Best UK Brands Of Milk, Cheese, And OJ?

[metabolizm]

Any Peaters in the UK care to opine on this?

I tend to drink Innocent OJ, basic supermarket milk, and Cathedral cheddar (as well as supermarket parmesan), but I'm worried I'm missing out on better brands!

 

[CreakyJoints]

Hi, I'm in the UK as well. Unfortunately I don't think there are many particularly good brands for us to choose from! I made a little summary at the bottom of my opinions. Would be really interested to hear if there's anything I've overlooked too! I realise I've written quite a lot, sorry to ramble. Please feel free to skip to the end.

Unless I'm remembering this totally wrong, Peat mentions somewhere that cheese made with animal rennet is much better than microbial or other alternatives. I don't think Cathedral qualifies in this regard, as tasty as it is - lots of kinds of Parmesan are OK, because traditional methods demand the animal rennet, so if it's authentic it's more likely to have been made that way, but it's quite hard to tell which ones are real and which aren't, and since the EU Referendum a lot of cheap imitation ones are hitting the shelves: sometimes they'll say "made with vegetarian rennet" or "lab-made rennet" or something like that. Sadly, I think in the UK we tend not to actually use animal rennet any more, you're more likely to find cheeses that are made that way in more world-food oriented places, especially those that cater to Middle Eastern, Eastern European, and Afro-Caribbean cuisine (there are lots of these everywhere in London, but I'm not sure how easy it'll be for you to find) - I'm sorry, this means I'm totally unable to remember any of the names of these - I've found lots and lots of options in those little shops that say they've been made with animal rennet though, and I've rarely been disappointed by them. Some fancy cheese places that import their stuff could help you out too. I'm not too picky about my cheeses, I'll have Cathedral when it's on sale. There's a particular kind of goat's cheese from Sainsbury's I really like, but I can't quite remember the name, only that it's in a little log and possibly from Scotland. Tesco do one that's OK too - it's unsaturated fat content is a bit higher than the Sainsbury's one. I have some in the fridge now but I binned the packaging already. Will possibly edit this post later with the name!

For OJ, generally speaking, I look out for sediment in the juice, as it's less likely if you see it that industrial pulp-dissolving chemicals aren't being used (although I suppose there's not really any way to know how it's been processed without seeing the factory) - some supermarket own brands are fine in this regard, but then it's about avoiding juice that's too tart. Asda have a bunch of different ones like Florida Orange and Valencia Orange and things like that - some of these are pretty OK. I try to press my own orange juice whenever I can, (although the quality of actual oranges seems to fluctuate wildly from shop to shop, I've noticed). I think I remember Innocent being sort of OK if a bit pricey for me. I think there's a Sainsbury's one that was alrightish, it was in a fancy-looking carton. It may have been a premium one at a comparable price to Innocent. I think Tesco have to be adding stuff to theirs because it is ludicrously sweet sometimes - maybe that's a good thing, but I just don't find it refreshing. I decided Tropicana was very low in my rankings of deliciousness and high in probably-slightly-poisonous. It's really hard to tell what they do to the stuff, I think there's more options I object to than ones I'm willing to drink.

I'm the same as you with milk, but also it's not one I think we really need to worry about here. I've tried some of the unpasteurized stuff from Jersey before and enjoyed it (I can't remember which supermarkets carry these, but I think a few do), I don't really feel like it caused me any issues, particularly. There's a brand Sainsbury's have called Graham's Farm Organic or something which was OK, except the cream at the top is probably quite fatty. I remember finding a list a while ago of all the major milk brands in the UK and whether or not they were certifiably 'organic' for all that means here - I'll try to dig it up again. I'm quite indiscriminate about my milk, but I try to have semi-skimmed. We're lucky in that not every brand of milk is fortified eight ways from Sunday, I think it's something we can potentially be a little more lax about compared to people in the USA. I think red-top or fully skimmed in the UK is often way more fortified so I generally stay away from it.

I know you didn't ask but there's a bunch of types of condensed milk I think are great. I like Vietnamese coffee, so I always try to keep it on hand. Island Sun is the one I use. Carnation is OK but a little bit on the heavy side, I think. I used to drink with Sainsbury's Lighter Evaporated Milk a lot, not so much any more - it's fortified too. I've yet to find a not-terrible powdered milk - most of them give me little allergic reactions.

