Best brands of butter, flour, sugar etc

another question

Hi there,

I am making a cake and want to follow the recipe exactly. The recipe states to use only the 'best ingredients' around to get an excellent result.

So basically I would like your recommendations on the best brands of:

1) Unsalted butter
2) Golden caster sugar
3) Plain flour
4) Self-raising flour
5) Icing sugar
6) Vanilla paste

I don't mind how expensive they are but only the best please. Thanks in advance.

Stench Blossoms

TBH I think some of the 'best' products are over-rated.

I buy 90% of my ingredients in the likes of Aldi or Lidl for a fraction of the price.

Haven't had any complaints so far.

Cerulean Chicken

another question wrote: »

I don't mind how expensive they are but only the best please. Thanks in advance.

Expensive doesn't mean better. Would agree with Stench Blossoms.

1) Unsalted butter - Lidl, but you can use normal salted butter in most recipes.
2) Golden caster sugar - Lidl/Aldi/Tesco
3) Plain flour - Odlums, I would stick to their brand for flour
4) Self-raising flour - Odlums
5) Icing sugar - Tesco or Lidl (Tate & Lyle)
6) Vanilla paste - You won't get a big variety of them so just buy what you find.

toadfly

Odlums flour is the only baking ingredient I would always buy. Wouldn't stick to the same brand for anything else. I have found that supervalu/aldi/tesco own brand butter better for butter icing tastewise than kerrygold/branded block butter.

Dizzyblonde

I tend to stick to Odlums flour and Kerrygold butter but dont mind about other baking supplies so much. I've found Aldi's caster sugar can be less fine than others and doesn't work well for meringues.

Sigma Force

I thought Aldis flour was just Odlums re-packaged?

I find any flour, sugar generally works and any free range eggs but I find a cake etc. can be ruined by using inferior cocoa or chocolate.

I guess if you want to go for traditional, good quality you can't go wrong with the Irish basics of free range eggs, Odlums and Siucre. When it comes to eggs I guess freshest is best so if you can get local eggs that's the place to go.

Green and Blacks cocoa is excellent, there are other types available but can be fiddley to get and Green and Blacks is available in supermarkets.

Chocolate wise it's a matter of taste and tbh Aldi and Lidl have really good dark chocolate just as good as any better known brands even their cheaper dark chocolate does the job for day to day stuff.

Vanilla, well you can't go wrong with Neilson Massey vanilla extract and vanilla paste, there are other brands available but can be hard to get.

Golden caster sugar wise I haven't found it much diff to regular caster sugar but if you ever need something like Muscovado sugar even the Tesco brand does the job, it's so nice in recipes esp. cookies.

I've seen I think it's Neilson Massey orange blossom extract lately but when it comes to things like flavourings natural is always better, a bit of orange or lemon zest and/or juice is so much nicer than the bottled stuff even the good bottled stuff.

Merkin

I use Allinsons for everything. I live in the UK though so I'm not sure if you can get it in Ireland but if you see it definitely worth trying, especially their wholemeal for bread.

Lucyn

My only tip would be to use butter every time. Never ever ever ever use margarine. The difference in taste and quality of bake is immeasurable.

With regard to brands, I try to use an many organic products as possible while striking a balance with local, Irish products.

rubadub

This is an old post about who makes who's own brands. From 01-03-2011 so might have changed

MrsD007 wrote: »

More and more people are turning to own brands at the moment, here is a list of the companies who make supermarket own brand products.


Tesco Own brands

They say that 100 Irish companies produce some 2,000 own brand Tesco products. 98% of their customers purchase at least one own brand as part of weekly shop. Own brand household cleaning account for 63% of sales in that category.

Who makes Tesco own brand?

Glanbia – Tesco milk; Tesco butter; Tesco fromage frais
Mannings bakery (Dublin) – Tesco apple tarts, crumble, bakewell tart and other cakes
Hilton Foods (Drogheda) – Tesco Finest sausages, chorizo sausages, Tesco Finest Pork and Lamb products.
Brogan’s Bakery (Galway) – Tesco muffins
Country Crest (Lucan); Tesco roosters, kerrs pink, baby potatoes, onions, shallots and more veg.
Gem Pack Foods Ltd – Tesco rice, sugar, currants, sultanas, raisins, almonds, hazelnuts, walnut pieces, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc,
Catron Bros (Cavan / Dublin) – Tesco chicken ranges
P Mulrine & sons (Donegal) – Tesco juices (ambient and chilled).
Both Irish Pride and Bachelors also make some Tesco label products.

