YouTube food critic Sam Wilder has crowned Aldi's Specially Selected range the clear winner after comparing it to luxury lines from Tesco, Lidl, and Asda. He spent 48 hours eating from the range and declared Aldi the frontrunner.
How the test worked
Sam Wilder, who has 106,000 subscribers on his channel, bought 48 hours' worth of food from Aldi's Specially Selected range, including two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, snacks, and a dessert. His total came to £44.50 at the checkout.
He had already undertaken the same challenge with Tesco Finest, Lidl Deluxe, and Asda Exception, so he was able to compare all four premium ranges.
The verdict
Upon completing the challenge, Sam said: "I'm placing Aldi as my clear frontrunner of all of the premium supermarket ranges so far."
He added: "It's pretty similar price-wise to Lidl but the quality is right up there with what I found at Tesco and Asda compared to what I found at Lidl. Things have more flavour, there's way more to choose from, and to be honest with you, given the option of Aldi or Lidl anyway, outside of this challenge, I'm always going for Aldi."
A standout meal
It was Sam's final meal that truly won him over. He feasted on a Wagyu steak with chunky oven chips and cherry tomatoes, finishing with lemon and white chocolate cheesecake slices. The tomatoes left a particular impression.
Sam said: "I'm not going to lie, that is a fantastic steak. Now I did have one of these tomatoes raw, and these tomatoes, I think they are quite possibly the favourite thing I have had in the last 48 hours. These tomatoes are phenomenal, they are sweet, they are zesty."
He also noted the steak's price: "£9.99 for a single steak at a supermarket is a little bit dear, but if you're treating yourself, and I think Wagyu is a treat, then go for it. It feels worth it, it was that good."
Surprised by the range
Sam was caught off guard before the challenge even began while browsing the Aldi aisles. He had underestimated how extensive the budget supermarket's luxury range actually was, which presented a problem at the checkout.
He added: "It did feel like there was an abundance of food in this range. What I'm already learning is, the Specially Selected range is, king of huge. I definitely over buy for these challenges."
