Morrisons has been crowned the best supermarket bakery in a comparison of six major UK retailers, with Aldi taking last place. The ranking, based on visits to Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer, Asda and Aldi, assessed quality, value for money and the range of classic and innovative baked goods.
Morrisons takes top spot
Morrisons earned first place for its vast and outstanding bakery section, which does not require a fresh counter where shoppers pick individual items. The store offers a better and more extensive range for exceptional value, including a substantial Strawberry trifle costing £2.25 — less expensive than an M&S almond croissant.
The miniature snacks collection was described as the largest encountered, offering a delightful take on traditional British favourites such as jam mini teacakes with strawberry marshmallow filling. The fresh raspberry croissant, priced at £1.89 for a pack of two, was highlighted as the strongest endorsement, tasting like a jam doughnut but lighter and less dense.
Sainsbury's and Lidl follow
Sainsbury's took second place, praised for capturing the spirit of Britain with cherished, nostalgic and traditional favourites including school cakes, tea cakes, all-butter flapjacks, apple turnovers and gingerbread men. The store also offers an impressive array of pastries, doughnuts, snack bites, biscuits, breads and seasonal treats such as Halloween Witches Brew biscuits and Christmas snowy yule log bites.
Lidl came third, despite being crowned the most popular supermarket bakery in a 2024 Grocery Gazette report, selling an average of 122 croissants every minute and one jam doughnut every second. The toffee-filled yum yums were standouts, but some items were noted as stale and hard, and the pre-packaged bakery section offered lacklustre options.
Asda, M&S and Aldi round out the list
Asda took fourth place, with a selection that consistently balances pastries, breads and cakes, plus Halloween and Christmas-themed offerings at affordable prices. However, none of the options particularly captured attention, and the selection proved more limited than competing retailers.
Marks and Spencer was fifth, with the majority of freshly baked goods priced between £1.50 and £2.30 and few items below £1. The cheapest option was a bread roll at 50p, while a single almond croissant cost £2.60. The Yumnut and white chocolate all-butter biscuits came highly recommended.
Aldi was ranked last, lacking a fresh bakery section in most stores. The local store mainly stocked loaves with a small section for cakes, doughnuts, pastries and sweet treats, with no fresh seasonal products. The selection was described as sparse and the journey a waste of time.
