Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is Philadelphia cream cheese worth it?

177 replies

JollyPearlShaker · 29/10/2024 14:51

Be honest, mums - is Philadelphia cream cheese actually worth the extra money? I keep going back and forth! Trying to decide if it's a worthwhile treat or just clever marketing

OP posts:
worthofbostworlds · 29/10/2024 15:33

Don't think so. Haven't bought it in a long time so can't remember exactly what it's like, but can eat spoonfuls on the Aldi stuff so happy enough with that.

amoreoamicizia · 29/10/2024 15:32

Tesco and M&S own brand cream cheese ingredients: milk, probably other store's own brands will be the same.

PrincessAnne4Eva · 29/10/2024 15:32

Nope. Supermarket own brand cream cheese for us. We also make homemade Dairylea dunkers by dolloping the cream cheese on a plate and adding some supermarket own brand mini breadsticks. The kids prefer it.

Aliflowers · 29/10/2024 15:28

This agree LIDL is far superior at half the cost

amoreoamicizia · 29/10/2024 15:28

It's ultra-processed whereas many own brands are not, so no.

IdleAnimations · 29/10/2024 15:27

No. I don’t understand why people bother paying the price when every supermarket does their own.

I’ve tried most of the cream cheeses and have settled on M&S.

tellmeitsnotjustme12 · 29/10/2024 15:25

The own brand stuff tends to have limited ingredients so that is one where I think own brand is better.

DareDevil223 · 29/10/2024 15:24

SocksAndTheCity · 29/10/2024 14:55

Me too. I'll also keep the Paysan Breton to myself.

Show quote history

Paysan Breton is the bee's knees.

Star81 · 29/10/2024 15:24

We have actually just stopped using Philadelphia cheese after looking at what was in it. It’s not just creamed cheese it’s got other stuff in it too so we’ve swapped to other brands which are 100% cream cheese only and nobody has noticed the difference so far

WiserOlderElf · 29/10/2024 15:23

WYorkshireRose · 29/10/2024 15:20

@sprigatito not remotely snobby, I'll eat cream cheese as much as the next person. The point I was making is that branded or otherwise, it's not exactly what I'd class as a treat food. And as others have pointed out, from an ingredients perspective, Philadelphia is hardly the best either.

For some people, buying the more expensive version of a basic item because they prefer it to the cheaper version is a treat. Surely you know that?

Supermand · 29/10/2024 15:23

I think it’s Asda that’s the cheap decent one.

WonderingAboutBabies · 29/10/2024 15:22

For eating on crackers or bagels, yes! But for baking/sauces/etc - just get the supermarket's own.

LadyGabriella · 29/10/2024 15:22

Thinking of Boursin now.

Blossomingx · 29/10/2024 15:22

I prefer to buy Philadelphia over Aldi and Tesco own brand soft cheese. It tastes nicer, and the texture is lovely. It's usually on offer in Tesco :-)

StressedQueen · 29/10/2024 15:21

Love it on my bagels

WYorkshireRose · 29/10/2024 15:20

@sprigatito not remotely snobby, I'll eat cream cheese as much as the next person. The point I was making is that branded or otherwise, it's not exactly what I'd class as a treat food. And as others have pointed out, from an ingredients perspective, Philadelphia is hardly the best either.

sprigatito · 29/10/2024 15:15

WYorkshireRose · 29/10/2024 15:12

A "worthwhile treat"? It's Philadelphia, not caviar Confused

  1. some people find cold, brackish little balls of fish oil unpleasant

  2. snobbery is unattractive. Branded soft cheese is a realistic treat for far, far more people than caviar. But you know that.

McT123 · 29/10/2024 15:12

RedFronds · 29/10/2024 14:57

I'm sure I read on MN that Philadelphia has a load of crap in that Aldi soft cheese doesn't have in it.

Philadelphia: Full Fat Soft Cheese, Salt, Stabiliser (Guar Gum), Acid (Citric Acid)

Aldi: Full Fat Soft Cheese (𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐤), Salt, Stabilisers: Guar Gum, Carrageenan; Citrus Fibre.

WYorkshireRose · 29/10/2024 15:12

A "worthwhile treat"? It's Philadelphia, not caviar Confused

violentovulation · 29/10/2024 15:11

Asking the REAL questions here...

Grepes · 29/10/2024 15:11

Philadelphia is rubbish. You want Paysan Breton if you like a slightly saltier one, or duchy organic for your regular cream cheese.

Flopsythebunny · 29/10/2024 15:09

You won't get better than Longley farm cream cheese. same goes for their cottage cheese

ManchesterGirl2 · 29/10/2024 15:07

No. It's ultraprocessed with stabilisers. Better to just get plain soft cheese with no added crap.

purpleme12 · 29/10/2024 15:06

Yes yes and yes

I tried the cheaper stuff cos you know, money
And the difference was big...
Well worth the extra money