Best kefir drinks: Activia and Yeo Valley vs supermarket own brands

Kefir has quietly moved from health food shops to supermarket chillers, now sitting alongside yoghurts and other familiar dairy products.

It's a fermented milk drink made by adding kefir grains — a mix of beneficial bacteria and yeasts — to milk. This process gives it a tangy, slightly sour flavour and often a gentle natural fizz. Originating in the Caucasus region, kefir has been enjoyed in traditional forms for thousands of years.

To see how today’s versions measure up, we asked 68 people who already drink kefir to blind-test offerings from seven different brands. The sip list included supermarket own-labels from Tesco and Sainsbury’s, as well as big names Activia and Yeo Valley, plus Bio & Me and Biotiful.

One kefir stood out from the rest, earning our Best Buy for striking the best balance of creamy, tangy and sweet.

Read on to find out which one topped the test, how the others compared, and whether kefir's much-talked-about health claims really hold up and deserve the health halo it currently enjoys. 

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Best kefir drinks

Tesco topped the rankings with its creamy kefir. It's cheaper than most, too, so receives our Great Value award as well as being the only Best Buy. 

The big brands came next, with Yeo Valley just a nose ahead of Activia. Sainsbury's kefir matched Activia for enjoyment and is the same as Tesco on price.

Best Buy & Great Value: Tesco Gut Sense Plain Kefir Drink – 73%

 £2.90 for 750ml (39p per 100ml)

Tesco’s creamy kefir topped the rankings. It picked up the only Best Buy and is also a Great Value choice.

This kefir both looked and smelled appealing, and two thirds of testers said its tanginess and creamy consistency were just right.

As joint cheapest on test, Tesco’s kefir makes a great choice if this drink is a daily part of your diet.

Available from Tesco.

Yeo Valley Organic Natural Kefir – 71%

£2.50 for 500ml (50p per 100ml)

Yeo Valley’s kefir was a popular choice, too, giving good first impressions for looks and aroma.

It had a pleasant creamy texture and enjoyable mouthfeel. Most tasters were approving of its fresh tart tang and found the flavour pleasing – neither too strong nor too weak.

Half said the sweetness level was just right.

Available from Amazon, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

Activia Kefir Natural Gut Health Yoghurt Drink – 70%

£1.60 for 280ml (57p per 100ml)

Creaminess and a pleasant consistency made Activia one of the more popular kefirs.

More than half said its strength of flavour and tangy taste hit the spot. 

Its sweetness was generally enjoyed, but many also said they would have liked a little more.

Activia is a pricey option that comes in dainty 280ml bottles, but if you're happy to pay the premium, this kefir makes a good choice.

Available from Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

Sainsbury’s Kefir Plain Drinking Yogurt – 70%

£1.95 for 500ml (39p per 100ml)

Matching Tesco as the joint cheapest on test, Sainsbury’s kefir earned praise from most of our testers.

Its consistency was spot on – neither too thin nor too thick – with creaminess and tanginess that many enjoyed.

Flavour and sweetness were also well received, although, as with other higher-scoring kefirs, a good number of testers said they would have preferred it a little sweeter.

Available from Sainsbury’s.

Bio & Me Kefir Drink Natural – 68%

£2.60 for 500ml (52p per 100ml)

A solid choice that ranked highly for appearance and mouthfeel.

Testers liked its creamy consistency, though its aroma wasn’t as appealing as the top-rated options.

It scored lower on sweetness levels, with more than half of our panel preferring a sweeter taste.

Available from Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

Biotiful Gut Health Kefir Milk Drink Original – 66%

£2.60 for 500ml (52p per 100ml)

This widely available kefir was less enjoyed than the top scorers.

While it ranked reasonably well on overall flavour, it lost marks on sweetness, with the majority finding it wasn’t sweet enough. 

The mouthfeel was also liked less compared to other kefir drinks we tested.

Available from Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

M&S Good Gut Organic Natural Kefir Drink – 51%

£4 for 750ml (53p per 100ml)

This M&S kefir failed to impress our tasters, coming out as the least liked by a clear margin.

Although it looked fine, its consistency was overly runny, and most felt it lacked both sweetness and creaminess.

Very few enjoyed the flavour overall, nearly half thought it was too tangy, while more than half found it overpoweringly strong.

