ASDA, owned by Blackburn's billionaire Issa Brothers, has been crowned the lowest-priced major supermarket for premium Christmas food and drink products by a leading trade publication.

The supermarket topped the Grocer magazine’s annual festive price comparison survey which tracked the cost of 33 premium Christmas products including turkey and all the trimmings, pigs in blankets and mince pies at Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose.

Asda’s festive basket totalled £154.41 and was £19.48 cheaper than the average basket price across the other four supermarkets that featured.

Asda also offered the lowest price on 19 of the 33 festive products featured, including smoked salmon slices, mine pies, pigs in blankets, Christmas cake, Baileys and Lanson champagne.

Kris Comerford, Asda’s chief commercial officer, said: “Throughout the year we have been focussed on improving the quality of our products while continuing to keep prices in check for customers.

"This is especially important at Christmas when family budgets are under extra pressure and we are confident that our customers will be able to treat themselves to the best quality festive food and drink without having to break the bank when they shop at Asda.”

Asda has launched 275 new festive lines this year, several of which have scooped quality awards in the Good Housekeeping and BBC Good Food taste tests.

These include the Extra Special Norfolk Bronze turkey crown with pork, sage and caramelised onion, and the Extra Special Jewelled Topped Christmas Pudding.

The Grocer Magazine's G33 premium festive basket prices published on December 8 are: Asda £154,41; Morrisons £157.02; Sainsbury’s £171.32; Tesco £175.09; and Waitrose £211.49 The average price was £173.89.

Brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa bought Asda, Britain's third biggest supermarket, in February 2021.