A shopper has ranked the bakery sections of six major UK supermarkets, with Morrisons taking the top spot for choice and value, while Aldi was placed last due to its limited range.
Shania King-Soyza, who lives within a short drive of six supermarkets, visited Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer, Asda and Aldi to compare their bakery offerings. Some impressed with their selection and prices, but one was described as not worth the trip.
Aldi and M&S at the Bottom
Aldi was ranked sixth. Most branches do not have a dedicated fresh bakery section. According to Foodie, the chain began testing in-store bakeries in some US stores in 2018, with selected British stores adding them in 2024. The shopper's local branch lacks a fresh bakery, and the selection seemed smaller than on a previous visit, with products such as school cakes missing. There were several types of bread and a small selection of cakes, doughnuts, pastries and other sweet treats, but no fresh seasonal products.
Marks and Spencer came fifth. While the quality and range were praised, prices were a deterrent. Most freshly baked items cost between £1.50 and £2.30, with few priced below £1. The cheapest item was a 50p bread roll, while a single almond croissant cost £2.60. The shopper recommended the Yumnut — a cross between a yum yum and a doughnut — or the white chocolate all-butter biscuits as treats.
Asda and Lidl in the Middle
Asda was ranked fourth. In a recent Which? survey, Asda came joint last for in-store shopping. The consumer organisation said: "Several customers told us their local stores often have bare shelves and unmanned checkouts." However, when visited around 6pm on a weekday, there were still plenty of bakery products available, including a Krispy Kreme section. The caramel and pecan buns caught the shopper's eye as an alternative to cinnamon rolls or iced buns, and there were reasonably priced Halloween and Christmas treats. Overall, though, the choice was smaller than at some competitors.
Lidl took third place. A 2024 Grocery Gazette report named it the most popular supermarket bakery, citing sales of 122 croissants per minute and one jam doughnut per second. The sugar-coated jam doughnuts were tempting, but the toffee-filled yum yums were the standout choice. The shopper would have liked a wider range, particularly more traditional British treats, and some products seemed stale and hard.
Sainsbury's and the Winner
Sainsbury's came second with a strong selection of traditional favourites, including school cakes, tea cakes, all-butter flapjacks, apple turnovers and gingerbread men. Seasonal options included Halloween Witches Brew biscuits and Christmas snowy yule log bites. Sainsbury's came sixth in the Which? supermarket study. The watchdog said: "Sainsbury's put in a solid performance in our customer satisfaction survey." It was a close contender for first place, but Morrisons edged ahead.
Morrisons was the winner for choice and value. The branch visited did not have a fresh counter for choosing individual pastries or loaves, but its large bakery range made up for that. Its chilled desserts included a substantial strawberry trifle for £2.25 — less than the M&S almond croissant. The range of miniature sweet snacks was the largest seen, with options such as mini jam teacakes with strawberry marshmallow filling. The top recommendation was the raspberry croissants, priced at £1.89 for a pack of two. They tasted like jam doughnuts, but were lighter, with flaky, buttery pastry and a fruity filling.
Manchester Evening News writer Bethan Shufflebotham also praised Morrisons in her 2022 supermarket bakery comparison, highlighting its originality, choice and value. At the time, she bought eight items for under £5 and reported an offer of six pastries or rolls for £2.
