Canstar Blue’s multigrain bread review compares Coles, Woolworths, Helga’s Continental Bakehouse and Abbott’s Village Bakery on taste, freshness, texture, range variety, packaging, value for money and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Aussies rated Coles multigrain bread best in Canstar Blue’s latest review, scoring the supermarket label five stars for taste, freshness, packaging, variety, value for money 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 400 shoppers for their 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, packaging, 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?
Here are the best brands for multigrain bread in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s latest review:
Coles topped our multigrain bread review with five stars for taste, freshness, packaging, variety, value for money and overall satisfaction. Supermarket rival Woolworths also managed to score full marks for freshness, alongside Abbott’s Village Bakery which also received five stars for taste.
Meanwhile, Helga’s Continental Bakehouse also impressed consumers in several categories, receiving five stars for taste, freshness, texture, variety and packaging.
Coles stocks up on a few packaged multigrain and seeded bread on its shelves, all of which cost just under $3. Different options include:
The soft multigrain loaf is the cheapest of the batch and is described to have a nutty flavour. It’s also claimed to be made from 100% Australian flour with no added sugar, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Coles additionally has the High Fibre Multigrain Sandwich Bread for those looking to increase their fibre intake.
While only a few brands qualified in our latest survey, 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) and less refined ingredients than white bread. Our survey found one in three Aussies (36%) eat bread daily, with a similar portion of respondents (27%) having switched from white bread to multigrain or wholegrain bread as part of a health kick. However, be aware that some products labelled as multigrain are made with white flour and have whole grains added.
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.
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 one in four consumers (29%) have made this habit, with a third of survey respondents (35%) also saying they buy bread with specific ingredients or nutritional values.
Our latest survey proves supermarket breads are the way to go, with Coles and Woolworths ranking at the top. However, our survey found that nearly a third of shoppers (28%) still believe that premium brands taste better than private labels. Either way, all brands rated in our review managed to score one or more five-star reviews – meaning there’s something out there for everyone.
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, a third of survey respondents (29%) said they prefer ‘thick’ sliced bread over thinner varieties.
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.
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Picture credits: Anna Shepulova/Shutterstock.com.
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 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, 412 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.
These are the previous winners of Canstar Blue’s multigrain bread ratings:
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