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North Wales Live
18-05-2025
- General
- North Wales Live
I tried seven brands of salted butter and the difference was a major surprise
In my opinion, there's nothing quite like the simple joy of bread and butter. So, when I was given the opportunity to try seven different types of salted butter, I leapt at the chance. Little did I know that this seemingly simple taste test would push me to the limits of human endurance, writes Vita Molyneux. Until you've tasted seven distinct butters in a mere 30 minutes, you can't truly understand what the body is capable of. By mid way, I was struggling. Maybe I was being too generous with my spreading, or perhaps it was the 23-degree heat in my bedroom, but I did not feel great. I stared down at three more butters feeling my arteries beginning to clog. My head was spinning and I needed a drink of water and a lie down. I needed a piece of fresh fruit, I needed a hug. Instead I took a deep breath, reminded myself that this is my job and I'm extremely lucky to have it, and cracked on. By the end, I believe I had transcended. But the results were in and I have declared a winner - and a loser. All the butters were left out on my counter for an hour to achieve the perfect spreadability, reports the Express. The seven salted butters I sampled were: All Things Butter, Lurpak Slightly Salted, Kerrygold, Anchor, Tesco own brand, Aldi Cowbelle and Lidl Dairy Manor. Lurpak This is a classic. It's my usual purchase, but I must confess, I rarely indulge in just bread and butter, so I most often use it in cooking. I had high expectations but, to be honest, Lurpak left me somewhat disappointed. It tasted a bit oilier than I anticipated, and the salt was more subtle than I prefer. However, the texture and spreadability were good. Overall, Lurpak scores OK. Rating: 6/10. All Things Butter The colour of this was a stunning rich yellow. When I sliced off the piece I was going to taste I was taken aback by its crumbly texture. However, after softening, the butter was rich, creamy and indulgent with the perfect level of salt. This butter tasted like luxury, and I loved it! Rating: 9/10. Aldi Cowbelle This one had the best spreadability so far - it went on the bread perfectly and was the saltiest of the bunch. There was an aftertaste of the sea, but I like the sea, so that's fine. It had a rich, golden colour, and almost had a hint of garlic about it (although that could be the chopping board). Really lovely. Rating: 8/10. Kerrygold The spreadability was a little poor, but it didn't tear the bread, which is always a good sign. It had the most gorgeous colour of all the butters, a stunning yellowish gold - I suppose it's in the name. However, it wasn't very salty at all, and the texture was pretty nondescript. Overall, OK. Rating: 6/10. Lidl Dairy Manor This butter was nearly white, and quite salty, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. It had top-notch spreadability and I favour the saltier ones, so this gets an extra point. Rating: 7/10. Tesco Tesco's own brand was a real let down. It was overly oily and lacked flavour with no real salty tang. Despite its spreadability and appealing colour, I can only award Tesco a modest score. Rating: 4/10. Anchor The final hurdle! The end was in sight. This butter had a pleasing texture and was rich and creamy, although not as salty as I might prefer - instead it had that peculiar garlic undertone like the Aldi butter. But again, that could very well have been my wooden chopping board. It was satisfactory, but nothing exceptional, so it receives an in-between score. Rating: 5/10. Final thoughts All Things Butter clinched the title for the best butter, and sadly, Tesco's own brand needs to be cast aside. But overwhelmingly, I learned a crucial lesson - too much of a good thing is indeed a real phenomenon. The next time I'm offered such a decadent taste test, I am calling for reinforcements. sent twice daily to your inbox Look for places near you
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
The best and worst supermarket salted butter
Remember the fuss a couple of years ago when the average cost of a block of butter hit an all time high of £2.36? The nation was in shock as 750g of Lurpak spreadable soared to £7 and security stickers started to appear on the silver and blue boxes. Well, that same Lurpak tub now costs £8.25, and after a brief price drop last year, the average 250g block of butter costs £2.41. Lurpak butter – the real stuff, not spreadable, which is butter blended with rapeseed oil – was £2.15 for 200g just 18 months ago. Now it is £2.80, up 30 per cent. Even supermarket own brands have been hit, up from around £1.69 to £1.99, a rise of 18 per cent. All this is bad news for fans of the 'butter diet', the latest loony fad to emerge from the reductivism of social media which involves snacking on slabs of butter straight from the pack. But for those of us who love butter for spreading and cooking, high prices mean it's worth being extra careful which pack you pick up. There's certainly plenty of choice. Sticking to salted butter, I found 42 kinds in the supermarkets. How different could they be? Quite a bit it turned out. Producers tweak the texture and melting point of butter by adjusting the diet of the cows. Entirely grass-fed cows produce milk and cream that is generally higher in unsaturated fat. Other cattle may be given feed supplements containing extra fat – sometimes palm oil – that boosts the fat content in the milk, and often increases the proportion of saturated fat. This