Who is each format for?

Cooks following a cream-cheese recipe

For bagels, dips or cheesecake, look for a soft, spreadable cheese rather than grated Cheddar. Check whether the recipe calls for a plain or flavoured product.

Cooks who need a grated topping

For a dish that calls for grated cheese, check which cheese the recipe specifies. If you choose a larger bag, read its opened-pack storage instruction before buying.

Shoppers checking ingredients and allergens

Read the exact pack label for milk, other declared allergens and ingredients such as anti-caking agents. Formulations can differ between grated cheeses and flavoured soft cheeses.

What should you check?

Start with the cheese type and texture the meal requires, then check the label and whether the pack size fits your plans.

Priority What to check Your needs
Cheese format Check whether the recipe calls for soft cream cheese or a particular grated cheese. Read the product name rather than assuming all cheeses work alike. For a spread or cheesecake, I need soft cheese; for a grated topping, I need the cheese type named in the recipe.
Pack size and storage Check the pack weight and its opened-life instruction. Sainsbury's lists a three-day opened-life instruction for its 500g grated Cheddar and the Stamford Street Co. 500g bag. A larger bag only suits my plans if I can use it within the instruction on that pack.
Ingredients and flavour Read the ingredients on the exact product. The Sainsbury's and Stamford Street Co. grated Cheddars list potato starch as an anti-caking agent; flavoured soft cheese is not a neutral substitute for plain cheese. I want to know whether added ingredients or garlic-and-herb flavour fit the dish I am making.
Allergen information Check the current pack's emphasised allergens and any additional allergen statements. Flavoured products may have different ingredients from plain ones. I need the allergen information for the specific pack, not an assumption based on its cheese category.

Common shopping mistakes

  • Buying grated Cheddar for a cream-cheese recipe

    The checked grated Cheddar is a different product from spreadable Philadelphia soft cheese. Its texture and cheese type do not match a recipe calling for cream cheese.

    Read the recipe's cheese type first: choose soft cheese for a cream-cheese ingredient and grated cheese where the dish calls for it.

  • Choosing a large bag without checking storage

    Sainsbury's and Stamford Street Co. list a three-day opened-life instruction for their checked 500g grated Cheddars.

    Choose a pack size you can use within its current on-pack storage instruction.

  • Assuming all grated cheese has the same ingredients

    The checked Sainsbury's and Stamford Street Co. grated Cheddars list potato starch, while the displayed ingredient list for a checked Coleraine grated Cheddar differs.

    If a particular ingredient matters to your choice, read the label on the exact pack.

  • Using flavoured soft cheese as a plain substitute

    Garlic-and-herb soft cheese adds flavours that may not fit a recipe calling for plain cream cheese.

    Choose a flavoured product when those ingredients belong in the dish; otherwise look at plain soft cheese.

Brand and retailer references

Philadelphia

A branded soft-cheese option for recipes that call for a spreadable cream-cheese format.

  • Waitrose describes its Philadelphia Original 165g listing as full-fat soft cheese.
  • Check the exact tub and recipe requirements rather than treating it as grated cheese.

Boursin

A flavoured soft-cheese option when garlic and herbs are intended in a spread, dip or dish.

  • The checked Garlic & Herb 150g listings describe a soft cheese with garlic and herbs.
  • Its added flavours make it unsuitable as a neutral substitute in some plain cream-cheese recipes.

Sainsbury's

Its checked listings include both soft cheese and grated Cheddar, allowing a choice between distinct formats.

  • The checked soft-cheese listings include 200g and 300g packs.
  • The checked 500g grated Cheddar lists potato starch and an instruction to use it within three days of opening.

Stamford Street Co.

The checked 500g product is grated Cheddar, not cream cheese.

  • It provides a grated format for dishes that call for Cheddar.
  • Its checked label lists potato starch and says to use the cheese within three days of opening.

Waitrose

Its checked listings provide examples of plain Philadelphia soft cheese and flavoured Boursin soft cheese.

  • The listings distinguish a plain soft-cheese option from a garlic-and-herb one.
  • Read the individual product and pack details; the two flavours serve different recipes.

A grated-cheese option on Joybuy

This grated-cheese option is relevant to meals calling for a grated topping or cooking ingredient. Check its cheese type if your recipe specifies one; it is not cream cheese.

Morrisons Grated Italian Style Cheese 80g pack

Morrisons Grated Italian Style Cheese 80g

The grated format may suit a dish that calls for grated cheese, but it is not cream cheese. The product information uses both “Italian Style” and “Cheddar”, so confirm the cheese type on the pack if your recipe specifies one. Check the current pack for milk and egg information and opened-pack storage instructions.

View on Joybuy

Questions about cheese formats

Is pre-grated cheese the same as cream cheese?

No. The checked cream cheese is soft and spreadable, while the checked pre-grated products are grated Cheddar. Choose the cheese type and texture your recipe calls for.

What should I check when choosing a tub of cream cheese?

Check that it is the plain or flavoured soft cheese your recipe needs, then choose a pack size you can use within its date and storage instructions.

Does all pre-grated cheese contain potato starch?

No such assumption follows from the checked products. The Sainsbury's and Stamford Street Co. grated Cheddars list potato starch as an anti-caking agent, while a checked Coleraine listing displays a different ingredient list. Read the current pack for the product you choose.

How long can I keep an opened bag of grated Cheddar?

The checked 500g Sainsbury's and Stamford Street Co. grated Cheddars say to use them within three days of opening. Follow the instruction on your particular pack, which may differ.

Where should I check allergens on pre-packed cheese?

Check the current pack label. GOV.UK's January 2024 guidance for Great Britain says pre-packed food labels need the food name and an ingredients list with the 14 allergens required by law emphasised. Also read any product-specific allergen statements.