TL;DR - for me,
Cheese: proper Parmesan is great, (sometimes the label will specify that it was made in Italy) Cathedral is possibly not ideal, but obviously is delicious. I love that stuff with the cranberries in it that all major supermarkets seem to have, and the little logs of Sainsbury's goat cheese are great.
Orange juice: I think most of our OJ here is not ideal, but surprisingly some cheap supermarket own-brand stuff is pretty OK (probably, hopefully). Innocent is probably OK but I've gone off it mainly due to price. Check Asda's vast own-brand selection, you may get along with some of those ones. Can't recommend Tesco's one (in a blue-ish bottle at time of writing) or Tropicana.
Milk: just any "organic" semi-skimmed. Grahams and Yeo Valley are the two I can remember right now, but I can't attest to either of their "organic"-ness. Arla is probably less so than either of those, but it keeps a little longer and is cheaper, so I'm fine with it myself. Less of a problem for us, thankfully. There is a list somewhere of which milk brands in the UK are considered more "organic".

 

[Connor888]

Any Peaters in the UK care to opine on this?

I tend to drink Innocent OJ, basic supermarket milk, and Cathedral cheddar (as well as supermarket parmesan), but I'm worried I'm missing out on better brands!

i'm not sure how good quality it is, but Ocado's own brand milk is the best milk i've ever tasted. (im drinking semi-skim) It's pasturized and homogenized. For reference, I've tried just about every other supermarket brand and even raw milk from the farm and still prefer Ocados. If I had to guess I would say its good quality based on the taste of it

 

[maillol]

Tesco's finest OJ is good and unpasteurised

 

[reality]

Shop at Waitrose

-their OJ is unpasteurised (though M&S also have an unpasteurised OJ)
-They have an unhomogenized milk from Ayrshire cows

Not sure about cheese, but you’re best bet is traditional stuff like Parmesan that’s made with rennet (and unpasteurised milk)

also, a lot of their meats are grass fed

 

[Sefton10]

This place is excellent for organic raw milk: Raw Milk | Organic Meat | Gazegill Organics, I tend to bulk buy and then freeze most of it.

 

[metabolizm]

Thank you all for your contributions.

Some follow-ups: why is unpasteurised better than pasteurised OJ?

I try to go with taste for OJ: if it tastes sour or just weird, I won't drink it. None of the supermarket stuff will ever compare to genuinely freshly squeezed OJ, but I try to drink those that approximate it best. I agree that there's something off about Tropicana, so I try to avoid it. Innocent I still think is pretty good, if expensive. And yes, some of the cheaper options are surprisingly tasty. M&S's own unpasteurised brand I find horribly tart, and I can't drink it.

Milk: I was drinking some superior, expensive, unhomogenised organic milk for a while, and while it tasted delicious it seemed to be giving me gas. I'm just going for supermarket organic semi-skimmed brands now, and they seem to be much of a muchness. I don't drink a huge amount of milk anyway.

Cheese: I'm still eating Cathedral mostly. I do buy Parmesan, but it's not as tasty and not as flexible. Sometimes I buy the supermarket-own brand, and they tend to be okay. I'd love to try some Peat-approved animal rennet cheese at some point, but it's so hard to find. Any supermarket recommendations there?

 

[not_James_Bond]

Thank you all for your contributions.

Some follow-ups: why is unpasteurised better than pasteurised OJ?

I try to go with taste for OJ: if it tastes sour or just weird, I won't drink it. None of the supermarket stuff will ever compare to genuinely freshly squeezed OJ, but I try to drink those that approximate it best. I agree that there's something off about Tropicana, so I try to avoid it. Innocent I still think is pretty good, if expensive. And yes, some of the cheaper options are surprisingly tasty. M&S own unpasteurised brand I find horribly tart, and I can't drink it.

Milk: I was drinking some superior, expensive, unhomogenised organic milk for a while, and while it tasted delicious it seemed to be giving me gas. I'm just going for supermarket organic semi-skimmed brands now, and they seem to be much of a muchness.

Cheese: I'm still eating Cathedral mostly. I do buy Parmesan, but it's not as tasty and not as flexible. Sometimes I buy the supermarket own brand, and they tend to be okay. I'd love to try some Peat-approved animal rennet cheese at some point, but it's so hard to find.

This OJ is nice IMO https://groceries.morrisons.com/products/morrisons-not-from-concentrate-orange-juice-325406011

 

[metabolizm]

This OJ is nice IMO https://groceries.morrisons.com/products/morrisons-not-from-concentrate-orange-juice-325406011

Yeah, I thought that was pretty good too.