makes for a harder butter – useful for pastry but less good for those watching their saturated fat intake. Flavours varied from milky – an indication of 'sweet cream' butter, made without fermentation – to distinctly cheesy, meaning they are made with a bacterial culture similar to the kinds added to cheese or yogurt. The salt, usually about 1.5 per cent but sometimes as much as 4 per cent, might be evenly incorporated or, in the posher butters, left as crunchy crystals. But posh or not, there's plenty of good stuff to eat with your toast – or even without. How we tested A slice was cut from each of the 42 blocks of butter and labelled from A-Z and 1-16 to anonymise the samples. They were then given 30 minutes to come to an internal temperature of approximately 18C. The butters were tasted on a spoon, judging for texture and flavour. At a glance
Daily Mirror
10-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
UK supermarket own brands beating big labels with Heinz and Lurpak snubbed
In different surveys conducted by Which?, a group of blindfolded tasters ranked the supermarket-own labels and branded products based on four factors, with the final results shocking shoppers. Swapping popular big-brand products for cheaper supermarket own-label products can not only save you a lot of money over time, but sometimes, these products taste better than the pricey ones. In a few blind-taste surveys conducted by Which?, products like butter to ketchup got ranked by a group of tasters based on appearance (20%), aroma (15%), texture (15%), and, most importantly, the flavour (50%). Each product was given in a random order, so the panel didn't know what brand they were trying until the end. If you're looking to save some pennies whilst still getting the most unbeatable flavours, we've gathered a list of some grocery essentials that have been highly rated for their taste but cost less money. Supermarket labels vs Branded labels Butter When it comes to butter, you'd be surprised to find out that it's not Lurpak, Danpak or the iconic Président. After a total of 67 people blind-tasted which butter was the best out of all of them, it was revealed that Nordpark's Slightly Salted butter was the best product when it came to price and taste. Found in Aldi, the best thing about it is that it costs less than half of Lurpak. Shoppers can get their hands on the product for £2.18 for a 500g can. Baked beans Baked beans are a staple in British culture and a must-have in dishes such as the iconic English Breakfast. After 66 blindfolded tasters compared the big brands to the smaller brands, the results revealed that Heinz's famous Baked Beans were beaten by Aldi's Bramwells Baked Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce. At 41p for a 410g can, Aldi's baked beans are top in quality and price. If you purchase two tins a week, switching from Heinz's brand to Aldi's baked beans can save you over £100 a year. Tea Tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the UK, with the average Brit drinking two to three cups of tea a day. After comparing a total of 12 brands, supermarket-label and branded ones, Asda 's Everyday Tea Bags took the lead, beating the well-known PG Tips. Scoring high points for smell, appearance, and colour, Asda's Everyday Tea Bags cost £1.20 for 80 bags. Cottage pie Cottage pie is also a very popular dish, especially as a classic family comfort food. In the search of wanting to find the best cottage pie, the final results concluded that Aldi's Specially Selected Gastro Cottage Pie was the top contestant, tasting better and costing less than Charlie Bigham's Cottage Pie. Although it does seem to cost quite a lot of money, priced at £3.59 for 400g, the quantity and quality of the product make it so worth it. Sweet chilli crisps Looking for a quick snack? The go-to sweet chilli crisps seem to be Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli Crisps, however, you'd be surprised to know that there's a better and much cheaper option. Tesco 's Finest Thai Inspired Sweet Chilli Crisps impressed with both flavour and texture, and the best thing is that they cost less than half the price. Shoppers can fulfil their cravings for £1.15 for a 150g bag. Roast potatoes Roast potatoes are a must-have for a Sunday Roast and also work well as a side dish. Instead of making them from scratch, it's good to have some frozen ones for whenever you're in a rush. Brands like McCain's Frozen Triple Cooked Roast Potatoes are the most popular. However, Aldi's Specially Selected Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes took the lead by far, scoring high points for flavour and crispy texture. They also cost £2.59 for 1kg, which is a bargain! Veggie burgers If you're looking to stock up on some veggie burgers, there's no need to spend money on bigger brands like Birds Eye. Aldi's Plant Menu Vegetable Burgers and Sainsbury's Plant Pioneer Vegetable Quarter Pounders taste just as good (and even better), and they're way cheaper. Both cost £1.69 for 454g, making them a good choice for shoppers looking for a flavoursome plant-based burger that isn't necessarily expensive. Ice cream cones The warm weather is making us all crave some ice cream! Cornetto's are a go-to and freezer favourite, but it was found that a supermarket-own brand beat the flavour and, of course, the price. Lidl 's Bon Gelati Ice Cream Cones, costing £1.99 for six 120ml ice creams—which is 33p per cone—became the top favourite ice cream for its sweetness and creaminess. Shockingly, Cornetto became the least favourite brand during the blindfolded taste test.
