Canstar Blue’s jams and fruit spreads review sees Beerenberg, Grandessa (ALDI), St. Dalfour, Barker’s, Rose’s, Cottee’s, Bonne Maman, Woolworths, IXL and Coles compared on taste, consistency, variety, packaging design, value for money and overall satisfaction.
Beerenberg has topped Canstar Blue’s 2021 jam & fruit spreads ratings. The brand scored five-star reviews for taste, consistency, variety, packaging design and overall satisfaction.
There are few tastier treats than jams and fruit spreads, especially when it comes to foods that are considered ‘acceptable’ for breakfast! From those mini condiments you get in hotels to the big jars you buy from your local supermarket, jams and fruit spreads add a delicious edge to a wide range of foods, whether it’s your morning toast, afternoon scone, or weekend baked cakes. But which brands of jams and fruit spreads offer the best overall bang for your sticky treat buck?
To find out, we again surveyed over 1,300 Aussie consumers for their feedback and impressions on different jams and fruit spreads they’ve purchased from a supermarket or grocer and consumed in the last three months. Brands were rated on important factors like their taste, consistency, variety, packaging design, value for money and overall satisfaction. Those that met the minimum required survey sample size of 30 responses are included in the results above.
Our 2021 jam and fruit spreads review features 10 brands, but only one was rated ‘the jam’ – Beerenberg! It scored a five-star rating for overall satisfaction and in the majority of research categories.
Here are the best brands of jams and fruit spreads in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s latest review:
Beerenberg was rated best in our latest jam and fruit spreads ratings with a five-star review for overall satisfaction, while Grandessa (ALDI), St. Dalfour, Barker’s and Rose’s rated four stars overall. The remaining brands in the table landed on three stars for overall satisfaction.
Notably, Grandessa (ALDI) was the only brand to score five stars for value for money. St. Dalfour also managed to impress Aussies on taste, consistency and packaging; scoring full marks in those categories. Barker’s also got five stars for packaging design.
Beerenberg offers a wide range of naturally flavoured and ‘honest-to-taste’ jams, jellies, marmalades and curds, made from quality locally-sourced ingredients. The brand has been in the business of making table spreads and condiments since 1839 and also has a farm shop in Hahndorf (near Adelaide) where shoppers can try all its products, as well as some you won’t find anywhere else. A Beerenberg jam jar costs about $4.30 for 300g.
Grandessa is ALDI’s signature brand of premium jams and homestyle marmalades, imported from Belgium. Grandessa jam is vegan-friendly, 99% fat-free and contains no artificial preservatives and will only cost you $2.50 for 360g at the checkout (exclusively at ALDI).
The St. Dalfour brand has been available in Australia for 30 years, from a company whose history of making wines and fruit liqueurs spans more than a century. Its range of fruit spreads is also quite extensive, with more than 15 different varieties, including black cherry, blackberry, royal fig, peach, pineapple and mango, red raspberry, wild blueberry and special seasonal assortments. St. Dalfour fruit spreads are gluten-free, with most varieties additionally low GI, and are made with no added cane sugar. Prices for St. Dalfour jam start from $4.50 for 284g.
Barker’s markets itself as the custodian of traditional jam-making practices. The Barker family has processed fruits from their family farm in New Zealand for more than 48 years. Barker’s jams are made with fruits, sugar, heat and time- ‘nothing more and nothing less’. That’s why it’s gluten-free, preservative-free and is said to contain no added colours or flavours. The brand also stocks a wide range of chutneys, jellies, fruit compotes, curds and cooking sauces. A jar of Barker’s jam can set you back about $5 for 455g.
Rose’s is one of the original marmalade makers circa 1930s and has kept its original offering to this day. The British brand specialises in premium marmalades, only ever made with citrus fruit using an authentic recipe. Is there a more perfect accompaniment to a hot buttery toast? A jar of Rose’s marmalade costs about $4.50 for 500g.
Cottee’s offers simple and wholesome jams and marmalades to perfectly pair with your morning toast. Its products are made in New Zealand and contain no added flavours or colours, but come with the added advantage of being affordably priced compared to other brands mentioned in this review. A Cottee’s jam jar costs about $2.50 for 500g from any supermarket.
Woolworths has its own range of kitchen and pantry essentials at budget prices, which include a small selection of jams and marmalades. Woolies fruit spreads are said to contain no artificial preservatives, artificial flavours or colours, and cost about $2.50 for a jar of 500g.
IXL is known for its wide range of jams and marmalades that are jam-packed with flavour and real fruits. The brand has been around for over 100 years and has since branched out its offerings to conserves and sauces. Prices for IXL jam start from $3.50 for 480g.
Coles also has its own homebrand of budget buys for your pantry, which includes a small line of curds, jams and marmalades in a variety of traditional flavours like strawberry, raspberry, apricot and plum. Prices for Coles fruit spreads start from $2.30 for 480g.
When asked the big question – what’s your favourite flavour of jam – it was strawberry that took the top spot in our survey:
According to our survey, 27% of consumers always buy the same brand of jam or fruit spread, with more than half (57%) having tried multiple brands. With only 12% stating that they eat jam every day, it might suggest that it’s a condiment regarded as more of a sweet treat rather than a breakfast staple. A third of respondents (30%) worry about the sugar content of jam, with 23% indicating they’ve tried making their own jam – perhaps with a little less sugar.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Home & Lifestyle Content Lead, Megan Birot. She’s an expert on household appliances, health & beauty products, as well as all things grocery and shopping. When she’s not writing up our research-based ratings reports, Megan spends her time helping consumers make better purchase decisions, whether it’s at the supermarket, other retailers, or online, highlighting the best deals and flagging 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 (from a supermarket or grocer) and consumed jams and/or fruit spreads in the last three months– in this case, 1,355 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.
Here are the past winners from our jam & fruit spreads ratings:
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