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The Sun
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
I tried supermarket Aperol dupes – my £7 winner tastes exactly the same and makes the perfect summer cocktail
IF there's one drink that embodies summer, it's the Aperol Spritz. And with temperatures set to soar in the UK, now is the time to pour yourself a tangy, crisp and refreshing, tangerine-tinted aperitif. 8 A bottle of the original tipple will now set you back around £18 depending on where you shop. So, of course, the high-price tag has prompted some supermarkets to introduce their own, cheaper versions. But are they going to hit the spot on a sunny day? Aperol Aperitivo Italian Spritz (70cl) £17.65, ABV: 11 per cent At nearly £18, this market-leading aperitif is the priciest on my list but if you stick to the recommended measurements you will get 20 servings out of it, so I still didn't think it was too bad in terms of value for money. It has that distinctive luminous orange colour and I very much enjoyed my tipple. It has a more natural and herbaceous taste than some of the ' dupes ', which I enjoyed. Worth mentioning also that it's fairly low on booze with an ABV of 11 per cent. Fragrant and moreish - but surprisingly, it wasn't my favourite. Taste: 5/5 Value: 3/5 Overall score: 8/10 Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Orange Spritz Aperitif (75cl) 8 ABV: 8 per cent £6.50, Light and easy to drink, I found this refreshing and very easy to knock back on a summer 's day. I tested all the supermarket Aperol knock-offs and the best was a THIRD of the price of real thing It was much fizzier than the big brand and whilst I enjoyed the taste, it did have a slightly bitter aftertaste. It's not as boozy as the original but it's over £11 cheaper so a very wallet-friendly tipple AND a bigger bottle." Lidl Bitterol (70cl) £6.99, ABV: 11 per cent An almost exact copy of the original Aperol. It has the same glowing, blood-orange huge and a same 11ABV. Made up into the classic Spritz cocktail, the taste really hits the spot, with the familiar rhubarb, fruity and woody notes that sit somewhere between sweet and sharp in the glass. Served over ice with prosecco and soda, it's really hard to tell the difference between this and the original - except at the till where it's less than half the price. Definitely worth stocking up for summer. Taste: 5/5 Value: 5/5 Overall score: 10/10 Aldi Aperini Aperitivo Spritz (75cl) £4.29, ABV: 6.9 per cent One sip of this and I very nearly thought I was drinking the real deal. It's not as boozy with a low 6.9 ABV and the orange colour is much lighter. It was quite sugary and the texture was a little more syrupy than the others. But it had the full and vibrant taste of the branded drink. Loved the bursts of citrus and rhubarb. It's only a little over £4 - amazing value. Taste: 4/5 Value: 5/5 Overall score: 9/10 Casa Savoia Americano Rosso (50cl) £22.25, ABV: 18.6 per cent It's more expensive than the original but this comes in a super pretty bottle and would make a lovely gift. It's mixed so you only need to add the prosecco and ice to make your aperitif. It can also be used to make negronis if you prefer. The bitter sweet flavours are perfectly balanced with notes of bitter orange, cassia, cinnamon, rhubarb and a whole host of other botanicals. Really enjoyed this and nice that it's so versatile. It's not a big bottle and I definitely would have liked more of it. Taste: 5/5 Value: 3/5 Overall score: 8/10 M&S Low Alcohol Aperitivo (50cl) £13, ABV: 0.5 per cent For a low alcohol alternative, I really enjoyed this. It had subtle flavours of juniper, pink pepper, coriander, cinnamon and lavender. The flavours were quite smoky and it wasn't overly sweet like many of the low alcohol drinks on offer. Refreshing, with a hint of vanilla. Loved this with soda or low-alcohol Prosecco. Taste: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Overall score: 6/10 Tesco Spritzi Aperitivo Blood Orange (75cl) £5, ABV: 8.4 per cent A zesty white wine-based drink which is pre-mixed so you don't have the faff of mixing it up on your own. It's quite aromatic with floral notes but more subtle in flavour than the Aperol. It was missing a bit of juiciness and a bit of punch and I thought it tasted artificially sweet. A good price at Tesco though and a decent helping of booze. Taste: 3/5 Value: 4/5 Overall score: 7/10 How to bag a bargain SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain… Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with. Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks. Sales are when you can pick up a real steal. Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on. Sign up to mailing lists and you'll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too. When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use and are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer. Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping. Bargain hunters can also use B&M's scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out. And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you'll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
One wedding cake costs £10 from Sainsbury's… the other is from a top bakery - so can YOU tell which is which?
