Australia’s best supermarket block cheese has been crowned

Australia’s best supermarket block cheese has officially been crowned.

Iconic Victorian brand Cracker Barrel claimed the Canstar Most Satisfied Customers award for 2026, scoring maximum five-star ratings across overall satisfaction, taste, texture, variety and range, and packaging.

As one of the pricier blocks of cheese brands at the supermarket, Cracker Barrel lost one star when it came to value for money. Cracker Barrel costs $9.70 for a 250g block and $14.50 for a 500g block at Coles, and is on sale this week at Woolworths for $7 for a 250g block and $11 for 500g.

This is Cracker Barrel’s fourth time taking the Canstar crown having previously won in 2019, 2021 and 2023.

In second place is the Norwegian brand Jarlsberg, which scored five stars for overall satisfaction, four for taste and packaging, and three stars for texture, value for money, variety and range.

Jarlsberg block cheese costs $10 for a 250g block at Coles, down from $12, and $20 for 500g.

Aldi’s Westacre block cheese is in third place with five stars for value for money, and four stars for overall satisfaction, taste, texture and packaging, and three stars for variety and range. Westacre block cheese costs just $4.49 for a 250g block, $6.49 for 500g, and $8.99 for a 1kg block.

Read more

Australia facing calls to ban energy drinks for under-16s after major UK crackdown

In fourth place is Mainland cheese, which earned four stars in every category, except packaging in which it earned three stars.

Woolworths home brand block cheese made it to fifth place, earning four stars for overall satisfaction and value for money. This costs $6 for a 250g block, $7.70 for 500g, and $10.50 for a 1kg block.

In sixth place is Bega, followed by Perfect Italiano in seventh place, Cheer in eight spot, and Coles brand in ninth place.

Canstar surveyed 1099 Australians for their feedback on the block cheese brands they’ve purchased and eaten in the last three months. Of those surveyed, 38 per cent said they always purchase the same brand of block cheese, and 42 per cent stick with the same brand of sliced cheese each time they visit the supermarket.

Thirty-six per cent will choose the cheese brand that is on special, 18 per cent will always purchase the cheapest block cheese on offer, and 27 per cent of shoppers will always select the most affordable grated cheese.

Half of all shoppers surveyed have tried cheese from multiple brands, with 56 per cent sampling different brands of block cheese.

Switching from sliced cheese to block cheese is an easy way to save at the supermarket, with block cheese costing approximately 30-35 per cent less than sliced cheese products. The average spend on a block of cheese is $8.80, with shoppers purchasing cheese three times a month, on average.

In a separate survey, Canstar asked shoppers what their favourite cheese toastie filling is, and the winning combination is cheese, ham and tomato, according to 31 per cent of respondents.

Twenty-two per cent prefer just cheese and ham, and 15 per cent opt for cheese alone.