Superquinn

Over 2,000 own brand products are available; 95% of the fresh own label products are Irish, while over 75% of grocery own label products are sourced from Irish suppliers/producers, 100% Irish chicken only used in their ready meals. They say they have seen a 20% increase in sales on own label products in 2010 compared to 2009.

Who makes Superquinn own brand?

Johnston Mooney & O’Brien - Essentials bread
Pat the Baker - Superquinn core bread
Connacht Gold - butter and cream
Bewley’s - own label core tea
Seery’s, Scott’s, Sam’s Cookies, and Fusco’s - all supply cakes for Superquinn Essentials range
Irish Yogurts (Clonakilty, Co Cork)- produce Essentials yogurts
Dublin based Donnellys - supply all fruit and vegetables
Wonderfoods (Dublin) - supply pre-pack salads and prepared vegetables
Country Crest based in Lusk - produce Superquinn own label ready meals using locally grown ingredients
Bombay Pantry based in Dublin - produce ethnic convenience meals under Superquinn own label

Aldi

Over 45% of all grocery sales at Aldi are generated on products bought from Irish suppliers, producers and manufacturers.
Who makes Aldi products?
Bewleys / Robert Roberts – all coffees and teas
Natures Isle – fresh poultry, Irish Angus beef, pork, lamb, all sourced from RoI farms and Bord Bia certified.
Irish Yogurts / Town of Monaghan Co-op / the Different Dairy Company – yogurts
Odlums – flour

Lidl

Lidl say they are “committed to using as many indigenous suppliers as possible in the production of its own brand products.”
Pat the Baker - granary bread and scones
Johnston Mooney & O Brien - hot dog rolls and burger buns
Olhausen – Premium pork sausages
Irish Yogurts (Clonakilty) – Premium yogurts
Town of Monaghan – Irish creamery butter
Liffey Meats (Cavan) – fresh beef
Cooley Distillery – whiskey
Oakpark Foods (Tipperary) – Glensallagh streaky bacon
Donegal Creameries – 1 litre milk carton
Seerys (Carlow)– triple chocolate cake and luxury lemon cake
Glenpatrick – Flavoured water
Begleys (Dublin) – fresh fruit and veg
The Scullery – relish (small supplier, relishes developed with Lidl)

SuperValu

SuperValu have 1,700 own brand products, over 30% of these are Irish.
Who makes SuperValu own brand?
Glenisk – organic yogurts
Follain (Co Cork) – SV Supreme jam, cranberry sauce, apple chutney, wholegrain mustard, relishes.
Kelkin – SV Muesli
Bandon Vale – cheese blocks
Mulrines – SV ketchup
Seerys (Carlow)– tea brack and brownie slices
Silver Pail (Fermoy, Co Cork)– Supreme ice creams
Lakeland Dairies (Cavan) – SuperValu Ice cream 1lt tubs
Riverview Eggs, Cork, Valley View Eggs, Bandon, Co. Cork, Clonarn Clover, Co. Meath and Nest Box Egg Co, Monaghan – SV eggs
Carty meats (Athlone)– SV rasher range
Mallons (Monaghan)– SV sausages
Countrystyle (Co Kilkenny) – SV puddings
Kepak – frozen burgers
Prestige Foods (Kerry) – trifle range
Taravale (Naas)– Salads such as coleslaw etc
Sunshine juice (Carlow)– Supreme freshly squeezed juice
JDS Foods (Cork) – SV spreads / margarine
Cashel – SV speciality cheeses

Centra

Centra have 700 own brand products available and 35% of their own brand products are Irish made. They say they use Irish suppliers for their fresh produce; all meat is 100% Irish; 67% of fruit and veg and 75% of dairy.

