Shops own food

Ventnorman

What do you think of shops own brand / labels ? Are they worth it or is it better paying that bit more ?

darrensurrey

Pretty much everything I buy is value or basics. I can't bring myself to spend more. The only things I do buy that are not the basic range are teabags and coffee as the cheap stuff is awful. For everything else, the extra cost isn't worth it even if gold and diamond encrusted tuna tastes slightly better. In many cases, it may be double the price but the taste isn't double the taste.

I save my money for the more important things in life.

theonly1iknow

sainsbury's basics tomato soup is my most fave soup, and at 24p a can, how can i jutify paying more? most these items are made by the big brands'anyway. shop around there's bargains and tasty thrifty treats to be had. i'm also a queen of the "OOPS" (or reduced sticker in anywhere other than asda!)

jynnantonnyk

Worked in food retail for a number of years and was told that many of shops own items, for example, a type of biscuit is actually the same item as one a brand use and sell at higher price. Manufactured in same place, some leave the factory in a supermarket packaging, some leave in the fancy branded wrapper.

I agree, I won't buy the cheaper coffee either. And sometimes when you buy the value/basics things like beans they're more sauce than beans so a false economy.

On the whole, I'm not a brand slave but you learn to trust certain brands that have been around a long time - longevity and popularity does normally mean the product does have a degree of quality over less popular products.

Go with what works for you. Let's not forget though... the stuff that tastes good is usually full of the stuff that we need to limit.

kendrafallon

On the whole, I'm not a brand slave but you learn to trust certain brands that have been around a long time - longevity and popularity does normally mean the product does have a degree of quality over less popular products.

This!! Some things like coffee, tea and bread are things I refuse to have the cheap own brand versions of (I'm not responsible for the food shopping BTW). Most of our fresh fruit and veg comes from the market. But yes there are certain brands that I will make sure of when getting things, simply because over the years I've gotten used to the taste and the quality of the product has been consistent.

ellen_v

Depends where it's sourced from really. Even though I'm a student, I always make sure In get responsibly sourced meat, fish and dairy products and always, always buy British Then again, I think that's because I'm a vet student and have done a lot of work for farmers so if I can't afford the good stuff, I just won't buy it. I do buy a lot of own brand stuff like vegetable soups and sauces, just never basics/value/smartprice meat products.

phoenixoncemore

Depends on what it is. I agree cheap tea/coffee is awful! However there is a factory up the road from me and I know a lot of people that work there. They manufacture lots of food and I have been told that the Tesco Value pies are exactly the same as the Waitrose pies that they make there, same line, people working on them and everything (this goes for most of the products they produce) although apparently M&S has a separate production line and use different ingredients and recipes. The difference usually is the packaging and the price you pay!

As for cereals, I actively seek out supermarket brands. I have always had them, until one time a few years ago they were out of stock and I had Kellogs Rice Crispies - they were disgusting and ended up in the bin. They were so sugary I couldn't bring myself to eat them.

Marie047

TBH I generally buy brand or Finest Range (we shop at tescos) but that`s just me and my partner. When I was younger my parents bought alot of own brand stuff and if you didnt know you wouldnt tell the difference in most cases.

It is the case that most value items are manufactured in the same place your brands ones are, same as most Branded clothes, furniture is manufactured in the same place just given a high retail price.

I think it is each to there own taste really.

I would probably say the only time I really become a food snob is with meant. I really like good meat and we do pay alot for it as we go to the local farm shop, so its more expensive than your ordinary supermarket.

AstyPasty

I stick to shops own brand food almost all the time, but like others I always buy 'proper' coffee and baked beans!

Have to say I've been shopping a lot more at Lidl and Aldi recently and some of their own brand stuff is excellent and so much cheaper than the big 4 supermarkets.

sixfootaliw

It's down to personal taste really but I refuse to pay extra for a named brand when the own brand tastes exactly the same to me!

I usually end up shopping in Asda as it is convenient for me and I love their 'Chosen By You' range. All the foods I've tried from this range have been very good, although the cleaning products weren't. Nothing beats Finish in the dishwasher if you ask me! And I have yet to find a drinkable own brand coffee!

I have tried the Asda budget range for a few items and frankly it's not good. Their chopped tomatoes may be only a few pence but it's all liquid and no tomato! I find it's just a case of trying each item out and working out what you like.

Ali

kyle4jem

Aldi have some surprisingly good food. Their rice pudding pots are as delicious as Müller Rice; ditto their yoghurt. Their ice cream lollies are tastier than Magnums (and have more almonds on the coating!) I also love their Alpenmark Bavarian range of cold meats and the Wiener Schnitzel is remarkably low in cals for what it is.

Moreover, although not food, their dishwasher tabs have been voted #2 by Which? and are half the price of even Tesco's own.

Of course there are lots of things I would't even think of buying in Aldi, but they tend to be the things I don't buy anyhow.

Soup, if not home-made, has to be Baxter's although I also like New Covent Garden and M&S and Waitrose do similar soups that are very delicious.

I prefer Waitrose own low-fat cottage cheese and smoked salmon slices to any other brand, although I'm not sure I've seen any non-Supermarket cottage cheese.

Coffee - I buy whatever's on offer. I don't think there's much difference between Douwe Egberts/Gold Blend/Tesco Gold.
Tea bags - I get Tesco's mid-range as Jem thinks they're ok. (I don't drink tea)

I don't think there's any hard and fast rule - some own brand goods are great, some are pants - and ultimately, it's a question of value for money (24p spent on value beans is 24p wasted if they are all cheap sauce and sugar and no beans, so I'd rather buy Heinz reduced sugar/salt snap-pots are they are more convenient and about a penny dearer than small tins).

DefConJen

I am no label queen, but it depends on what it is...flour is flour for example, but I agree about coffee.

Regardless I always read labels as the cheaper ranges can often be worse nutrictionaly (<---can't spell that!) eg tinned in syrup/oil rather than juice/water.

Aldi/Lidl are OK, and the stores tend to be smaller so I don't impulse buy so much, but I don't rate the fruit/veg from there - they don't last as long as from the other supermarkets.