Extra virgin olive oil is a kitchen staple, but it’s also one of the most expensive grocery items in UK supermarkets – I tried a bunch of different brands to find out which was the best.
04:00, 05 Aug 2025Updated 08:31, 05 Aug 2025
I tried olive oil from Lidl and 7 more – 1 was better than Filippo Berio and Il Casolare
All extra virgin olive oil is produced from cold-pressed olives, while regular olive oil is a blend that includes processed oils. Extra virgin olive oil is thus a healthier option, preserving more of the natural antioxidants and vitamins that can be lost during processing.
However, extra virgin olive oil is one of the priciest items in supermarkets, with many costing over £25. Extra virgin olive oil is incredibly versatile – ideal for drizzling on salads, using as a base for pasta sauces, in sandwiches, swirling on top of soups and of course, dipping your sourdough bread into.
To help you determine if the most expensive extra virgin olive oil brands are worth splashing out on, I put them to the test against eight well-known supermarkets.
I tried olive oil from Lidl and 7 more – 1 was better than Filippo Berio and Il CasolareFilippo Berio
Starting with one of the UK’s favourite oil brands, Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil had a pleasant colour and thick consistency; however, in terms of flavour, there wasn’t anything special about it.
Retailing for £14 to £16 per litre, there are certainly better options ahead that are far cheaper.
Rating: 6/10
Il Casolare
Golden in colour and packed with flavour. It’s remarkable how smooth this £16 extra virgin olive oil is – silky, almost.
I like this: it tastes like olives and artichokes; however, I wasn’t a fan of the peppery, almost spicy finish.
Rating: 8.5/10
Asda
Reminiscent of green herbs and tomato plants, I found this £7.38 oil from Asda really pleasing and surprising, not least for its persistent, peppery notes.
A great working oil that I would happily use for day-to-day cooking and dressings.
Rating: 8/10
Asda ranked better than Tesco for their extra virgin olive oil
Tesco
Considering this wasn’t the cheapest of the lot, this £7 olive oil from Tesco was probably the worst one.
It felt thin in the mouth, and there was no hint of olive flavour. Perhaps this oil is best kept for stews and soups.
Rating: 3/10
Morrisons
This £8.40 option from Morrisons was a little better than Tesco’s, but not by much. It’s got a much more grassy taste than some of the other offerings, rather than olive.
Rating: 4/10
Lidl and Aldi extra virgin olive oil were the cheapest twoAldi
Coming in at £6.49, the flavour was pretty good, better than a few of the other supermarket brands.
But the consistency from Aldi was just a tad too thick and left my salad wet and soggy, unfortunately.
Rating: 5.5/10
Lidl
Considering a bottle of extra virgin olive oil costs £4.99 at Lidl, I can’t believe how good it was.
It has a nice, strong olive flavour, but I found that it was a little too thick.
Rating: 8/10
Sainsbury’s
There wasn’t as much flavour to this one from Sainsbury’s, nor did it add much to my salad, as some of the others I tried.
But on the bright side, the consistency was perfect, leaving my veggies not too soggy.
Rating: 6/10
Extra virgin olive oil from Sainsbury’s and M&S
M&S
Coming in as the most expensive supermarket brand of extra virgin olive oil, this £9 option from Marks and Spencer had a great texture. It’s nice and light, so you could drizzle it over any meal for an added oomph.
However, while the initial flavour was pleasant, I wasn’t keen on the aftertaste.
Rating: 7.5/10
Waitrose
I was quite taken with the light, subtle taste of this Waitrose olive oil that was still peppery but smooth.
The consistency is also thinner than some other oils on the market, making it perfect for drizzling over lettuce. The only drawback of this was the slightly steep price of £8.50, but it wasn’t the priciest.
Rating: 10/10
Dining and Cooking