When I was growing up, cottage cheese was tasteless and mostly only eaten by dieters. Its recent revival in the UK, most likely driven by social media, has similar health reasons at its root – the current protein obsession in gym bros and weight watchers alike – but cottage cheese has become cool. The flavourless squeaky varieties of yesteryear are still around, but a whole new category now exists on supermarket shelves that is unabashedly fatty, rich and full of flavour, with artisanal complexity and a lacto-fermented sour twang.
I scored these based on flavour; the more complex and sour, the better, especially when balanced with a rich, sweet and creamy suspension. None of these products were bitter.
Texture is also key. I find tough, squeaky curds a bit unappetising, but I do enjoy them with a bit of size, and the silkier, the better. Some of the products were less like cottage cheese and more like a grainy yoghurt. It’s rare I give five out of five, especially when a product is not organic. However, there was one today that was so good it deserved the award.
As usual, marks were also given for transparency, traceability and provenance; plus sustainability certification and, importantly, value – though even the most expensive products were relatively well priced. The quality, taste and range of cottage cheese on the market is now exceptional.
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The best supermarket cottage cheese
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Best overall:
The Estate Dairy cottage cheese made with jersey milk
£2.60 for 450g at Ocado (58p/100g)
★★★★★
A wonderfully rich, unctuous and creamy cottage cheese made with live cultures, and the milk and cream of jersey cows on the Cholmondeley estate in Cheshire by this B Corp-certified dairy. A dense mixture with large, firm and plentiful curds. Protein content 10%.
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Best bargain:
Asda cottage cheese
£1.58 for 300g at Asda (53p/100g)
★★★☆☆
Very creamy, extra-large, super-soft curds. Made with British milk and salt. Wonderfully silky and soft with a rich, creamy quality and classic sour edge. Protein content 9.1%.
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And the rest …
Essential Waitrose natural cottage cheese
£1.75 for 300g at Waitrose (58p/100g)★★★★☆
An excellent and consistently thick and creamy cottage cheese with large, silky curds. Sweet, rich and sour. Made with British milk and salt only. Protein content 10.3%.
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Co-op high protein cottage cheese
£2.10 for 300g at Co-op (70p/100g)★★★★☆
An extra-thick cottage cheese with large-to-small curds that make up the sauce. Very creamy and stiff, but with lovely soft curds and a fresh taste. Made with British milk and enriched with cream and creme fraiche. Joint highest protein content: 12%.
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Longley Farm Yorkshire cottage cheese
£2.20 for 250g at Waitrose (88p/100g) £2.19 for 250g at Morrisons (88p/100g)★★★★☆
Large, very firm curds with a thick layer of cream on top. Made in Yorkshire by Longley Farm, established in 1948, from milk and salt. It has a high fat content, making it rich and creamy. Protein content 10.3%.
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All Things cottage cheese natural
£1.85 for 240g at Sainsbury’s (77p/100g) £1.60 for 240g at Ocado (67p/100g)★★★★☆
Complex and creamy like a sour mascarpone. A super thick, creamy texture with large, soft curds suspended in the cream. It’s made with British grass-fed milk, cream, pink Himalayan salt, as well as lactic cultures that give it a lip-smackingly sour twang, balanced with the sweetness and richness of the cream. Protein content 10%.
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Graham’s the Family Dairy cottage cheese natural
£1.65 for 300g at Ocado (55p/100g) £1.65 for 300g at Tesco (55p/100g)★★★☆☆
Extra sweet and very firm curds of mixed sizes, which make up a thick, creamy sauce. A classic, sharp, sour twang. Made from just Scottish milk and salt. Joint highest protein content of 12%, and winner of a one-star Great Taste award 2025.
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Milbona cottage cheese natural
£1.39 for 300g at Lidl (46p/100g), in store only★★★☆☆
A dense, fresh and creamy cottage cheese with small, soft curds and a layer of cream sitting on top. This one has a lovely, clean, lactic sour taste. Made simply with milk and salt. Protein content of 11.5%. Produced in the EU.
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Piątnica Serek Wiejski cottage cheese natural
£1.25 for 200g at Sainsbury’s (63p/100g) 97p for 200g at Asda (49p/100g)★★★☆☆
Very firm medium- to large-size curds, suspended in a sweet, very mild cream. Less sour than most, with a clean, fresh milk flavour. Made in Poland. Protein content 11%.
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Emporium cottage cheese natural
£1.39 for 300g at Aldi (46p/100g), in store only★★☆☆☆
Medium-sized, firm curds suspended in cream and creme fraiche. Although it has a light, fresh taste and yoghurt-like consistency, it has a complex and sour flavour. Protein content 11.9%.
