Consumer experts at Which? have named Aldi's Specially Selected Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream as the best luxury vanilla ice cream in a blind taste test, outperforming premium brands like Häagen-Dazs and supermarket rivals. Priced at just £2.69 for 480ml, it was also the joint cheapest on test.
Taste Test Methodology
Which? gathered 63 ice cream tasters at their test lab to evaluate 10 luxury vanilla ice creams. The panel sampled seven supermarket own-label products alongside branded options from Häagen-Dazs, Jude's, and Yeo Valley. The supermarkets included Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Waitrose. Marks & Spencer informed Which? after the trial that they had reformulated their West Country Madagascan Vanilla Luxury Ice Cream recipe.
Winning Ice Cream: Aldi
Aldi's Specially Selected Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream scored 77%, edging ahead of the competition by one percentage point. According to Which?, "A delicious crowd-pleasing ice cream that's also the joint cheapest on test. Most thought the strength of flavour and sweetness were just right. Texture was a high point too, with nearly three quarters finding it had the perfect creaminess."
Runner-Up: Waitrose and Sainsbury's
In joint-second place, both Waitrose No.1 Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream (£4.50 for 500ml) and Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Vanilla Ice Cream (£3.50 for 480ml) scored 76%. Which? described Waitrose as "a well-liked all-rounder with looks, flavour and creaminess all winning approval from two thirds of our tasters." For Sainsbury's, they noted "it had a good flavour and a well-balanced sweetness" but its texture didn't match the top scorer on creaminess.
Brand Performance: Yeo Valley
Among branded products, Yeo Valley performed best. Its Organic Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream (£4.75 for 500ml) scored 76%, placing fourth overall. Which? commented, "Yeo Valley was easily the most favoured brand, and scored only one percentage point less than our Best Buy. Our tasters liked the colour and texture. Two thirds said its sweetness was spot on. And while its texture was rated well overall, some thought it lacked creaminess."
Impact and Affordability
The Which? test highlights that affordable supermarket own-label ice creams can match or surpass premium brands in quality. With persistent hot weather across the UK, consumers seeking high-quality ice cream at a lower price point can now turn to Aldi's offering, which combines excellent flavour and creaminess at a fraction of the cost of Häagen-Dazs or other luxury brands.
