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Metro
22-05-2025
- General
- Metro
Cheap £2.49 own-brand sausages officially crowned better than M&S and Jolly Hog
In recent weeks, supermarket own-brand items have been coming up trumps over more expensive big name brands. We saw an own-brand cola be crowned as 'better' than Coca-Cola in a Metro taste test and a panel of consumers told Which? that Aldi's Norpak butter was better than Lurpak. Tesco's cheddar cheese was also found to be superior to the likes of Cathedral City and Davidstow. And now another cheap supermarket staple has beaten out big names to be crowned the UK's best banger. According to a blind taste test of 65 people, Lidl's Deluxe Pork Sausages (£2.49 for 400g) are the cream of the crop, beating out competition from M&S, Sainsbury's and Morrisons as well as brands like Heck, Jolly Hog and The Black Farmer. Nine supermarket own-brand sausages were pitted against each other as part of the test and compared to several popular brands too. Ultimately, three ended up being named the superior 'best buys' of the lot. Lidl's sausages topped the rankings with a score of 77% as consumers loved their 'juicy texture', 'perfect meaty flavour' and 'herb and spice seasoning that hit the spot'. Three-quarters of participants liked the salt levels, while many thought they were 'good looking and succulent' sausages. As well as being a Best Buy, Lidl's sausages also gained a Great Value award as they're well below average price-wise. However, it's worth noting that Lidl's sausages are pretty high in saturated fat. Two sausages contain 11.5g, which is more than half the recommended daily maximum for women and more than a third for men. Following closely behind the bargain retailer, M&S Collection British Outdoor Bred Pork Sausages (£4.50 for 400g) came in second place with an overall score of 75%. The priciest of the bunch, these were well-liked sausages with good pork flavour, juiciness and salt levels relished by three-quarters of the tasters. Two-thirds said they enjoyed the texture, but while 58% said seasoning was well-balanced, the remainder were divided on whether it was too much or too little. Sainsbury's also garnered a score of 75% for their Taste the Difference British Pork Sausages (£3 for 400g). These bangers were hailed as 'excellent all-rounders', with highly rated pork flavour, 'perfect' juiciness, saltiness, and seasoning levels. The texture was also enjoyed by two thirds of testers. However, they lost a few marks on plate-appeal compared with the other Best Buys, and around a third said these sausages looked too pale. Lidl Deluxe Pork Sausages, 77% M&S Collection British Outdoor Bred Pork Sausages, 75% Sainsbury's Taste the Difference British Pork Sausages, 75% The Black Farmer Premium Pork Sausages, 72% Asda Exceptional Classic Pork Sausages, 71% Morrisons The Best Thick Pork Sausages, 70% Aldi Specially Selected Pork Sausages, 69% Co-op Irresistible Pork Sausages, 69% The Jolly Hog Proper Porker Sausages, 69% Iceland Luxury The Ultimate Pork Sausages, 65% Waitrose No.1 Free Range Pork Sausages, 62% Heck 97% Pork Sausages, 54% Outside of the top three, The Black Farmer Premium Pork Sausages (£3.50 for 400g) scored 72%. They were said to be 'appetising' but lost points for seasoning as a third of tasters wanted them to be 'punchier'. Asda's Exceptional Classic Pork Sausages (£2.98 for 400g) came in fifth place, with The Best Thick Pork Sausages from Morrisons (£3.25 for 400g) in sixth. Aldi's Specially Selected Pork Sausages (£2.49 for 400g) were in seventh place tied with both The Jolly Hog's Proper Porker Sausages (£4 for 400g) and Co-op's Irresistible Pork Sausages (£3.60 for 400g). And at the bottom of the list were Iceland's Luxury Ultimate Pork Sausages (£4 for 400g), Waitrose's No. 1 Free Range Pork Sausages (£4.50 for 400g) and Heck's 97% Pork Sausages (£3.25 for 400g). All of the sausages were blind-tasted and rated by a panel of 65 people in April 2025. The panel was made up of people who buy and eat pork sausages, and who broadly represent the demographic profile of adults in the UK (age range, gender split and more). More Trending The sausages were cooked according to pack instructions and served in a fully rotated order to avoid any bias. Each tester had a private tasting booth so they couldn't discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others. The tasters then rated the flavour, aroma, appearance and texture of each sausage, and shared what they liked and disliked. View More » The overall score given was based on 50% flavour, 20% appearance, 15% aroma and 15% texture. These weightings are based on what people ranked as the most important attributes when tasting pork sausages. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: What to do in London if you didn't get tickets to Chelsea Flower Show MORE: Cadbury is launching brand new colour-changing Dairy Milk chocolate bars this summer MORE: Chocolate fans overjoyed as 'best' Maltesers return 11 years after being axed
