Brand: Durstons MPC | Supplier: Amazon | Price: £0.34/litre
Personal observations
Durston’s presented as a genuinely well-processed compost. Very dark material, fine texture, with almost no visible woody fraction — suggesting it has been screened more tightly than many competitors. It was notably drier on opening than most products in the test, which is worth bearing in mind when reading the water-retention figure. It does not clump particularly well in the hand, crumbling rather than holding together. Smell was good — a proper earthy compost smell with no sharpness or unpleasant notes. No visible contamination. The sieve result supports the visual impression: over half the material passes through 2mm, with the majority of the rest in the 2–10mm fraction and very little above 10mm. This is one of the more heavily screened products in the test, and that is a positive — the old-style municipal compost screened at 15mm leaves too many woody bits and occasional plastic fragments, whereas this product feels properly finished.
Quick-test data (April 2026)
| Metric | Band | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk density (dry) | M | 0.18 g/ml | Mid-range — consistent with a well-composted organic product |
| Water held per g dry weight (WHC) | M | 2.4× | Slightly below typical organic range — product was notably dry on opening |
| Dry-down time | — | 20 min | Fast |
| Sieve: <2mm fraction | — | 53.2% | Moderate-high fine fraction — well screened |
| Sieve: 2–10mm fraction | — | 31.6% | Moderate |
| Sieve: >10mm fraction | — | 6.3% | Low-moderate |
| Price per litre | Mainstream | £0.34 | Online via Amazon — P&P included in price shown |
WHC slightly below the 2.5× baseline — the product was noticeably drier on opening than most, which is likely to have suppressed the retained water reading. The dark colour and earthy smell are consistent with a well-humified compost; the WHC figure probably understates typical performance.
Price includes P&P — this product is not widely available at mainstream retail. The £0.34/l reflects online-only distribution rather than a significant ingredient premium. In-store equivalents at this quality level would typically be £0.18–0.25/l. For an explanation of why brands offer multiple product types at different price points, see our FAQ.
Comparative hands-on testing, April 2026. Consistent method across all 18 products. See methodology note.
At-a-glance rating breakdown
| Category | Weight | Score |
| Ease of use | 40% | 6.8 |
| Composition & quality | 35% | 5.7 |
| Sustainability | 25% | 4.8 |
| Overall (weighted) | 100% | 6.4 |
Durstons’ traditional multipurpose compost is aimed at gardeners wanting a familiar, general-purpose growing medium. It performs consistently across common uses, with less emphasis on reformulated peat-free inputs.
What we liked
- Consistent, familiar handling.
- Broad suitability for general garden tasks.
Overall impression: A solid traditional multipurpose compost for gardeners prioritising handling familiarity, with sustainability dependent on formulation.
