The foundation of my culinary education was unconventional, to say the least. In the 90s, I was taught by my best friend, Ben Hodges, formerly of the River Café, and brother to Jake Hodges, who co-founded Moro in London. We’d cater for hundreds at weddings, and thousands at festivals from Glastonbury to Green Man, cooking Spanish- and Italian-influenced food. When we weren’t getting stuck in ditches in muddy fields, we’d be driving to the south of Spain in search of olive oil and life.
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That education led to a lifelong passion for Spanish and Italian cuisine, and I’m still enamoured of their effortless simplicity, technique and flavour. The bedrock of Mediterranean cuisine is founded on heritage products created for preservation: prosciutto, coppa and bresaola (cured beef) from Italy, and jamón serrano, lomo and chorizo from Spain, to name just a few.
With a bounty of regional food products to feast on, most festive meals begin with antipasti, tapas or pintxos: small snacks of charcuterie, preserved vegetables and more elaborate small plates, crostini, flavoursome ferments and preserves, cheese and crunchy snacks, such as dried fava beans or corn. My favourite meals often begin with these treats.
Supermarkets sell assorted antipasti and tapas charcuterie platters, and today I’ve tested 10 selection packs. The quality was generally high, with wafer-thin slices of well-cured charcuterie, though animal welfare credentials were notably lacking and nitrate- and nitrite-free products hard to find. That said, most prosciutto is cured simply with salt, so that’s a great choice if you want to avoid those compounds.
The best supermarket antipasti cured meatsBest overall:
Waitrose No 1 antipasto misto£4.80 for 120g at Waitrose (£4/100g)
★★★★☆
Three cured meats: PDO prosciutto di Parma and salame brianza, and coppa. Quintessentially Italian with delicate, wafer-thin slices, all made from Italian pork. Waitrose has committed to sourcing continental meat to specific standards and to improving traceability. High quality and great value.
Best bargain:
Brindisa Iglesias Spanish charcuterie selection£8.50 for 200g at Ocado (£4.25/100g)
★★★☆☆
Exquisite, deeply cured serrano ham, chorizo, salchichón and lomo, all helpfully individually packed, so you can enjoy them across several days. Tender, thin slices that melt in the mouth. Produced by Cárnicas Iglesias, a heritage Salamanca brand since 1928, using Spanish pork. Very good quality for the price.
And the rest …Duchy Organic antipasto misto£5 for 90g at Waitrose (£5.56/100g)
★★★★☆
A trio from Lombardy: Milano salami, spianata Romana salami and lonza (cured loin). Classic Italian flavours with a subtle sweetness. Wafer-thin, very tender and a rare high-welfare option.
Trealy Farm Monmouthshire sharing box£23.50 for 270g at Trealy Farm (£8.70/100g)
★★★★☆
The only independent product in the test group, and proof that quality charcuterie can be made in the UK. Six outdoor-bred pork snack salamis (three plain and three fennel and chilli), award-winning air-dried ham and beef bresaola, all with outstanding depth of flavour. Eye-wateringly expensive, yes, but great for a special occasion.
M&S Italian antipasto selection£5.50 for 110g at Ocado (£5/100g)
★★★☆☆
A trio of prosciutto di Parma, salami Milano and bresaola (cured beef). The bresaola adds an element of variety, while the classic salami and ham are well-flavoured, if slightly salty. The 24-month-cured ham is almost too thin to lift out of the tray, though. Made in Italy with Italian pork and British beef. Classic M&S quality and great value.
Tesco Finest Italian antipasto platter£6.95 for 188g at Tesco (£3.70/100g)
★★★☆☆
A generous party pack featuring four styles of meat: dry-cured ham, coppa, garlic salami and spicy salami. The coppa, with its thick marbling and aromatic notes of nutmeg and coriander, stands out, while the spicy salami has a nice kick. Good value and great taste.
Morrisons the Best Italian antipasto selection£3.50 for 100g at Morrisons (£3.50/100g)
★★☆☆☆
A traditional selection featuring sweet, extra-thin prosciutto with fine marbling and garlicky, peppery, medium-thin salami. A straightforward and tasty antipasto made with Italian pork.
Sainsbury’s Italian antipasto selection£3 for 120g at Sainsbury’s (£2.50/100g)
★★☆☆☆
A trio of classic meats: prosciutto crudo and Napoli and Milano salami. Sweet, well-cured ham, and there are fragrant whole peppercorns in the salami. Clean, well-kept slices with a good overall texture. Packed in Italy using a mix of Italian and Dutch pork.
Co-op Italian-style antipasto£4 for 120g (£3.33/100g)
★★☆☆☆
A classic selection of salami, air-dried ham and ventricina. The latter is the standout, with a piquant, aromatic and complex flavour. Wafer-thin slices that really do melt in the mouth. A good low-cost option offering good flavour for the price.
Asda Exceptional Italian gran antipasto£3.97 for 120g at Asda (£3.31/100g)
★★☆☆☆
A selection of prosciutto, coppa and Milano salami. The coppa is the star, with a deep red colour, marbled fat and a medium-thin cut that helps it retain some bite, though it is a touch salty. Sweet-tasting ham complements the selection. Mid-range in price and quality.
For more, read the best (and worst) supermarket smoked salmon
Dining and Cooking