SWITCHING from big brands name to supermarket own-name versions can save you hundreds a year.
But many of us are reluctant to make these swaps if they compromise on taste especially if we have a sweet spot for a particular snack.
8
Consumer reporters Lynsey Hope, Ellie Smitherman and Sophie King had the enviable job of putting a range of food through its paces.
They spotted the supermarket versions of brand favourite crisps, biscuits, chocolates and cakes that are really worth your time.
We did the maths and ditching names for lesser-known copycats in your weekly shop could save you nearly £300 a year.
Here are the ones worth buying…
Read more on taste tests
McVities
8
Who doesn’t love dipping a chocolate digestive in a cuppa? And for many of us, it’s a McVities that we choose to dunk.
But we found one supermarket version that beats the brand – and can slash your bills by over £54.
Lynsey gave Tesco’s milk chocolate digestives a score of 10/10 and gave it top marks for both taste and price.
That compares to 7/10 for the branded version (£1.90 for 266g at the time).
Most read in Money
The supermarket dupe was just 85p for 300g, and Lynsey praised its generous coating of chocolate, calling them “scrumptious biscuits which are just as good, if not better, than the leading brand”.
Mr Kipling
8
Also good with a brew is a slice of cake, and Mr Kipling is one name everyone knows is up to scratch.
But the iconic striped slices are more of a treat than an everyday dish at £2.75 – or 45.8p each.
One supermarket has baked an impressive version that’s well worth chucking in your trolley.
Lidl’s Rowan Hill Bakery angel slices were a “real winner’ according to Lynsey, though she did note a higher calorie content.
“Soft and moist, I was impressed with Lidl’s cakes,” she said.
“The sponge was light and airy and the vanilla flavour icing had a lovely flavour. The pink piping was pretty and delicate.
At £1.05 at the time of writing – or 18p each, they’re also more than half the price.
Pringles
8
Once you pop it’s hard to stop, but you can still get the right crunch with an Aldi version.
Lynsey said the budget supermarket’s Snackrite ready salted Stackers had “no difference” in taste compared with the original.
While higher in salt, they have less fat and fewer calories.
“That’s identical taste for less money and better for you. Win win,” she said.
At £1.49 versus £2.25, (or 90p versus £1.12 per 100g), you can save some serious cash.
Cadbury
8
Dairy Milk is an iconic name and keeps its recipe famously under wraps.
Lynsey found that two supermarket versions beat it though – Morrisons and Sainsbury’s both scoring 9/10.
Morrisons “lovely” savers milk chocolate costs just 36p for a 100g bar and is something you “can’t go wrong” with.
Meanwhile Sainsbury’s “great value” milk chocolate bar costs just £1 for 200g.
“It was indulgent without being too rich. I’d go back for this – yummy!” said Lynsey.
A Dairy Milk bar was £1 for 110g, or 90.9p per 100g.
Milky Way
8
You’ll never taste the difference between the real deal Milky Way and a supermarket copycat, according to Ellie.
The iconic choc bar was pipped to the top spot by Aldi’s treat size Dairyfine Dreemy.
They were soft and gooey inside and at £1.15 (45p per 100g) were a third of the price of the originals.
A switch in a weekly shop could save you £122 a year.
Jaffa Cakes
8
There’s argument over whether Jaffa Cakes are in fact a cake or a biscuit, but there’s certainly no disputing the supermarket winner in this taste test.
Morrisons beat other rivals to score 8/10 and was branded the “perfect balance of tangy and sweet” Sophie said.
“The cake bit was really fluffy, the chocolate was delicious and there was a nice “crack” when I bit into it.”
At £1.70 for a 300g box (56p per 100g) they weren’t the cheapest, but will still save you cash compared to the branded McVities version.
Oreos
8
Aldi came up trumps again, this time with it’s Oreo dupes.
The cookies and creams biscuits were rated 25 out of 30 beating other supermarkets, and Sophie praised its firm feel compared to other crumblier ones.
Read more on The Sun
“The cookie to cream ratio was good and it was easy to scrape off the cream before finishing the biscuit, which is a popular way to eat Oreos,” she said.
“At 45p for 154g, these were the cheapest per pack and per per 100g, so a good bargain.”
