Sous Chef
Milano Panettone, £28.99
Sous Chef’s little elves spend much of the year taste-testing literally hundreds of panettoni (it’s a tough life, etcetera). This beauty came out on top for 2025 – and, if previous years are anything to go by, their dedication to sourcing only the very best pays serious dividends. Year after year, Sous Chef’s festive confection has been crowned Panettone of the Year by the likes of The Times and the Daily Mail. This year’s version, created by a family of bakers in northern Italy, is made using a closely guarded ‘mother’ yeast and only the finest ingredients. Sous Chef founder Nicola explains: ‘I visited the bakery in summer and was thrilled to see the panettone ‘mother yeast’ rising in its locked room – known as the ‘treasure room’. Only a very select few have access to that historic sourdough starter. In fact, a piece of the same ‘mother’ is kept offsite for security – locked in a bank vault! Panettone producers will forever argue about which ‘mother’ makes the best flavour. This one is superb.’
Freight
Pandoro, £35
A pandoro rather than a panettone, Freight’s version sells out fast every year – and to understand why, you need only behold its beauty. While pandori and panettoni share similar enriched doughs, the key difference is shape: the pandoro arrives as a tall, elegant eight-point star instead of a domed loaf. This one contains no fruit or peel – just a pure, vanilla-scented golden cake dusted generously with icing sugar. Perfect for those who prefer to keep their festive treats simple and classic.
Birley Bakery
Classic Panettone, £48
Francesco Coratella, executive pastry chef across Robin Birley’s sumptuous members’ club empire, knows a thing or two about creating cakes that elicit routine coos of delight. He even represented the UK at the Panettone World Cup 2024 in Milan – and happily, his superior know-how is available to buy at Birley Bakery, both online and via its Chelsea Green shop. Expect a kilo of classic panettone made with candied Sicilian orange, Valencia almonds and fragrant Tahitian vanilla. Joy.
River Café
2025 Gift Box, Panettone and Champagne, £125
Trust The River Café to produce something as arrestingly gorgeous as this gentile panettone classico, wrapped in eye-popping pink paper and paired with a bottle of Charles Heidsieck Brut Champagne. It’s the ideal present for your host if you’re descending on others this yuletide – playful and gloriously festive. Do place your order before 18 December to ensure it arrives in time for Christmas.
Il Gattopardo
Il Panettone, £42 (small), £86 (large)
Il Gattopardo on Mayfair’s Albemarle Street is all about bringing a slice of la dolce vita to London, and its signature panettone – a classic, wrapped in rich red paper and tied with ribbon – delivers exactly that. The smaller size serves four to five people, while the impressively large version is perfect for a gathering of nine to ten. A chic, beautifully presented centrepiece for the festive table.
Lina Stores
Panettone Tradizionale Brera Milano, £28.95
Lina Stores’ Brera Milano Tradizionale is up there with the prettiest of the lot: wrapped in blue paper emblazoned with vintage typography and finished with unmistakable Italian flair. Inside you’ll find the most classic of panettoni – a golden, feathery loaf studded with sweet raisins and delicate orange peel.
Brera Milano’s story stretches back to 1930, when confectionery masters Agostino Panigada and Giovanni Cova opened their first workshop in Milan, giving rise to what would become one of the city’s most treasured pasticceria names. The company’s philosophy is simple: honour the past. Every recipe respects traditional methods, every ingredient is meticulously sourced, and every loaf aims to preserve the flavours of a bygone Milan. A beautiful slice of history to give this Christmas.
Daylesford
Chocolate Panettone, £25
We are, at heart, panettone traditionalists – the simple, fruit-studded classic will always reign supreme for us. But Daylesford’s offering, wrapped in charming red paper and tied up beautifully, is tempting enough to make even purists waver. Inside is a chocolate-chip-enriched loaf that feels festive, indulgent and impossible not to slice into.
Marks & Spencer
Italian Nocciolato Panettone, £20
How’s this for a showstopping tin? Never let it be said that the supermarkets can’t compete in the panettone stakes. This version may be a departure from the strictly traditional – it’s topped with a hazelnut crust and comes in a decidedly glamorous keepsake tin – but we think it’s a very good one. And that tin? Perfect for storing ribbon, wrapping and gift tags evermore.
Waitrose
Angela Hartnett with Waitrose Panettone Classico, £25
You can trust Angela Hartnett, queen of Italian cooking, to make a panettone worth clearing cupboard space for. Pair her with Waitrose – long-standing bastion of the very best festive food – and you have a collaboration that’s guaranteed to deliver. This panettone is a beauty: a classic loaf subtly elevated, topped with a hazelnut crust and presented in a showstopping keepsake tin that immediately earns pride of place on the kitchen counter. It may sit just outside the realm of the strictly traditional, but we’re firmly in favour of the twist. And the tin is all elegance too.
Gail’s
Pistachio & Lemon Sourdough Panettone, £35
In the year that brought us Dubai chocolate, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the proliferation of pistachio-studded panettoni vying for our attention. And with Gail’s – nationwide purveyors of superior baked goods – you know you’re in the safest of hands. Their pistachio and lemon sourdough panettone offers a bright, zesty twist on the classic, enriched with the nut du jour. Order before 11am on 22 December to collect on Christmas Eve and ensure deliciously festive times ahead.
