Two supermarket sliced wholemeal sandwich loaves earned four out of five stars in a taste test by food writer Tom Hunt, who rated the products for the Guardian. Hunt said he set aside his usual like-for-like comparison this week to search for a genuinely good sliced wholemeal sandwich loaf.
He reported that most of the loaves he tested are made to the standard Chorleywood process, describing each as a cardboard replica of the other with only nuanced differences. He found two with exceptional flavour and one with a notably good, firm texture that he said is ideal for spreading. Several had an impressive lack of additives, he added, and all scored well on value.
The Chorleywood process is an industrial method of making bread in three and a half hours using high-speed mechanical processes and chemical additives. Developed in the 1960s, it now accounts for about 80% of the bread made in the UK, according to Hunt. For shoppers seeking palm oil-free loaves with no additives, emulsifiers or preservatives, he said sandwich loaves are hard to navigate, though some fit the bill if the label is checked.
Four stars
A small, round-topped tin loaf sold at Morrisons for £2.20 for 580g (38p per 100g) and at Waitrose for £2.35 for 580g (41p per 100g) earned four stars. Hunt described a closed crumb, a dense texture he called perfect for spreading and an evenly glazed crust, with a sweet wheatgrass aroma, a medium-firm bite and a simple flavour profile. He noted a sweet, nutty taste without any bitterness, a short ingredients list of wholemeal wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, fermented wheat flour and salt, zero additives and no palm oil.
A soft and seedy loaf sold at Ocado and Tesco, each at £2.25 for 550g (41p per 100g), also earned four stars. Hunt noted generous quantities of millet, sunflower seeds, linseeds and others, with a roasted barley and fermented yeast aroma. He described a sweet flavour with complex nuttiness and a toasted bran finish, plus extra texture from the sheer quantity of seeds. The loaf is made with flour from cereals grown by Wildfarmed’s regenerative farming project, is B Corp-certified, has zero additives and is palm oil-free.
Three stars
A soft loaf speckled with millet, sunflower and other seeds, sold at Aldi for 99p for 800g (13p per 100g) in store only, earned three stars. Hunt cited a fresh, wholesome malty aroma, a yielding bite, good texture from the seeds and a chewy crust. He recorded three additives, two emulsifiers and one preservative, but no palm oil.
A thick-sliced loaf sold at Asda for £1.60 for 800g (20p per 100g) earned three stars. Hunt described a medium closed crumb and an appetising, sweet, nutty aroma, calling it a bit gummy but with substance and a good textural bite from sunflower, pumpkin and linseed. He noted a well-balanced flavour profile with zero additives, though it contains palm oil and palm fat.
A loaf sold at Sainsbury’s for £1.60 for 800g (20p per 100g) earned three stars. Hunt described a proud loaf with a deep, caramel-glazed crust, a sweet, malty but sour aroma, and a dense, firm crumb with mixed seeds, mainly millet and sunflower. He called it firm and crunchy with a sweet, nutty flavour and no bitterness, with zero additives but containing palm oil.
A soft, seedy loaf topped with wheat flakes, sold at Tesco for £1.75 for 800g (22p per 100g), earned three stars. Hunt noted a rich, bran-forward aroma and a simple flavour with a savoury, nutty finish and a decent bite. It has zero additives and is palm oil-free.
Two stars
A soft loaf sold at Ocado for 75p for 800g (10p per 100g) earned two stars. Hunt described a closed crumb and gummy texture, a sweet, nutty aroma with a bitter, burnt finish, and a flavour that is sweet at first with a nice, nutty middle. He called it a good everyday loaf with zero additives that contains palm oil, and cited exceptional value.
A dark, round-topped sandwich loaf sold at Asda for £1.50 for 650g (24p per 100g) and at Ocado for £1.80 for 650g (28p per 100g) earned two stars. Hunt described a closed crumb and soft, gluey texture, an acrid, over-toasted bran aroma and a distinctive malty but bitter bran flavour. It has zero additives or labelled artificial preservatives and is emulsifier-free, and contains certified sustainable palm oil.
A rich, tanned loaf topped with wheat flakes, sold at Tesco for £1.95 for 800g (25p per 100g) and at Waitrose for £2 for 800g (25p per 100g), earned two stars. Hunt cited a sweet, nutty aroma, a soft texture and a simple, bran-forward flavour with a bitter aftertaste. It has three additives, one preservative and two emulsifiers, but no palm oil.
One star
A standard soft wholemeal loaf sold at Co-op for £1.30 for 800g (17p per 100g) earned one star. Hunt described a closed crumb, a sweet but mildly synthetic aroma and a gummy texture, with a sweet-forward flavour, subtle nutty notes and a pleasant aftertaste. It has three additives, two emulsifiers and one preservative, plus palm oil and palm fat.
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