They're both three-tiers, covered in delicious buttercream icing, and decorated beautifully. However one of these show-stopping cakes is £27 from a luxury bakery, while the other is a homemade creation with a price tag of just £10 - but can you spot the difference? The more expensive, but equally beautiful creation, is from UK-based bakery chain loved by influencers and foodies alike, Patisserie Valerie. Meanwhile the other is home made, using three Sainsbury's sponge cakes for a tenner, which is similar to what you could find at a premium vendor. UK content creator Lyre took to her TikTok account, @theleggofamily, to showcase how she created the stunning delicacy using just Victoria Sponge Cakes from the supermarket. The mother-of-one who often shares creative money saving hacks on her platform, revealed the cake can be used for any celebration and it's simple to do. For the thrifty creation, which is decorated with gold cake toppers, Lyre explained that she bought three boxes of Taste the Difference Victoria Sponge Cakes for £2 each from the supermarket using Nectar prices. She also bought vanilla cream icing, which cost £3, and gold cake toppers from Temu. The influencer also revealed she previously purchased a cake decorating kit from TikTik shop which helped her with the process, but this wasn't essential. She described her hack as: 'Budget-friendly and perfect for birthdays or any special occasion.' In the clip, which racked up more than 280,000 views, Lyre began by getting a cake stand and removing the cakes from their packaging. She sliced the curved top off each of the cakes so they could neatly be stacked on top of each other. The savvy mother then put a layer of Vanilla Buttercream-style icing in between each cake to keep them in place and to add extra filling. She then spread the icing around all of them, creating one large three-tierd structure. Next, she used an icing scraper to smooth out the icing and a piping tool to decorate the edges. Many were really impressed with the professional looking creation and rushed to the comments. One person wrote: 'Does it stay upright without any support? l can't bake at all so might give this a go!' To which Lyre replied: 'Yes!! Make sure you put it on the fridge after 1st coat of icing for one hour then do 2nd coat of icing then fridge it.' Another asked: 'So how much were the decorations ? And how long did it take you from start to finish including washing up cleaning after you ,also actually going to buy it all too, people don't think about all that.' 'To make it didn't take me long as well prolly 15-20 mins max!' Lyre said. 'But I put it in the fridge for one hour after first icing then did another icing again.' Another added: 'Only seeing this now after we paid our deposit for our wedding cake in August.' A fourth penned: 'Perfect for when you don't have time to bake, also saves time on the washing up.' Many were really impressed with the professional looking creation and rushed to the comments One also expressed: 'I think this is great if you can't cook but wanna still do a cake you have the knowledge in crumb coating get the betty Crocker cake mix so easy.' However for nearly three times the price, but less of the hassle, you could opt for the Ultimate Raspberry Ripple Cake, which is three layers of sponge, raspberry cream and raspberry jam filling with white and pink buttercream from the popular bakery. It comes after another woman revealed how she transformed four chocolate mud cakes from the supermarket into a spectacular 30-something birthday cake. The mother-of-two, from Australia, bought the chocolate cakes from Woolworths before decorating them with stunning pink buttercream flowers and hearts. The incredible tip has been described as 'the best supermarket hack yet' with hundreds of home cooks commenting on the design. The mother posted photos of the cake transformation on Facebook and said the cake was much larger than she expected once it had been completed. She bought a 30-something cake topper for the dessert which she paired with a golden palm frond as the key decorations. The cake was coloured in rose pink, lavender and gold tones, which impressed the others in the group. 'Your cake has left me speechless, just how? What an excellent cake designer,' one woman applauded on the post. The woman posted a series of pictures, including recipe screenshots, to explain exactly how she managed to decorate the cakes so well. 'Thank you for giving such good instructions, so people like me can attempt a hack like this,' one woman marveled. Other pretended to be upset with the amazing effort. 'This group has no room for actual talent, go away,' one mum laughed. The mother used some of the cake in heart-shaped molds and said the cake was 'so moist' she just rolled it up inside without needing to use icing to stick it together. She also used silicon molds to make tiny chocolate blocks and used different sized chocolate balls covered in pink and purple chocolate to add to the the effect of the tower.
