Best-Rated Multigrain Bread

See Our Ratings Methodology.

Best-Rated Multigrain Bread 2023

Most Satisfied Customers | Helga’s Continental Bakehouse

Aussies rated Helga’s Continental Bakehouse multigrain bread best in Canstar Blue’s latest review, scoring it five stars for taste, texture, freshness, packaging convenience, variety, and overall satisfaction.

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How we rate multigrain bread

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 its popularity is certainly on a roll, especially among the health-conscious. To help you suss out the best multigrain bread on the shelf, Canstar Blue shares the top brands as rated by shoppers.


Canstar Blue surveyed 421 Australians for their feedback on the multigrain bread they’ve purchased from a supermarket or grocer (and consumed) within the last three months. Note: this does not include bread purchased from an independent bakery or bakery chain.

  • The outcomes reported in these ratings are measured via accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics.

Respondents rate their satisfaction with their brand(s) of multigrain bread from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:

  • Overall satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with a brand of multigrain bread as an individual score NOT a combined total of all criteria.
  • Taste: the multigrain bread tasted earthy and authentic (i.e. not stale or heavily processed) and was made with quality ingredients.
  • Texture: the multigrain bread had a gritty texture, with grains and seeds.
  • Freshness: the multigrain bread was fresh, with a soft crumb (inner portion) and firm crust.
  • Value for money: the multigrain bread was reasonably priced given the quality and quantity per serving.
  • Packaging convenience: the packaging of the multigrain bread was easy to open and store (i.e. bread tags, or resealable opening, etc.)
  • Variety & range: various bread types, and sizes were available within the range, including white, wholemeal, and multigrain options, half loaves, full loaves, etc.

The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.

  • Overall satisfaction is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of all criteria.
  • When we cannot determine a clear winner from the criteria for the Overall satisfaction rating, we will then look at the other criteria measured in the rating.
    • The brand with the highest number of five-star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the five-star recipient in overall satisfaction, and thus win the award. If a clear leader still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, joint winners will be declared.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.

1. Helga’s Continental Bakehouse
2. Woolworths
3. Abbott’s Village Bakery
4. Coles

Helga’s Continental Bakehouse topped our multigrain bread review with five stars for taste, texture, freshness, packaging convenience, variety, and overall satisfaction. Woolworths was the only brand to score five stars for value for money, and managed to nab top marks for texture, and freshness, alongside Abbott’s Village Bakery.

Find more detailed information on our ratings methodology.


Top Multigrain Bread ─ Helga’s Continental Bakehouse

Helga's Continental Bakehouse

Every grain of care counts, which is why Helga’s Continental Bakehouse range of bread is expertly baked with only the finest quality ingredients. Helga’s range includes classic bread like white, wholemeal and rye, and a huge selection of multigrain bread including a soy & linseed loaf, a pumpkin seed & grain loaf, and a loaf with 10 grains & seeds. There are also gluten-free, prebiotic, and low-carb alternatives. Helga’s Continental Bakehouse range also has wraps.

  • Helga’s Continental Bakehouse was rated five stars for taste, texture, freshness, packaging convenience, variety, and overall satisfaction. It got four stars for value for money.

Other multigrain bread brands

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.

  • Burgen
  • Buttercup
  • Country Life
  • Genius

  • Tip Top
  • Wonder
  • Lawson’s
  • Angelic Bakehouse

Is multigrain bread healthy?

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 two-fifths of Aussies (39%) eat bread daily, with a similar portion of respondents (40%) 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.

Is supermarket bread bad for you?

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 a third of consumers (31%) have made this a habit, and 39% also buy bread with specific ingredients or nutritional values.

Is multigrain bread healthy?

Which multigrain bread should you buy?

Our latest survey suggests big-name brands and supermarket labels both have something to offer, with Helga’s Continental Bakehouse taking the top spot in important categories like taste and texture, and Woolworths ranking at the top for value for money and freshness. However, our survey found that a quarter of shoppers (24%) believe premium brands taste better than private labels. Either way, most 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 (32%) said they prefer ‘thick’ sliced bread over thinner varieties.

 

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Meet our consumer experts


Megan Birot: Home & Lifestyle Editor

Megan Birot Canstar Blue Home & Lifestyle Editor

Megan is Canstar Blue’s Home & Lifestyle Editor, leading the team that focuses on consumer products and services, ranging from supermarkets and groceries to home and personal appliances and retail stores. She interprets Canstar Blue’s bespoke research on the thousands of brands that we compare, rate and review, to help shoppers make better purchasing decisions.

Meet the Editorial Team

Samantha Howse: Consumer Research Specialist

Sam Howse Research Specialist

Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.

Meet the Research Team

 

Picture credits: Anna Shepulova/Shutterstock.com.

Past ratings

These are the previous winners of Canstar Blue’s multigrain bread ratings:

  • 2022: Coles
  • 2021: Helga’s Continental Bakehouse
  • 2020: Helga’s Continental Bakehouse
  • 2019: Abbott’s Village Bakery

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