A National Mission to Find the Best UK Garlic Bread
Some people climb mountains. I apparently buy garlic bread from every major UK supermarket and eat the lot. This UK garlic bread taste test took me through Asda, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, M&S Food and Waitrose, all in search of the one loaf that truly gets it right. Tesco would have been included too, but their fridges were down on the day, so they get a polite nod from the sidelines.
Before getting into the tasting, there’s a bit of history here: this isn’t even the first time I’ve taken garlic bread to strange places. If you’ve never seen me and Tom Scott send garlic bread into space, you can watch that adventure here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8W-auqg024
How I Scored Each UK Garlic Bread
Everything went through the same system: a classic Superior-to-F grading card, the sort you’d see in those Japanese ranking charts. Baguettes, ciabattas and flatbreads were all judged on crunch, texture, actual garlic flavour (not mown-grass energy), and consistency. I’m keeping things vague to avoid spoiling the video, but let’s just say the scoreboard developed… personality.
You can watch the full taste test above or here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDLvEKSsAWQ
Comparing UK Garlic Bread Styles
Flatbreads
The flatbreads were the rebels of the group, and not in a good way. A lot of them tasted like toasted cardboard with a marketing budget. Barely any garlic, barely any flavour; they were the weakest category by a long stretch.
Ciabattas
The ciabattas fared a little better. The oil tends to fry the crust, which gives them a lift, and some of them were decent. The issue is that ciabatta isn’t naturally built for garlic bread glory, so even the better ones struggled to match a classic bake.
Baguettes
This is where the magic should live, and when done right, it absolutely does. Crispy crust, fluffy interior, actual garlic flavour that tastes like, well, garlic. If you regularly buy UK garlic bread, this is still the safest and most consistent format out there.
The UK Garlic Bread Surprise Winner
I won’t spoil the full lineup, but the champion was unexpectedly one of the cheapest of the day: a £1 Morrisons baguette that absolutely delivered. Proof that price tags and taste don’t always hold hands.
If you fancy making your own garlic bread, my 50-clove tear and share garlic bread recipe is right here: https://barrylewis.net/recipe/50-clove-tear-and-share-garlic-bread/
Final Thoughts on UK Garlic Bread
The big takeaway from this whole UK garlic bread journey? Don’t overthink it. No elaborate flatbread experiments, no avant-garde ciabattas. Just a baguette with a proper crunch, soft middle, and enough garlic butter to let you know it’s there. Simple, reliable, and surprisingly hard for supermarkets to nail.