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Daily Record
31-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Record
I tried Lidl and 7 supermarket milk chocolates to see if it tasted better than Cadbury
One reporter thought she'd try different chocolate bars – including those from higher-end supermarkets and budget stores – to see if any tasted better than Cadbury chocolate. Cadbury, while being the nation's preferred chocolate brand, tends to be on the expensive side, with prices ranging from £1.50 to £2. As the cost of living is at the forefront of everyone's minds, reporter Angela Patrone from wanted to see if there was a cheaper alternative out there. This led me Angela to question how supermarket own brands stack up against them and whether there might be a superior alternative. To ensure a fair taste test, Angela bought milk chocolate from both high-end and budget supermarkets. The supermarket brands included Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, M&S and Waitrose. Angela ranked each supermarket chocolate bar and gave them a rating out of 10. She also shared the cost of each supermarket milk chocolate bar and how it tasted. This is how each supermarket faired: Morrisons Priced at 80p, this tasted like your typical everyday chocolate bar, slightly sweet and creamy, but nothing extraordinary, Angela noted. The smooth texture was "pleasing", but unfortunately, the chocolate didn't build on that with no memorable flavour notes or even an aftertaste. Rating: 5/10 Sainsbury's This chocolate bar was much more enjoyable than Morrisons' and melted in the mouth far more easily. The 75p bar also had a delightful taste, which wasn't overly artificial as some chocolates can be. Rating: 6/10 Tesco This 55p chocolate bar from Tesco reminded Angela of cooking chocolate, and not in a positive way. The chocolate from Tesco tasted like it was attempting to mimic a blend of Galaxy and Dairy Milk, but very poorly. It has a chemical aftertaste and melts quickly into a thin layer of chocolate rather than oozy goodness. Rating: 3/10 Aldi Aldi is renowned for its budget-friendly items that won't break the bank. Among these is Aldi's Everyday Essentials range, which is purportedly cheaper than its other in-house brands. Priced at 59p for a 100g bar, the taste was a "letdown". It had an overly salty flavour and left a peculiar aftertaste. It didn't quite hit the mark as chocolate, tasting more like excessively sweetened confectionery, Angela stated. Rating: 3/10 Lidl Following the Aldi chocolate experience, Angela wasn't holding out much hope for this one, but it pleasantly surprised her. Lidl is famed for its low-cost products, so it was her first port of call when considering affordable chocolate bars. Priced slightly higher than Aldi, the bar cost £1.09 for a 100g portion. In terms of taste and quality, it was a revelation. The chocolate was "sweet, velvety, and melted delightfully" in her mouth. It evoked memories of Angela's childhood, reminding her strongly of Magic Stars. In terms of taste and value, she'd say it surpasses Cadbury. Rating: 9/10 Asda For Angela, Asda's chocolate bar ranks alongside Tesco and Aldi, albeit marginally superior. Priced at 59p per 100g, the chocolate bar was sweet, but lacked the melt-in-the-mouth quality typical of most chocolate bars. Rating: 3.5/10 Waitrose At £2.75, this was one of the priciest chocolate bars in this taste test, and unfortunately, it also turned out to be the least impressive. While Angela could appreciate its thick and smooth texture, it had an overpowering taste, and not in a pleasant way. Rating: 2/10 M&S M&S was the final supermarket brand on Angela's list, and she had high hopes for this one. M&S boasts a selection of scrumptious chocolate treats throughout the year that consistently earns rave reviews. However, their most affordable milk chocolate bar is not something Angela would buy again. Priced at £2.75, the same as the Waitrose chocolate bar, it lacked the expected sweetness and creaminess of a milk chocolate bar. Rating: 4/10 Cadbury Finally, we have Cadbury. As soon as you unwrap the bar, you're greeted with a strong whiff of chocolate. Milk chocolate often has a fatty layer in its harder centre, which Cadbury usually nails. But how did the iconic brand perform this time? Quite well, although for my taste, it was a tad too sweet. Rating: 8/10 Verdict Among all the chocolate bars tested, Lidl emerged as the top contender. While the Cadbury bar was enjoyable, the Lidl chocolate bar just had the edge.
