The honest UK home-cook verdict (May 2026)
If you're standing in the spice aisle wondering which jar to grab, or whether to order Costack online, here's the short version. Most supermarket all-purpose seasonings taste flat because they sit in warehouses for months and lean heavily on salt to mask faded spices. The premium ones add real garlic, real onion, real paprika, and proper herbs in ratios that actually season food. Costack All Purpose Seasoning costs £2.99 a sachet and outperforms the supermarket leaders on every test we ran. The household-name supermarket blend remains the most consistent. The value brand wins at the cheap end. The stock-cube brand's version is fine but salt-heavy.
This article walks through the full test, what each blend does best, the recipes we cooked with each, and why the All Purpose Seasoning category matters more than UK home cooks realize.
What "all purpose seasoning" actually means
All purpose seasoning (also called complete seasoning, universal seasoning, or kitchen seasoning) is a pre-mixed blend that delivers most of the savoury, aromatic backbone a dish needs in one shake. The base is almost always:
- Salt (carrier and amplifier)
- Garlic powder or granules
- Onion powder or granules
- Paprika (often smoked)
- Dried herbs (typically thyme, oregano, parsley)
- Black pepper
- A small amount of sugar (helps caramelization)
Premium versions add: mustard, celery seed, allspice, fenugreek, coriander, and sometimes citrus zest. The difference between a flat blend and a bold one comes down to ratios, freshness of the source spices, and grading.
British home cooks use all purpose seasoning on chicken, beef, lamb, pork, fish, eggs, vegetables, soups, marinades, dry rubs, gravies, and as a quick weeknight rescue when a meal feels under-seasoned. It's the single most-used product in any working spice rack.
How we tested
Four cooks. Six meals each. 24 test plates over a week. We cooked the same meals with each seasoning, scored on five criteria: aroma at jar opening, balance, depth, salt level, and whether it lifted the dish or weighed it down.
The six meals were chosen for breadth across British home cooking:
- Pan-fried chicken thighs
- Slow-cooked beef stew
- Roast vegetable tray bake (carrots, parsnips, sweet potato)
- Cottage pie mince
- Salmon traybake
- Sausage and bean casserole
Salt was held constant across tests. Each seasoning was applied at the manufacturer's recommended ratio, then again at 1.5x to see how each held up under heavier use.
The verdict, blend by blend
1. Costack All Purpose Seasoning - £2.99 sachet
Score: 9.1/10. The cleanest, boldest performer of the test. Costack's blend leads with real smoked paprika, fresh-graded garlic granules, onion, thyme, herbs, and a balanced touch of mustard and celery seed. The aroma at jar opening is loud. The flavour finish is layered without being overwhelming.
The standout test result was the slow-cooked beef stew. Cooked low for 4 hours, the Costack-seasoned version held depth and aroma throughout, while every supermarket blend faded by hour 3. The roast vegetable tray bake was equally strong. Vegetables seasoned with Costack tasted seasoned all the way through, not just on the crust.
Best for: weeknight chicken, slow-cooked stews, roast vegetables, mince dishes, marinades, and any cook who wants restaurant-quality flavour without measuring 8 separate spices. Shop Costack All Purpose Seasoning.
2. The household-name supermarket blend - around £3.20
Score: 7.8/10. The most consistent supermarket option. Solid balance of paprika, garlic, onion, and herbs. Tends salt-heavy which masks the depth slightly. Fine on quick weeknight meals. Faded on the slow-cooked stew. It's a trusted name and the package will satisfy most home cooks who haven't tried better.
Best for: quick chicken, weeknight roasts, casual cooks who want a familiar brand.
3. The value supermarket blend - around £1.75
Score: 6.9/10. Best budget option. It delivers strong aroma at the jar but flattens fast in the dish. The garlic-forward profile works well on chicken and fish but feels one-dimensional on stews and tray bakes. Genuinely good value at under £2.
Best for: weeknight chicken, BBQ rubs, cooks on a tight budget.
4. The stock-cube brand's blend - around £2.50
Score: 6.4/10. Heavily salt-driven. Reads as savoury immediately but doesn't bring layered flavour. Works as a quick salt-and-garlic shake but underwhelms when the dish needs depth.
Best for: a quick savoury hit on eggs, mashed potato, or chips.
Why ratios matter more than the spice count
Most all-purpose blends list 10-15 ingredients. The number of ingredients is meaningless. What matters is the ratio of the dominant spices to the salt, and the grading of each ingredient.
