Crumbly, buttery and sweet, shortbread is a beloved biscuit for a reason. The biscuits are enjoyed with a cup of tea in the afternoon, or as a sweet treat after an evening meal. There are plenty of different options available, so it can be hard to know which is best and provides value for money. The leading brand is Walker's with their traditional Scottish shortbreads. However, many of the major UK supermarkets also have their own versions on offer.
The taste test
I decided to pit a selection of shortbread fingers from Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's against Walker's. I compared them for taste to see if any could beat the brand. To my surprise, the cheapest biscuit on offer was tastier and much better value.
Sainsbury's - £1.30
At the bottom of my taste test came Sainsbury's, as I thought it was dry and left an odd aftertaste. It had one of the smallest amounts of sugar sprinkled on top. The biscuits were among the priciest from the selection, and I didn't think they stood up to the rest in terms of flavour. Rating: 3/10
Lidl - 95p
Next came Lidl. Its shortbread biscuits were pleasant and buttery. The biscuit was what you expect from a shortbread, and it didn't feature any sugar on top. It was a totally fine biscuit, but it didn't stand out as much as the others. Rating: 5/10
Asda - £1.25
Asda's shortbread fingers were very crumbly in the mouth and had a nice texture. It broke apart well and was sugary and sweet. However, I thought it could be more buttery as it did taste dry at times. Rating: 7/10
Marks and Spencer - £1.15
The biscuit was the darkest in the taste test and was quite firm to bite into. It offered a crunch when biting into but then crumbled. There was a lot of sugar dusted on top of the biscuit, more than on the rest. For me, the biscuit was just slightly too firm, but it was still a tasty treat. Rating: 8/10
Walker's - £1.95 from Sainsbury's
The brand is much-loved for a reason and can make an iconic shortbread biscuit. It is firm but crumbles as soon as you start eating it. I find these biscuits to be perfectly buttery and not too sugary. Rating: 9/10
Aldi - 95p
The budget supermarket came top in my taste test, as I found its biscuits offered an ideal blend of butter and sugar. It was crumbly, as shortbread should be, and featured sugar dusted on top. The biscuit wasn't too sweet either. Plus, at the lowest price on my taste test, it is a sure winner. Rating: 10/10
