Canstar Blue’s condiments review of 2020 has seen Beerenberg, Mcilhenny Co., Maille, Colway (ALDI), MasterFoods, Rosella, Heinz, Fountain, Woolworths and Coles compared on their taste, consistency, variety, packaging design, value for money and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Beerenberg has rated best in Canstar Blue’s inaugural condiments review, earning five stars for taste, consistency, variety and overall satisfaction. It also got four stars for packaging and three stars for value for money.
Finding your soulmate is good and all, but have you tried tomato sauce on a Bunnings sausage sizzle? How about mango chutney on Indian curry? That’s true love. In our first ever condiments review, one in five (20%) Aussies said they usually pick up a bottle or jar during their regular grocery shop. And it’s no surprise considering a similar number of people also enjoy hot sauce (27%).
We surveyed over 2,000 Aussies about the sauces they’ve purchased and eaten in the last three months. Respondents compared and rated brands on a wide spread of factors, including taste, consistency, variety, packaging design, value for money and overall satisfaction.
From the 10 brands which received the minimum sample size (30 responses) to be featured in our first ever condiments review, Beerenberg rated number one for overall satisfaction. It also achieved full marks for taste, consistency and variety, as well as four stars for packaging and three stars for value for money.
Here are the best brands for condiments (sauces) in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s 2020 review:
Beerenberg took the number one spot in Canstar Blue’s inaugural condiments review, dishing up five-star ratings in most categories surveyed. The majority of brands compared scored four stars, while supermarket brands Woolworths and Coles landed on three stars.
That’s not to say Beerenberg was the only company to taste a win. Mcilhenny Co. managed to grab a bite with five stars for packaging design, along with ALDI’s Colway brand which earned full marks for value for money.
With a name which appropriately translates to ‘Berry Hill’, Beerenberg stirs up a variety of jams, chutneys, sauces and dressings from a family farm that served up its first batch of strawberry jam back in 1971. Beerenberg caters to a variety of tastebuds with flavour options like:
Prices for Beerenberg products usually start from $4.95 for a 300g jar of fruit jam and reaches up to $5.40 for a 260g jar of chutney.
Whether you’re looking to top up a plate of tacos or bowl of chicken wings, Mcilhenny Co. has a list of Tabasco-branded hot sauces to spice things up. The classic Original Red Pepper Sauce was first dished up in Louisiana 1868 and has since been a go-to for many foodies. Some products from the Mcilhenny Co. range include:
Prices range from $4.60 for a 60ml bottle and can reach up to $8.33 for some 100ml alternatives.
Apparently created by a French father and son duo all the way back in 1747, La Maison Maille continues to be the perfect pair for tastebuds around the globe. With the belief that the right condiment can truly define a meal, the brand now sells a variety of premium mustards, oils and vinegars, and cornichons. Some products from the Maille range include:
Prices vary from $1.90 for a 100g jar to $4 for a slightly larger 215g option.
Discount supermarket chain ALDI stocks a variety of its own brand items at affordable prices, in addition to other branded products. So, it makes sense for the retailer to include its own line of condiments on the side. Options like Colway Real Mayonnaise are available in a larger packaging compared to other alternatives, weighing in at a whopping 446g.
MasterFoods can teach us all a thing or two about flavour, selling a wide variety of herbs and spices, seasonings, marinades, gravy, sauces, relishes and spreads, among other things. Some MasterFoods products include:
Prices start from $2.95 for a 475ml bottle and can cost up to $7 for a larger 2L bottle.
Rosella uses Australian grown ingredients to create its range of sauces and soups because ‘we all know nothing tastes as good as home grown’. The brand’s range spans over a few categories, including sauces, soups, chutneys and onions. Some products from the Rosella range include:
Prices vary between $2.70 for a 250g jar and $10.80 for a 1kg jar.
One of the most recognisable names in the supermarket, Heinz hit Australian shelves back in the 1880s to provide us with a hearty selection of pasta sauces, beans, spaghetti and chicken products. Some Heinz condiments you’ll be able to spot on most supermarket shelves include:
Prices start from a cheap and cheerful $1.80 for a 220ml bottle and upwards of $6 for a 500ml bottle.
Fountain says it takes pride in being a company that transforms flavours by complementing meals. Since the brand’s first tomato sauce was introduced back in 1906, its product range has expanded to feature different types of tomato, BBQ, Asian, hot and traditional sauces. Today, Fountain continues to embrace new ingredients, cuisines and tastes. Here’s a product selection from Fountain’s range:
Prices vary between $2.50 for a 500ml squeeze bottle and $6 for a large 2L bottle.
The Fresh Food People aim to offer a home brand range of condiments and sauces to make grocery shopping ‘easy, lemon squeezy’. Whether you’re looking for lime juice, soy sauce or classic tomato sauce, the supermarket has a bunch of affordable options to choose from. Products include:
Prices start from $1 for a 250ml bottle and $2.65 for a 275g jar.
Coles is another supermarket giant serving up its own line of condiments at affordable prices. It sells a wide variety of products, from olives to Canadian maple syrup. Here’s a condiment selection from the Coles brand.
Prices can vary between $1 and $6.25 for Coles condiments.
Looking to spice things up in the kitchen but don’t know where to start? Our survey reveals Aussies to be an adventurous bunch, with half (50%) of the people we surveyed saying they have tried multiple brands. For anyone looking to pair their BBQ with a unique flavour and not just your stock standard tomato sauce, Beerenberg, MasterFoods and Fountain have ranges you’ll likely think worth a closer look. Otherwise, if you’re like the one in five (21%) survey respondents who simply stick to the cheapest option, home brand alternatives from ALDI, Woolworths and Coles rated among the best in terms of value for money.
Paying attention to the nutritional information might also make a difference, especially with brands now selling ‘healthier’ versions of your favourite sauces with supposedly less sugar and/or salt. This is definitely a habit a handful of Australians are now trying to pick up (15%). But whatever you choose, we hope you find our ratings to be a useful guide during your next grocery shop.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 3,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have purchased and consumed a condiment (e.g. tomato sauce, mustard and relish) from a supermarket or grocer (i.e. not homemade or bought from a market) within the last three months – in this case, 2,173 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.