Daily Mirror
31-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
I taste tested milk chocolate from 8 supermarkets including Aldi and M&S - one bar beat Cadbury
One reporter decided to try eight supermarket brands of milk chocolate – and one bar tasted even better than Cadbury. Cadbury may be the nation's go-to chocolate fix, but with prices ranging from £1.50 to £2, it got one reporter thinking about how supermarket own brands stack up against them. To keep things fair, Angela Patrone – based at – sampled milk chocolate from both high-end and budget supermarkets, including Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, M&S and Waitrose. Angela ranked each supermarket chocolate bar and gave them a rating out of 10. She also shared the cost of each supermarket chocolate bar and how it tasted. This is how each supermarket faired: Morrisons Priced at 80p, this was your typical chocolate bar - a bit sweet, a bit creamy, but nothing to write home about, Angela noted. "The texture was pleasingly smooth, but unfortunately, the flavour didn't follow suit, lacking any standout notes or lingering aftertaste," she said. Rating: 5/10 Sainsbury's Described as a step up from Morrisons' chocolate bar, this one melt much more readily in the mouth. At 75p, it had a "pleasant taste" that avoided the artificial tang some chocolates can have. Rating: 6/10 Tesco Tesco's 55p offering reminded Angela of cooking chocolate, and not in a positive sense. It tasted like a failed attempt to mimic Galaxy and Dairy Milk, complete with an off-putting chemical undertone. Instead of melting into a luscious pool of chocolate, it quickly thinned out. Rating: 3/10 Aldi Aldi is famed for its budget-friendly offerings that won't break the bank, and its Everyday Essentials range is touted as even more affordable than its other in-house brands. However, at 59p for a 100g bar, the chocolate left much to be desired. It had an oddly salty flavour with a peculiar aftertaste. Rather than tasting like chocolate, it seemed more akin to overly sweetened confectionery. Rating: 3/10 Lidl Following the Aldi experience, Angela wasn't holding out much hope for Lidl's offering, but it proved to be a pleasant surprise. Known for its low-cost products, Lidl was her first port of call when considering affordable chocolate bars. Priced slightly higher than Aldi at £1.09 for a 100g bar, it exceeded expectations in terms of taste and quality. The chocolate was "sweet, smooth, and melted delightfully in the mouth". It evoked memories of Magic Stars from Angela's childhood and, surprisingly, the chocolate bar surpassed Cadbury in both taste and value. Rating: 9/10 Asda In Angela's opinion, Asda's chocolate bar just about edges out Tesco and Aldi. Priced at 59p per 100g, the chocolate was sweet but lacked the melt-in-the-mouth quality you'd expect from a typical chocolate bar. Rating: 3.5/10 Waitrose At £2.75, this was one of the priciest chocolate bars in the taste test, and unfortunately, it also ranked as the worst. While Angela could appreciate its thick and smooth texture, the overpowering taste was not to her liking. Rating: 2/10 M&S M&S was the final supermarket brand on Angela's list, and she had high hopes for this one. M&S is known for its range of scrumptious chocolate goodies that garner rave reviews all year round. However, their most affordable milk chocolate left her underwhelmed and she expressed that is unlikely to buy it again. Priced at £2.75, the same as the Waitrose bar, it "lacked the expected sweetness and creaminess of a good milk chocolate bar". Rating: 4/10 Cadbury Finally, we come to Cadbury. The moment you unwrap the bar, you're greeted with a rich, chocolaty aroma. Milk chocolate often has a fatty layer in the harder centre, something Cadbury usually nails. But how did the iconic brand measure up this time? Quite well, although for Angela's taste, it was a tad too sweet. Rating: 8/10 Verdict After sampling all the chocolate bars, Lidl emerged as the top dog. While the Cadbury bar was enjoyable, the Lidl chocolate bar just pipped it to the post.
