Value dairy products compared with shop's own brand.

[TotemPole]

What's your experience of these value products compared with the shop's own brand and branded products? Things like yoghurt, cream cheese, parmesan, mozzarella & cheddar.

I tried some of these years ago and I wondered if they'd improved at all. The value cheddar was pretty tasteless(a lot milder than regular mild cheddar) and the cream cheese was a bit 'claggy'.

Thanks.

You can often get nice cheddar on offer that is cheaper by weight than the value stuff, so I never bother with value cheddar.

The mozzarella and the yoghurt is fab. The cheese isn't as good and I don't know about the parmesan. These are Sainsbury's basics I'm talking about. I always have a bag of basics mozz in the fridge for HM pizzas etc.

I buy Sainsbury's basics mozzarella for pizza, 'Italian hard cheese' for lasagne and 'Greek salad cheese' for Greek salads. They are all fine - no, not quite as nice as the branded ones, but perfectly fine for everyday. I don't bother with the cheddar as I get whatever's on offer. I used to buy the natural yoghurt for use in curries etc and it was fine - these days we buy Greek yoghurt instead for DS but they don't do a value version of that.

Thanks, I'll try the mozzarella and yoghurt. I should have said I would be shopping at Tesco.

Do the bags of mozzarella last ok in the fridge?

Try Aldi cheese. If I wasnt allergic to cows milk I would the size of a house now eating it.

I buy tesco value cheese, it's the only value product I buy and seems tasty enough, I am not a cheese snob though and use it mainly in dishes, baked potatoes , etc

I recently bought Sainsbury's basics soft cheese. Its good - DH couldn't tell the difference at all.

I find value cheddar so rubbery it's practically bendy. And tasteless. The cheapest brie in all supermarkets seems to be fine though. Ditto Sainsburys value mozarella. If I don't use it all, I just tip the water and remaining cheese into a small tupperware pot and it keeps fine in the fridge. For cooking, value plain yoghurt seems alright, not so keen on the flavoured sweet stuff.

I buy Sainsburys basics moz, yogs and cheese. Moz and yogs are good, but cheese isn't great...does the job though.

Also recently bought Sainsburys basic soft spread...quite impressed, again it does the job!

Finally, I've been buying my cheese from a local "cheapy" shop. 400g of mature or mild cheese for £2. After buying it for a while, found it came from a local dairy...so feel happier I'm supporting local trade (and my purse)!

Thanks for everyone's comments.

The soft cheese sounds worth trying again. Also, the cheddar but not for sandwiches, just cooking.

Unfortunately we're limited to Tesco locally and Sainsbury's via the bus. I'll keep an eye open for the cheaper shops when we're further afield.

i cant tell the difference between sainsburys basics cream cheese and philly (or shops own)

i agree i dont buy blocks of cheddar etc, i buy a normal brand on offer

sainsburys basics parmesan stuff is fine for grating over pasta

I dont use the basics yogurt

value butter is fine too IMO

Not a "value" line as such, but Lidl do a full-fat Greek yoghurt in a 1kg tub which is lovely - really thick and creamy. Price fluctuates a bit but think it's around £1.50 at the moment (have got it for £1.20-ish previously on their weekend specials). Think it's called Eridaneous. They also do a fruit one in a big tub which the kids love but I find too sweet...

Value fromage frais are fine, same for natural yog for cooking (but I do prefer the Lidl Greek stuff for my breakfast).

Agree with Sainsbury's basics mozzarella, parmesan & soft cheese... again Lidl & Aldi versions v. good.

Value butter ok too, fine for baking etc. but often find Lurpak / country life on offer for more or less the same price on multi-buy offer.