A taste test of shortbread fingers from Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's against Walker's has found that the cheapest option, Aldi at 95p, delivered the best flavour and value, while Sainsbury's ranked last.
How the tasting was conducted
The comparison, carried out by Mia O'Hare, Senior Audience Writer for Spare Time, judged the biscuits solely on flavour. Walker's, the leading brand known for its classic Scottish shortbreads, was used as the benchmark against the supermarkets' own alternatives.
Results from worst to best
Sainsbury's shortbread, priced at £1.25, was described as dry with a peculiar residual aftertaste and one of the sparsest sugar toppings. It scored 3/10.
Lidl's shortbread, at 95p, was pleasant and buttery but lacked any sugar topping, scoring 5/10. Asda's fingers, also £1.25, were pleasantly crumbly with a nice texture and satisfying sweetness, but lacked a richer buttery flavour and occasionally tasted dry, scoring 7/10.
Marks and Spencer's shortbread, at £1.20, was the darkest in the tasting and reasonably firm, offering a satisfying crunch and a generous sugar coating, scoring 8/10. Walker's, at £1.95 from Sainsbury's, was described as genuinely iconic, firm yet disintegrating on first bite, with a perfect equilibrium of buttery flavour without excessive sweetness, scoring 9/10.
Aldi takes the top spot
Aldi's shortbread, at 95p, triumphed with an optimal blend of butter and sugar, delightfully crumbly texture, and a subtle dusting of sugar on top. It avoided being excessively sweet and, at the most affordable price among all biscuits sampled, offered exceptional value for money, scoring 10/10.
