Canstar Blue’s soft cheese review has seen King Island Dairy, Tasmanian Heritage, South Cape, Castello, Coles, Woolworths and Australian Gold compared on taste, range variety, packaging design, value for money and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
King Island Dairy was rated best in Canstar Blue’s 2021 soft cheese review, achieving five stars for taste, variety, packaging design and overall satisfaction.
Who doesn’t enjoy the rich, creamy goodness of brie on a cracker (with a glass of wine)? Or maybe fresh mascarpone in tiramisu? From blue cheeses like gorgonzola and camembert to the ever-popular feta and ricotta, there isn’t a soft cheese that doesn’t melt our taste buds.
To help you sink your teeth into the best options out there, we’ve surveyed nearly 500 Aussies to get their feedback on the soft cheeses they have purchased from a supermarket or grocer and eaten in the last three months. Consumers rated brands on taste, range variety, packaging design, value for money and overall satisfaction. Those that met the minimum required survey sample size of 30 responses are featured in our results.
King Island Dairy was the cream of the crop in our 2021 soft cheese ratings, earning five-star reviews for taste, variety, packaging and overall satisfaction.
Here are the best soft cheese brands in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s 2021 review:
King Island Dairy led the way in our 2021 soft cheese ratings, receiving the only five-star review for overall satisfaction. Most other brands followed closely behind on four stars overall, except for Australian Gold which settled the scores on three stars.
Woolworths filled in the gap when it came to value for money, rating best with five stars. It also got full marks for variety, alongside South Cape which achieved the same for taste. Last year’s winner Tasmanian Heritage similarly whipped up a five-star rating for packaging design.
Whether you’re craving something mild and buttery, or rich and savoury, King Island Dairy has got you covered with its popular treasure trove of soft white cheeses. The range includes different types of brie, camembert, and washed rind cheeses as well as various cheddar and blue cheese options. According to the brand, part of what makes each bite as delicious as the next is the King Island milk used in its products and the fact it’s all locally made on the island. King Island Dairy’s soft cheeses also contain a white mould bloom on the surface which is said to help with the maturation process. Prices for King Island Dairy soft cheeses usually start from $8.50 for a 120g slice of its Roaring 40s Blue Cheese and go up to $12.60 for the brand’s range of camembert and brie.
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 from a supermarket or grocer (i.e. not a deli) and consumed soft cheese within the last three months – in this case, 482 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 is the previous winner for soft cheese:
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