Latest news with #Which?'
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
The supermarket own-brand salt and vinegar crisps that beat Tyrrells and Kettle on taste and price
Plus, what freeze-dried coffee was crowned winner of another recent taste test below... SNACK ATTACK The supermarket own-brand salt and vinegar crisps that beat Tyrrells and Kettle on taste and price Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A HOST of supermarkets' own-brand salt and vinegar crisps have been crowned better than Tyrrells and Kettle. A blind test carried out by 72 crisp enthusiasts for Which? found six retailer own-brand varieties pipped their branded counterparts in terms of both flavour and price. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 A host of supermarket own-brand crisps have pipped their branded counterparts in a Which? blind taste test Tasters tried 10 different varieties of the popular flavour in total, including three branded bags - Tyrrell's, Kettle and Pipers. Which? testers found Asda's Extra Special Sea Salt and Chardonnay Wine Vinegar Hand Cooked Crisps (£1.34 for 150g) came out top – scoring 78%. The crisps were rated highly on texture, thickness and flavour, earning a Which? Best Buy tag. Costing around half the price of the big brands, they also received a Great Value recommendation. Also impressing Which?'s tasters and earning the Which? Best Buy was Co-op Irresistible Hand Cooked Sea Salt and Chardonnay Wine Vinegar Crisps (£1.70 for 150g), which scored 75%. Tasters said they had an appetising aroma and appearance, with most agreeing they were the right thickness and crispiness. The majority of tasters said the saltiness of the crisps was good – though some found that the vinegar was slightly too much, so these would be a good choice for fans of especially zingy crisps. Aldi's Specially Selected Sea Salt and Chardonnay Vinegar Hand Cooked Crisps (£1.09 for 150g) scored 69% and were both the cheapest on test and a popular choice among Which?'s tasters who were impressed by the crispness and thickness. Most agreed that the seasoning was about right, though some wanted them to be a bit more salty, while others would have liked the crisps to be more vinegary. Morrisons The Best Hand Cooked Sea Salt and Suffolk Cider Vinegar Crisps (£1.30 for 125g) scored 67%. I tried Harry Kane's knobbly sticks after England star did a Gary Lineker by releasing snack brand - here's my verdict Most of the tasters in the test said these looked appealing. Two thirds thought they were the perfect thickness but lacked flavour compared to the Which? Best Buys. M&S Hand Cooked Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar Crisps (£1.80 for 150g) scored 66%. Half of Which?'s tasters found the salt level of these crisps to be perfect, though a third longed for a sharper vinegar kick. Despite their high-end reputations and prices, none of the branded crisps in Which?'s taste test scored as highly as the supermarket versions. Tyrrell's Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar Crisps (from £1.75 for 150g) scored 63%. While it was the best of the brands on test, they did not wow Which? tasters. Most of the panel enjoyed their thickness and crispness, but nearly half found these crisps pale-looking and lacking in flavour. Kettle Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Potato Chips (£2.40 for 130g) scored 60%. These widely available Kettle crisps were judged to be mediocre, with thickness and crispiness being their stronger points. Many of Which?'s tasters thought they were bland, and would have liked them to be more salty and more vinegary. Pipers Burrow Hill Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt Crisps, the most expensive crisps tested at £3 per 150g, came in last with a disappointing 57%. While Which? tasters agreed these had a good thickness and crispiness, very few felt the salt and vinegar flavour hit the spot. Most wanted more flavour out of these pricey crisps. Jessica Carson, Which? food and health editor, said: "Our Which? taste tests show you don't have to splash out on the more expensive brand name crisps to get great flavour and a satisfying crunch. 'If you're after that classic salt and vinegar zing, a supermarket own-label is the best bet. "Asda's and Co-op's posh crisps wowed our panel of crisp connoisseurs – outperforming the big names on every front." In other news, a supermarket instant coffee was crowned better than a host of branded counterparts including Nescafe and Kenco. Plus, the supermarket ice cream that's identical to Magnum and 46% cheaper. 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. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Daily Mirror
