I tried a £3.50 butter and Sainsbury’s own brand — the results were surprising

I compared President French Slightly Salted Butter with Sainsbury’s British Salted Butter in a taste test, and the cheaper option won me over with its soft, creamy textureI tested President butter vs Sainsbury’s own brand – there was a £2.51 difference(Image: HUIZENG HU via Getty Images)

Butter is a mainstay in many shopping baskets, whether it’s for whipping up a meal or slathering on a sandwich. The cost of this fridge essential has been creeping up, particularly for pure blocks of butter that are free from added oils.

After swapping spreadable butter for the block variety, I noticed my monthly spend on it was skyrocketing.

This led me to sample a few supermarket butters, pitting the priciest one I could find against the cheapest block on offer. For my taste test, I chose President’s Slightly Salted Butter (250g) at £3.50, and Sainsbury’s British Salted Butter (250g) for £1.99.

President French Slightly Salted Butter

The most expensive block of butter I spotted in the supermarket, President French Slightly Salted block butter hails from Normandy, crafted from top-notch cream, which lends it a unique silky texture and rich, creamy flavour, reports the Express.

While it was a delicious butter, it was a tad too salty for my palate, even though it was only slightly salted. I gave it a whirl on toast and also used a smidgen to whip up some buttercream.

The buttercream turned out a bit too salty, despite the butter being marketed towards foodies and baking buffs. It was scrumptious on toast and in a sandwich, but just a touch too salty for my liking.

All in all, I can’t say it’s any better or worse than any other block butter I’ve sampled. This means the hefty price tag didn’t quite cut the mustard for me.

The butters looked very similar to one another(Image: Sophie Harris)

Salted British Butter by Sainsbury’s

This block of butter from Sainsbury’s was the most affordable I could find, with a £2.51 price difference compared to the President brand. Upon inspecting the ingredients, I discovered that both contain the same amount of salt and fat content, which piqued my interest for a taste test.

I’ve always opted for the unsalted variety for baking, and being a big fan of Sainsbury’s own-brand products, it came as no surprise that this butter was scrumptious.

The texture was spot on, and the salt content was just right; I couldn’t discern any difference between the President butter and this one.

It was soft, creamy, and perfectly salted, making it a delightful addition to sandwiches, toast, and crumpets.

Given the £2.51 price gap, the cheapest block of butter won my approval, and I’m planning to include this in my weekly shopping list.