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Best cheap supermarket food and drink: the own labels that beat the big brands

Swapping to cheaper supermarket own-label products can be an effective way to cut your food bill.
You might think giving up your brand favourites would be a wrench, but our blind taste tests have found plenty of brilliant budget alternatives worth trying.
These products are highly rated by tasters and will save you money vs branded options.
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Branded vs own-label food and drink: what to buy
Below we've listed the cheaper products that are worth snapping up at the supermarket.
Products featured here either matched or beat big brand options in our taste tests, while also being cheaper than the category average. Percentage scores indicate their overall taste test score vs rival products.
Best cheap pork sausages

- How the brand scored: Heck 97% British Pork Sausages – 62%, £3.20 for 400g (80p per 100g)
- Our Great Value picks: Aldi Specially Selected Pork Sausages and Lidl Deluxe Pork Sausages – both 71%, £2.49 for 400g (62p per 100g)
Our taste test shows that spending more doesn’t necessarily bag you a superior sausage.
Budget-friendly bangers from Aldi and Lidl both earned Great Value recommendations. Not only did they pack a punch on flavour, but they were also the joint cheapest on test at less than £3 a pack.
Heck finished in last place overall, losing marks for its weak flavour and disappointing texture.
See the full results of our pork sausage taste test.
Best cheap veggie burgers

- How the brand scored: Birds Eye Green Cuisine Veggie Burgers – 68%, £3 for 454g (66p per 100g)
- Our Great Value picks: Aldi Plant Menu Vegetable Burgers and Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Vegetable Quarter Pounders – both 73%, £1.69 for 454g (37p per 100g)
If you're stocking up on veggie burgers, consider swapping Birds Eye for a supermarket own label.
The brand leader was beaten by cheaper supermarket burgers from Aldi and Sainsbury's in our taste test.
With a saving of more than £1 per pack, they're a good choice if you're after some flavoursome plant-based patties that won't blow the budget.
Available from Aldi and Sainsbury's.
See the full results of our veggie burger taste test.
Best cheap ground coffee

- How the brand scored: Taylors of Harrogate Lazy Sunday Ground Coffee – 68%, £7.50 for 454g (£1.65 per 100g)
- Our Great Value pick: Aldi Alcafé House Blend Roast & Ground Coffee – 73%, £2.19 for 227g (97p per 100g)
Switching to a cheaper own-label coffee blend could get you a tastier cuppa.
Aldi's budget brew topped the scoreboard in our taste test, beating Taylors of Harrogate. It got good marks across the board, with tasters rating it one of the best for strength of flavour, balance of bitterness and mouthfeel.
It's also one of the cheapest options we tested, so it's a great choice if you're after a decent coffee that won't break the bank.
Available from Aldi.
See the full results of our ground coffee taste test
Best cheap roast potatoes

- How the brand scored: McCain Frozen Triple Cooked Roast Potatoes – 46%, £3 for 700g (43p per 100g)
- Our Great Value Best Buy pick: Aldi Specially Selected Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes – 72%, £2.49 for 1kg (25p per 100g)
You don't have to splash out for top-notch roasties – Aldi's budget spuds stood head and shoulders above McCain in our taste test.
Our panel were impressed with Aldi's Great Value roast potatoes, rating them highly for their delicious flavour and crispy texture.
Not only were they rated tastier than McCain, but they're also far cheaper – just 25p per 100g.
Available from Aldi.
See the full results from our roast potato taste test.
Best cheap peanut butter

- How the brand scored: Sun-Pat Crunchy Peanut Butter – 63%, £3 for 400g (75p per 100g)
- Our Great Value pick: Asda Just Essentials Crunchy Peanut Butter – 69%, 99p for 340g (29p per 100g)
Asda's cheap-and-cheerful peanut butter is a great choice if you're after a tasty but affordable version of this popular spread.
It was one of the highest scoring, despite being among the cheapest on test, while big brand Sun-Pat (which is more than double the price) finished in last place overall.
Available from Asda.
See the full results from our peanut butter taste test.
Best luxury hot chocolate

- How the brand scored: Pump Street 70% Bali Drinking Chocolate – 63%, £13.95 for 200g (£6.98 per 100g)
- Our Great Value Best Buy pick: M&S Belgian 70% Dark Hot Chocolate Flakes – 74%, £5 for 250g (£2 per 100g)
Upgrading to a luxury hot chocolate often means paying a premium, but we've uncovered a Great Value Best Buy supermarket hot chocolate from M&S costing just £5.
It was a clear favourite with our panel, who loved its delicious chocolatey flavour and creamy texture.
As the cheapest on test, it's the perfect choice if you're after an indulgent hot chocolate for less.
Available from M&S (in-store only) and Ocado.
See the full results from our hot chocolate taste test.
Looking to celebrate on a budget? See our pick of the best supermarket sparkling wines, best cheaper champagnes and best caterpillar cakes
Best cheap chicken soup

- How the brand scored: Cully & Sully Hearty Chicken & Vegetable Soup – 61%, £2.30 for 400g (58p per 100g)
- Our Great Value pick: Aldi Soupreme Chicken & Vegetable Soup – 72%, £1.49 for 600g (25p per 100g)
Aldi's chicken soup was one of the best-rated on appearance, aroma and texture, beating big brand Cully & Sully, which costs more than twice as much per 100g.
While it wasn't the highest-scoring of all the soups, it's our top choice if you're after a satisfying meal on a budget.
Available from Aldi.
Best cheap crisps

- How the brand scored: Pipers Burrow Hill Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt Crisps – 61%, £3 for 150g (£2 per 100g)
- Our Great Value pick: Aldi Specially Selected Sea Salt & Chardonnay Vinegar Hand Cooked Crisps – 71%, £1.15 for 150g (77p per 100g)
If you're after some cheap-and-cheerful crisps, Aldi's Specially Selected salt and vinegar crisps are our best-value pick.
These tasty crisps impressed on both flavour and texture, beating Pipers by 10 percentage points overall.
Pipers disappointed tasters who commented on the bland flavour and lack of saltiness, while Aldi's highly-rated crisps are less than half the price.
Available from Aldi.
More own-brand picks worth considering

In some tests we run the brand wins out overall but a cheap alternative isn't far behind. Here are our latest picks that offer good value for money and also score well for taste:
- Best cheap tomato ketchup: Lidl Batts Tomato Ketchup – 75%, £1.05 for 650g. Rated the best supermarket own-label option. We also uncovered a Great Value ketchup from Del Monte. See our full tomato ketchup taste test results.
- Best cheap Irish Cream liqueur: Lidl Deluxe Irish Cream – 75%, £7.99 for 70cl. Narrowly behind Baileys, but still very highly rated. Available in store from Lidl. See our full Irish Cream liqueur taste test results.
For more money-saving swaps and our latest taste test results, see the full round-up of our best-rated food and drink
*Based on typical price, excluding special offers. Prices correct as of 1 July 2024.