‘Simple, well-crafted and excellent’: supermarket chutneys, tasted and rated | The food filter

Chutney is a heritage recipe that’s been largely unchanged for a century, and some of the best versions are the simplest and most traditional. That said, even when it’s made on an industrial scale, chutney usually features just fruit, sugar, vinegar and perhaps some pectin. Colourings and preservatives are unnecessary and, in most cases, left out, with sugar acting as the main preservative.

Unlike my recent English mustard tasting, it was pure joy trying these straight from the jar, and just about all today’s products scored highly. Even though some weren’t quite cooked through, it was genuinely difficult to pick a winner.

That said, as with many heritage products from old-guard producers and supermarket own-brands, provenance is woefully absent – there’s almost zero information provided about where ingredients come from or how they’re grown. The same black hole exists for sustainability credentials, though Tracklements stands way above the rest with B Corp status and clear sustainability commitments.

The best chutneys

Best overall:
Tesco Finest spiced apple & pear chutney

★★★★☆

A rich, orange-brown, apple-forward chutney that’s balanced with warm spices such as cinnamon and ginger, and sweetened with sultanas and treacle. Smooth with a rough fruit puree texture. Delicious with roast pork, ham and strong cheese. Well balanced, versatile and very good value.

Best bargain:
Mrs HS Balls original recipe chutney

★★★☆☆

A sweet and tangy South African chutney made from peaches and apricots, with subtle spicing and a mild chilli kick. Saucy with soft chunks of fruit throughout, and great with cold meats and cheese or curry (bobotie, anyone?) Contains artificial colouring E150d, which the Yuka app flags as an additive of potential concern. Excellent value and roughly half the price of most competitors.

And the rest …

Tracklements apple & cider brandy chutney

★★★★★

Smells homemade and has a sweet, tart, fruity flavour from bramley apples, muscovado sugar, sultanas and onions, all gently spiced with chilli, ginger and allspice, and a rich, boozy depth from the cider brandy. Very thick with fruit and whole sultanas. Try with roast pork, ham, cheddar or paté. Simple, well crafted and excellent.

Morrisons the Best beer-braised chutney

★★★★☆

Sweet, rich and very tangy, made with caramelised red onions, muscovado sugar and bramley apples, and with a distinct flavour from Black Sheep ale. Thick with soft strips of onion and glossy. Flavourful, well balanced and excellent with a ploughman’s, pork pie or cheese.

★★★★☆

Wonderfully complex, made with layers of onion, apple, muscovado sugar and treacle, all lifted by white-wine and balsamic vinegars. Simply spiced with garlic and ginger. Extra thick and saucy, it’s good with burgers, hotdogs, goat’s cheese or baked camembert. Great value.

Waitrose rhubarb, apple & ginger chutney

★★★★☆

Well balanced, sweet, tart and warmly spiced, with stem ginger, orange zest, brown sugar and cider vinegar. Thick, stewed-fruit texture. Delicious with cheese, roast goose, duck and turkey. Minimally processed, lots of fruit, low salt and excellent value for the quality.

Co-op Irresistible caramelised red onion chutney

★★★★☆

Sweet, sticky and with a tangy kick from white wine vinegar, all balanced by the deep flavour of slow-cooked red onions. Saucy and sweet, and excellent with cheese toasties, pork pies and strong blue cheese. Minimally processed.

Tiptree hot gooseberry chutney

★★★★☆

Fizzes on the tongue, and has a warm, spicy aftertaste from chilli and ginger, plus a sour note from wine vinegar. Jelly-textured with seeds throughout. Perfect with roast lamb, game, cold cuts and mature cheddar. Simple recipe, good value.

The Bay Tree cheeseboard chutney

★★★★☆

A sweet chutney made from apples, blackcurrants, cherries, plums, cranberries and orange. Well-balanced and complex. Very thick with whole fruit chunks, making it perfect for cheeseboards, especially brie or stilton, and also goes well with paté and cold cuts. High fruit content and good value for the quality.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference apple & pear chutney

★★★☆☆

A chunky chutney with big pieces of fruit and sweet treacle, all balanced by warming spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, caraway, fennel and cloves. The fruit’s a bit al dente, though (I prefer chutney to be more cooked through). That said, it’s lovely with roast pork, ham or strong cheese. Simple, well-spiced and decent value.

For more, read the best (and worst) vegan cheese, tested