Canstar Blue’s multigrain bread review has seen Helga’s Continental Bakehouse, Abbott’s Village Bakery, Woolworths and Coles compared on freshness, taste, texture, range variety, value for money and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Helga’s Continental Bakehouse was rated best in Canstar Blue’s multigrain bread review, for the second year in a row. It received five stars for most categories including freshness, taste, texture, variety and overall satisfaction.
While white and wholemeal bread may satisfy your ‘kneads’, the multigrain kind has just the rye grainy texture to make your sandwich the best thing since sliced bread. Multigrain bread may cost more than your traditional loaf, whether it’s a supermarket private label or one of the big-name brands, but the popularity of multigrain bread is certainly on a roll.
To help you suss out the best bread on the shelf, Canstar Blue surveyed more than 440 shoppers for feedback on the multigrain bread they ‘loaf’ most. Based on the packaged bread they purchased and ate within the last three months, consumers rated brands on freshness, taste, texture, range variety, value for money and overall satisfaction. Brands that received the minimum sample size (30 responses) are featured in our report. So, who rose to the top, and who crumbled?
Helga’s Continental Bakehouse toasted its rivals for the second time in our annual multigrain bread review, rating best for freshness, taste, texture, variety and overall satisfaction!
Here are the best brands for multigrain bread in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s latest review:
Helga’s Continental Bakehouse topped our multigrain bread ratings, with five stars for overall satisfaction, while all other brands landed on a respectable four stars. Coles got the edge when it came to giving consumers bang for their buck, being the only brand to earn five stars for value for money. Abbott’s Village Bakery also matched this year’s champion when judged on taste and texture, scoring five-star reviews.
Helga’s Continental Bakehouse offers a few different bread varieties across its classic, specialty, gluten-free, lower-carb, square loaf and Turkish bread ranges. Products from the brand’s bread range usually cost between $3.90 and $7.
While only three brands made our ratings, that doesn’t mean there aren’t others worth plating up. Here are a few more options you can check out at the supermarket or grocer.
Multigrain bread is seen as a healthier alternative to white bread because it often has more fibre and a lower GI (glycemic index). Our survey found two in five (40%) Aussies eat bread daily, with a third (34%) of respondents having switched from white bread to multigrain or wholegrain bread as part of a health kick.
Supermarket bread can sometimes get a bad rap, partly due to the fact it contains more preservatives and refined ingredients (i.e. flour, grains, etc.) than homemade bread. That’s where reading nutritional information on the packaging can help you pick the ‘good’ bread from the bad. Our research found that nearly a third (28%) of consumers have made this a habit, with another third (35%) of survey respondents also saying they buy bread with specific ingredients or nutritional values.
Over a third of our survey respondents (34%) believe that premium brands taste better than private labels. Our survey shows taste was the biggest driver of satisfaction, followed by texture and freshness. If you’re after a healthier alternative, 34% of people admitted to switching white bread for multigrain or wholegrain as part of a health kick.
Multigrain bread contains more than one type of grain and seeds. It’s usually low GI and can have up to four times the amount of fibre than normal white bread. Ideally, look for multigrain bread products with whole ingredients like ‘whole wheat’ and ‘whole grain’. Check out the nutrition information panel for different bread and look for options that are low-carb, but are high in fibre and protein, which prolongs energy release. It will make your sandwich keep you fuller for longer.
The rest will simply come down to what you like and how you break bread. Do you use bread mostly for sandwiches and toast in the morning? Either way, over a third of survey respondents (35%) said they prefer ‘thick’ sliced bread over thinner varieties.
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.
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Picture credits: Anna Shepulova/Shutterstock.com.
Our latest multigrain bread review saw Helga’s Continental Bakehouse rated best in the majority of categories:
Canstar Blue surveyed 3,042 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 eaten packaged multigrain bread from a supermarket or grocer (i.e. not freshly baked from a bakery) within the last three months – in this case, 445 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.
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