Used for , and sandwiches, cheddar cheese is a staple in my household, However, it's not the cheapest ingredient to buy. Cathedral City is said to be the nation's favourite cheese, with Pilgrims Choice not too far behind, but you can buy own-brand cheddar for less, and some for even half the price. In my house, we've always opted for Cathedral City without trying out any supermarket brands, so I was keen to see how they'd fare.
For this taste test, I bought mature cheddar blocks from , , , , , , and , as well as the two brand leaders - Cathedral City and Pilgrims Choice. Naively, I thought all cheddar cheese tasted the same, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I bought all the packets on the same day and took them out of the fridge for an hour to reach room temperature before taste testing.
This was the only cheese to come in a resealable pack, which helped it keep somewhat fresh in the fridge.
It seemed different to the others immediately upon opening. There was moisture on the cheese that I wiped away with a piece of paper towel. The cheese was really nice to slice, however, it lacked that crumbly and sharp texture you expect from a mature cheddar.
I was really surprised at how many supermarket versions I preferred over Cathedral City, so for £3.75 I don't think I'd be buying it again.
Rating: 6/10
Pilgrims ChoiceComing in at £4.25, the most expensive of all the other, I was expecting big things from this cheddar cheese.
This one was shaped differently from most of the others. It was cube-shaped rather than flat, which made it easier for grating, storing and cutting. It made me wonder why more cheeses aren't sold in this shape. The cheese had a nice crumbly texture, but the taste was a massive letdown.
Rating: 3.5/10
AsdaThis £2.69 cheese from Asda tasted very processed and rubbery - nothing like a mature cheddar cheese should be.
It seemed more chewy rather than crumbly, and not to my taste at all. I would probably say it was the worst out of all of them.
Rating: 2/10
Shaped just like the Pilgrims Choice cheese, Tesco's own brand version retails for £2.79 and is definitely on the mild side.
It was actually quite bland and rubbery in texture. I don't think I would bother with it again, seeing as though some of the other supermarket brands of a similar price tasted better.
Rating: 4/10
MorrisonsComing in at £2.79, this cheese from Morrisons was creamy, however, it lacked a strong flavour.
Similarly to the Tesco own-brand cheese, I'd say this one is more mild rather than mature.
Rating: 5/10
AldiBudget-friendly Aldi's Mature Cheddar costs £2.79 and was surprisingly one of my favourites of all the cheeses.
This cheese was delicious. Crumbly and packed with flavour, this cheese was creamy and moreish.
Rating: 9/10
LidlThis cheese from Lidl costs the same as Aldi, however, the flavour and texture were not. It was a tad creamy in texture but lacked flavour compared to a few of the other brands.
Rating: 5/10
The Sanisbury's mature cheddar retails for slightly higher than the previous supermarket-owned brands of cheese, as it costs £3.15.
Unfortunately, I wasn't keen on this one as the texture felt excessively rich in the mouth, and it had a bitter aftertaste.
Rating: 4/10
WaitroseA slightly salty taste from Waitrose, which I liked, and it was smooth and rich without being too overpowering.
It's good value too. For £2.75, it's £1 cheaper than the market leader and even cheaper than most of the other own brands of cheeses.
Rating: 9/10
Marks and SpencerM&S British Mature Cheddar, which costs £2.75, won me over. With a number five strength, I found it was really tangy and packed full of flavour. I loved that it had the right amount of creaminess to it.
It not only tastes miles better than Cathedral City and Pilgrims Choice, but it's far cheaper, and even cheaper than Lidl and Aldi, which was very surprising.
Rating: 10/10
Overall verdictI was surprised to find that Cathedral City and Pilgrims Choice were certainly not my favourite. Instead, I preferred the M&S, with Waitrose and Aldi coming in at a tie for close second.