{"id":798207,"date":"2026-10-10T15:32:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T15:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/798207\/"},"modified":"2026-10-10T15:32:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T15:32:13","slug":"a-proud-loaf-with-a-deep-caramel-crust-the-best-and-worst-supermarket-sliced-wholemeal-bread-tasted-and-rated-bread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/798207\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018A proud loaf with a deep, caramel crust\u2019: the best (and worst) supermarket sliced wholemeal bread, tasted and rated | Bread"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve broken my strict, like-for-like approach this week in the interests of just finding a really good sliced wholemeal sandwich loaf. Alas, most of these are made to the standard Chorleywood process, with each one a cardboard replica of the other and with only nuanced differences. However, I did find two with exceptional flavour and one with a notably good, firm texture that\u2019s ideal for spreading stuff on; to my surprise, several have an impressive lack of additives, too, and they all score well on value.<\/p>\n

The Chorleywood process<\/a> is an industrial method for making bread in just three and a half hours using high-speed mechanical processes and chemical additives. It was developed in the 1960s, and now accounts for about 80% of the bread made in the UK. If you\u2019re looking for palm oil-free loaves with zero additives, emulsifiers or preservatives, sandwich loaves are hard to navigate, but there are some that fit the bill \u2013 just check the label.<\/p>\n

The best supermarket sliced wholemeal breadBest overall:
Jason\u2019s sourdough wholemeal ciabattin\u00a32.20 for 580g at Morrisons (38p\/100g)<\/a>\u00a32.35 for 580g at Waitrose (41p\/100g)<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606<\/p>\n

A small, round-topped tin loaf with a closed crumb, a dense texture (perfect for spreading) and an evenly glazed crust. A sweet, wheatgrass aroma, medium-firm bite and simple flavour profile. A sweet, nutty taste without any bitterness. A simple ingredients list (wholemeal wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, fermented wheat flour, salt), zero additives and palm oil-free.<\/p>\n

Best bargain:
Aldi Specially Selected wholemeal seeded loaf99p for 800g at Aldi (13p\/100g), in store only<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606<\/p>\n

A soft loaf speckled with millet, sunflower and other seeds and with a fresh and wholesome malty aroma. Yielding to the bite, with good texture from the seeds and the chewy crust. Three additives (two emulsifiers, one preservative), but palm oil-free.<\/p>\n

And the rest \u2026Wildfarmed regenerative sliced seeded\u00a32.25 for 550g at Ocado (41p\/100g)<\/a>\u00a32.25 for 550g at Tesco (41p\/100g)<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606<\/p>\n

A soft and seedy loaf (loads of millet, sunflower seeds, linseeds and others) with a roasted barley and fermented yeast aroma. A sweet flavour with a complex nuttiness and toasted bran finish, and extra texture from the sheer quantity of seeds. Made with flour from cereals grown by Wildfarmed\u2019s regenerative farming project. B Corp-certified, zero additives, and palm oil-free.<\/p>\n

Exceptional by Asda wholemeal superseeded sliced loaf\u00a31.60 for 800g at Asda (20p\/100g)<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606<\/p>\n

A thick slice with a medium closed crumb and an appetising, sweet, nutty aroma. A bit gummy, but with substance and a good and textural bite from all the seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, linseed). A well-balanced flavour profile, too, with zero additives. Contains palm oil and palm fat, though.<\/p>\n

Sainsbury\u2019s Taste the Difference multiseed wholemeal farmhouse loaf\u00a31.60 for 800g at Sainsbury\u2019s (20p\/100g)<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606<\/p>\n

A proud loaf with a deep, caramel-glazed crust. A sweet, malty but sour aroma, and a dense, firm crumb with mixed seeds throughout (mainly millet and sunflower). Firm and crunchy with a sweet, nutty flavour and no bitterness. Zero additives, but contains palm oil.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/p>\n

Tesco Finest wholemeal seeds and grains\u00a31.75 for 800g at Tesco (22p\/100g)<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606<\/p>\n

A soft, seedy loaf topped with wheat flakes. A rich, bran-forward aroma, and a simple flavour, with a savoury, nutty finish and a decent bite. Zero additives, and palm oil-free.<\/p>\n

M&S medium wholemeal super soft loaf75p for 800g at Ocado (10p\/100g)<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606\u2606<\/p>\n

A soft loaf with a closed crumb and gummy texture. A sweet, nutty aroma with a bitter, burnt finish. Sweet at first, with a nice, nutty middle. A good everyday loaf with zero additives, but does contain palm oil. Exceptional value, too.<\/p>\n

Allinson\u2019s The Champion wholemeal\u00a31.50 for 650g at Asda (24p\/100g)<\/a>\u00a31.80 for 650g at Ocado (28p\/100g)<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606\u2606<\/p>\n

A dark, round-topped sandwich loaf with a closed crumb and soft, gluey texture. An acrid, over-toasted bran aroma and distinctive malty but bitter bran flavour. Zero additives or labelled artificial preservatives, and emulsifier-free. Contains certified \u201csustainable\u201d palm oil.<\/p>\n

Hovis granary wholemeal\u00a31.95 for 800g at Tesco (25p\/100g)<\/a>\u00a32 for 800g at Waitrose (25p\/100g)<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606\u2606<\/p>\n

A rich, tanned loaf topped with wheat flakes. A sweet, nutty aroma and a soft texture. Simple, bran-forward flavour with a bitter aftertaste. Three additives (one preservative, two emulsifiers), but palm oil-free.<\/p>\n

Co-op Bakery farmhouse wholemeal\u00a31.30 for 800g at Co-op (17p\/100g)<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2605\u2606\u2606\u2606\u2606<\/p>\n

A standard soft wholemeal loaf with a closed crumb, a sweet but mildly synthetic aroma and a gummy texture. A sweet-forward flavour with subtle, nutty notes and a pleasant aftertaste. Three additives (two emulsifiers, one preservative), plus palm oil and palm fat.<\/p>\n

For more, read our roundup of the best sourdough<\/a> and the best brioche buns<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve broken my strict, like-for-like approach this week in the interests of just finding a really good sliced…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":798208,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[84,59,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-798207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-gb","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/798207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=798207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/798207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/798208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=798207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=798207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=798207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}