Supermarket own brands have outperformed Heinz in a blind taste test of cream of tomato soup, with Sainsbury's and Tesco tying for first place at 78 per cent, according to consumer champion Which?.
Sainsbury's and Tesco Share Top Spot
Sainsbury's Cream of Tomato Soup scored 78 per cent and costs 59p per can, undercutting Heinz, which retails at £1.70 per can. Which? said: "As the joint highest-scoring tin, this budget-friendly soup from Sainsbury's impressed our panel. Most tasters found the balance of tanginess and sweetness just right. It also won over tasters on appearance and texture, with three quarters rating it the perfect creaminess. Not only is it a Best Buy, but it also offers outstanding value at just 59p a tin."
Tesco's version also achieved 78 per cent, matching Sainsbury's on quality and price. Which? said: "Tesco's cream of tomato soup tied with Sainsbury's, matching it on both taste and value. It excelled on every measure, with just the right strength of flavour and tang for the majority of tasters. Unlike some lower-scoring soups, there was no compromising on texture, with top marks for thickness and creaminess. Costing a fraction of the price of Heinz, it's another Great Value pick."
Asda, Crosse & Blackwell, and Co-op Follow
Asda's own brand scored 77 per cent, also at 59p a can. Which? said: "Completing our three Best Buys, Asda is another good supermarket own-label tin. It was rated among the best for appearance, aroma, flavour and texture, combining well-balanced flavours with a satisfying creaminess. Our panel gave it strong scores across the board, making it a worthy Best Buy recommendation."
Crosse & Blackwell came fourth with 76 per cent, priced at £1.25 per can. Which? said: "The best-rated brand on test. While it's cheaper than Heinz, it still costs around double the price of most supermarket own labels." Co-op's Classic Cream of Tomato Soup scored 73 per cent at 75p per can, with Which? noting: "A solid contender with good creaminess and well-balanced flavours. Aroma and appearance didn't quite match up to higher-scoring tins, though."
Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl
Marks & Spencer's variety also scored 73 per cent, at 60p per can. Which? said: "Our tasters particularly liked the thickness and creaminess of this tinned soup. At 60p, it offers good value for M&S shoppers." Morrisons scored 72 per cent at 65p per can, with Which? commenting: "A decent option, scoring highly on colour and sweetness. Just over a third wanted a stronger tomato flavour and more tanginess."
Aldi's Bramwells variety scored 71 per cent at 59p per can, while Lidl's Newgate product scored 70 per cent, also at 59p per can. Which? said of Aldi: "Aldi impressed on appearance, but its texture wasn't on par with top-ranking rivals, with more than half finding it lacked creaminess." For Lidl, Which? noted: "Like Aldi, Lidl's soup looked the part, however, the flavour and texture fell slightly short."
Heinz, Waitrose, and Baxters at the Bottom
Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup scored 68 per cent, with more than two in three of the 77 participants saying they enjoyed it. Which? said: "Heinz finished towards the bottom of the rankings, losing out to cheaper own brands. More than a third thought the flavour was too weak and not sweet enough, while 62 per cent said it wasn't creamy enough."
Waitrose's Essential range scored 66 per cent at 85p per can, and Baxters came last with 58 per cent at £2.05 per can. Which? said of Waitrose: "Waitrose was the lowest-scoring own-label soup overall. It lost marks for flavour, and around half thought it wasn't thick or creamy enough." For Baxters, Which? said: "The most expensive on test and the lowest-scoring soup overall. Most tasters found the flavour too weak, and the texture wasn't thick enough." All prices were correct as of October 2026.
