For several generations, tomato ketchup (or tomato sauce, depending on where you're from!) has remained a popular condiment with folks across the UK. In its simplest form, this classic seasoning is made up of tomatoes, spices, sweeteners and vinegar, and for most of us, it can be enjoyed with everything from fry ups to french fries.
In this article, we help point you to what to look out for and what to avoid. To make your selection easier, we've picked our favourite kinds of ketchup from brands like Heinz, Stokes, and Tiptree on Amazon, Tesco, and more. Moreover, we have partnered with Nutritionist Tara Corbett for reviewing and fact-checking the article so that we can deliver the best information to you the reader!
Quick List - Top Tomato Ketchups
mybest UK specialist Tara is a nutritionist and energy coach who helps clients lose weight, improve their eating habits, and get their energy back through their nutrition. Tara specialises in helping busy parents specifically improve their eating with ease and without overwhelm, and get back on track so the whole family can benefit.
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Tara is a nutritionist and energy coach who helps clients to lose weight, improve their eating habits, and get their energy back through better nutrition. She specialises in helping busy parents improve their diets without overwhelming them with information, and get them back on track so that the whole family can benefit.
When picking your ketchup, it's a good idea to scan the label as the best mix of ingredients will usually consist of whole tomatoes or tomato puree, distilled vinegar, and familiar everyday spices such as onions and garlic. These natural ingredients, loaded with nutrients, should be well-measured and high on the list.
Interestingly, the production of ketchup, which involves heat processing, actually enhances the nutritional value of tomatoes by increasing the content of lycopene that can be absorbed by the body. Lycopene has powerful antioxidant properties that help keep your cells healthy and strong.
Looking to add some spice to a meal? Why not try a hot sauce?
When comparing ketchup, it's often better to opt for the one with the fewest ingredients. Low-quality ketchups are usually loaded with unnecessary added ingredients and sugars to make them taste better, as well as colourings to give them that strong red colour.
Try to avoid flavour enhancers or artificial preservatives as they're often included to cut down production costs, but usually, diminish the quality of the product. It's always worth checking the label so you know what you're getting before you buy, especially if you're conscious of what you and your family are consuming.
You can't go wrong when pairing ketchup and mayonnaise together!
Since our tastes and diets vary, it makes sense to check the quantity of sugar in your ketchup. While most contain sugar, this is often from the natural sugars found in tomatoes rather than extra added sugar. It's best to look out for ketchup with the least amount of refined sugar possible.
Excess sugar contributes to illnesses such as diabetes and obesity, and ketchup could potentially build up your daily intake if you like to slather it on. So, take care to ensure that you're not exceeding your daily maximum intake – the NHS recommends adults consume no more than 30 grams of sugar a day.
It's also worth keeping an eye on the amount of salt found in your ketchup. For people with high blood pressure, low-sodium ketchup or one without added salt would be best. Again, the NHS recommends aiming for less than 2.4 g of sodium a day.
As well as being plastic-free and easy to reuse or recycle, glass bottles are a touch more presentable than plastic packaging. However, as many of us probably can attest to, condiments in glass bottles can be rather tricky to get out, especially the last few inches! Liquids and condiments stored in glass bottles also tend not to spoil as quickly as plastic containers.
Plastic bottles are more convenient than glass bottles as it is far easier to squeeze your sauce over a burger or chips than smacking out more than you intended. You also won't have to worry about giving them to children and having them dropped and breaking.
Having a Barbecue this summer? Don't forget to pick up some of the best BBQ sauces around!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tesco Tomato Ketchup | ![]() | Perfectly Rich and Sweet Ketchup for an Affordable Price | |
2 | Sauce Shop Tomato Ketchup | ![]() | Brown Sugar Ketchup With a Distinct Flavour | |
3 | Idun Tomato Ketchup | ![]() | A Scandi-Style Tomato Sauce With a Thick Texture | |
4 | Asda Classic Tomato Ketchup | ![]() | A Bargain Ketchup Suitable for Vegans | |
5 | Biona Organic Tomato Ketchup|Pack of 6 | ![]() | Organic Ingredients Enhanced With Agave Syrup | |
6 | Real Good Tomato Ketchup|Pack of 6 | ![]() | Tasty Ketchup With 75% Less Salt and No Added Sugar | |
7 | Heinz No Added Sugar & Salt Tomato Ketchup | ![]() | A Familiar Recipe, Minus the Sugar and Salt | |
8 | Wilkin & Sons Ltd Tiptree Tomato Ketchup | ![]() | Posh Ketchup With a Lemony Flavour | |
9 | Dr. Will's Tomato Ketchup | ![]() | A Vitamin-Rich Ketchup With Naturally-Occurring Sugars | |
10 | Stokes Sauces Real Tomato Ketchup | ![]() | Ketchup Crammed Full of Juicy Italian Tomatoes |
Made from good quality tomatoes with no preservatives or artificial colourings, and not even a thickening agent, this ketchup is as good as it gets! The great recipe gives you a tangy, natural taste that you'll find sweet and enjoyable no matter your taste.