 

[golder]

This place is excellent for organic raw milk: Raw Milk | Organic Meat | Gazegill Organics, I tend to bulk buy and then freeze most of it.

Thanks so much for this. Been looking for a reliable raw source for over a decade. My first order arrived today and I'm enjoying my first latte with. Much appreciated!

 

[Sefton10]

Thanks so much for this. Been looking for a reliable raw source for over a decade. My first order arrived today and I'm enjoying my first latte with. Much appreciated!

No problem, I'm currently awaiting another order myself. They do a really good offer for 16L this time of year when they have a surplus. I find their other produce to be great and delivery has always been quick and reliable. Feels good supporting the traditional farm/farmer directly in the current climate too. Enjoy!

 

[metabolizm]

What about supermarket eggs, everyone? I recently started reading the small print and found that some of the hens were fed maize, and some (possibly all) were vaccinated, which can't be ideal. I'd prefer to have chickens of my own, obviously, but has anyone found some relatively safe supermarket eggs?

 

[AdoTintor]

This place is excellent for organic raw milk: Raw Milk | Organic Meat | Gazegill Organics, I tend to bulk buy and then freeze most of it.

My order of raw milk just came (thanks a million Sefton10 for putting us on to this) and holy cow I have never had such a food high (see what I did there). It's the most glorious, luxurious feeling of being bathed in some sort of divine motherly glow. To get this response I must be completely deficient in something that raw milk provides - what could it be? I've been drinking supermarket milk with no such effect. Now I get Ray Peat.

 

[Dr.Winston O'Boogie]

Tesco's finest OJ is good and unpasteurised

For sure, freshly squeezed and tastes like it too. Comes in the smooth variety too without the pulp. Great product.

 

[Sulcuscentralis]

My order of raw milk just came (thanks a million Sefton10 for putting us on to this) and holy cow I have never had such a food high (see what I did there). It's the most glorious, luxurious feeling of being bathed in some sort of divine motherly glow. To get this response I must be completely deficient in something that raw milk provides - what could it be? I've been drinking supermarket milk with no such effect. Now I get Ray Peat.

Maybe it's because it's less allergenic than pasteurized milk.

 

[Sefton10]

My order of raw milk just came (thanks a million Sefton10 for putting us on to this) and holy cow I have never had such a food high (see what I did there). It's the most glorious, luxurious feeling of being bathed in some sort of divine motherly glow. To get this response I must be completely deficient in something that raw milk provides - what could it be? I've been drinking supermarket milk with no such effect. Now I get Ray Peat.

Glad to help. I certainly noticed a big difference in terms of taste vs. supermarket milk, I couldn't go back to that now. I tried raw goat milk from a place down in Cornwall that delivers nationally too, but it was much more expensive and I much prefer the taste of the cow's milk.

 

[Sefton10]

What about supermarket eggs, everyone? I recently started reading the small print and found that some of the hens were fed maize, and some (possibly all) were vaccinated, which can't be ideal. I'd prefer to have chickens of my own, obviously, but has anyone found some relatively safe supermarket eggs?

Best supermarket egg I've found in the UK are these: Purely Organic Eggs | Natural & Truly Free Range

They are organic from hens on smaller farms genuinely out foraging/free ranging and eating their natural diet. They still supplement with organic feed (likely corn), but they are a good size, tasty and the yolks are a decent deeper yellow.

Next best thing to buying direct from a farmer for me. We get them from Tesco where they are £3 for 10. I think Asda may stock them too.

 

[metabolizm]

Tesco's finest OJ is good and unpasteurised

I had some this morning. Very "fresh", if a little tart.

Best supermarket egg I've found in the UK are these: Purely Organic Eggs | Natural & Truly Free Range .

To be honest, I think most free range supermarket eggs taste pretty good, but it's very hard to find clear information about what the hens eat, and what free range actually looks like for them. It seems they've all been vaccinated in the UK by law, for what it's worth. One day I plan to have chickens of my own.

 

[Tristan Loscha]

UK members please check for regulations concerning the declaration of titanium dioxide present in commercial cheeses. UK is very forgiving with the adulteration of cheese, i read about that some time ago.

 

[golder]

UK members please check for regulations concerning the declaration of titanium dioxide present in commercial cheeses. UK is very forgiving with the adulteration of cheese, i read about that some time ago.

Any ideas which brands are safe, in order to save me the hours of researching? Much appreciated!