A major alert has been issued for British households stocking up on cheese for the festive season. A comprehensive blind taste test has revealed that the nation's favourite, Cathedral City Mature Cheddar, has been outperformed by several rival brands, including leading supermarket own-labels.
The Blind Taste Test Results
Consumer champion Which? organised a blind tasting in September 2024, putting eight popular cheddars through their paces ahead of Christmas. A panel of 76 people, all regular cheddar buyers representing a mix of ages and genders, sampled the cheeses without knowing the brands.
The clear winner was Tesco Finest Mature English Cheddar Cheese, which scored an impressive 78%. It was praised for its superior flavour and value. In second place was Davidstow Classic Cheddar with a score of 75%.
How the Cheeses Ranked
The full ranking from the taste test is as follows:
- Tesco Finest Mature English Cheddar Cheese – 78%
- Davidstow Classic Cheddar – 75%
- M&S Cornish Cove Mature Cheddar Cheese (£4.25 for 350g) – 73%
- Castello Tickler Mature Cheddar Cheese (£4.75 for 300g) – 71%
- Cathedral City Our Mature Cheddar (£3.50 for 350g) and Pilgrims Choice Mature Cheddar (£4.20 for 350g) – both 70%
- Sainsbury’s Barber’s Mature Cruncher Cheese, Taste the Difference (£4 for 350g) – 69%
- Aldi Specially Selected West Country Mature Cheddar (£2.99 for 350g) – 68%
- Co-op Irresistible Somerset Mature Cheddar Cheese (£4.50 for 340g) – 66%
What This Means for Shoppers
The results suggest that shoppers at supermarkets like Tesco and Marks & Spencer could get a tastier and potentially better-value product by choosing the store's own premium cheddar over the well-known Cathedral City brand, which finished in a joint-fifth place.
Jessica Carson, Food and Health Editor at Which?, commented on the findings. "Getting your hands on an affordable and delicious cheddar cheese is a must for many shoppers, and our taste test reveals that own brands are cheaper and tastier than some big names," she said.
The test highlights that a higher price does not always guarantee a higher score, with several more affordable options rating highly. For households planning their Christmas cheeseboards, the data provides a compelling reason to consider switching brands this festive season.
