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19 Dec 2023

Best smoked salmon: supermarket vs brand taste test

Our expert taste test of supermarket smoked salmon has uncovered several brilliant supermarket buys that outclassed big brands

Earl EstologaResearcher & writer

In this article

Best smoked salmon
Smoked salmon buying tips
Buying sustainable smoked salmon
How to serve smoked salmon
Flavoured smoked salmon
How we tested smoked salmon

We asked a panel of four independent experts to blind-taste and rate smoked salmon slices from the supermarkets alongside two big brand options.

The smoked salmon was all mild style, and included H Forman & Son and Loch Fyne smoked salmon, as well as supermarket smoked salmon from the likes of Aldi, Lidl, Tesco and M&S.

The results were varied, with some products impressing our experts and others falling behind. One scored just 44%.

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Best smoked salmon

Only logged-in Which? members can view our full taste test results and tasting notes for each smoked salmon.

If you’re not yet a member, you’ll see an alphabetically ordered list of the smoked salmon on test. To get instant access to these and thousands of other reviews join Which? today.

Aldi Specially Selected Mild & Delicate Smoked Salmon

£3.49 for 100g (£3.49 per 100g)

As one of the cheapest per 100g, Aldi never disappoints when it comes to price. But did this smoked salmon impress our experts on taste?

Available in-store and online from Aldi.

Asda Extra Special Mild & Delicate Scottish Smoked Salmon

£4.50 for 100g (£4.50 per 100g)

Did this ‘Extra Special’ smoked salmon from Asda impress our tasters?

Available in-store and online from Asda. Also comes in a 120g packet for £5.40.

Co-op Irresistible Beech & Oak Smoked Salmon

£5.80 for 100g (£5.80 per 100g)

The smoked salmon from the Co-op is part of its ‘Irresistible’ range, but what did our experts think?

Available in-store and online from Co-op.

H Forman & Son London Cure Smoked Salmon

£7.35 for 100g (£7.35 per 100g)

As a premium brand, it’s no surprise that H Forman & Sons ranks as the second most expensive smoked salmon in our selection. But how did it fare with our tasters?

Available online from Ocado.

Iceland Luxury Smoked Salmon

£3.50 for 100g (£3.50 per 100g)

Did our experts enjoy this luxury smoked salmon from Iceland?

Available in-store and online from Iceland.

Lidl Deluxe Mild & Delicate Smoked Salmon

£3.49 for 100g (£3.49 per 100g)

Does this deluxe salmon have a deluxe taste too? Find out if this Lidl offering made the grade.

Available in-store from Lidl.

Loch Fyne Classic Smoked Scottish Salmon

£7.50 for 100g (£7.50 per 100g)

The priciest per 100g of all our tested smoked salmon. Is this fish from Loch Fyne worth the price?

Available online from Ocado.

M&S Collection Scottish Mild & Delicate Smoked Salmon

£11.00 for 300g (3.67 per 100g)

Surprisingly, this M&S salmon was below the average price of the fish we tested. But does it deliver on taste?

Available in-store from M&S. Also available online from M&S in a 100g packet for £5.75.

Morrisons the Best Mild & Delicate Smoked Salmon

£4.99 for 120g (£4.16 per 100g)

Morrisons sell this salmon as part of its ‘the Best’ range. Did our expert tasters give their approval?

Available in-store and online from Morrisons.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Cherrywood Smoked Scottish Salmon

£4.75 for 100g (£4.75 per 100g)

Can this cherrywood-smoked salmon topped our leaderboard?

Available in-store and online from Sainsbury’s.

Tesco Finest Scottish Smoked Salmon

£4.50 for 100g (£4.50 per 100g)

Did our panel proclaim this Tesco smoked salmon as the ‘Finest’ among the rest?

Available in-store and online from Tesco.

Waitrose No.1 Chestnut Smoked Scottish Salmon

£6.65 for 100g (£6.65 per 100g)

How well did our tasters rate this Waitrose smoked salmon? Does the chestnut make a difference?

Available in-store and online from Waitrose.

Price and availability checked December 2023.

Smoked salmon buying tips

Follow our expert tips to help you pick the right salmon for the occasion. We explain how to pick flavoured versions, what's different about gravlax and why colour doesn't equal quality.

Mild versus robust Mild smoked salmon is perfect for simpler appetisers, canapés and salads. Robust smoked salmon is more flavourful and aromatic and works best for punchier dishes such as quiches and eggs royale.
Does colour matter? Colour doesn’t always guarantee quality. Some farmed salmon contains artificial colourants, while organic salmon sometimes appears pale. Go for Scottish salmon, renowned for its high quality. For a natural bright-red hue, choose Pacific salmon varieties like Sockeye.
When to pick flavoured versions Our panel advocated for simplicity, but they didn’t discount novelty flavours. Beetroot flavour was among their favourites for its deep-pink colour and unique sweet taste. Alcohol-infused options, such as gin, are good for special occasions and citrus-flavoured salmon with a side of oatcakes work well.
Get to grips with gravlax Don’t be fooled by their similar looks. Gravlax, a Nordic dish, is cured but not smoked. It’s denser with a dill-infused taste. It could be a good substitute if you prefer gentler flavours.

