A comparison of honey nut cereal from four supermarkets found one clear loser, with key differences in sugar content, crunch and price. M&S, Lidl, Tesco and Aldi own-brand versions were tested, and while most were similar in flavour and texture, one stood out as noticeably worse.
M&S Honey Nut Cornflakes - 500g, £1.30
M&S Honey Nut Cornflakes cost £1.30 for 500g, which was a pleasant surprise compared with branded options, although it works out more expensive per kilo than some other packs. The cereal is very crispy, with small, nicely browned flakes rather than a pale appearance, and has a convincing honey flavour.
With 9% sugar, it sits in the red zone for sugar on the nutrition information, but the sweetness does come through in the taste. It stayed pleasantly crisp rather than quickly turning soggy in the bowl, earning an 8/10 rating.
Lidl Crownfield Honey Nut Flakes - 500g, 99p
Lidl's Crownfield Honey Nut Flakes are the cheapest of the four packs at 99p for 500g. The flakes are noticeably paler and larger than the M&S version and tasted closer to ordinary cornflakes rather than the crispy and thickly-coated sweetness of other boxes.
They are lower in sugar at 7%, putting them in the yellow rather than red zone on the nutrition information, which may make Lidl a more appealing everyday option for those with less of a sweet tooth. The low price makes them tempting as an everyday family cereal, but they scored just 5/10.
Tesco Honey Nut Cornflakes - 500g, £1.10
Tesco's Honey Nut Cornflakes cost £1.10 for 500g and were remarkably similar to the M&S version. They contain 9% sugar, putting them in the red zone, and have the same sort of sweet, crunchy character expected from a honey nut cereal.
In a blind comparison, it would be genuinely difficult to spot much difference between these and the M&S cereal. The flakes are crisp, the honey flavour comes through and they don't immediately go soggy in milk, earning an 8/10 rating.
Aldi Harvest Morn Honey Nut Crunch Corn Flakes - 750g, £1.49
Aldi's Harvest Morn Honey Nut Crunch Corn Flakes come in the biggest box of the four at 750g for £1.49. Although the headline price is higher, the larger pack means they work out at around £1.99 per kilogram, making them better value than both M&S and Tesco and only fractionally more expensive per kilo than Lidl.
They contain 9% sugar, but one interesting difference is the honey content. Aldi lists 2% honey, compared with around 0.6% in the other cereals tested, though this was not noticeable in taste. The combination of a large box, decent price and good flavour makes Aldi a strong choice for regular cereal buyers, scoring 7/10.
For the cheapest option, Lidl wins at 99p for 500g, and its lower sugar content could make it the more sensible everyday choice. However, the taste and texture of the M&S, Tesco and Aldi cereals were preferred. M&S and Tesco were almost impossible to separate on taste, while Aldi stood out for its larger pack and much higher stated honey content. If buying purely on value, Aldi would be the pick for the combination of price per kilogram, pack size and flavour, but M&S wins on taste alone.
