Supermarket own-brand baked beans have been crowned the UK's best, outperforming market leader Heinz in a blind taste test by consumer watchdog Which? A panel of 60 people rated 12 varieties, including Heinz, Branston, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Aldi, and Tesco.
Aldi and Lidl tie for top spot
Aldi's Bramwells beans and Lidl's Newgate beans both scored 77%, narrowly edging out Heinz despite being more than three times cheaper. Aldi's offering costs 39p a can and was praised for its texture and taste, described as pleasantly sweet by most testers. Which? hailed it as an 'excellent all-rounder', awarding it Best Buy and Great Value accolades. Lidl's Newgate beans, at 40p, also earned those titles.
One Metro reader, Gwen, said after switching to Aldi's beans a few years ago she has 'never looked back' and added: 'For the price, they are an extremely good product.'
Heinz takes second place
Heinz scored 76%, with over half the panel finding the sweetness level right and enjoying the tomatoey flavour, though more than a third wanted a stronger taste. While it earned a Best Buy from Which?, it was noted as the 'most expensive' at £1.40 for a 415g tin — over 200% the price of the Aldi and Lidl counterparts. Which? noted it can be bought more cheaply in multipacks or offers such as two for £2.
Other brands ranked
Branston, Asda, and Sainsbury's placed third, fourth, and fifth respectively. Ocado, Morrisons, and Waitrose tied for sixth with 71%, followed by Tesco at 68%. M&S own-brand beans were described as 'dull-looking' and lacking flavour, scoring 64%. Co-op fared worst with 57%, with two-thirds of the panel saying their flavour was too weak and most wanting them sweeter.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, commented: 'Our taste test shows that you don’t have to compromise on flavour by ditching the pricier brands and choosing supermarket own-label beans – a switch that could save over £100 a year.'