Telegraph
10-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
I tasted 70 wines from Sainsbury's – here are the best (and worst)
Sainsbury's own-label Taste the Difference (TTD) range has long formed the most interesting part of the supermarket's wine aisles, regularly turning out some star buys. This season, the TTD selection has been expanded to 141 wines, a 6 per cent increase on last year, according to the retailer. Within this set sits the Discovery Collection – wines 'designed to encourage customers to try something different from their usual choices'. In other words, expect lesser-known grapes and/or surprising bottles from regions more associated with other styles. They are limited-edition releases so when they're gone, they're gone. Six new TTD Discovery Collection bottles launch on May 18 and include an Argentine fizz and a New Zealand albariño, plus two of my recommended buys (see below). Good for Sainsbury's for pushing new styles (as, admittedly, most of the other major retailers are also doing). Its spring/summer press tasting got off to an impressive start with a particularly appealing set of light whites (as well as those tipped below, the Italian whites and French sauvignon blancs were almost all winners). I wasn't keen on many of the New World whites, with notable exceptions, and found the fizz, rosé and European reds rather hit and miss too. The New World reds fared better with a flurry of excellent bottles from Chile, Australia and South Africa and there was a decent showing of Portuguese reds. Do watch out for the sporadic '25 per cent off six or more bottles' offers which pop up with little notice throughout the year, so you can pounce on your favourites as soon as they land. How we tested Susy Atkins tasted 70 Sainsbury's own-label and branded wines, including some new wines, at the retailer's spring/summer press tasting in late April 2025. Why you can trust us Susy is an award-winning wine and drinks writer, presenter and broadcaster who started her career at the Which? Wine Guide. She is a long-standing correspondent for The Telegraph. When not writing, she is an experienced judge and panel chair at UK wine competitions. The best wines to try Sparkling
Scottish Sun
01-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Get more for your money with these four supermarket meal deals that are cheaper than a takeaway
Read on to find out how to get a £1 takeaway self-serve drink from Morrisons cafes SUN SAVERS Get more for your money with these four supermarket meal deals that are cheaper than a takeaway IF you can't face cooking from scratch, a supermarket meal deal is a much cheaper option than a takeaway. There are loads of offers to pick from, but it's not always easy to work out which is the best value. Advertisement 7 A supermarket meal deal is a much cheaper option than a takeaway Credit: Getty To get more meal for your money, we've done the maths for you and looked at the best deals on offer . . . POSH NOSH: If it's date night, look to the premium ranges for a fancier meal. Sainsbury's Taste The Difference £12 deal gets Nectar card holders a main course, side dish, dessert and drink, including a bottle of wine or four-pack of lager or Coca-Cola. It will save you up to £8.10. Advertisement WOK A DEAL: Stir-fry offers are a great option for all the family. Most supermarkets do deals on a pack of vegetables, sauce and noodles, with Asda coming in cheapest at £2.50. But if you want to include protein (beef, chicken, duck, prawns or plant-based), then Morrisons' £6 deal is hard to beat. It includes some Itsu products and could save you up to £5.30. Advertisement TOP OF THE TOPPINGS: There's always great pizza deals — and it's easy to just bung your pizza in the oven. Prices vary depending on the kind of product your pick. Aldi's Kitchen Revolution: Affordable Innovation With the Pizza Club at Asda you can get two medium pizzas and two sides for £9.96, saving £5.92. Or you can opt for two medium pizzas and a bottle of soft drink for £5.98, saving £3.96. Advertisement Tesco has two of its stonebaked pizzas for £5 with a Clubcard, saving £1.40. Sainsbury's Taste The Difference pizzas are down from £4.75 to £3.15 with a Nectar card. BEST OF THE REST: Asda's Bistro deal for two, including a starter, main course, side dish and dessert is £9.97, saving £5.92. There's a great range of dishes to choose