Aussie shoppers rated Helga’s Continental Bakehouse best in Canstar Blue’s latest wholemeal bread review, with five stars for taste, freshness, texture, packaging convenience, range variety, and overall satisfaction.
Whether you prefer multigrain, white or wholemeal, bread is a staple in most Australian households. With its perceived nutritional benefits, wholemeal bread is fast becoming a favourite among the health-conscious and parents. No wonder two in five people (42%) we surveyed said they eat bread daily! If you’re a bread buff, paying top dollar for the right blend of wholewheat flour and grain may be worth it to make a top-notch gourmet sandwich. So, which brands do Aussies ‘loaf’ most? And who serves up the right balance between taste and price? Canstar Blue has the answer.
Canstar Blue surveyed 477 Australians for their feedback on the wholemeal 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.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their brand(s) of wholemeal 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:
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.
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.
Helga’s Continental Bakehouse topped our wholemeal bread review with five stars for taste, freshness, texture, packaging convenience, range variety, and overall satisfaction. Woolworths was the only brand to score five stars for value for money, while Wonder managed to nab top marks for packaging convenience.
Find more detailed information on our ratings methodology.
Every grain of care counts, which is why Helga’s Continental Bakehouse range of bread is expertly baked with only the finest quality 90% Australian ingredients. Helga’s range includes classic bread like white, wholemeal, and rye, and a huge selection of multigrain bread. The brand’s traditional wholemeal loaf contains both fibre and protein ─ ideal for sandwiches and lunches. It contains no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. Helga’s Continental Bakehouse range also has wraps.
Making bread at home is considered healthier because you get to pick and choose the quality and which ingredients go into the mix. The downside to this, however, is that you’ll pay more and there’s an art to bread-making, so it’s worth reading up on it before putting your baking shoes on.
On the flip side, buying bread at the supermarket is more convenient and cheaper. But most brands sold in supermarkets use preservatives to help the bread last longer, as well as processed ingredients like refined grains. You might also find packaged bread with unbleached flour, which is where the flour has been treated with chemical agents to make it age quicker. This can all make your toast less healthy, although it’s not the case with everything on the shelf!
Bread isn’t bad, but like everything in life − it should be enjoyed with moderation. Some bread contain ingredients like refined flour and refined grains that can make them less healthy compared to other foods. Certain store-bought bread replace wholewheat flour with refined flour, which is claimed to have less fibre and protein. So, it’s always worth reading the nutritional information on the back of the loaf when you’re shopping. Our research found that a quarter of consumers (24%) make sure to check nutritional details before purchasing.
Our ratings suggest Helga’s Continental Bakehouse is worth biting into, having impressed shoppers in most categories. Woolworths also seems to be an especially good pick for those hungry for a bargain, being the only brand that managed to receive full marks for value for money.
But what exactly makes a particular loaf of wholemeal bread rise to the top? Our survey shows taste and freshness are the biggest drivers of customer satisfaction, followed by value for money.
Our survey also found that 28% of respondents prefer thick sliced bread over the thinner varieties, while 23% said they believe options from premium brands taste better than cheaper alternatives. Whatever you choose, we hope you find our ratings review useful.
Online Grocery Shopping Reviews
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.
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.
Here are the previous best-rated brands in Canstar Blue’s wholemeal bread ratings:
Best-Rated Toasters - October 6th
How much electricity does your toaster use to make a piece of toast and what does it cost? Find the answer at Canstar Blue.
– Read more
Appliances - September 28th
If you’re wanting to add a touch of style to your kitchen without breaking the bank, having a matching toaster and kettle combo is a great start. While this won’t instantly make your kitchen the …
– Read more
Best-Rated Multigrain Bread - May 31st
A limited-edition ‘scone loaf’ which recently hit supermarket shelves has garnered mixed reviews online.
Golden Bakery’s scone-inspired loaf includes 20 thick slices and is available from Coles, Woolworths, and other independent grocers for $5.50. The latest …
– Read more
Best-Rated Baked Beans - May 10th
The average Australian family could save up to $2,468 a year on groceries by shopping at ALDI, according to the budget supermarket’s 2022 Price Report.
The latest findings reveal a price gap of 15.6% between ALDI’s …
– Read more
Appliances - January 19th
If there’s anything better than freshly baked bread, it’s baking fresh bread at home and at the touch of a button with a bread maker. But like any kitchen appliance, you’re not short on options, …
– Read more