‘Outrageously good’: the best (and worst) supermarket ready-made custard, tasted and rated

It was only when I sat down to taste 10 custards that I realised this was a dangerous test to judge on my own. I tried a range of ready-made offerings, from cans to cartons to tubs of fresh custard from the supermarket chiller section, some of which I found hard not to drink by the pint.

I analysed each custard for aroma, texture and taste, and awarded extra points for minimal processing and the use of free-range eggs; I deducted points for the inclusion of palm oil, modified maize starches and colourings, all of which are often used to replace the colour, fat and thickening ability of eggs. It was, however, the long-life cartons that most provoked nostalgic memories of bananas and custard as a child.

My main take-home is that cans and cartons are great for when you need a quick dessert, but if you want the real thing – a proper crème anglaise made with hot, vanilla-infused cream and milk, egg yolks and sugar – go for the fresh stuff and check the label for additives.

The best supermarket fresh custard

Best overall:
Waitrose No 1 Madagascan vanilla custard

★★★★☆

An outrageously good, medium-thick, pale cream-coloured custard made with West Country milk and cream. Seductively sweet (11.9% total sugar), and thickened with tapioca starch and free-range eggs.

Best bargain:
M&S Collection Madagascan vanilla luxury custard

★★★★☆

A medium-thick, pale cream-coloured custard made with Jersey and Guernsey cows’ milk and British cream. Super-sweet (12.1%), and thickened with tapioca starch, cornflour and free-range eggs.

And the rest …

Ambrosia deluxe custard

★★★☆☆

Very thick, pale yellow and velvety-smooth, but a touch gloopy and lacking in substance. Egg-free, with buttermilk and vanilla extract, thickened with “sustainable” palm oil and modified starches. Contains colours (plain caramel and carotene) and pretty sweet (11.1%), too.

Morrisons the Best Madagascan vanilla custard

★★★☆☆

A thick, pale custard with an even speckling of vanilla. Made with British dairy, beautifully sweet (10.3%) and thickened with maize starch, tapioca starch and carob gum stabiliser, which makes it a touch slimy. Contains eggs, but no welfare data specified.

Tesco Finest vanilla custard

★★★☆☆

A very thick, pale cream-coloured custard speckled generously with vanilla seeds. Made with British milk and not too sweet (8.4%), it’s thickened with tapioca starch, cornflour and indoor-reared eggs.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Madagascan vanilla custard

★★★☆☆

Very thick and yellow, this is smooth, light, yet luxurious and creamy, and dotted with vanilla. Pretty sweet (10.8%), thickened with free-range eggs and tapioca starch, and contains flavouring.

Co-op Irresistible luxuriously creamy vanilla custard

★★★☆☆

An addictive, very creamy, pale custard. Quite sweet (11%), but a clean dairy and egg flavour and a thin, saucy consistency thickened with tapioca starch, cornflour and free-range eggs. Minimally processed ingredients.

★★☆☆☆

Thick, bright yellow and super-smooth, this is egg-free, so not actually custard as such, but rather an OK imitation. Perfectly sweet (9.6%), thickened with modified maize starch, buttermilk and whey powders, and contains palm oil and flavouring. Insanely cheap, though.

Asda creamy custard

★☆☆☆☆

Thin and canary-yellow, and its sweet aroma smells of raw cornflour; it tastes of it, too, as well as being relatively sweet (10.4%). Another egg-free custard, this one is made with modified maize starch, palm oil and flavourings.

Lidl Belbake custard

★☆☆☆☆

Smooth, thin, pale yellow and on the sweet side (11%), this egg-free custard is instead made with reconstituted skimmed milk and buttermilk, hence its slightly powdery texture. Contains palm oil and colouring (carotene).

For more, read the best (and worst) supermarket cheesecake and the best supermarket chocolate ice-cream