Balsamic Stars

Balsamic Stars: Fruit-Infused Balsamic Vinegars from vomFASS UK

A Balsamic Star is the bottle we reach for when a plate needs finishing. Nothing else turns grilled halloumi, ripe strawberries, a sharp goat's cheese or a good pork chop into restaurant-standard food as quickly, or as cheaply, as a single drizzle from one of these. The name "Balsamic Star" is vomFASS UK's own. The concept is older. It takes a properly barrel-aged balsamic from Modena, concentrates it to a syrupy glaze, and infuses it with real fruit juice and pulp rather than with artificial flavourings. Sixteen varieties, every one made the same way, each showcasing a single fruit.

This is a collection page for fruit-infused balsamic vinegars sold in the UK by vomFASS, refillable in our Stamford, Lincolnshire shop and shipped free on orders over £75. Below is everything you need to know about what a Balsamic Star actually is, how it is made, which bottle suits which dish, and which ones our customers keep coming back for.

What a Balsamic Star Actually Is

The base of every Balsamic Star on this page is authentic Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP, the protected regional vinegar made from cooked grape must, wine vinegar, and time in wooden barrels. To make a Star, this base is reduced gently until it reaches the consistency of a thin syrup. Real fruit juice and pulp is then added, never artificial flavouring, and the result is a condimento-grade fruit balsamic that pours thickly, glazes beautifully, and tastes recognisably of the fruit on the label.

This matters because the UK retail shelf is crowded with "balsamic cream", "balsamic dressing" and "balsamic glaze" products that contain very little actual balsamic vinegar and a lot of sugar, thickeners and caramel colour. A Balsamic Star is the opposite. The base is real barrel-aged balsamic from Modena, the fruit is real fruit, and the syrup body comes from reduction, not added starch.

The Sixteen Balsamic Stars in the Collection

Every Star below comes in a 100 ml bottle at roughly £16 to £20. Larger 250 ml bottles and refill pricing are available in our Stamford shop. We have grouped them by flavour profile so you can pick by what you are cooking rather than by fruit alphabet.

The Everyday Stars: Fruit-Forward and Versatile

These are the bottles most customers buy first. They work on salads, grilled proteins, cheese boards and desserts without committing you to any single cuisine.

• Wild Mango Balsamic Star. £17.25. Our single best-selling Balsamic Star and a Great Taste Awards winner. Tropical, sweet, tangy. Perfect over halloumi, chicken wings, prawns, pork, or a watermelon-feta salad in summer.
• Date Balsamic Star. £17.50. Our customer-voted favourite. Rich, toffee-deep, works on lamb, duck, roasted root vegetables, sticky toffee pudding and any cheese board.
• Fig Balsamic Star. £18.50. The charcuterie hero. Pour over a fig-and-prosciutto platter, drizzle on a goat's cheese tart, or use in a fig jam glaze for roast pork.
• Apple Balsamic Star. £17.50. Lower acidity than a regular balsamic, the ripe-apple flavour shines on pork chops, Waldorf salad, roasted squash, apple crumble, and slow-cooked red cabbage.
• Apricot Balsamic Star. £16.50. The newest arrival in the Stars lineup. Bright, stone-fruit sweetness that pairs with chicken, shrimp, grilled lamb, couscous and almond-based desserts.

The Bolder Stars: Deeper Fruit, More Character

These Stars have a more assertive profile and work best where the fruit needs to stand up to richer ingredients.

• Plum Balsamic Star. £20.00. A Great Taste Awards winner. Deep ripe-plum fruitiness, perfect with pork belly, duck breast, blue cheeses, and stirred into a reduction sauce for game.
• Passion Fruit Balsamic Star. £19.75. Exotic, bright, and genuinely aromatic. Use on fresh salads, poultry, white fish, and surprisingly good mixed into sparkling water as a summer drink.
• Blueberry Balsamic Star. £33.50. A Great Taste Award winner. Deeply rich and fruity. Ideal for desserts, drizzled over panna cotta, vanilla ice cream, cheesecake, or a warm goat's cheese on toast.

Quadra Gift Sets: Pre-Paired Oil and Vinegar

If you want to buy a Balsamic Star with a matching olive oil already chosen, the quadra boxed sets pair bottles that work together in our Stamford shop.

• Basil Oil and Date Balsamic Quadra Set. £24.25. Basil-infused extra virgin olive oil paired with Date Balsamic Star. Gift-boxed.
• Chilli Oil and Wild Mango Balsamic Quadra Set. £24.00. Our flagship Wild Mango Star paired with Chilli Oil for sweet-heat combinations.
• Grand Cru de la Luna and Aceto Balsamico di Famiglia Quadra Set. £32.50. Premium Sicilian olive oil with quarter-century-aged Aceto Balsamico di Famiglia. A serious gift.
• Hazelnut Oil and Raspberry Balsamic Quadra Set. £22.50. Nutty, fruity, brilliant over salads, goat's cheese, and roasted beets.
• Lemon Oil and Pomegranate Balsamic Quadra Set. £24.50. Mediterranean-bright, excellent on fish, chicken, Middle Eastern salads and couscous.
• Apple Star, Basil Oil, Agora and Aceto 4-Bottle Quadra. £42.50. A four-bottle gift box of our everyday favourites.
• Forest Honey, Maletti Bianco, Wild Mango and Calamansi 4-Bottle Quadra. £42.50. A balsamic sampler covering four very different styles of vinegar.

