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The best Christmas starters and sharers for 2025 to start your feast off right
These are the best dishes to kick off your Christmas Day dinner, according to the Good Housekeeping Institute
Tested by Callum BlackFood and Drink Testing Manager
Here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we’re dedicated to ensuring your Christmas feast goes off without a hitch. It’s why we've spent half the year working on our annual Christmas Taste Test!
From gifts to decorations, there’s always so much to think about in the lead up to the big day. So, allow us to tick one thing off your to-do list with our experts’ round-up of the best Christmas starters and sharing dishes to buy this year.
Best starters to buy for Christmas 2025
- 1
Best starter
Waitrose No.1 Scallops & King Prawns with West Country Roasted Garlic Butter
Read review - 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Joint best prawn cocktail
Aldi Specially Selected The Ultimate Prawn, Lobster & Crayfish Cocktail 170g
Read review
From nostalgic prawn cocktails (if it ain’t broke..) to decadent pâtés, these pre-made starters are designed to impress without the stress.
But if our top picks aren’t quite what you’re looking for, we’ve got plenty more suggestions to try – you could make your own blinis with our Taste Approved smoked salmon, or serve a selection of tasty canapés before the main event. Either way, we’re confident you’ll have some very happy guests on your hands.
How we test Christmas starters and sharers
The Good Housekeeping Institute presented our tasting panel with a selection of 13 starters and sharing dishes from the leading supermarkets and independent retailers. Each was cooked as per instructions and served blind to avoid brand bias.
We were looking for ready-to-serve starters (or those that required very minimal effort), and flavours that would complement the main event, kicking off your feast in style.
Waitrose No.1 Scallops & King Prawns with West Country Roasted Garlic Butter
Score: 84/100
Kick off proceedings with this classy fish course, courtesy of Waitrose. The perfectly seasoned medley of fresh prawns and scallops is presented in individual shells and finished with garlicky breadcrumbs.
Score: 84/100
This sharing-style wreath is a top choice for a festive picky tea. The golden-brown pastry contains herby sausage meat with a hint of maple sweetness, and it’s easy to cut into generous, individual pieces.
Score: 83/100
Decadent and smooth, this classic chicken liver parfait is lifted with a kick of festive port. Described as “premium” tasting by our panel, it delivers a long-lasting flavour, and is presented in a ready-to-serve mini Kilner jar.
Available 1 November 2025
Score: 82/100
Packed with pork, brussels sprouts and cranberries, paté doesn’t come much more festive than this. Sweet, salty and well-seasoned, Iceland’s budget-friendly starter punches well above its price tag.
Available 2 December 2025
Aldi Specially Selected The Ultimate Prawn, Lobster & Crayfish Cocktail 170g
Score: 81/100
Nostalgic dishes such as prawn cocktail are a failsafe when it comes to hosting. Aldi’s take is light and fresh, with meaty prawns, lobster and crayfish in a decadent brandy and sherry sauce. Indulgent, without feeling too heavy, we’ll be serving this with melba toast on the side.
Available 19 December 2025
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Lobster & King Prawn Sharing Cocktail 492g
Score: 81/100
Alternatively, head to Sainsbury's where you’ll find mini prawns alongside succulent pieces of lobster in a classic, super creamy Marie Rose sauce. Our panel enjoyed the addition of a sweet and smoky tomato salsa too. They come in individual ramekins, so all you need to do is top with lemon wedges and serve.
Score: 81/100
Our testers thought these delicate tarts had a home-made feel (so feel free to pass them off as your own). The buttery pastry case is packed with meaty prawns and langoustine, served in a rich, vintage cheese sauce that’s flavoured with white wine and parsley. Special enough for the big day, with plenty of room left for turkey. Ideal!
Available 17 December 2025
Iceland Luxury Caramelised Onion and Goat's Cheese Tarts 240g
Score: 81/100
Looking for a vegetarian starter? We’ve seen plenty of goat's cheese tarts over the years, but this one is perfectly cooked, beautifully balanced, and great value. Serve with a little salad on the side.
Available 1 November 2025
Score: 80/100
Waitrose has done the hard work for you here, creating a dish that tastes as good as it looks. The individual pear-shaped patés combine partridge with butter, cream and oak-smoked chestnut for textural interest. The shiny, fruity glaze is the perfect finishing touch.
Score: 80/100
Crowned with a plump prawn and packed with defined layers of smoked salmon laced with fresh dill and garlic, these individually potted verrines would make an impressive seafood starter. Well-seasoned and decadently creamy.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.
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