A 95p pack of Aldi shortbread fingers has come out on top in a taste test against Walker's, Marks and Spencer, Asda, Lidl and Sainsbury's. The Aldi biscuits scored 10/10 for their balance of butter and sugar, crumbly texture and light sugar topping.
Mia O'Hare, Senior Spare Time Journalist, compared shortbread fingers from the five supermarkets against Walker's, ranking them solely on taste. The joint-cheapest pack, priced at 95p alongside Lidl, emerged as the favourite.
How the brands ranked
Sainsbury's shortbread, at £1.25, came last with a rating of 3/10. It was described as dry with an odd aftertaste that lingered, and had one of the lightest sugar toppings. Despite being among the more expensive options, it could not compete with the others on flavour.
Lidl's shortbread, also 95p, was rated 5/10. It was buttery but had no sugar topping, making it a decent biscuit that did not stand out.
Mid-table results
Asda's shortbread fingers, at £1.25, scored 7/10. They were crumbly, broke apart easily and had a pleasant sweetness, but needed a stronger buttery flavour and sometimes felt slightly dry.
Marks and Spencer's shortbread, at £1.20, was rated 8/10. It was the darkest biscuit tested, firm with a crunch before breaking apart, and had more sugar on top than the others. It was enjoyed, although slightly too firm for the tester's taste.
Top two and the winner
Walker's shortbread, priced at £1.95 from Sainsbury's, scored 9/10. It was firm but crumbled as soon as it was bitten into, with a balanced flavour that was buttery without being too sweet.
Aldi's shortbread, at 95p, was the favourite with a perfect 10/10 score. It offered a good balance of butter and sugar, a crumbly texture and a light sugar topping. It was not too sweet and, at 95p, was joint-cheapest with Lidl, making it excellent value in the taste test.