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
UK's most divisive seaside town as Brits can't decide if it's beautiful or bleak
Consumer rights magazine Which? has surveyed 3,800 members of the British public to find out what is the overall best seaside town, with Bamburgh in Northumberland hitting the topspot again A 'unique' coastal spot that is variously loved and loathed has been named one of the best seaside towns in the country. Dungeness in Kent has been named the seventh-best beach town in the UK in Which?'s annual survey of the British public. The consumer organisation surveyed more than 3,800 people about their experiences of UK seaside destinations and their opinions on beaches, scenery, food and drink offerings, accommodation, tourist attractions, and value for money. The elevation of Dungeness into the top ten is a major scoop for the Kentish settlement, which languished in 35th place last year. Not everyone is a major fan of Dungeness. It is a curious place long haunted by rumours that it is technically the UK's only desert—something that the Met Office has previously confirmed is pure myth. You'd be forgiven for believing the lie, given the way random shacks, homes and cafs stretch out across the shingled headland. It is a place that feels like it should be the setting for an American Western dystopian flick, rather than somewhere that sits on the south coast of England. Bikers whizz along the roads that wind through its flat, marshland extremities; a constant breeze ruffles the pampas grass; wildfowl bleat mournfully. To add to the end-of-days feel of the place, boats filled with asylum seekers regularly make land here. Inarguably, the bleak jewel in the Dungeness crown is its twin nuclear power plants, which once whipped a patch of nearby sea into a whirlpool but have lain dormant and decommissioned for the past 19 years. The unique feel of the place has been best captured by artist, filmmaker, gay rights activist, and gardener Derek Jarman, who turned his home into Prospect Cottage—a point of pilgrimage for his fans and those who love the way he carefully manicured the garden into a concentrated miniature form of Dungeness. But not everyone is a fan. In fact, many are left cold by Dungeness' charms. "Bleak is an understatement," one detractor of the place recently wrote on Reddit. Another added: "Bleak to Dungeness is like 'a wee bit cold' in Antarctica. The missus loved it though…" A third wrote: "I find it dismal down there. Old nuclear power station for a view." Others love Dungeness and how different it feels from other parts of the UK. The science writer Ben Goldacre recalled his experience of riding through Dungeness on the small railway that takes day-trippers down the coastline. "The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway has a strange, dreamlike existence, on the border between fantasy and reality. You leave toytown in a cute miniature train, surrounded by excited children. But Disney, this is not. Suddenly you're riding through real life: past clothes lines, collapsing breezeblock walls, an abandoned washing machine in a back garden, chuffing along behind a miniature steam train. Finally, you're ferried across a beautiful, windswept shingle peninsula, spotted with railway carriage houses and abandoned shipping containers. Then you are delivered to the foot of a nuclear power station," Ben wrote. "This meeting of toy train sets and grim industrial purpose is what makes the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway so perfect." Top 20 Bamburgh: 84% Beer: 80% Portmeirion: 79% Saint David's: 79% Sidmouth: 79% Tynemouth: 79% Dungeness: 78% Tenby: 78% Aldeburgh: 77% Wells-Next-The-Sea: 77% Whitby: 77% Lynmouth: 76% Nairn: 76% Saint Andrews: 76% St Mawes: 76% Swanage: 76% Broadstairs: 75% Bude: 75% Lyme Regis: 75% Robin Hood's Bay: 75% Bottom 20 Ilfracombe: 55% Littlehampton: 54% Mablethorpe: 54% Ramsgate: 54% Skegness: 54% Fishguard: 53% Barton on sea: 52% Cleethorpes: 52% Lowestoft: 52% New Brighton: 52% Ayr: 51% Great Yarmouth: 50% Weston-super-Mare: 49% Blackpool: 48% Burnham-on-Sea: 46% Fleetwood: 46% Southend-on-Sea: 43% Clacton-on-Sea: 42% Bangor: 38% Bognor Regis: 36%
Daily Mirror
01-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Beautiful seaside town 14-miles from major city named among Britain's best
