Cheddar cheese is a staple ingredient in most households. We use it for everything from packed lunches and toasties to lasagne and cottage pie toppings.
You can beat it with a splash of Worcestershire sauce. However, Cathedral City can be quite pricey, especially if you're trying to feed a hungry family of four.
So I decided to try budget cheddars from Aldi, Asda, Tesco, M&S, Lidl, Sainsbury's and Morrisons to see how they compared in terms of price and flavour.
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All suitable for vegetarians, I found the budget cheese packets tended to be in bumper family sized packs, which made them a bigger expense at the till but better value in the long run.
Cathedral City Cheddar
Cathedral City Cheddar costs £3.75 for 350g from Sainsbury's, which works out to £10.71 per kg.
Made using 100% British milk, Cathedral City is said to be 'the nation's favourite' having been crafted in Cornwall using dedicated West Country farms for more than 50 years.
I liked the fact that this packet was easy to open and resealable to keep your cheese fresh. It was the only one that did this.
The packet showed the Red Tractor badge for assured food standards, and said the cheese was suitable for freezing but recommended you grate it first then use it in cooking.
This cheese was so tangy, it was almost drying in the mouth. It was full of flavour but not as creamy as I'd expected. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Asda Just Essentials Mature Cheddar
Asda Just Essentials Mature Cheddar costs £2.49 for 400g, which works out to £6.72 per kg.
Red Tractor assured, this budget cheese didn't list a strength on the packet.
It had a more rubbery texture than the Cathedral City.
But I was impressed with the flavour for the price.
It had a nice tang and was packed with flavour. Quite moreish. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Lidl Simply British Mature White Cheddar
Lidl Simply British Mature White Cheddar costs £4.88 for 900g, which works out to £5.54 per kg.
Red Tractor standards assured, one pack was said to provide around 30 servings.
This was a strength 3 cheddar made at Dale Farm in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
It was quite creamy in texture but lacked flavour compared to the Cathedral City.
Perhaps this was because it was a strength 3 cheddar, but I found it wasn't very tangy just quite bland. I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Morrisons Savers Mature Cheddar
Morrisons Savers Mature Cheddar costs £4.35 for 700g, which works out to £6.21 per kg.
Made with British milk, the packet didn't say where it was made but it did confirm it followed Red Tractor certified standards.
This was a strength 3. I found it was really bland and cloying in the mouth. It had a rubbery texture.
Not a particularly pleasant flavour, it had quite a strange aftertaste. It didn't say whether or not it could be frozen. I gave it 1 out of 5 stars.
Tesco Mature Cheddar
Tesco Mature Cheddar costs £3.20 for 400g, which works out to per £8 per kg.
It comes in a 41% reduced plastic package, which is good, and is made from 100% British milk.
Crumbly in texture, this cheese was really creamy in the mouth.
This is a number three strength cheese but I found it was packed full of flavour, super tangy and delicious. Really moreish.
I also loved the rectangular shape which is a lot easier for grating and slicing. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.
M&S British Mature Cheddar
M&S British Mature Cheddar costs £2.75 for 350g, which works out to £7.86 per kg.
Made at the award-winning Taw Valley Creamery, this cheese is not suitable for freezing.
With a number five strength, I found it was really tangy and packed full of flavour. I loved the creamy texture too.
I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.
Sainsbury's Stamford Street Co Mature Cheddar
Sainsbury's Stamford Street Co Mature Cheddar costs £4.88 for 900g, which works out to £5.54 per kg.
It has a number four strength, according to the packet, but I felt it didn't have a particularly strong flavour.
It was actually quite bland and rubbery in texture. I wouldn't bother with it again and gave it 2 out of 5 stars.
Aldi Mature Cheddar
Aldi Mature Cheddar costs £4.88 for 900g, which works out to £5.54 per kg.
Made with 100% British milk at a Red Tractor certified farm, it didn't say whether or not it could be frozen or where it was made.
This cheese was delicious. Crumbly and packed with flavour, this cheese was creamy and moreish. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.
Overall verdict
I was surprised to find that Cathedral City was definitely not my favourite.
Instead, I preferred the M&S, Tesco and Aldi Mature Cheddars, all of which I gave five star ratings.
However, the Aldi budget cheese was almost half the price per kg compared to Cathedral City and yet it was better! It was also a fraction of the price of the Tesco and M&S ones so this is what I'll be buying from now on.
