‘A proud loaf with a deep, caramel crust’: the best (and worst) supermarket sliced wholemeal bread, tasted and rated

All rise … Photograph: Robert Billington/The Guardian. Food styling: Robert Billington.View image in fullscreenAll rise … Photograph: Robert Billington/The Guardian. Food styling: Robert Billington.Review‘A proud loaf with a deep, caramel crust’: the best (and worst) supermarket sliced wholemeal bread, tasted and ratedOur wholegrain hero sorts the wheat from the chaff in the search for a simple pleasure: a satisfying sandwich loaf

I’ve 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’s ideal for spreading stuff on; to my surprise, several have an impressive lack of additives, too, and they all score well on value.

The Chorleywood process 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’re 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 – just check the label.

View image in fullscreen£2.20 for 580g at Morrisons (38p/100g)£2.35 for 580g at Waitrose (41p/100g)★★★★☆

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.

View image in fullscreen99p for 800g at Aldi (13p/100g), in store only★★★☆☆

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.

View image in fullscreen£2.25 for 550g at Ocado (41p/100g)£2.25 for 550g at Tesco (41p/100g)★★★★☆

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’s regenerative farming project. B Corp-certified, zero additives, and palm oil-free.

View image in fullscreen£1.60 for 800g at Asda (20p/100g)★★★☆☆

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.

View image in fullscreen£1.60 for 800g at Sainsbury’s (20p/100g)★★★☆☆

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.

View image in fullscreen£1.75 for 800g at Tesco (22p/100g)★★★☆☆

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.

View image in fullscreen75p for 800g at Ocado (10p/100g)★★☆☆☆

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.

View image in fullscreen£1.50 for 650g at Asda (24p/100g)£1.80 for 650g at Ocado (28p/100g)★★☆☆☆

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 “sustainable” palm oil.

View image in fullscreen£1.95 for 800g at Tesco (25p/100g)£2 for 800g at Waitrose (25p/100g)★★☆☆☆

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.

View image in fullscreen£1.30 for 800g at Co-op (17p/100g)★☆☆☆☆

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.

For more, read our roundup of the best sourdough and the best brioche buns