Baked beans are a staple food in many UK households, with Heinz being the leading brand.
Baked beans are such a great food. So versatile, they can be a side for breakfasts such as a full English or a meal in themselves on toast. They’re also great with fish and chips, a jacket potato and some may even add them into chilli con carne. But is there a difference between supermarket beans and brand leaders like Heinz?
I put this to the test in a blind taste test. I sampled nine tins of baked beans from various supermarkets to see whether I could pick out Heinz from a range of supermarket own brands. And I also wanted to know which one was the tastiest. I compared beans from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, M&S, Waitrose, Lidl, Aldi and Heinz. Spoiler alert: Heinz was not the tastiest brand.
Tesco – 25p for 220g
Tesco beans had a firmer texture than the others, but did have a pleasant, rich tomato sauce. However, the sauce was slightly watery despite being cooked well, which I didn’t like.
Score: 6/10
Asda – 23p for 210g
These beans were sweeter than others in the taste test, which I preferred, and had a great sauce and consistency. Overall, these were really great-tasting baked beans, and I would happily buy them again.
Score: 10/10
Sainsbury’s – 30p for 220g
I felt these baked beans had a little bit of a weird aftertaste, which I didn’t find too pleasant. However, they did have a good flavour and consistency compared to some of the others.
Score: 7/10
Morrisons – 39p for 220g
The beans had a much stronger smell compared to the others, and were a lot sweeter. I felt they lacked a little bit of flavour, but my boyfriend really enjoyed these ones.
Score: 5/10
M&S – 30p for 220g
These baked beans were slightly disappointing as they were really strong but didn’t taste of tomato. They had a slight BBQ taste, so I think it would be nice mixed in with a meal such as a chilli con carne.
Score: 5/10
Waitrose – 40p for 220g
The flavour of these beans was quite mild, which isn’t a bad thing, but I do prefer a stronger tomato taste. However, my boyfriend found them tasty, so it really is down to personal preference.
Score: 7/10
Lidl – 41p for 425ml
On first impressions, Lidl’s baked beans had a thick sauce and a good colour, but I didn’t find them enjoyable at all. I found them to lack flavour, but for the price point, I would definitely consider trying them again.
Score: 3/10
Aldi – 38p for 410g
Aldi’s baked beans had a mild flavour, but it was pleasant, and for the price, you can’t go wrong. I thought all of the supermarket’s own-brand baked beans would all taste really different, but they were more similar than I thought. It was interesting to note that in my local Lidl and Aldi stores, you could only buy large tins.
Score: 4/10
Heinz £1 for 200g (purchased in Sainsbury’s)
Despite being able to tell that these were Heinz, they weren’t my favourite, and the price doesn’t justify the quality for me.
Score: 6/10
The verdict
The taste of baked beans is all down to personal preference, and while I didn’t like some, my boyfriend did. For me, Asda won this taste test thanks to the flavour and texture of the beans, as well as the price.
Prices are accurate at the time of writing and purchasing.