from. Advertisement M&S is running its family-friendly Rotisserie Dine In deal — a whole chicken and three side dishes for £12. All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability. DEAL OF THE DAY 7 This pool is down from £50 to £25 at Argos Credit: Argos KIDS will love playing in this unicorn play centre and paddling pool all summer long. It's down from £50 to £25 at Argos. SAVE: £25 Advertisement CHEAP TREAT 7 Brighten skin with this peach jelly face mask, £1, from Superdrug Credit: Superdrug BRIGHTEN skin with this peach jelly face mask, £1, from Superdrug. WHAT'S NEW? CHEER up your doorway with this colourful hanging basket, £4.99, new in at Aldi this week TOP SWAP 7 The revitalise three-wick candle is £17 from M&S Credit: M&S 7 Try Aldi's apothecary candle, £9.99 Credit: Aldi Advertisement FILL your home with an uplifting fragrance with the revitalise three-wick candle, £17 from M&S. Or for a more affordable option, try Aldi's apothecary candle, £9.99. SAVE: £7.01 LITTLE HELPER KICKSTART your day with a £1 takeaway self-serve drink from Morrisons cafes between 7am and 8am. SHOP & SAVE 7 These fisherman sandals are down from £32.99 to £24.74 at New Look Credit: New Look Advertisement KEEP feet comfortable and stylish in these fisherman sandals, down from £32.99 to £24.74 at New Look. SAVE: £8.25 HOT RIGHT NOW USE warmer weather to dry clothes outside. Robert Dyas has 25 per cent off outdoor rotary airers at the moment. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Advertisement Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket. The more codes you enter, the more tickets you'll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
The Sun
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Get more for your money with these four supermarket meal deals that are cheaper than a takeaway
IF you can't face cooking from scratch, a supermarket meal deal is a much cheaper option than a takeaway. There are loads of offers to pick from, but it's not always easy to work out which is the best value. 7 To get more meal for your money, we've done the maths for you and looked at the best deals on offer . . . POSH NOSH: If it's date night, look to the premium ranges for a fancier meal. Sainsbury's Taste The Difference £12 deal gets Nectar card holders a main course, side dish, dessert and drink, including a bottle of wine or four-pack of lager or Coca-Cola. It will save you up to £8.10. WOK A DEAL: Stir-fry offers are a great option for all the family. Most supermarkets do deals on a pack of vegetables, sauce and noodles, with Asda coming in cheapest at £2.50. But if you want to include protein (beef, chicken, duck, prawns or plant-based), then Morrisons ' £6 deal is hard to beat. It includes some Itsu products and could save you up to £5.30. TOP OF THE TOPPINGS: There's always great pizza deals — and it's easy to just bung your pizza in the oven. Prices vary depending on the kind of product your pick. Aldi's Kitchen Revolution: Affordable Innovation With the Pizza Club at Asda you can get two medium pizzas and two sides for £9.96, saving £5.92. Or you can opt for two medium pizzas and a bottle of soft drink for £5.98, saving £3.96. Tesco has two of its stonebaked pizzas for £5 with a Clubcard, saving £1.40. Sainsbury's Taste The Difference pizzas are down from £4.75 to £3.15 with a Nectar card. BEST OF THE REST: Asda's Bistro deal for two, including a starter, main course, side dish and dessert is £9.97, saving £5.92. There's a great range of dishes to choose from. M&S is running its family-friendly Rotisserie Dine In deal — a whole chicken and three side dishes for £12. All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability. DEAL OF THE DAY KIDS will love playing in this unicorn play centre and paddling pool all summer long. It's down from £50 to £25 at Argos. SAVE: £25 CHEAP TREAT BRIGHTEN skin with this peach jelly face mask, £1, from Superdrug. TOP SWAP FILL your home with an uplifting fragrance with the revitalise three-wick candle, £17 from M&S. Or for a more affordable option, try Aldi's apothecary candle, £9.99. SAVE: £7.01 SHOP & SAVE KEEP feet comfortable and stylish in these fisherman sandals, down from £32.99 to £24.74 at New Look. SAVE: £8.25 PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket. The more codes you enter, the more tickets you'll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
