Supermarket Coleslaw Showdown: Taste, Texture and Additive Lists

A recent tasting survey evaluated the coleslaw offerings from four major UK supermarkets—Waitrose, Aldi Specially Selected, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s “Taste the Difference.” The panel compared texture, flavor balance and ingredient composition, noting that each brand adopts a distinct approach to creaminess, crunch, and seasoning.

The Guardian

• Waitrose delivers a deli-style slaw with red onion and chives, a creamy mayo that incorporates whipping cream, free-range egg yolk and UK dairy, and no added stabilisers or gums.

The Guardian

• Aldi Specially Selected presents a rich, indulgent slaw that is cabbage-forward with carrot and a subtle onion note. Its mayo contains guar and xanthan gums, and the product includes potassium sorbate as a preservative.

The Guardian

• Morrisons offers an extra-crunchy, medium-thick slaw made with free-range egg mayo. The recipe uses citrus fibre, guar gum, xanthan gum and pectin for thickening, but omits cream.

The Guardian

• Sainsbury’s “Taste the Difference” features a ribbon-cut, saucy slaw enriched with a splash of single cream. The formulation relies on guar gum, xanthan gum, potato starch and citrus fibre for stability, and adds lemon juice for subtle acidity.

The Guardian

All four products employ modern food-tech ingredients to achieve desired texture and shelf-life. Guar and xanthan gums appear in three of the four recipes, while citrus fibre and potato starch are used as alternative thickeners. Potassium sorbate is listed only in the Aldi version, serving as a preservative. The presence of these additives contrasts with Waitrose’s additive-free approach.

The Guardian

The review highlights a trade-off between traditional, additive-free recipes and formulations that rely on gums and stabilisers for consistency. Shoppers seeking a cleaner ingredient list may prefer Waitrose, whereas those prioritising a richer mouthfeel might opt for Aldi or Sainsbury’s, despite the added additives. The varied use of free-range egg yolk and dairy also signals differing brand commitments to ingredient sourcing.

The Guardian

The article is a taste-test commentary rather than a news report, meaning the observations reflect the reviewers’ sensory judgments and ingredient analyses rather than independently verified consumer data.

The Guardian