Butter will have featured heavily in many Christmas feasts, and your supplies may now be running low as we head into the New Year. But it’s no secret that the spreadable staple isn’t cheap.
The price of the popular Lurpak brand has soared in recent years and now costs upwards of £7 in some supermarkets. In fact, Lurpak is now so expensive that supermarkets have started security tagging the butter to combat rising shoplifting as it is increasingly deemed a luxury good.
Even Aldi, which is now selling a 500g tub for a lower price of £4.49, has resorted to using netting to protect the store’s Lurpak supplies from theft.
As prices show no sign of dropping, it may be time to try more affordable alternatives that won’t break the bank. But is it possible to find a cheaper option without compromising on flavour?
Sanjeeta Bains, reporter at our sister title The Mirror, blind-taste-tested some of the more budget-friendly butters to discover how they compare to the original – some dupes fell far short of the mark, but one brand was a clear winner.
1) I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, 450g, £1.25, Tesco
I can’t believe anyone believes this tastes anything close to butter. It’s simply an artificial-tasting margarine: I needed plenty of gulps of tea to banish the unpleasant after-taste it left in my mouth.
Rating: 1/5
2) Nordpak, 500g, £2.19, Aldi
Aldi ‘s Lurpak version tastes light and creamy, with an instant note of salt coming through. I was convinced this was the real thing. Aldi trumped Lidl’s offering, and was even better than the real thing in my books.
Rating: 5/5
3) Beautifully Buttery, 500g, 95p, Aldi
Spread beautifully on my toast, but the taste was fairly foul – flavourless and fatty. I could feel my arteries clogging up and choking for help after one bite. This butter left me reaching for my mug of tea to wash away the taste and the grease.
Rating: 0/5
4) Greenvale Valley, 500g, £2.09, Aldi
Nicely creamy, but I would have preferred a bit more saltiness coming through. However still much much preferable to Aldi’s Beautifully Buttery — and worth the extra cost.
Rating: 3/5
5) Tesco Salted spreadable, 500g, £2.19, Tesco
Very good spreadability. It is blended with butter but tasted too margariney for my liking.
Rating: 2/5
The verdict
If you’re looking for the closest to Lurpak, then Aldi’s version wins hands down. The Mirror approached Aldi for a comment.
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