Who makes Centra products?
Irish Yogurts (Clonakilty)– Centra luxury yoghurts
McEvoy Family Foods (Co Tipperary) - Chilled Soup Range
Brady Family (Co Kildare) – deli style meats
Dunhill Cuisine (Waterford)– ready made meals i.e. cottage pie / lasagne
Mulrines (Donegal)– Centra juice range
Kerry Freshways – pre-packed sandwiches
North Cork co-op – Centra butter
Blenders (Dublin)- Mayonnaise

Dunnes

Overall over 75% of Dunnes fresh own label is sourced in Ireland; 100% fresh beef, chicken , lamb, pork is Irish; 97% of our bakery lines are Irish made ; 91% of all potatoes are Irish and 100% fresh fish from Irish suppliers / waters.
Olhausen - Dunnes Sausages
Batchelors - baked beans and peas
Mulrines - juice
Blenders - pasta sauces
Tendermeats (dedicated meat plant) - All Dunnes meat is controlled from farm to shelf via this plant
Some of Dunnes fresh own label suppliers
Natural Dairies Ltd.
Riverview Eggs Ltd.
The Nest Box Egg Co.
Annalitten Farm Foods Ltd.
Nevilles Bakery Dublin Ltd.
Johnson Mooney & O'Brien
Pat the Baker
Matt Reilly Cakes Ltd.
Staffords Bakery Ltd.
Brogans Bakery
P McCloskey & Sons Ltd.
Scotts Bakery Ltd.
William Carr & Sons Ltd.
H.J. Nolan (Dublin) Ltd.
Wrights of Howth
Dunns Seafare Ltd.
Oceanpath
Galway Bay Seafoods Ltd.

Another way of checking (for the super-sleuths!)
This only applies to meat and diary products: Irrespective of the brand, the label will have an EU approval number identifying the final processing plant. The Department of Agriculture publishes a list of approved plants for Ireland on its website.
This label identifies only the final stage of processing not the actual origin of the meat or dairy product.
For example, if you’re looking at two cartons of milk or a packet of rashers, one branded, one own brand, look at the origin code on the label (an oval with IE, a number and EC) or on the cap you may find, for instance, the number 1405 on both products. This identifies the production plant as being the same.

List compiled by Tina Leonard of the Pat Kenny Radio Show

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=70930797#post70930797

huskerdu

Merkin wrote: »

I use Allinsons for everything. I live in the UK though so I'm not sure if you can get it in Ireland but if you see it definitely worth trying, especially their wholemeal for bread.

I use Allinsons sometimes. It is available in Ireland but not in a lot of places and the price is usually higher than other brands here.

Their range of wholemeal and granary strong flours is very good and i love using the dried yeast, which is much better than instant yeast.

RacoonQueen

Why do people say to stick to odlums for flour?

Lucyn

I don't. I use Dove's farm and Ballybrado - both are organic

rubadub

I know this thread is old but probably best here.

Tesco Caster Sugar 1kg is only €1.09

This is not advertised by as an offer, might be a misprice as caster sugar is usually a lot more than regular. Gem 1kg of caster is 2.59 in tesco, and 500g of tesco caster is 95cent.

Also the tesco value plain flour is 100% flour, most others have additives, if that matters to you.

Cerulean Chicken

I'd say Tesco have done that to compete with Lidl/ALdi, 1kg of caster sugar has been €1.09 there for a long time.

rubadub

Interesting. Perhaps they are selling it at a loss or just breaking even and this is why it is not highlighted as an offer. Even the tesco value granulated sugar is 1.19.

I have found several very cheap items in tesco not being advertised as good offers. Maybe they want to stop aldi etc being able to put up signs that you see in shops these days.

Like aldi might have "aldi price 1.09, tesco price €1.80"

And tesco just want to stop negative advertising and not actually sell many of the product.

Cerulean Chicken

Tesco have those signs too? On their butter, it says Tesco €2.19 / Aldi €2.19.

flossie

The only thing i stick to is free range eggs, but that's partly for ethical reasons. Many people i know use eggs from caged hens with no problems. I use own brand (Tesco value sometimes) flours, butters etc. with Aldi being the preferred retailer overall. Never noticed a variation in quality myself.