Own brand versus branded recommendations

M

messyleo

Registered User
Messages
810
In the spirit of another thread, I thought it might be useful for people to recommend own brand versions of branded goods that are just as good if not better and similarly flag any products where the brand name comes out on top. I'll go first with a few.

Tesco organic porridge oats 1.10 per kg - chunkier than flahavans. Kavanaghs in Aldi worth a go if looking for clloser texture in flahavans

Supervalu 0% fat skyr - €1.19 per 500g - cheaper than aldi & lidl etc

Lidl bakery brown soda - €2.30 - top quality and freshly baked in store

Magnum premium washing up liquid - not that much cheaper than fairy but the only one that comes close imo

Birdseye frozen peas are worth the extra for me, so sweet, tender and not shelly - tried most own brand and tesco garden peas are the best of the own brand bunch imo
 
Last edited:
1L milk, a Lidl/Silvercrest yogurt maker that I got for a fiver from a charity shop years ago, and some starter from the last batch and that's (3.5% fat) natural yoghurt with zero additives for the week. ;)
 
messyleo said:
Lidl bakery brown soda - €2.30 - top quality and freshly baked in store
Click to expand...
Sorry, have to do this, but Mrs C bakes me a brown soda two to three times a week that is better IMO then the supermarket offerings
Not sure what the cost is now but when she started back in 2020 it was cheaper

Other then that I can't find fault in Dunnes own brand products like milk, butter, orange juice, cooked meats and biscuits etc etc
when comparing them to the branded offerings in Dunnes Stores but apart from price it comes down to taste and what you enjoy

Hula Hoops, it's been a while since I priced checked these but Lidl's version which I believe is made by KP is just as nice and a lot cheaper
Same with their Jafa cakes and Fig Rolls compared to the branded ones

But I'm happy to say nobody has tried to replicate the "Chocolate Kimberly's" as sometimes the original is the GOAT and shouldn't be messed with
 
Cervelo said:
Sorry, have to do this, but Mrs C bakes me a brown soda two to three times a week that is better IMO then the supermarket offerings
Not sure what the cost is now but when she started back in 2020 it was cheaper
Click to expand...

TBF unless she is offering to bake for all of us, we have to go with what is widely available ;) :D
Goes without saying, any home made bread is way way cheaper and nicer - the comparison here is branded vs own brand

@matthepac - completely agree with a lot of "Low fat" stuff being filled with additives and sugar to compensate. The skyr is 100% milk only so no worries on that front! It's made by Glenisk too I think
 
Last edited:
I have a thing for Tayto's cheese and onionl Hunkey Dories (remember the Bernard Dunne ads?) while watching a match or a film. There are cheaper crinkly crisp alternatives from the multiples but though they're cheaper, flavour-wise they're not at the races. The dog agrees with me, turning her nose, and other other canine body parts, to non-originals. :)
 
Tesco fruit and fibre cereal
Tesco custard creams
I mean does anybody buy branded butter or milk these days, they all come from the same cow!

RE low fat products, forget them, full fat everything, just smaller portions.
 
Sarah Ryan said:
I mean does anybody buy branded butter or milk these days, they all come from the same cow!
Click to expand...
I will buy Tesco & Supervalu own brand milk but in other stores I have noticed a different taste which I'm not mad on so sometimes it is Avonmore.
Also sometimes it is Avonmore because Supervalu are sold out of own brand milk.
It sells out over the course of lunchtime in my local Supervalu, which is on the smallish size.

Always own brand salted butter unless there's an offer on. Dunnes don't have an own brand unsalted butter so I pickup whatever is on offer, it is annoying that because you can only buy in small blocks it is even more expensive than salted butter.
 
odyssey06 said:
I will buy Tesco & Supervalu own brand milk but in other stores I have noticed a different taste which I'm not mad on so sometimes it is Avonmore.
Click to expand...
I think in a blind taste test, you would struggle to taste the difference. Milk is milk and all the co-ops do for normal 3.5% fat milk is pasteurise it. The only variables would be the length of time of collection from the farm gate and when the cow was milked and also what the dairy cow has been fed. During the summer, this is mainly grass and therefore they should be little to no difference in taste.

Not that I think there is anyway and I drinks pints of the stuff. Why anyone would buy branded milk for extra money is beyond me. Particularly if they are putting it in a cup of tea!
 
tallpaul said:
I think in a blind taste test, you would struggle to taste the difference. Milk is milk and all the co-ops do for normal 3.5% fat milk is pasteurise it.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what the factor is, but I could taste 'it' in LIDL, ALDI and M&S milk.
Not sure if they are sourced from NI and pasteurised slightly differently or something.

Can't remember if it was summer or winter. Maybe it was a winter thing hmm, maybe I should recheck a summer carton.

With skimmed milk there is more variability especially as some of brands put vitamins etc back in
 
tallpaul said:
think in a blind taste test, you would struggle to taste the difference. Milk is milk and all the co-ops do for normal 3.5% fat milk is pasteurise it. The only variables would be the length of time of collection from the farm gate and when the cow was milked
Click to expand...
I think a variable which is important is whether it's sold in a tetrapak carton or plastic container. It has to be carton for me as I can taste the plastic from those plastic milk containers. Its only milk containers though never get aftertaste from soft drink or plastic water bottles. Not a big consumer of milk but never liked those plastic containers, was a retrograde step to get rid of glass bottles
 
Last edited:
joe sod said:
I think a variable which is important is whether it's sold in a tetrapak carton or plastic container. It has to be carton for me as I can taste the plastic from those plastic milk containers.
Click to expand...
That's actually hilarious as my son is the complete and utter opposite and is convinced that the plastic container is the only way to go!!!

I still think a blind taste test would prove a lot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top