Aldi's Specially Selected Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream, priced at £2.69, has outperformed premium brands like Häagen-Dazs and Jude's in a blind taste test conducted by consumer platform Which? The test involved 63 ice cream fans who compared seven supermarket own-label options against three popular brands.
Aldi Wins Top Spot
The Aldi ice cream scored 77%, earning a Which? Best Buy and Great Value recommendation. Most tasters praised the strength of flavour and sweetness, with nearly three-quarters finding it perfectly creamy.
Close Runners-Up
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference, Waitrose No.1 Madagascan Vanilla, and Yeo Valley Organic Madagascan Vanilla all tied at 76%. The Sainsbury's version, costing £3.50, was liked for its flavour and well-balanced sweetness but didn't match the winner's creaminess. Waitrose's £4.50 option impressed two-thirds of tasters with its looks, flavour, and creaminess. Yeo Valley, at £4.75, was the most favoured brand among tasters, who liked its colour and texture.
Other Supermarket Offerings
Morrisons' The Best Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream, at £3, was described as a "good all-rounder at a great price," with two-thirds praising its flavour, sweetness, texture, and creaminess. Tesco Finest, also £3.50, was creamy with good texture but could have used stronger flavour and more sweetness. Lidl Deluxe Vanilla ranked last among supermarkets at 72%, but was noted as a good budget option with a pleasant, creamy texture.
Premium Brands Disappoint
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream, the priciest at £5.75, came second last with 67%, losing marks for texture. Jude's Vanilla Clotted Cream Ice Cream, at £5, finished last with 63%, described as bland, with only half of tasters liking its sweetness and creaminess.
