Cheddar cheese is a real staple in many households. It’s so versatile and a great way to instantly add flavour to sandwiches, salads and so much more. Big brands like Cathedral City and Pilgrim’s Choice are often the go-to for a lot of people.
However, a big name brand doesn’t always mean a better taste, and this was put to the test by the consumer experts at Which?. They have identified the best mature cheddar cheese that UK supermarkets have to offer, and the winner even beat out those two brands in terms of taste and texture.
The testers tried out a selection of supermarket-own brand mature cheddar cheeses from Aldi, Tesco, Sainsburys and more, pitting them against the big name brands.
And it was discovered that Tesco’s Finest Mature English Cheddar Cheese was the clear winner. Costing £3.80 for 350g, it was praised for its firm, smooth texture. Most also thought its salt level and strength of flavour were ‘just right’, hailing it as pleasantly crumbly and creamy too.
Another popular cheese from the taste test was the M&S Cornish Cove Mature Cheddar Cheese. This is priced at £4.25 for 350g, and was described as a ‘good all-rounder’ by the panel.
Its smooth, firm texture was what made it so good, as well as the salt level, and it was also nice and crumbly – perfect for pairing with crackers.
However, not every cheese in the taste test fared so well.
Aldi Specially Selected West Country Mature Cheddar, the cheapest on the list at £2.99 for 350g, was described as ‘bland’ with many of the tasters not loving the texture.
Co-Op’s Irresistible Somerset Mature Cheddar Cheese, slightly pricier at £4.50 for 340g, was also said to lack flavour, as well as that crumbly quality that makes a cheese so good.
And surprisingly, Cathedral City itself really split opinions in terms of taste, with some testers loving the flavour whilst others claiming it was lacking.