Asda’s Christmas line-up has a clear focus on centrepiece items with an impressive visual impact and a big push for its category brands Chosen By You, Butcher’s Selection, Fish Made Simple and Leiths - Extra Special.

Butcher’s Selection turkey comes garlanded with a lattice of cherry wood-smoked streaky bacon and stuffing. Beef joints will have been hung for 28 days, rather than the 15-21 previously. A duck pre-stuffed with Armagnac and prune and a Turkey Wellington with chestnut stuffing and a cranberry & butter melt show a focus on convenience. The retailer will also offer a rare-breed Blue Slate Turkey for the first time, matured four weeks longer than its standard bronze turkey.

A frozen chocolate and Cointreau Bombe offers impressive visual impact as does a Champagne Christmas pud finished with golden sugar glitter.

Asda will also offer a revamped range of oriental frozen party canapés sourced from Vietnam.

Star product: The rare-breed Blue Slate Turkey.

Verdict: An innovative and more upmarket slate from Asda.