Best Tasting Protein Powder UK 2026: What I Actually Drink
My own ranking of the best tasting protein powders in the UK, tried with water: Protein Works Clear Protein 360, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard and Myprotein Impact Whey, each with its checked price per 25g of protein.
Kevin, founder of WheyWise
Quick answer
The best tasting protein powder I drink is Protein Works Clear Protein 360 in Sour Cherry & Apple: clean, refreshing and with no aftertaste or sugary film on my teeth. It costs £1.74 per 25g of protein in the 720g bag at £40.99, checked 23 September 2026. For a classic creamy shake, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey in Double Rich Chocolate is my pick: real chocolate flavour, not too thick with water, from £1.23 per 25g of protein in the 4.53kg tub. For everyday value, Myprotein Impact Whey in Salted Caramel costs about £1.10 per 25g of protein. I mix everything with water, never milk. WheyWise checked every price and nutrition label in this guide on the brand's own website.
I built WheyWise to compare protein powder prices, but price is only half of the decision. The tub you enjoy is the tub you finish. So this guide is my own ranking of the protein powders I actually drink, not a roundup of other people's reviews. Every price and nutrition figure below was checked on the brand's own website in September 2026 and converted to cost per 25g of protein. More about me and how WheyWise works.
What is the best tasting protein powder in the UK?
The best tasting protein powder I drink is Protein Works Clear Protein 360 in Sour Cherry & Apple. Protein Works Clear Protein 360 costs £1.74 per 25g of protein in the 720g bag at £40.99, checked 23 September 2026. My top three, in order:
| # | Product and flavour | Why I rate it | Cost per 25g of protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Protein Works Clear Protein 360, Sour Cherry & Apple | Clean, refreshing, no aftertaste | £1.74 (720g) |
| 2 | Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey, Double Rich Chocolate | Real chocolate, mixes very well | £1.23 (4.53kg) |
| 3 | Myprotein Impact Whey, Salted Caramel | Salted caramel done well, cheapest of the three | about £1.10 (2.61kg) |
Prices checked 22 and 23 September 2026 on theproteinworks.com, optimumnutrition.com and myprotein.com, one-off price with no code applied.
How did I test these protein powders?
I drink these shakes myself, the same way most people do: one scoop, water, a shaker bottle. I never use milk, so every verdict here is about how a powder tastes with water, which is the harder test for creamy whey. I have mixed these with a standard shaker, a whisk and a blender and have not had a clumping problem with any of them.
What I look for is simple. The flavour should taste like the thing on the label, the shake should not be too thick or too thin with water, and it should not leave an artificial aftertaste or a sugary film on my teeth. That last one matters most to me, because I drink protein every day. This is one person's taste, so I have kept the price and nutrition data alongside every pick for you to weigh up yourself.
What is the best tasting clear whey?
Protein Works Clear Protein 360 in Sour Cherry & Apple is the best tasting clear whey I have tried, and clear whey is my favourite type of protein overall. It feels like a drink rather than another milkshake, which makes it much easier to have every day. The flavour is clean and refreshing, and it leaves no aftertaste, no sugary residue and no artificial film on my teeth.
Protein Works Clear Protein 360 contains 82g of protein per 100g, which is 20g of protein in each 24g serving, with 86 kcal and 0.1g of sugar per serving. The protein comes from whey protein isolate, hydrolysed pea protein and hydrolysed collagen, and it is sweetened with sucralose. It comes in Sour Cherry & Apple, Mixed Berry Burst and Orange & Mango, in a single 720g bag of 30 shakes at £40.99, checked 23 September 2026.
The trade-off is price. Protein Works Clear Protein 360 costs £1.74 per 25g of protein, 41% more than Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard in the 4.53kg tub, checked in September 2026. Clear whey almost always costs more than creamy whey. For every clear protein ranked by cost per 25g of protein, see the clear whey comparison, and for whether the premium is worth it, read our clear whey protein UK guide.
What is the best tasting chocolate whey protein?
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey in Double Rich Chocolate is the best tasting chocolate whey I drink. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey costs £1.23 per 25g of protein in the 4.53kg tub at £170, or £1.43 in the 2.26kg tub at £98, checked 22 September 2026. It mixes very well, it tastes of real chocolate, and with water it is not too thick and still has a natural chocolate flavour.
It is the go-to for almost everyone for a reason. Optimum Nutrition is a long-established brand used by a lot of athletes. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Double Rich Chocolate contains 76g of protein per 100g, which is 24g of protein in each 31g scoop, with 116 kcal and 1.0g of sugar per scoop.
Best tasting chocolate whey
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein
899g bag
My pick for a classic creamy chocolate shake, from a brand with a long track record.
Buy Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein →See the price on AmazonBest tasting chocolate whey
Pros
- + Double Rich Chocolate tastes of real chocolate, even with water
- + Mixes very well and is not too thick with water
- + 24g of protein in each 31g scoop, 76g per 100g
Cons
- – Costs £1.23 per 25g of protein in the 4.53kg tub, more than Myprotein Impact Whey
- – The best price needs the big 4.53kg tub
●Nutrition per scoop · 23.6g protein in 31g▼
Protein makes up 76%
of this 31g scoop · 114 kcal total
What is the best tasting protein powder on a budget?
Myprotein Impact Whey in Salted Caramel is my everyday budget pick. Myprotein Impact Whey Salted Caramel costs about £1.10 per 25g of protein in the 2.61kg bag at £82.99, checked 22 September 2026. Myprotein does salted caramel very well, and it is the flavour I come back to when I want something dependable rather than special.
