In news which might have shocked shoppers, Which? recently revealed that a supermarket own-brand butter fared better than Lurpak in a blind taste test.
A panel of 67 people picked Aldi’s Norpak as the overall winner, rating it highly for its creaminess, colour and well-rounded flavour.
Now another consumer panel has also voted in favour of a supermarket own-brand product, while trying to find the UK’s best cheddar cheese.
Which? pitted branded cheeses by Cathedral City, Pilgrims Choice and Davidstow against ones from popular retailers like Sainsbury’s and Aldi and it might come as a surprise to some that it was Tesco that came out on top.
Tesco Finest Mature English Cheddar Cheese garnered a score of 78%, being praised for its taste and ‘firm, smooth’ texture.
Testers thought the salt level and strength of flavour were just right and it was found to be ‘pleasingly crumbly and creamy’ too.
The cheese is said to be ‘about average price-wise’ compared with other cheeses in the test, costing £4 for 350g (£1.14 per 100g), but interestingly it’s not actually cheaper than all of the bigger brands.
Davidstow Classic Cheddar came in second place, with a score of 75%. It was also awarded a ‘best buy’ accolade, despite being one of the priciest cheddars on the list at £4.75 fro 350g (£1.36 per 100g).
The panel thought it was a ‘solid choice’ and shoppers were urged to look out for deals and special offers so they could nab a block while it was cheaper.
The Cornish Cove Mature Cheddar Cheese from M&S came in third place (£4.25 for 350g), while Castello Tickler Mature Cheddar Cheese (£4.75 for 300g) came in fourth.
Cathedral City Mature Cheddar (£3.50 for 350g) was in joint-fifth place with Pilgrims Choice Mature Cheddar (£4.20 for 350g), followed by Sainsbury’s Barber’s Mature Cruncher Cheese (£4 for 350g) and Aldi’s Specially Selected West Country Mature Cheddar (£2.99 for 350g).
Co-op’s Irresistible Somerset Mature Cheddar Cheese (£4.50 for 340g) took last place in the test, as those who tried it said it ‘lacked the crumble of a good cheese’, was ‘too smooth’ and the flavour was also criticised.
How was the cheese tested?
A panel of 76 people tested the cheeses in a blind taste test which took place in September 2024.
The group consisted of people who regularly buy and eat cheddar and were of various ages and genders.
Each of the cheeses were tried in a private booth, so no one could discuss their thoughts or be influenced by anyone else.
All of the cheddars were then rated on taste, texture, aroma and appearance, with each person sharing what they liked and didn’t like.
The final scores were based on 50% flavour, 20% aroma, 15% appearance and 15% texture.
Cheddar cheese ranking from the blind taste test:
- Tesco Finest Mature English Cheddar Cheese, 78%
- Davidstow Classic Cheddar, 75%
- M&S Cornish Cove Mature Cheddar Cheese, 73%
- Castello Tickler Mature Cheddar Cheese, 71%
- Cathedral City Our Mature Cheddar and Pilgrims Choice Mature Cheddar, both with a score of 70%
- Sainsbury’s Barber’s Mature Cruncher Cheese, Taste the Difference, 69%
- Aldi Specially Selected West Country Mature Cheddar, 68%
- Co-op Irresistible Somerset Mature Cheddar Cheese, 66%
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