Metro
22-04-2025
- Business
- Metro
Supermarket cheese crowned better than Cathedral City — but it's not cheaper
A supermarket own-brand cheddar has beaten big brands in a blind taste test (Picture: Getty Images) In news which might have shocked shoppers, Which? recently revealed that a supermarket own-brand butter fared better than Lurpak in a blind taste test. A panel of 67 people picked Aldi's Norpak as the overall winner, rating it highly for its creaminess, colour and well-rounded flavour. Now another consumer panel has also voted in favour of a supermarket own-brand product, while trying to find the UK's best cheddar cheese. Which? pitted branded cheeses by Cathedral City, Pilgrims Choice and Davidstow against ones from popular retailers like Sainsbury's and Aldi and it might come as a surprise to some that it was Tesco that came out on top. The Tesco option got a score of 78% overall (Picture: Tesco) Tesco Finest Mature English Cheddar Cheese garnered a score of 78%, being praised for its taste and 'firm, smooth' texture. Testers thought the salt level and strength of flavour were just right and it was found to be 'pleasingly crumbly and creamy' too. The cheese is said to be 'about average price-wise' compared with other cheeses in the test, costing £4 for 350g (£1.14 per 100g), but interestingly it's not actually cheaper than all of the bigger brands. Davidstow Classic Cheddar came in second place, with a score of 75%. It was also awarded a 'best buy' accolade, despite being one of the priciest cheddars on the list at £4.75 fro 350g (£1.36 per 100g). The panel thought it was a 'solid choice' and shoppers were urged to look out for deals and special offers so they could nab a block while it was cheaper. Cathedral City came in fifth place (Picture: Sainsbury's/Cathedral City) The Cornish Cove Mature Cheddar Cheese from M&S came in third place (£4.25 for 350g), while Castello Tickler Mature Cheddar Cheese (£4.75 for 300g) came in fourth. Cathedral City Mature Cheddar (£3.50 for 350g) was in joint-fifth place with Pilgrims Choice Mature Cheddar (£4.20 for 350g), followed by Sainsbury's Barber's Mature Cruncher Cheese (£4 for 350g) and Aldi's Specially Selected West Country Mature Cheddar (£2.99 for 350g). Co-op's Irresistible Somerset Mature Cheddar Cheese (£4.50 for 340g) took last place in the test, as those who tried it said it 'lacked the crumble of a good cheese', was 'too smooth' and the flavour was also criticised. How was the cheese tested? A panel of 76 people tested the cheeses in a blind taste test which took place in September 2024. The group consisted of people who regularly buy and eat cheddar and were of various ages and genders. Each of the cheeses were tried in a private booth, so no one could discuss their thoughts or be influenced by anyone else. All of the cheddars were then rated on taste, texture, aroma and appearance, with each person sharing what they liked and didn't like. The final scores were based on 50% flavour, 20% aroma, 15% appearance and 15% texture. Cheddar cheese ranking from the blind taste test: Tesco Finest Mature English Cheddar Cheese, 78% Davidstow Classic Cheddar, 75% M&S Cornish Cove Mature Cheddar Cheese, 73% Castello Tickler Mature Cheddar Cheese, 71% Cathedral City Our Mature Cheddar and Pilgrims Choice Mature Cheddar, both with a score of 70% Sainsbury's Barber's Mature Cruncher Cheese, Taste the Difference, 69% Aldi Specially Selected West Country Mature Cheddar, 68% Co-op Irresistible Somerset Mature Cheddar Cheese, 66% Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ Arrow MORE: Shoppers can finally buy cult US sauce in UK — but some say it's like 'PVA glue' Arrow MORE: Aldi is finally bringing back its 'sell-out' sweet treat to shelves for just £1.79 Arrow MORE: Full list of supermarket opening times on Easter Monday including Tesco, Aldi and Morrisons
