A new Which? study has revealed the UK’s best spreadable butter, with three own-brand options beating Lurpak on both taste and price.
In a blind taste test, the consumer champion asked a panel of 67 people to rate eight supermarket spreadables, including Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, M&S, Ocado, Tesco and Waitrose, alongside the well-known Danish brand.
Aldi’s Nordpak was crowned the winner with tasters, who rated it for creaminess, colour and well-rounded flavour.
At £2.18 for 500g, it was also one of the cheapest, earning a Which? Great Value endorsement alongside a coveted Best Buy award.
In second place was M&S lightly Salted Butter Blend, which was also labelled a Best Buy. As well as scoring well for flavour and texture, this had the highest proportion of butter of the spreads included in the test.
But although it came in cheaper than Lurpak – £2.30 for 250g – the M&S spread was almost twice the price per 100g of Aldi’s offering.
The third supermarket spreadable to score higher than Lurpak – albeit by a narrower margin – was Morrisons Salted Spreadable. At £1.97 for 450g, it’s half the price of the name brand butter, and rated among the best for texture with tasters.
Lurpak came in fourth, impressing the panel on appearance, flavour and texture. However, it was the most expensive spread tested, costing nearly £5 for 400g – over 60% more expensive gram for gram than Aldi’s offering.
Butters from Ocado, Lidl and Asda scored fairly well, but those from Tesco and Waitrose proved less popular, losing marks for aroma, flavour and creaminess.
Tesco Butterpak’s aroma and flavour saw it losing points, while Waitrose Spreadable (perhaps surprisingly) had the lowest score overall, described by the panel as lacking in both flavour and creaminess.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, commented: ‘A spreadable butter that can be used straight out of the fridge and without making a mess of your bread can save time and stress.
‘We’ve churned through offerings from the main supermarkets and found Aldi’s Nordpak is not only the tastiest tub on test, but also less than half the price of its branded counterpart.’
Which? ranking of the best spreadable butters
The consumer champion tested spreadable butters made with a blend of butter and vegetable oil, only including those that were salted and had a similar butter/oil content to Lurpak. Spreads made with buttermilk were not included, as they are not comparable.
Here’s there verdict:
- Aldi Nordpak – 75%. One of the tastiest on test and the cheapest too. £2.18 for 500g/44p per 100g. Awarded Which? Best Buy and Great Value commendations.
- M&S Lightly Salted Butter Blend – 74%. Both flavour and texture impressed but it’s pricier than most own labels. £2.30 for 250g/92p per 100g. Awarded a Which? Best Buy.
- Morrisons Salted Spreadable – 73%. Another good supermarket own-label. £1.97 for 450g/44p per 100g.
- Lurpak – 72%. Scored well for flavour but most expensive spread on test. £4.75 for 400g/£1.19 per 100g.
- Ocado Lightly Salted Spreadable – 70%. Reasonably liked overall, scoring well on appearance, flavour and creaminess. £2.25 for 500g/45p per 100g.
- Asda Spreadable Slightly Salted – 69%. Worth considering, although our tasters didn’t find the texture quite as satisfying as higher scoring spreads. £2.18 for 500g/44p per 100g.
- Lidl Danpak Spreadable Slightly Salted – 66%. Lidl’s spread isn’t bad, however others were rated more highly for aroma and strength of flavour. £2.18 for 500g/44p per 100g.
- Tesco Butterpak Spreadable Slightly Salted – 64%. Tesco’s offering had a good appearance, but our panel were disappointed with the aroma and flavour. £2.18 for 500g/44p per 100g.
- Waitrose Spreadable – 59%. The lowest scoring spread overall, lacking in both flavour and creaminess. £2.75 for 500g/55p per 100g.
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