This "thoroughly charming" seaside town was once home to Queen Victoria when she spent a month here as a baby - and now it's ranked among some of the best coastal locations Britain has to offer A "thriving" little English town has been crowned among the best seaside destinations in the UK - and has one very special royal connection. The "thoroughly charming" town of Sidmouth in Devon scored a whopping five stars in Which?'s annual seaside survey for its food and drink offerings, scenery and accommodation, where the average price for one night's stay is £160. More than 3,600 holidaymakers were surveyed about their experience of the British seaside, and were asked to rate the towns they'd been to on their tourist attractions, quality of the beaches, views, food and drink, and value for money. One respondent called Sidmouth "a thoroughly charming, thriving English seaside town". The stunning hotspot is most famous for its breathtaking red cliffs, which overlook the sand and single beach - part of the UNESCO-listed Jurassic Coast. Fossil-hunters flock to Sidmouth to search for the remains of rare reptiles, fish and amphibians from the Triassic age, while in the past, bones and footprints of the enormous 6-metre Mastodonsaurus lavisi have been found. Sidmouth's most popular attraction is its Jacob's Ladder beach, accessed via the pretty wooden staircase leading down from Connaught Gardens. At low tide, rock pools are exposed across the shoreline, making for a fun trip for families to check out the local sea life. History lovers will love discovering the backstory of Sidmouth, which has been in human occupation since before the Iron Age. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as Sedemuda, meaning 'mouth of the Sid', and some historians believe its origins date back to the Bronze Age thanks to the discovery of ancient burial mounds on the nearby Gittisham Hill and Broad Down. And the town was a known spot for smugglers, who used the former Old Ship pub - now a Costa Coffee - as a rendezvous point and for slashing contraband wine and brandy in its basement since the 1400s. It even had a secret underground passageway leading to Church Path so smugglers could flout the law under the very noses of the authorities. More recently, Sidmouth was a temporary home to Queen Victoria when she visited as a baby with her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Kent. She was nearly the victim of a stray bullet thanks to a local lad taking potshots at birds in the garden outside Woolbrook Cottage, now the Royal Glen Hotel, where the young heir to the throne was playing in the nursery. The shot narrowly missed her head, but the evidence is still there to this day: a pane of coloured glass in the window marks it out as the one shattered by the bullet. Outside of history, for adrenaline junkies, Raceworld Karting is ideal for those less sunny days where you can live out your racing driver dreams. Whizz around the indoor circuits in a 200c kart, reaching speeds of 40mph as you compete with friends and family for the fastest lap. And for smaller adventurers who need to burn off some energy, Crealy Theme Park and Resort offers 75,000 square feet of slides, tunnels, rope swings, climbing nets and aerial walkways in its vast Adventure Zone. Feeling brave? Take on the Shark Bay rollercoaster and the Dolphin Drop with its 20-foot vertical drop. For those who prefer things a little more sedate, Sidmouth's Norman Lockyer Observatory offers breathtaking stargazing sessions that let you literally sit back and relax. As night falls, you can set your sights on stars and planets millions of light years away - and even see if you can spot a shooting star zooming into the Earth's atmosphere.
North Wales Live
27-06-2025
- North Wales Live
Which? ranks UK's best and worst seaside towns with mixed news for North Wales
The UK's best and worst coastal destinations for 2025 have been announced. The Which? rankings have been released - with mixed performances from locations in North Wales. Which? surveyed over 3,800 people about their experiences of UK seaside destinations in the last year, asking their views on a range of criteria including the quality of the beaches, scenery, food and drink offerings, accommodation, tourist attractions and value for money. Bamburgh in Northumberland took the top UK spot in Which?'s survey for the fifth year running. With an overall destination score of 84 per cent, Bamburgh was given five stars for its beach, seafront, scenery and peace and quiet. The picturesque village of Beer on the Jurassic Coast came second - after coming in 18th place last year. Surrounded by white chalk cliffs, the shingle beach is lined with fishing boats. One visitor said 'Beer is charming, with beautiful coastal scenery and is full of history.' Beer scored five stars for scenery and four stars for value for money and peace and quiet. North Wales gets its first placing at third although it's not really a seaside town as such. Portmeirion, in Gwynedd, is known for its Italian-inspired, colourful architecture which was made famous by cult TV favourite 'The