How to Actually Use a Balsamic Star

A Balsamic Star is a finisher, not a cooking vinegar. The fruit aromatics that make it worth the money are delicate and driven off by sustained heat. The rule: drizzle on after the food comes off the grill, out of the oven, or onto the plate. Not before.

Cheese Boards and Charcuterie

Pour the Fig, Date or Blueberry Balsamic Star into a small ramekin next to the cheese. Guests drizzle it over goat's cheese, aged cheddar, blue cheese, or any rind-ripened cheese. Pairs with prosciutto, salami, membrillo and honey.

Grilled Meats and Fish

Drizzle Wild Mango over grilled pork or chicken. Plum on duck breast. Passion Fruit on white fish. Date on slow-roasted lamb shoulder. Two teaspoons per serving is usually enough.

Salads

Mix two parts extra virgin olive oil with one part Balsamic Star, a pinch of flaky sea salt and black pepper for an instant dressing. Apple Star suits autumn salads with walnut and blue cheese. Apricot or Mango on summer leaves with stone fruit.

Desserts

Strawberries and Fig Balsamic Star is the classic, but any of the sweeter Stars works on vanilla ice cream, panna cotta, chocolate cake, or over fresh ricotta with honey. Small drizzle, big impact.

Glazes and Reductions

For a sticky glaze, warm two tablespoons of a Balsamic Star over a gentle heat with one tablespoon of honey or butter. Brush onto salmon in the last minute of grilling, or over roasted root vegetables before serving.

Why vomFASS Balsamic Stars Are Different

There are plenty of fruit-infused balsamics on UK shelves. What sets ours apart is the cask, the concentration method, and the refill model. The base is drawn from actual aceto balsamico barrels in Modena, not from bulk industrial vinegar with caramel and sugar added. The fruit is real juice and pulp, not flavouring. And because we decant from cask into bottle in our Stamford, Lincolnshire shop, you can bring an empty vomFASS 100 ml bottle back to us and refill it at a discount to new-bottle prices. This refill concept is the same one vomFASS has used since 1994 in Germany and Europe.

For a fuller explanation of the cask-to-bottle process, see our about our products page. For the traditional, unflavoured barrel-aged versions that underpin these Stars, explore our balsamic vinegars range and the regional Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP collection.

Related Collections

• Balsamic Vinegars: the traditional Modena-style range without fruit infusion
• Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP: the protected-origin base our Stars are built on
• All Vinegars: every vomFASS vinegar in one place, including fruit, wine and cider
• Oil and Vinegar Gift Sets: pre-paired bundles including Balsamic Stars
• Extra Virgin Olive Oils: the single-estate oils we pair with Stars for salads and drizzles
• BBQ Favourites: the barbecue-season bundle of flavoured oils, rubs and glaze-ready balsamics

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Balsamic Star and how is it different from regular balsamic vinegar?

A Balsamic Star is vomFASS UK's fruit-infused balsamic condimento. The base is authentic Aceto Balsamico from Modena reduced to a syrup consistency, then infused with real fruit juice and pulp. It is thicker, sweeter and more intensely flavoured than plain balsamic, and it is intended as a finishing vinegar rather than an everyday salad vinegar. Regular balsamic vinegar is thinner, sharper and used as a base ingredient in dressings, marinades and reductions.

Are Balsamic Stars the same as "balsamic glaze" or "balsamic cream"?

No. Commercial balsamic glazes and creams on UK supermarket shelves are often built on inexpensive wine vinegar thickened with starch and sweetened with caramel or sugar, with very little actual balsamic vinegar in them. A Balsamic Star is a genuine fruit-infused condimento with an Aceto Balsamico di Modena base and real fruit juice. You can taste the difference in a single spoonful.

Can I cook with a Balsamic Star?

Use it as a finisher, not as a cooking vinegar. The delicate fruit aromatics will cook off under sustained heat. For reductions and warm glazes, add the Star in the last minute of cooking and apply gently. For marinades and longer cooking, use a regular balsamic vinegar and save the Star for drizzling at the end.

How long does an opened Balsamic Star keep?

Stored at room temperature, tightly capped, away from direct light, an opened bottle keeps well for twelve to eighteen months. The acidity is a natural preservative, so refrigeration is not required, but a cool cupboard is ideal. The colour may darken slightly over time, which is normal.

Which Balsamic Star should I buy first?

The Wild Mango is our best-selling Star and the one we recommend most often to first-time customers. It is versatile, crowd-pleasing, and has won a Great Taste Award. If you lean towards darker, richer dishes, start with the Date Balsamic Star instead. For cheese and charcuterie, start with the Fig.

Can I refill a Balsamic Star bottle in the Stamford shop?

Yes. Every Balsamic Star on this page is available for refill at our Stamford, Lincolnshire shop, priced at a discount to new-bottle prices. Bring your empty vomFASS bottle in and we refill from the barrel. The refill concept has been the vomFASS model since 1994.

Do you deliver Balsamic Stars across the UK?

Yes. Free UK delivery on orders over £75. Standard delivery on smaller orders. We ship to all of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Pair a Balsamic Star with any oil from our full All Oils collection: extra virgin olive oils, flavoured oils, seed oils and speciality bottles.

Pair a Balsamic Star with a cold-pressed nut oil (walnut or hazelnut) from our Seed and Nut Oils collection for the most sophisticated salad dressings on your table.