One personal note: Myprotein Impact Whey gives me headaches. That is my own experience, not something everyone reports. If you get headaches from protein shakes too, our guide on whether protein shakes can cause headaches covers the likely causes.
Best tasting on a budget
MyProtein Impact Whey Protein Powder
1.05kg bag
A dependable, well-priced everyday whey with a salted caramel that genuinely tastes of salted caramel.
or compare all UK prices →Best tasting on a budget
MyProtein Impact Whey Protein Powder
1.05kg bagPros
- + Salted Caramel is one of the flavours Myprotein does best
- + About £1.10 per 25g of protein in the 2.61kg bag, the cheapest of my top three
- + More than 40 flavours if Salted Caramel is not for you
Cons
- – Gives me headaches personally, though not everyone reports this
- – Contains 72g to 75g of protein per 100g, depending on flavour
●Nutrition per scoop · 21.6g protein in 30g▼
Protein makes up 72%
of this 30g scoop · 113 kcal total
What else have I tried?
I also drink Protein Works Whey Protein 360 PLATINUM and Protein Works Vegan Protein 360 PLATINUM, both in Chocolate Bueno. Protein Works Whey Protein 360 PLATINUM costs 96p per 25g of protein in the 4.8kg bag at £122.99, and Protein Works Vegan Protein 360 PLATINUM costs 62p per 25g of protein in the 4kg bag at £82.49, both in Chocolate Silk and checked 23 September 2026. Chocolate Bueno costs the same per bag: the whey works out at the same 96p, and the vegan at 65p, because its Chocolate Bueno label shows 79g of protein per 100g against 83g for Chocolate Silk.
Protein Works Vegan Protein 360 PLATINUM is worth knowing about if you are dairy-free: in Chocolate Silk it contains 83g of protein per 100g, which is 29g in each 35g serving. For every Protein Works range and tier compared, read our Protein Works range guide, and for plant-based options from every brand, see the best vegan protein powder UK guide.
Is Prozis protein worth trying in the UK?
Prozis is a Portuguese brand that is well known in Portugal but still small in the UK, and I like it for its range. It sells an unusually wide choice of proteins and flavours with good macros for the price. In my experience its quality is a step below the brands above. Prozis Clear Whey Isolate in mango-peach, for example, is a little behind Protein Works Clear Protein 360 on taste.
| Prozis product | Protein per 100g | Largest pack | Cost per 25g of protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prozis 100% Real Whey Protein, Chocolate | 71g | 1,814g at £84.72 | £1.64 |
| Prozis Clear Whey Isolate, Mango-Peach | 81g | 500g at £34.05 | £2.10 |
Prozis ships to the UK from its UK store at prozis.com, with prices in pounds, checked 23 September 2026. At these prices, Prozis Clear Whey Isolate costs more per 25g of protein than Protein Works Clear Protein 360 (£2.10 against £1.74). We do not track Prozis prices on WheyWise yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tasting protein powder in the UK?
Of the powders I drink, Protein Works Clear Protein 360 in Sour Cherry & Apple tastes best. It is clean and refreshing and leaves no aftertaste or sugary film on my teeth. It costs £1.74 per 25g of protein in the 720g bag at £40.99, checked 23 September 2026. For a creamy chocolate shake, my pick is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey in Double Rich Chocolate.
Does clear whey taste better than normal whey?
For me, yes, which is why clear whey is my favourite type of protein. Protein Works Clear Protein 360 feels like a drink rather than another milkshake, so it is easier to have every day. It does cost more: £1.74 per 25g of protein, against £1.23 for Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard in the 4.53kg tub, both checked in September 2026.
Should you mix protein powder with milk or water?
I mix every protein powder with water and have never needed milk. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate still tastes of real chocolate with water and does not go too thick, and clear whey is designed to be mixed with water anyway. Milk adds calories and makes creamy whey thicker, so it comes down to preference.
Is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard worth the price?
If taste and mixing matter to you, I think so. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Double Rich Chocolate contains 76g of protein per 100g and costs £1.23 per 25g of protein in the 4.53kg tub at £170, checked 22 September 2026. That is dearer than Myprotein Impact Whey Salted Caramel at about £1.10, but it is a long-established brand that mixes very well.
What is the best tasting cheap protein powder?
My everyday budget pick is Myprotein Impact Whey in Salted Caramel, which costs about £1.10 per 25g of protein in the 2.61kg bag at £82.99, checked 22 September 2026. Myprotein does salted caramel very well. The one catch for me personally is that it gives me headaches, which not everyone will experience.
Related reading
Does Protein Powder Expire? Shelf Life and Big Bag Value
What a best before date on protein powder means, how long whey lasts, the signs it has gone off, and how long a 5kg bag takes to finish, with bag-size prices per 25g of protein checked in September 2026.
6 min read
Protein Works Compare UK 2026: Every Range, Tier and Price
Protein Works sells almost everything in Black, Gold and Platinum. We checked every label and price in the range to find which tier is worth paying for, and what each one actually changes.
8 min read
What Protein to Take When You Start the Gym
The honest first-90-days answer: a 1kg bag of plain whey concentrate, a smaller protein gap than the marketing implies, and a strong case for buying creatine before your second tub. What the evidence actually supports for someone who just started training.
8 min readFind your cheapest protein
859 products compared from 179 brands
Sorted by best value per 25g of protein.
Compare all products