In a surprising revelation for British shoppers, a rigorous blind taste test of pre-packaged supermarket sourdough has found that the vast majority of loaves fail to impress. Out of 11 white sourdough loaves evaluated by expert testers, only two managed to secure a recommendation.
The Sourdough Showdown: Winners and Losers
The test, conducted on Thursday 6 November 2025, judged each loaf based on its flavour and texture without any brand identification. The clear winner was Bertinet Bakery's white sourdough, which achieved an impressive average score of 8 out of 10. Priced at £2.25, testers noted its deceptive appearance, describing a great sourness and seasoning that shone through both untoasted and especially when toasted, making it the closest to a freshly baked bakery loaf.
Securing second place was Asda's Exceptional white sourdough, scoring a respectable 7.3 out of 10. Despite its longer ingredients list, this £2.44 loaf was praised for its authentic look with a dark, rustic crust and a good flavour, even if some found it lacked a pronounced sour tang.
Big Brand Disappointments
At the opposite end of the spectrum, two well-known brands performed dismally. Both Jason's and Hovis sourdough loaves received a lowly average score of 3 out of 10. Testers found the Hovis loaf to be stodgy, lacking any sourness, and possessing an almost sickly taste. Jason's, while having a simple ingredients list, was deemed unrepresentative of a true bakery sourdough.
The test also highlighted the issue of "sourfaux" – loaves that use the sourdough label but don't meet the traditional criteria of being made with only flour, water, salt, and a starter. Many of the tested loaves included additional ingredients like rapeseed oil, yeast, and various flour treatment agents.
Complete Rankings and Key Takeaways
Here is the full ranking of the 11 supermarket sourdough loaves from the test:
- Bertinet Bakery - 8/10 (£2.25)
- Asda Exceptional - 7.3/10 (£2.44)
- Waitrose No.1 - 5.3/10 (£2.25)
- Tesco Finest - 5.3/10 (£1.95)
- Co-op - 4.6/10 (£2.50)
- Aldi - 4.5/10 (£1.75)
- Morrisons The Best - 4.1/10 (£1.95)
- Sainsbury's Taste the Difference - 4/10 (£1.95)
- M&S - 3.8/10 (£4.25)
- Jason's / Hovis - 3/10 (Joint 10th place, £2.15 / £2.25)
The key takeaway for consumers is that price and brand recognition are not reliable indicators of quality when it comes to supermarket sourdough. Shoppers seeking an authentic experience should carefully check ingredients lists and consider the top-rated loaves from this test for their next purchase.
