Consumer watchdog Which? has named Co-op's Irresistible Hand-Finished White Sourdough as the best supermarket sourdough in the UK, outperforming well-known brands like Jason's. The blind taste test involved 71 panellists who sampled 11 different loaves, including branded options and supermarket own-label products from Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco, and others.
The Co-op loaf, priced at £2.65, scored 73% out of 100. Tasters praised its crust for achieving the perfect balance between hard and soft, with ideal airiness and firmness. Its ingredients include yoghurt, yeast, and semolina.
Second place went to Tesco Finest White Sourdough Loaf, costing £1.95, with a score of 72%. Testers commended its superb, chewy texture and robust, tangy flavour. Morrisons Best White Sourdough Sliced Half Boule took third place with 63%, also priced at £1.95. While some tasters appreciated its flavour, others found it bland; two-thirds liked the texture, but a third considered it overly chewy.
Jason's, a popular brand, failed to make the top three, scoring only 62%. Critics said the bread was overly soft, and at £2.20 for a 450g loaf, it was also deemed expensive. The least favoured bread was Waitrose's No. 1 White Sourdough Bread, scoring just 59%, with testers criticising its lacklustre flavour and overly firm, dense texture.
