettone

• £3.49
• 70p per 100g

This budget bake is ideal to have tucked in the cupboard throughout the festive season.

Even though it was the cheapest in our test - by some measure - the filling is generous, with pockets of oozy, melted chocolate sauce and chocolate chips scattered throughout.

It's a perfect afternoon pick-me-up, which I'd happily indulge in at any time of year.

• TASTE: 10/10
• VALUE: 10/10
• OVERALL SCORE: 10/10