Prisoner'. It received a score of 79 per cent. Scoring five stars for its scenery and seafront, one visitor said: 'The place is superb in every way. It's a beautiful setting with wonderful food and accommodation - perfect for a special occasion.' The average night for a hotel in Portmeirion is £134. Another Welsh spot that impressed visitors according to the Which? survey was St Davids, Pembrokeshire. The UK's smallest city also earned a 79 per cent destination score. One visitor praised St Davids for its 'excellent facilities, lovely seafront, nice walks and excellent hotels.' At the other end of the table came Bangor. For those with a 'glass half full' mentality then you could welcome the fact it has crawled off the bottom spot, where it finished last year. Bognor Regis took that dubious honour and the university city moved up to second from bottom with a score of 38 per cent. One visitor called it 'shabby'. It is somewhat unlucky in that it has never been a traditional seaside resort - and a beach is one of the categories rated, which is not something Bangor has. Despite its low score, one respondent praised Bangor for its 'stunning views across the Menai Straits' and for being a good base for North Wales and Anglesey. Bangor may not have a proper beach, but its pier is a Victorian triumph and remains much the same as when Lord Penrhyn opened it in 1896. When it came to some of the most popular resorts a few places just missed out on the top 20. Beaumaris, Llandudno and Conwy all scored 74%. Colwyn Bay was lower down with a 58% overall rating although it did get a maximum score for its beautiful beach. Porthmadog scored 63%, with its scenery its greatest asset according to reviewers. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone Criccieth made the top 50 with a score of 69%. A full list is below. Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel said: 'From beautiful coastlines to peaceful walks and charming traditional bucket and spade resorts, the UK seaside offers something for everyone - whatever the weather. 'While you may have your own favourite destination, as well as the top spots in Devon and Wales, our survey shows there are still plenty of beautiful hidden gems across the UK to explore. 'Some seaside resorts offer better value for money than others, so it is worth looking at surrounding areas of popular spots if you are looking for a cheaper overnight stay.' Results are based on an online survey of 8,952 experiences from 3,872 Which? Connect panel members conducted Jan-Mar 2025. Full list: Bamburgh: 84% Beer: 80% Portmeirion: 79% Saint David's: 79% Sidmouth: 79% Tynemouth: 79% Dungeness: 78% Tenby: 78% Aldeburgh: 77% Wells-Next-The-Sea: 77% Whitby: 77% Lynmouth: 76% Nairn: 76% Saint Andrews: 76% St Mawes: 76% Swanage: 76% Broadstairs: 75% Bude: 75% Lyme Regis: 75% Robin Hood's Bay: 75% Southwold: 75% Stonehaven: 75% Beaumaris: 74% Conwy: 74% Falmouth: 74% Llandudno: 74% Lymington: 74% Pittenweem: 74% Crail: 73% Filey: 73% Frinton-on-sea: 73% North Berwick: 73% Saltburn-by-the-Sea: 73% Tobermory: 73% Blakeney: 72% Lytham St Annes: 72% Oban: 72% Ullapool: 72% Whitley Bay: 72% Aberaeron: 71% Amble: 71% Budleigh Salterton: 71% Deal: 71% Looe: 71% Sheringham: 71% Penarth: 70% Criccieth: 69% Mevagissey: 69% Seahouses: 69% Ventnor: 69% Brixham: 68% Clevedon: 68% Cromer: 68% Fowey: 68% Grange over sands: 68% Salcombe: 68% Saundersfoot: 68% St Ives: 68% Weymouth: 68% Eastbourne: 67% Southsea: 67% Dunbar: 66% Felixstowe: 66% Padstow: 66% Scarborough: 66% Teignmouth: 66% Whitstable: 66% Berwick-upon-Tweed: 65% Folkestone: 65% Shanklin: 65% Exmouth: 64% Poole: 64% West Bay: 64% Porthmadog: 63% Barmouth: 62% Hunstanton: 62% Morecambe: 62% Swansea: 62% Torquay: 62% Worthing: 62% Aberystwyth: 61% Brighton: 61% Dawlish: 61% Minehead: 61% Bournemouth: 59% Southport: 59% Colwyn Bay: 58% Hastings: 58% Herne Bay: 58% Penzance: 58% Porthcawl: 58% Seaton: 58% Newquay: 57% Plymouth: 57% Barry Island: 56% Largs: 56% Margate: 56% Bridlington: 55% Ilfracombe: 55% Littlehampton: 54% Mablethorpe: 54% Ramsgate: 54% Skegness: 54% Fishguard: 53% Barton on sea: 52% Cleethorpes: 52% Lowestoft: 52% New Brighton: 52% Ayr: 51% Great Yarmouth: 50% Weston-super-Mare: 49% Blackpool: 48% Burnham-on-Sea: 46% Fleetwood: 46% Southend-on-Sea: 43% Clacton-on-Sea: 42% Bangor: 38% Bognor Regis: 36%
Daily Mirror
27-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
‘I visited the UK's undisputed best seaside town - it's massively overrated'
