Our panel of 64 consumers blind-tasted 12 extra mature cheddars, including big brands such as Cathedral City and Pilgrims Choice, and supermarket own labels from the likes of Aldi, Sainsbury's, Tesco and more.
M&S and Waitrose prevailed and beat the brands, while Aldi's excellent budget cheddar is our top cheaper option.
Read on to find out how all the cheddars compare, and which big brand came last overall.
Eat well, live better and stay healthy: Best extra mature cheddar cheeseOur results suggest it’s worth spending a little extra if you want the most flavoursome cheese.
M&S came top of the pile in our taste tests, just ahead of Waitrose. Davidstow was the best-scoring brand, coming in third overall. But these three cheddars are also the priciest.
Tesco is a little cheaper and put in a good showing, while Aldi's cheap and cheerful cheddar offers the best compromise between taste and price.
Best Buy: M&S Cornish Cove Extra Mature Cheddar – 75%
£5 for 350g (£1.43 per 100g)
Most of our tasters said this creamy cheddar from M&S had the perfect colour, and its salt levels and smoothness were both rated highly.
More than half felt the all-important strength of flavour was just right, and around two thirds said it hit the spot in terms of firmness and crumbliness.
It's a pricey option, so might be a good choice for special occasions.
Available in store and from .Best Buy: Waitrose No.1 Extra Mature Cornish Quartz Cheddar – 74%
£2.51 for 200g (£1.26 per 100g)
This Cornish cheddar from Waitrose delivered just the right saltiness and strength of flavour, according to a majority of our tasters.
Most also enjoyed its smooth texture, with 83% finding it had the perfect level of creaminess.It was almost as popular with our tasters as M&S's cheese, and is a little cheaper.
Available from .Best Buy: Davidstow Extra Mature Crackler – 72%
£4.40 for 320g (£1.38 per 100g)
Davidstow came in a strong third, tying top for flavour with the two other Best Buys.
It's a great all-rounder. Most tasters said colour, firmness, smoothness and crumbliness were about right.
Nearly a third found the flavour a little too powerful, though, and a similar number would've preferred a crumblier texture.
Available from , , , , and .Worth considering: Tesco Finest Extra Mature English Cheddar – 71%
£3.80 for 350g (£1.09 per 100g)
Although the flavour didn't match up to our Best Buys, this is a decent cheddar that was well liked overall.
Its texture was rated well, and most were happy with the smoothness, creaminess and firmness.
This cheese is a great all-rounder, and substantially cheaper than our Best Buys, so it's a good choice if you shop in Tesco.
Available from .Great Value: Aldi Specially Selected West Country Extra Mature Cheddar – 70%
£2.99 for 350g (85p per 100g)
This Great Value Aldi cheddar would be an attractive and flavoursome addition to a cheese board, as well as being substantially cheaper than other high scorers.
Most tasters found it had an appealing texture and appearance. However, 47% found the flavour too strong and nearly a third said it was too salty. Some tasters also felt it could do with more crumble.
If you like a potent punch to your cheese, and want a good cheaper option, Aldi’s cheese could fit the bill.
Available from .Check out our expert guides to the , plusHow Cathedral City, Pilgrims Choice and the other supermarket cheddars compare
The remainder of the extra mature cheeses put in a reasonable showing, so you can't go too far wrong.
Most scored quite similarly, though Pilgrims Choice came in last overall. Co-op got the same score as Aldi, but it's pricier.
Co-op Irresistible 9 Month Matured Somerset Extra Mature Cheddar – 70%.£3.90 for 320g (£1.25 per 100g). Available from .Asda Extra Special Wyke Farms Extra Mature Cheddar – 69%.£3.25 for 300g (£1.08 per 100g). Available from .Cathedral City Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese– 69%.£4.75 for 350g (£1.36 per 100g). Available from , , , , , , , and .Lidl Deluxe Somerset Cheddar – 69%.£2.99 for 300g (99p per 100g). Available from .Morrisons The Best Extra Mature Farmhouse Cheddar – 69%.£3.25 for 300g (£1.08 per 100g). Available from .Sainsbury's Extra Mature Farmhouse Cheddar, Taste the Difference – 68%.£3.50 for 380g (£1.09 per 100g). Available from .Pilgrims Choice Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese – 66%.£4.20 for 350g (£1.20 per 100g). Available from , , , , and .Is cheese healthy?
The extra mature cheddars we tested were typically about a quarter protein, and high in bone-protecting calcium. Other nutrients in cheese include iodine, phosphorous, vitamin B2, B5 and B12.
Cheddar is also high in fat, however, particularly the less healthy saturated kind, and high in salt too.
If you use extra mature cheddar in your cooking, a small quantity should still supply plenty of satisfying cheesy flavour.
Is cheese vegetarian?
Traditionally, most cheddar contained animal rennet. Its function was to separate the curds from the whey. This meant that hard cheeses such as cheddar were not suitable for vegetarians.
Nowadays, though, non-animal rennet is widely used, and all the cheeses we tested are suitable for vegetarians.
Some other cheeses, such as parmesan and gorgonzola, still use animal rennet, so it's worth checking before you buy.
– we reveal the best options from our independent taste testCan you freeze cheese?
The cheeses we tested were mainly sold in packs of 300g to 350g.
Buying bigger blocks of cheese can save money, and it typically lasts well if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
If you're not going to use it all within a few weeks, then you can pop it in the freezer for several months without affecting its flavour.
Defrosted cheese tends to be crumblier and more difficult to slice, however, so you may find it better to use for cooking rather than sandwiches, for example.
How we tested extra mature cheddar
The cheeses were assessed in October 2023 by a large panel of consumers who regularly buy and consume extra mature cheddar cheese. The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK.
Each brand of cheese was assessed by 64 people. The panellists rated the taste, texture, aroma and appearance of each cheese and told us what they liked and disliked about each one.
The taste test was blind, so the panellists didn’t know which brand they were trying. The order in which they tasted the cheeses was fully rotated to avoid any bias. Each panellist had a private booth, so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.
The overall score was based on:
These weightings are based on how consumers rank the importance of different attributes of cheese.
Recycling cheese wrappers
The film that cheddar cheese is packaged in is generally not recyclable in household waste.
Prices correct as of 2 November 2023
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/best-extra-mature-cheddar-cheese-aeizH7l5RDN3