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

Our wholegrain hero sorts the wheat from the chaff in the search for a simple pleasure: a satisfying sandwich loaf • The best supermarket sourdough 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.

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