Daily Record
06-05-2025
- Daily Record
Britain's most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson refused public parole hearing after decades behind bars
Bronson is locked up for 23 hours a day, and was first jailed in 1974, when he was 22. Britain's most violent prisoner Charles Bronson has been refused a parole hearing in public due to fears it would only increase his "notoriety". He is locked up behind bars for 23 hours a day, and claimed if the hearing was carried out in private, it would "cause him undue emotional stress". The 72-year-old, who is currently inside HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, was first caged for armed robbery in 1974, at the age of 22, and has spent almost the rest of his life in prison, with just two short spells of freedom since. He said the prison service keeping him in close supervision institutions, meant for the country's most dangerous criminals, had held back his progress, reports the Mirror. However, the Justice Secretary argued his "readiness to resort to violence continues to be evident", claiming a public hearing could "prompt a display of violence". In a written judgement, former judge Jeremy Roberts KC, who officially denied Bronson's request, said: "I believe that the notoriety which the prisoner has already achieved and which would no doubt be increased by holding this hearing in public might actually mitigate against better public understanding of the parole process. It might distract from the real issues in the case." Bronson, whose real name is Michael Peterson, previously had a public parole hearing in 2023, which was one of the country's first. At the time, he said his "old mother, the Duchess" Eira Peterson dreamed of seeing her son released. He told the panel: "She's 95 and she's not in the best of health. You people have got the power to let me out. That's my mum's last dream on this planet, to see her son outside, doing well, making a good honest living with my art. If you have a heart or any passion, give it to my mum and make an old lady's dream come true." During his time in prison, he has instigated nine roof-top protests and taken 11 hostages, but refused to apologise for any of his actions. He said: "Am I sorry? Maybe. Would I do it again? Definitely not." He admitted he deserved 35 years of the time he had spent behind bars. He said: "I've had more porridge than Goldilocks and the three bears. I'm sick of it. I've had enough and I want to go home." He said: "Compared to what I was, I'm almost an angel now." In 2014, he changed his surname to Salvador, which he said meant "man of peace", adding: "Bronson was a nasty b*****d. I wasn't a nice person and I didn't like him. Salvador is a man of peace. I feel peaceful." But Bronson, who received the title of "Britain's most violent prisoner" after a series of attacks, also told the panel: "I love a rumble. What man doesn't?" But he confessed it was becoming a "bit more embarrassing" because of his age and he "had to grow up". He said: "There will be no more rumbles." One incident the panel was told of involved him stripping naked and "greased up": "I took half a tub of Lurpak with me, bare-knuckle stripped off and had the rumble of my life. It was f***ing brilliant." In 1998, he took two Iraqi aircraft hijackers and another prisoner hostage at Belmarsh Prison in London, claiming he would eat one of his victims unless negotiators met his demands. He told the hearing: "They threatened to blow up a f***ing plane. I take them hostage and I'm the animal. They are all out now and I'm still in here. I've got no compassion for them." Discussing taking prison teacher Phil Danielson hostage in 1999, he said: "I tied a skipping rope around his neck and took him for a walk around the landings. When the time is right for him, I would like to meet him and apologise." He said he told another hostage: "You've been my best hostage, you're the only one who hasn't s**t himself." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. When quizzed about a 2015 incident where he threw his own faeces at another inmate, he claimed the man had killed four people and threatened to stab him, and said the prisoner had asked him to do it so he could get compensation. Asked about him causing prison governor Adrian Wallace to suffer post traumatic stress disorder, Bronson said: "Governor Wallace was an a***hole, is an a***hole and will die an a***hole." Bronson, who described himself as a "retired prison activist", added: "I was a horrible person and I couldn't stop taking hostages. I went through a phase, I couldn't help taking hostages. "I was battling against the system... it was my way of getting back. There's nothing better than wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey." Bronson claimed he often put a "lovely little bet" on "Spurs or Luton" on a Saturday and won £1,500 betting last year. He told the hearing: "I'm just a normal geezer wanting to get on with my life." Bronson only received a seven-year sentence for his original crime of armed robbery. However, his bad behaviour gained him a reputation as a dangerous prisoner, and he wasn't released until 1987. He spent just 69 days on the outside before being arrested and jailed again after he robbed a jewellers. He received another seven-year sentence but, apart from another brief period of freedom in 1992, has been behind bars ever since. He has attacked at least 20 prison officers and caused £500,000 worth of damage in rooftop protests. He received a life sentence for taking Phil Danielson hostage, but his last conviction for a violent offence was for assault in 2014.
