10 Best Gherkins UK | Mrs Elswood Maille and More

Now we're getting fancy! In at number one are these lush, luxury gherkins pickled in fruity white wine and fragrant gin. Waitrose do tend to stock the finer end of the grocery selection and this jar certainly ticks that box. Garner's offer a delightful range of pickles using fresh, carefully selected ingredients every time so you can snack happy and healthy.

As well as the wine and gin combo, these gherkins are also flavoured with fragrant, heady dill and bitter fennel, which contrasts like a dream against the sweetness and crunch of the cucumber itself. This large jar is worth the price tag and could serve as a thoughtful gift for the gin-loving gourmand in your life! Top pick for salads, snacks, picnics or fancy spreads.

Though they're labelled as pickles, these cucumber slices jarred in spirit vinegar are just the same as a good old gherkin. Where they do differ is the texture; they're sliced into silky ribbons. On top of that, the complex flavour blend is rich and nuanced, which we know you'll love.

The inclusion of dill, fennel, black peppercorns, caraway seeds, coriander and the slightly unusual addition of bitter turmeric turns these humble cucumbers into a real flavour sensation. It's no wonder they've won a Great Taste award! No salad is complete without a lip-smacking spoonful of these cold-brined bites.

Maille is known for its quality mustards and gorgeous, flavourful condiments, produced in the traditional French style since the 1700s. These 'extra fine' cornichons could be served up to Rick Stein by an elderly farmer's wife in the South of France and no one would bat an eyelid. They are firm to the bite, tangy and sweet; a beautiful contrast to cheese or meat.

They're pickled in spirit vinegar with the tasty addition of onions, mustard, spices and coriander and come as a twin pack, meaning you can power through the first jar with gusto and still have some in reserve! Just right for buffets or a picnic spread, these crunchy, sharp cornichons are truly delicious.

As usual, Waitrose's own brand cocktail gherkins are a cut above average, with a reasonable price tag. These ones are on the small size, just right for an amuse-bouche to satisfy guests before a fancy three-course feast or to take along to a posh picnic with some open-air opera (we can dream, can't we!?).

The barley malt vinegar used is a little more palatable than spirit vinegar; its citrus sweetness has a dark, warm aftertaste that feels elegant and sumptuous. The unspecified 'natural flavours' on the ingredients list keep it outside our top three, but the hearty customer reviews suggest this is a tried, tested and beloved product!

Friendly Mrs Elwood is the fairy godmother of packed lunch preparation. Simply pickled in spirit vinegar to preserve the juicy sweetness of the cucumber, these wide, fine slices are ideal for sandwiches that pack a flavour punch. They're readily available from all your favourite food shops from Tesco to Asda and Amazon Fresh. 

The sheer volume of this jar for the price is pretty appealing, and we like the subtle scattering of mustard seeds which take the flavour to pleasant new heights. Pop them into salads, layer them on top of burgers or include them in picnic platters with other savoury munchies.

Now for something you won't find on UK supermarket shelves. This bonkers range of gherkins and other pickled treats, jarred in Alabama USA, is as quirky in taste as its packaging suggests. We've selected this batch; a double whammy of nobbly cornichons with fiery ghost peppers. 

Even for the two-jar deal, the price is fairly high, so these nibbles might be best saved as a present or treat around summertime or the festive period – they'll liven up a Boxing Day buffet just as well as a sun-soaked picnic with cold cuts and cheese. The flavour is wonderfully wild without being overwhelming; just right for heat lovers who adore that cornichon crunch.

Ooh la la! Need some sweet little cornichons to add some pizzazz to a cheese board? These could be your classiest pick. For cornichons they're fairly large, sitting superbly on a cracker with pastrami or Stilton, but what we particularly love about these majestic mini cucumbers is the flavour combination. 

They're pickled in the usual spirit vinegar, but this is perked up with the addition of onion and yellow mustard seeds, plus a sprinkling of the more unusual blend of tarragon and coriander seeds, taking these little mouthfuls to a moreish new level. Worth the cost if you can afford it! 

One of the top perks of this sizable jar of gherkins has to be the price tag; it's a bargain for nearly 500 grams of lunch-enhancing flavour. We also love the length and width of these tasty slices; they'd be ideal for a chunky sandwich on spongy sourdough or crowning a colossal burger patty.

They are pickled in standard spirit vinegar, but the addition of dill, as well as mustard seeds, gives a pleasing complexity which is impressive for affordable, own-brand gherkins like these. A fair few positive reviews on the Asda website call these 'perfect' for snacking and sarnies. 

We think you'll enjoy these round slices of cucumber, pickled in spirit vinegar and flavoured with mustard seeds, based on their crunchy texture, zingy taste and the fact that they are from Polish pickle experts Dawtona. 

The price for the quantity isn't especially eye-catching when compared with other products, but the sprinkling of mustard seeds adds a warm nuance to the flavour which will appeal to those who enjoy a simple, classic gherkin in their salad. The pieces are flat rather than crinkled, adding bite rather than sweetness to any snack.

If, on your hunt for the perfect gherkin, you're visualising a classic fifties diner with rollerskating waiters and milkshakes as big as your head, look no further than this hefty jar of crinkle-cut gherkin rounds which will turn any burger, meaty or otherwise, into retro snack heaven!

We love the idea of the 'tart dill taste' on the label, though the 'natural flavours' on the ingredients list mean the blend may be less complex than gherkins using fresh dill. These zig-zag cut cucumber pieces are also pickled in white vinegar, the sharpest and strongest vinegar option, which won't appeal to everyone.