Daily Record
21-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Record
'I tested chocolate from every supermarket and this £1 bar is better than Cadbury'
For the past few days, many of us will have indulged in quite a bit of chocolate. However, like many things in life, Easter eggs can get a bit pricey these days. For those who still want to indulge their sweet tooth without the expense, then a simple bar of chocolate poses a suitable alternative - and pretty much everyone knows that Cadbury remains one of the most beloved brands. That being said, many supermarket own brands can sometimes pose a more affordable, and often better tasting, option. Which is exactly why one reporter decided to try them all out to find if this was the case. Senior Lifestyle Reporter Angela Patrone from the Express recently pit the iconic chocolate brand against high-end and bargain supermarket options, with bars bought from the likes of Aldi, Lidl, M&S, Waitrose and more. Finding one budget bar that reminded her of the beloved Magic Stars from her childhood, the reporter detailed her thought on each confection, which we have provided in her full words just below. Morrisons Retailing for 80p, this tasted like your standard run-of-the-mill chocolate bar, slightly sweet and creamy, but nothing special. The smooth texture was delightful, but sadly, the chocolate didn't build on that with no memorable taste notes or even an aftertaste. Rating: 5/10 Sainsbury's This chocolate bar was much nicer than Morrisons' and melted in the mouth much more easily. The 75p bar also had a lovely taste, which was not too artificial like some chocolates can be. Rating: 6/10 Tesco This 55p chocolate bar from Tesco reminds me of cooking chocolate, and not in a good way. The chocolate from Tesco tasted like it was trying to imitate a mix of Galaxy and Dairy Milk, but very poorly. It has a chemical undertaste and melts quickly into a thin layer of chocolate rather than oozy goodness. Rating: 3/10 Aldi Aldi is known for its affordable items that won't put a hole in your wallet. Aldi has its Everyday Essentials range, which is supposedly cheaper than its other manufactured brands. Costing 59p for a 100g bar, the taste was very disappointing. It was rather salty and had a strange aftertaste to it. I felt it didn't really taste like chocolate, but as if it were some overly sweetened candy. Rating: 3/10 Lidl After tasting the Aldi chocolate bar, I didn't have much hope for this one, but it impressed me massively. Lidl is known for its cheap products, so it was the first place on my mind when I thought about an affordable chocolate bar. Slightly more than Aldi, the bar cost me £1.09, weighing 100g. In terms of taste and quality, it really took me by surprise. It was sweet, smooth, and the chocolate melted in my mouth. It brought me back to my childhood as it reminded me so much of Magic Stars. I would say it was better than Cadbury in terms of taste and value. Rating: 9/10 Asda For me, the Asda chocolate bar is on par with Tesco and Aldi, just ever so slightly better. Coming in at 59p per 100g, the chocolate bar was sweet, but it didn't melt in the mouth like a typical chocolate bar would. Rating: 3.5/10 Waitrose Costing £2.75, this was one of the most expensive chocolate bars in this taste test, but also ended up being the worst one. While I can appreciate the thick and smooth texture it had, it tasted very strong, and not in a good way. Rating: 2/10 M&S M&S was the last of the supermarket brands, and I had high expectations for this one. M&S have a range of delicious chocolate sweet treats all year round that receive glowing reviews, however, their cheapest milk chocolate is not something I'd repurchase. Retailing at £2.75 like the Waitrose chocolate bar, it lacked that sweetness and creaminess you'd expect from a milk chocolate bar. Rating 4/10 Cadbury Last up we have Cadbury. Straight away you are hit with a waft of chocolate to the nostrils when you open up the bar. Milk chocolate often contains a fatty coating in the harder centre, which Cadbury often perfects, but how would the iconic brand fare this time around? Very well is the answer; however, for me, it was a little too sweet. Rating: 8/10 Verdict Out of all the chocolate bars, Lidl came up as the top contender. Whilst the Cadbury bar was enjoyable, the Lidl chocolate bar just had the edge.