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
UK's most infamous lag Charles Bronson denied public parole hearing as judge issues warning
A former judge has blocked the notorious inmate who is locked up for 23 hours a day from having his parole hearing aired in public, claiming his "notoriety would no doubt be increased" Britain's most infamous prisoner Charles Bronson has been denied a public parole hearing - over fears it would boost his "notoriety". The 72-year-old - locked up for 23 hours each day - said if his bid for freedom was held behind closed doors it may "cause him undue emotional stress". Bronson was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974, aged 22, and has spent all but 69 days behind bars. He claims the prison service's decision to hold him in close supervision centres intended for the UK's most dangerous offenders had delayed his progress. But the Justice Secretary argued Bronson's "readiness to resort to violence continues to be evident" and claimed a public hearing may "prompt a display of violence". Now former judge Jeremy Roberts KC has denied Bronson's efforts for a public hearing. In a written judgement, he said: "I believe that the notoriety which the prisoner has already achieved and which would no doubt be increased by holding this hearing in public might actually mitigate against better public understanding of the parole process. It might distract from the real issues in the case." During Bronson's public parole hearing in 2023, one of the UK's first, he said it was his "old mother, the Duchess" Eira Peterson's dream to see him walk free. He told the panel: "She's 95 and she's not in the best of health. You people have got the power to let me out. That's my mum's last dream on this planet, to see her son outside, doing well, making a good honest living with my art. If you have a heart or any passion, give it to my mum and make an old lady's dream come true." Bronson was first jailed 51 years ago and during his time inside has staged nine roof-top protests and held 11 people hostage. But he refused to apologise for any of it. He said: "Am I sorry? Maybe. Would I do it again? Definitely not." He conceded he deserved 35 years of the time he had served. He said: "I've had more porridge than Goldilocks and the three bears. I'm sick of it. I've had enough and I want to go home." He said: "Compared to what I was, I'm almost an angel now." In 2014, Bronson decided to change his surname to Salvador, which he said meant "man of peace". He said: "Bronson was a nasty b*****d. I wasn't a nice person and I didn't like him. Salvadoris a man of peace. I feel peaceful." But Bronson, who was dubbed "Britain's most violent prisoner" after a string of attacks, also told the panel: "I love a rumble. What man doesn't?" But he conceded it was becoming a "bit more embarrassing" because of his age and he "had to grow up". He said: "There will be no more rumbles." Of one incident, in which the parole review was told he stripped naked and "greased up", he said: "I took half a tub of Lurpak with me, bare-knuckle stripped off and had the rumble of my life. It was f***ing brilliant." In 1998, Bronson took two Iraqi aircraft hijackers and another inmate hostage at Belmarsh Prison in London, telling negotiators he would eat one of his victims unless his demands were met. He told his parole hearing: "They threatened to blow up a f***ing plane. I take them hostage and I'm the animal. They are all out now and I'm still in here. I've got no compassion for them." Asked about an incident in 2015 when he threw his faeces at a prisoner, Bronson claimed the inmate had killed four people and threatened to stab him. He also claimed the prisoner had asked him to do it so that he could claim compensation. Speaking about taking prison teacher Phil Danielson hostage in 1999, he said: "I tied a skipping rope around his neck and took him for a walk around the landings. When the time is right for him, I would like to meet him and apologise." He said he told another hostage: "You've been my best hostage, you're the only one who hasn't s**t himself." Asked about causing prison governor Adrian Wallace post traumatic stress disorder, Bronson said: "Governor Wallace was an a***hole, is an a***hole and will die an a***hole." Bronson, who described himself as a "retired prison activist", said: "I was a horrible person and I couldn't stop taking hostages. I went through a phase, I couldn't help taking hostages. "I was battling against the system... it was my way of getting back. There's nothing better than wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey." Bronson, who is in HMP Woodhill, claimed he often put a "lovely little bet" on "Spurs or Luton" on a Saturday and won £1,500 betting last year. He told the hearing: "I'm just a normal geezer wanting to get on with my life." Bronson, whose real name is Michael Peterson, has developed a reputation for being Britain's most violent prisoner. He was given seven years for the robbery but bad behaviour inside gave him a reputation as a dangerous inmate, and he wasn't release until 1987. Bronson then spent just 69 days as a free man before being rearrested and jailed again after robbing a jewellery shop. He was sentenced to another seven years and, bar another brief spell of freedom in 1992, has been in prison since. During his time inside he has attacked at least 20 prison officers and caused £500,000 in damage in rooftop protests. He was given a life sentence for taking Mr Danielson hostage. His last conviction for a violent offence was in 2014 when he was tried for assault.
