UK IS GOING NUTS FOR THIS SPREAD
As the UK goes nuts for spread, we test 12 contenders
SPREAD the news – peanut butter sales have soared 35 per cent during lockdown, making it a more popular toast topping than jam for the first time. Sales hit £98.9million in the past year, compared with £96.9million for jam.
Eager customers are even snapping up cashew, almond and Marmite varieties.
Now it’s crunch time as we rate a range out of five, to show which ones hit the spot...
Skippy Extra Smooth Creamy Peanut Butter Price: £2.25 per 340g
Taste: With 11.9g of sugar per 100g, the sweetness of this spread defi-nut-ley outweighed any nutty flavour. But apparently it contains 91 per cent roasted peanuts and the packaging is nice and bright. It will appeal to the children... whether it should is a different matter.
RATING 1
Meridian Cashew Butter Price: £3 per 170g
Taste: If you’re not a fan of peanuts then this spread provides a milder, more delicate taste. It has roughly the same number of calories as peanut butter but has other benefits including being good for blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol control. It wasn’t my favourite flavour but I’d eat it o-cashew-nally.
RATING 2
Whole Earth Crunchy Organic Peanut Butter Price: £3.20 per 340g Taste: The colour of this butter looked very wholesome and it had an impressively powerful peanut flavour. But (despite many attempts) it was too thick to spread easily on toast and almost felt like you were eating whole peanuts rather than a spread. Not worth shelling out for.
RATING 2
Organic Kitchen Smooth Peanut Butter Price: £7.99 per kg
Taste: This had a lovely, smooth consistency that would spread easily on bread or be a perfect dip for bits of fruit. Compared to the others, the flavour wasn’t as strong but, as it’s both organic and vegan, it’s definitely one for health nuts looking for a dose of protein. RATING 3
Sainsbury’s SO Organic Smooth Peanut Butter Price: £1.85 per 340g Taste: This is great value for money – especially as it uses organic products. But the texture was so thick it was like slicing into a pate. On first bite it didn’t taste of anything but, after a few chews, the flavour emerged and it was surprisingly strong and salty. Could do butter, um, better.
RATING 2
Pip & Nut Crunchy Maple Peanut Butter Price: £2.25 per 225g
Taste: The perfect peanut butter. Pip & Nut have surpassed themselves with a good consistency and large chunks of peanut to provide the ideal level of crunch. The flavour was slightly sweet but not too sugary, which made it easy to eat straight out of the jar. And, if nothing else, it smelled amazing. You’ll definitely want to squirrel this one away.
RATING 5
Marmite Crunchy Peanut Butter Price: £2.50 per 225g
Taste: As someone who dislikes Marmite, this peanut butter took me by surprise with its pleasant aroma. It was also very crunchy. However, the distinctive smoky flavour of Marmite soon crept in – leaving a taste that lingered. You’ll either love it or you’ll hate it... RATING 0
Manilife Creamy Peanut Butter Price: £3.79 per 295g Taste: On first appearance this nut butter was worryingly watery but this was nut-thing that couldn’t be fixed with a good stir. And the taste was delicious. This sweet treat will leave you going back for more... and more.
RATING 3
Meridian Crunchy Almond Butter Price: £3.95 per 170g
Taste: Almonds are known for their sweet taste and are used to make marzipan. Yet, strangely, this butter was almost bitter in flavour and left a bad taste in the mouth. I wasn’t nuts about it. On the plus side, almond butter is slightly healthier than its peanut counterpart as it contains more vitamins, minerals and fibre.
RATING 1
Pip & Nut Blueberry Muffin Almond Butter Price: £4 per 225g
Taste: This limited edition product was more pricey but it sounded appealing, as it claimed to have blueberry pieces in every bite. While it was definitely tasty, the fruity flavour overpowered the almonds and it ended up tasting a bit like a cereal bar. Still, the spread was berry nice. RATING 4
Sun-Pat Smooth Peanut Butter Price: £4.15 per 600g Taste: A cupboard staple for many households, this peanut butter was smooth, thick and appetising. The flavour wasn’t quite as deep as some of the other brands but it’s good value for money and does exactly what it says on the jar. Cracking!
RATING 3
Biona Hazelnut Butter Price: £6.40 per 170g Taste: A tough shell to crack. This nut butter definitely didn’t look very appealing on first inspection as it was very oily and hard to mix. But you could tell that it was packed full of hazelnuts and the taste shone through.
RATING 1