With its great balance of sweet and savoury, moderate sugar content and a convenient squeezy bottle, Tesco's offering has become a dominant player in the line of ketchups – so much so that it is now considered a preferable alternative to the market leaders. It's our number one because it manages to do all this for only 65 pence!
Composed of whole tomatoes and brown sugar as a major ingredient, this sauce stands tall among others. As well as a lower GI, brown sugar means that you get fewer calories per gram than you would with regular sugar. One for those who know how damaging those unburnt calories can be!
Better yet, the brown sugar molasses leaves slightly more minerals for you to consume in your ketchup, in addition to the richer texture it brings to the table. All in all, you get a tangy and distinct flavour that will no doubt be a delightful complement to your chips, pizza or fancy fry up.
Fancy trying something different? This Norwegian tomato ketchup is a real family favourite! Not only does it have that bright red colour characteristic of Norwegian tomatoes, but it also has a lovely texture that is both smooth and thick.
Loved by families for its impressive consistency, it makes a wonderful condiment for hot dogs, sausage sandwiches, and barbecues. Also, it's less acidic than other ketchups, making it great for anyone who finds other brands a bit too vinegary.
Gone are the days when vegans and vegetarians alike spent countless hours trying to investigate the origins and processes that had gone into a product. This ketchup is certified by the Vegan Society, meaning you won't have to worry about the contents.
Asda's classic tomato sauce, as you'd expect, is very affordable and comes in a large 970 g squeezy bottle that's perfect for families. It's loaded with cayenne pepper and garlic powder for a slightly spicy taste, which is great if you like a little more oomph to your condiments.
This organic product also comes in a pack of 6 glass bottles with aluminium lids. The packaging method is safe, reusable, and perfect for people wanting to cut down on plastics. It also adds a feeling of premium authenticity that really has an impact on how it tastes.
Made from a special blend of herbs and spices, this ketchup has a sophisticated flavour that is enhanced by agave syrup. The agave nectar is actually sweeter than sugar, yet possesses a low glycemic index which keeps blood sugar levels in check.
This is the only ketchup awarded 5 stars in The Times Condiment Taste Test, a testament to its high quality and superb taste! It comes in a pack of six, which means it is quite cost-effective and will last you a while.
Although it is not absolutely without sodium, it has over 75% less salt than many other ketchups. Also, it is free from refined sugars, fruit syrups or other high-fructose ingredients, and instead uses Scandinavian xylitol, a natural sweetener.
Heinz ketchup has been a staple since 1886. Happily, for those who would rather have no sugar or salt in their diet, you don't have to sacrifice your usual tomato sauce. It is a healthier alternative if you're looking to watch your intake, with all the flavour of the classic recipe.
Also, it contains celery which supports digestion and adds a lovely savoury flavour, though it should be avoided if you're allergic to herb extracts. This product is ideal for people with diabetes or high blood pressure. However, some may find that the artificial sweetener used, sucralose, is a tad distasteful.
This is a special ketchup with a recipe that has been a Wilkin family favourite for several decades. Made from the finest Mediterranean plum tomatoes, the contents of each bottle have been prepared with special care to bring you only the best!
With lemon juice as an added ingredient, it has a distinct lemony flavour that awakens your tastebuds, making even the soggiest chips more enticing! Like most luxury products, it can be a bit of an acquired taste as well as being a little on the sugary side.
Here's a ketchup with naturally-occurring sugars that are that little bit better for your health as well as being free from added sweeteners. Specifically, it contains date paste, made up of dates and rice flour, which is one of the best natural sweeteners used in ketchup.
Dates have vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron and vitamin B6, to name a few. Just be mindful that you have to do a little shaking to get it out of its short-necked bottle.
You might have heard that Italian tomatoes taste better, and indeed, there really is something very special about them! The mineral-rich soil of the various regions of Italy coupled with a stable temperature throughout the year helps develop tomatoes with practically seedless flesh.
It is these specially-grown tomatoes that are sourced by Stokes to produce this unique product. The fleshy Italian pomodoro results in a ketchup that is juicy and tasty. What a perfect complement to the great British breakfast! This bottle is a bit pricey, though, so be prepared to whip out a few extra quid for its premium taste.
Written and researched by David Gbe
No. 1: Tesco|Tomato Ketchup
No. 2: Sauce Shop|Tomato Ketchup
No. 3: Idun|Tomato Ketchup
No. 4: Asda|Classic Tomato Ketchup
No. 5: Biona|Organic Tomato Ketchup|Pack of 6
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