Food journalist and author Sudi Pigott joined the tasting with a packet of Pujadó Solano anchovies and her new book, Consider the Anchovy. She described the best anchovies as “juicy, plump and velvety, with a sweet, nutty taste of jamón!”
Ten brands were tasted straight from the tin or jar, with sparkling water and cucumber to cleanse the palate. The anchovy supply chain has been heavily affected by El Niño, which caused abnormal weather events in Peru, where the most economical anchovies in the test were fished. Premium anchovies sourced from the Bay of Biscay — the Cantabrian Sea — have also faced external pressures. A lack of supply, among other factors, has increased prices and left some supermarket shelves bare.
The fillets were scored on appearance, texture (including pin bones), flavour and value. Quality varied shockingly: from minnow-sized, stubbly and tough brown fillets that were unbelievably salty, to remarkably flavoured, tender, rose-coloured fillets that reminded the tasters of serrano ham.
Best overall and best bargain
Waitrose No 1 Cantabrian anchovy fillets in extra-virgin olive oil, £1.75 for 50g at Waitrose (£3.50/100g) — four stars. Small, dusky-pink fillets with a seductively sweet, smooth and salty but well-balanced flavour. Creamy and soft in texture, with a few hairy bones. Caught in the north-east Atlantic. MSC certified.
Tesco Finest Cantabrian anchovy fillets in oil, £2.95 for 100g at Tesco (£2.95/100g) — three stars. Medium-large, broad and even-coloured rosy-pink fillets. Smooth and rich, with a complex umami flavour, though still a little salty and some bones left in. Cured for a minimum of 12 months. MSC certified and caught in the Cantabrian Sea.
The rest of the field
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Cantabrian anchovy fillets, £2.50 for 74g at Sainsbury’s (£3.38/100g) — four stars. A wide, flat tin of beautifully presented, large, broad, rosy-pink fillets. Very salty, but with a creamy, melt-in-the-mouth texture and a well-rounded flavour, plus a lovely nutty, cured note of jamón serrano. Caught in the north-east Atlantic, packed in Spain. MSC certified.
Ortiz anchovies in olive oil, £7.15 for 47.5g at Ocado (£15.05/100g) or £8.80 for 47.5g at the Fish Society (£18.53/100g) — four stars. Medium-size fillets with a sweet, perfumed aroma. Milder salt content than most, leading to a more balanced flavour: still sharp but complex, hammy, nutty and sweet. Ortiz was established in 1891 and is often seen as the benchmark for high-quality artisanal anchovies. Fished in the Cantabrian Sea, packed in Spain.
M&S Collection Cantabrian anchovy fillets in extra-virgin olive oil, £1.75 for 30g at Ocado (£5.83/100g) — three stars. Narrow, slightly bony fillets, with a varied brown-pink colour. An inviting floral, perfumed aroma. Sweet and nutty, with an intense flavour. Matured for six months. Fished in the Cantabrian Sea, packed in Morocco.
The disappointments
Epicure anchovy fillets in extra-virgin olive oil, £2.55 for 50g at Ocado (£5.10/100g) or £2.60 (£5.20/100g) — one star. Small, hairy fillets, with a sweet but very salty and intense flavour. Packed in Spain. Fishing location not stated.
Aldi the Fishmonger anchovy fillets in extra virgin olive oil, 79p for 50g at Aldi (£1.58/100g), in store only — one star. A tin of small, ragged fillets with a dark brown centre and pale edge, indicating a lack of freshness or heat damage. A fishy cat-food aroma, a very firm bite, and an intense, salty, sharp flavour. Caught in the south-east Pacific and packed in Peru.
Asda Exceptional Cantabrian anchovy fillets in extra-virgin olive oil, £2.90 for 100g at Asda (£2.90/100g) — one star. Small, bristly, almost hairy fillets packed in a jar of extra-virgin olive oil. A sharp, intense and very salty flavour. OK for cooking, but rather one-dimensional. Fished in the north-east Atlantic, Bay of Biscay. Packed in Spain. MSC certified.
The worst buys
Morrisons anchovy fillets in olive oil, £1 for 50g at Morrisons (£2/100g) — zero stars. A tin of small, varied and thin fillets, with a dark, broad blood line and strong fishy aroma. Super-intense, deep but harsh flavour and unyielding, tough fillets. Caught in the south-east Pacific.
John West anchovy fillets in olive oil, £3.20 for 95g at Tesco and Sainsbury’s (£3.37/100g) — zero stars. Small fillets packed in sunflower oil with just 4.7% extra-virgin olive oil, despite the name on the label. Very intense, salty, foul and loose texture. Overpriced, full of pin bones, and made with preservative sodium benzoate. Caught in the south-east Pacific, produced in Peru.