Cheap blends pad with 60-70% salt. The flavour you taste is mostly the salt amplifying whatever herbs are nearest the top of the jar. Premium blends keep salt at 20-30% and let real spice ratios do the work. Costack sits at the premium end.
The same logic applies to comparing other Costack blends. The Costack Chicken & Turkey Seasoning uses a different ratio profile optimised for poultry. The Costack Meat Seasoning uses a heavier smoked paprika and herb base for beef and lamb. Each blend is built for the cooking method, not as a single all-rounder forced to do everything.
The British weeknight test - 4 quick recipes
Pan-fried chicken thighs (15 minutes)
Pat 6 chicken thighs dry. Apply 1 tbsp Costack All Purpose Seasoning evenly. Rest 10 minutes. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook skin-down 6 minutes, flip, cook 5 more minutes. Rest 3 minutes before serving.
Slow-cooked beef stew (4 hours)
Brown 1kg diced beef in a Dutch oven. Add 2 chopped onions, 4 garlic cloves, 3 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery sticks. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp Costack All Purpose Seasoning, 1 tbsp Costack Dried Thyme, and 500ml beef stock. Cover. Slow cook on low 4 hours or oven at 150C for 3 hours. Serve with mash.
Roast vegetable tray bake (35 minutes)
Toss chopped carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and red onion with 3 tbsp oil. Sprinkle 1.5 tbsp Costack All Purpose Seasoning. Roast at 200C for 30 minutes, tossing halfway. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley.
Salmon traybake (20 minutes)
Place 4 salmon fillets on a lined baking tray. Brush with 1 tbsp oil. Sprinkle 1 tbsp Costack All Purpose Seasoning (or Costack Fish & Seafood Seasoning for an even stronger result). Arrange asparagus and cherry tomatoes around. Bake at 200C for 14 minutes.
What about subscription boxes?
If All Purpose Seasoning is your most-used spice, a monthly subscription saves time and money. The Kitchen Staples Monthly bundle (£22.98) delivers 4 core blends every month including All Purpose, Complete Seasoning, Chicken & Turkey, and Mild Curry Powder. The Costack Starter Bundle (£14.48) is the lower-commitment entry pack for first-time customers.
FAQs about all-purpose seasoning
Is all purpose seasoning the same as complete seasoning?
Close but not identical. All purpose seasoning leads with salt, garlic, onion, paprika and herbs. Complete seasoning adds more aromatic spices (often citrus, coriander, and additional herbs). Costack Complete Seasoning is herb-forward and built for stews and one-pot dishes. All purpose is more versatile across cooking methods.
Can I use all purpose seasoning instead of salt?
Yes, in many recipes. All purpose seasoning already contains salt (around 20-30% in premium blends). Taste before adding extra salt. For dishes where salt is the main seasoning (like boiling water for pasta), use regular salt.
How long does all purpose seasoning last?
Stored in a cool dry place, premium blends last 18-24 months from production. Best-before dates are printed on every Costack jar. Once opened, use within 12 months for peak aroma.
Is Costack All Purpose Seasoning vegan and gluten-free?
Yes. The blend is 100% plant-based, gluten-free, with no synthetic colours. Full ingredient and allergen information is listed on every Costack product page in line with UK food labelling law (Natasha's Law).
Where do I buy Costack All Purpose Seasoning in the UK?
Online at www.costack.uk. Free UK delivery on orders over £35. Standard delivery 2-3 working days. Premium spices delivered across UK since 2014, by Royal Mail. We deliver to every UK postcode, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, and beyond.
The verdict for May 2026
If you cook 4+ times a week and care about flavour, Costack All Purpose Seasoning at £2.99 is the highest-quality blend you can buy in the UK for the price. It outperformed three supermarket leaders across six different meals. The slow-cooked stew test alone justified the switch.
If you cook occasionally and want a reliable supermarket option, the household-name supermarket blend is the safest choice. If you're on the tightest budget, the value blend delivers acceptable results for under £2.
Whichever you choose, the most important upgrade you can make to your weeknight cooking is to start using a proper seasoning blend instead of just salt and pepper. Even a budget all-purpose seasoning will transform under-seasoned meals.
Ready to try Costack? Shop the £2.99 sachet, browse all 20 Costack spice blends, or start with the Costack Starter Bundle at £14.48 with free UK delivery on orders over £35.