Available from M&S (in-store only) and Ocado.

Best cheap food and drink – find out the supermarket own labels that beat pricier well-known brands in our taste tests

Is kefir good for you?

Kefir is a good source of calcium and protein. A recommended daily portion is 250ml, and this supplies around 40% of your daily needs for calcium, which is comparable to milk. You'll get about 9g of protein, too.

While you also get a dose of sugar from the lactose, Which? nutritionist Shefalee Loth told us: 'While we should all keep an eye on sugar intake, the sugar in kefir is in the form of lactose, so doesn't have the same negative impact as added sugars and isn't damaging to teeth.'

She also noted that, while all the kefirs on test fall into the amber (medium) category for saturated fat, this isn't something to be majorly concerned about in this context.

Kefir benefits

The main health claim for kefir is that it promotes a healthy gut microbiota.

Your microbiota helps you get the most out of your food, ensuring that it’s properly digested and nutrients are absorbed.

Gut health is strongly linked to your immune system and it's estimated that 70% of immune cells live in the gut. Gut health has also been shown to impact your brain and mental health. 

However, the scientific evidence behind any benefit of kefir is limited and none of the claims are currently officially authorised.

There is, however, stronger evidence that more of the bacteria in kefir and other dairy-based probiotics reach the gut intact than with other fermented foods, including kimchi and kombucha.

The theory is that the fat in the dairy protects the live bacteria from stomach acid and allows them to travel further down the digestive tract to the colon.

If you take vitamin or mineral supplements, read our guide on whether you need to worry about fillers and bulkers 

Is kefir dangerous?

Unless you have a lactose intolerance or milk allergy then kefir is perfectly safe.

When you first start consuming probiotics, you might experience some gut issues, such as bloating, but these usually settle down after a few days. 

If you're introducing fermented foods into your diet it's best to start with small portions and then increase them as your body adjusts. Obviously, if you have a lactose intolerance or a milk allergy, then you should avoid kefir made with milk. 

People who have a weakened immune system, are taking immunosuppressants or have recently had surgery should check with their doctor before taking kefir and other probiotics.

Types of kefir

While dairy-based kefir is standard, there are also plant and water-based kefir drinks.

For example, COCOS organic natural coconut kefir is sold by Waitrose and the Sojade brand can be found in health-food shops.

Most research on kefir has been carried out on dairy versions. and the evidence of fermented foods being good for you is strongest for dairy products.

Bear in mind that non-dairy kefir won't contain calcium. Coconut versions also have significantly more saturated fat than dairy kefirs.

Kefir water is another dairy-free option, but be aware of its sugar content.

Is kefir or yoghurt better for you?

If yoghurt is a regular part of your diet, you could consider swapping it out for kefir. 

The evidence in support of fermented foods is growing and while yoghurt has some live, probiotic bacteria, kefir usually contains a broader range.

How to make kefir

Kefir is quick and simple to make at home, but the starting point is buying grains. These grains consist of bacteria and yeast that are activated by soaking in milk – either dairy or plant-based.

The grains are available to buy online, or, if you know anyone who already makes their own kefir, half a spoonful from their supply will be enough to get the fermentation process under way.

If you fancy making your own kefir, this BBC Good Food recipe is quick and easy to follow.

Whatever fills up your shopping trolley, from  Greek-style yoghurt and salt and vinegar crisps to baked beans and marmalade, get the lowdown from our taste testers on whether to splash out on a brand or plump for a supermarket own label 

How we tested kefir drinks

All the kefir drinks were blind-tasted and rated by a panel of 68 people in August 2025 at our specialist test lab.

We recruited tasters who consume kefir drinks, and who broadly represent the demographic profile of adults in the UK (age range, gender split and more). 

The taste test was blind, so our testers didn’t know which brand they were trying. They tasted the kefir drinks in a fully rotated order to avoid any bias. Each tester had a private tasting booth so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.

The tasters rated the flavour, aroma, appearance and mouthfeel of each brand of kefir, and told us what they liked and disliked. 

The overall score was based on:

• 50% flavour
• 20% mouthfeel
• 20% aroma
• 10% appearance

These weightings are based on what people ranked as the most important attributes when tasting kefir. All our results are checked and analysed by our in-house statistical team.

Price and availability checked: 29 August 2025