Buying sustainable smoked salmon

All the products we tested are farmed salmon. Most stated they were either RSPCA assured (M&S, Tesco, Co-op, Lidl), 'Responsibly sourced / farmed' (Aldi, Asda, Morrisons, Loch Fyne) or ASC certified (Sainsbury's).

Farmed salmon does have its issues, and the Good Fish Guide recommends that organic, ASC-certified or Wild Pacific salmon is the best option sustainability wise. It is considerably pricier and harder to track down though, which is why we didn't test it this time.

You can also swap to smoked trout, which is less intensively farmed. These are the supermarket options we found:

Where to buy MSC certified or organic smoked salmon

LEAP Wild Smoked Sockeye salmon, £8.10 for 100g, (currently on offer for £6.07 at Ocado), MSC-certified, available from Ocado and Tesco
M&S Organic Smoked salmon, £6.25 for 100g, available from M&S in-store and Ocado. Farmed, but organic
Waitrose Duchy Organic Smoked Salmon, £8 for 100g, available from Waitrose. Farmed, but organic

Where to buy smoked trout

BigFish Oak Smoked Loch trout, £5.25 for 100g, available from Ocado
Lidl Deluxe Cold Smoked Rainbow Trout, £6.99 for 300g, available from Lidl (in-store)
M&S Kiln Smoked trout, £5.50 for 100g, available from M&S in-store and Ocado
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Smoked Scottish Trout, available from Sainsbury's
Waitrose Mild Scottish Smoked Trout, £5.75 for 100g (currently 2 for £8), available from Waitrose

Find out more in our guide to buying sustainable fish.

Discover which supermarket own-brands came top in our champagne taste test

How to serve smoked salmon

If a show-stopping salmon starter is what you’re after for your Christmas feast, here are some ideas.

Smoked salmon topped blinis, with cream cheese and capers A classic canape at any Christmas party. You can play around with most elements of this, swapping the blinis for small slices of bread, scones or potato cakes, or switching the cream cheese for homemade mayo or horseradish sauce. Top with garnishes of your choice such as a squeeze of lemon and pepper or herbs to bring out the flavours
Smoked salmon pate This option is a lot more budget friendly as you can use salmon trimmings which are a lot cheaper than traditional slices. Serve with warm bread, brioche buns or as part of a platter.
Smoked salmon tart Need to use up some leftover salmon? Try this BBC Good Food salmon tart recipe. It also works well in risotto, pasta or even scrambled eggs.

How to correctly store smoked salmon

If you have smoked salmon leftovers, our experts advise against freezing it. Once defrosted, the texture can end up mushy.

Fresh smoked salmon typically lasts 4-5 days in the fridge once opened. When storing, make sure to cover the slices with clingfilm or tinfoil to prevent air from ruining the texture. Always check the packaging labels and follow the use-by dates provided.

Flavoured smoked salmon

You'll often find festive-themed flavours in the shops around December time. Here’s what we've found for 2023:

ASDA Zesty Lemon & Pepper Smoked Salmon, £3.75/100g. Available from Asda.
Loch Fyne Beetroot Smoked Scottish Salmon, £10/125g. Available from Ocado.
Loch Fyne Oyster Gin Scottish Smoked Salmon, £6.90/100g. Available from Waitrose.
M&S Collection Beetroot & Dill Smoked Salmon, £5.50/100g. Available from Ocado.
M&S Scottish Citrus & Dill Smoked Salmon, £5.00/100g. Available from M&S.
The Fishmonger Lemon & Pepper Flavoured Smoked Salmon, £2.99/100g. Available from Aldi.
The Fishmonger Sweet Mustard & Dill Dressing Flavoured Smoked Salmon, £2.99/120g. Available from Aldi.
Waitrose No.1 Truffle Flavoured Smoked Salmon, £6.65/100g. Available from Waitrose.
Waitrose No.1 Whisky Smoked Salmon, £4.98/100g. Available from Waitrose.

How we tested smoked salmon

Our panel of four independent smoked salmon experts blind-tasted a selection of supermarket and premium smoked salmon in September 2023. They included:*

CJ Jackson Former CEO of Billingsgate Seafood School and author of Leith’s Fish Bible.
Leandro Carreira Executive chef at The Sea, The Sea, a fishmonger/seafood bar/restaurant in Hackney.
Sarah O’Connor Owner of the Fabulous Fish Company, fresh fish and seafood specialist based in Wales

The experts rated each smoked salmon on taste, aroma, texture and appearance and told us what they liked and disliked about each one.

The taste test was blind, so the experts didn’t know which smoked salmon they were trying. The order they sampled the smoked salmon were fully rotated to avoid any bias. The overall score is based on:

15% appearance
20% aroma
50% taste
15% texture

*Our fourth expert is the managing director of an award-winning smokery supplying high-end retail stores and Michelin-quality restaurants. They have requested to remain anonymous.

Getting ready to shop for your festive food? Read our guide on the best places to buy turkey, trimmings and more