With plodding, clockwork-like predictability, Bamburgh has once again been crowned the UK's favourite seaside town. The Northumberland village claimed the number one spot in Which?'s annual battle of the beaches — the fifth year in a row it has made it to the top of the slippery seaside pole. It earned five-star ratings for its beach, seafront, scenery, and peaceful atmosphere. Situated about an hour's drive from Newcastle, Bamburgh attracts thousands of people every year. And this is part of the problem — and why I found myself left cold by its alleged charms. When I visited earlier this month, the sheer number of people crowded along its narrow pavements really took the calm edge off the village's peaceful reputation. Cars are also a big issue. On a hot June day, the stream of traffic on the arterial road that runs through Bamburgh's centre is relentless. The closest train station is seven miles away in Chathill, and the buses are sporadic, so any hopes of embarking on a relaxing, car-free day trip will prove difficult. Gripes about logistics aside, the real issue with Bamburgh is its vibe. Central to the charm of Britain's great seaside towns is a slightly edgy, salty quality in some way connected to large quantities of sailors. Bamburgh, with its Farrow and Ball doors and memorial benches, has none of this. The stars of the show in Bamburgh are the beach and the castle. It is undeniable that the combination of the two — how the 1,400-year-old fort hangs above the broad, sandy shore — is magnificent. You won't find me criticising Bamburgh Castle. The beach, however, is arguably a little one-note. Once you've waded out half a mile to get to a patch of water deep enough to paddle in, you'll be frozen by a North Sea that rarely swells itself into anything remotely as interesting as what you'd find on the UK's Atlantic coast. If you're in search of a very long beach, Camber Sands near Rye in East Sussex not only enjoys a lot more sunshine — as one of the sunniest places in the country — it also has superior sand dunes, particularly so if you're a teenager interested in launching yourself off their summits. If you're looking for pure picturesqueness, there are plenty of more peaceful seaside towns that give you space to contemplate the waves and commune with nature. Glenelg, on the west coast of Scotland, is one. It's home to not only the best pub garden in the UK — courtesy of the Glenelg Inn — but also the staggeringly pretty beach of Sandaig. The peaceful spot was immortalised as Camusfearna in Ring of Bright Water, a book written by Gavin Maxwell about his life living alongside pet otters. With its winding paths, craggy islands, and coves, it delivers a lot more than the flat track on offer at Bamburgh. Of course, the Northumberland coastline is a stunner. But if you're in that neck of the woods, then why not travel a few miles further north from Bamburgh to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, where you'll find a unique species of orchid, the remains of St Cuthbert's hermit hole, a castle and — when I went — a choir of mournfully singing seals? At the end of a yomp around the achingly beautiful island, there's the thrill of driving across the causeway that connects the tidal island to the mainland. As warning signs in the car park gleefully note, many an overconfident Range Rover driver has found themselves bobbing around in the salty drink in a belated effort to make it across. Clearly, I am in the minority when it comes to my indifference to this chart-topping coastal spot. One Bamburgh visitor told Which? what they love about it: 'It's a gem. The beaches are sandy, clean, and stretch for miles. There are walks galore, the food on offer is top notch, the feel is of a time gone by, and there's enough history to delve into to last several holidays.' An average night's stay in Bamburgh costs £130, which is reasonable. If you're looking to splash out, then the castle's current owners, Francis and Claire Watson-Armstrong, will have you to stay. Francis is a fifth-generation custodian of the Grade I listed building — originally the location of a Celtic Brittonic fort known as Din Guarie, dating back around 3,000 years. 'The castle's history goes back 3,000 years. It has been in his family since 1894, which is relatively recent in the grand scheme of things. The first Lord Armstrong, who bought the castle, was an incredible inventor who was called 'the Magician of the North',' Claire told The Mirror. For Claire, the fact that Bamburgh won the Which? survey yet again shows how remarkable a place it is — especially given that it is not gifted with the sun and warmth of seaside counterparts in the south of the country. 'There is nowhere like Bamburgh. You can see dolphins, the sunsets, the sunrises. You just stand there and breathe in — the smell of the sea. It is unique. As it has been over the centuries, there is something about the soul of the place,' she said.
