Bagels are a breakfast staple but I wanted to find the best you can get in UK supermarkets
Bagels are a real staple on many people’s shopping lists — the perfect breakfast option when you’re tired of toast. From sesame seed to cinnamon and raisin, there are plenty of varieties available, all with their own unique taste.
They’re just as delicious with smoked salmon and cream cheese as they are with plain butter. In my opinion, the perfect bagel is nice and chewy on the inside, with a satisfying crunch on the exterior after toasting. There’s one brand name that probably comes to mind when you think about bagels: New York Bakery, with its instantly recognisable packaging featuring the Statue of Liberty.
However, like most big brand names, these bagels are sometimes the most expensive on the shop shelves, with their own-brand counterparts costing significantly less.
So, this week I decided to compare bagels from Aldi, Asda and Lidl to the classic New York Bakery to see if they were as good. And you’ll be happy to know that there’s one that stands out for being more delicious, and also way cheaper, too.
In order to get the fairest results, I toasted each one, as this is how I’d normally eat it. I also chose a variety of different toppings, making sure to make my decision based on the taste and texture of the bagel alone. Prices ranged from 89p to £1.47, and surprisingly, it was the cheapest ones that impressed me the most.
New York Bakery
First, I will say these were a lot cheaper than I was anticipating. I picked these up from Asda for £1.47, but they’re slightly more expensive at other supermarkets-for example, they cost £2 in Waitrose and £1.90 in Sainsbury’s.
I really like these bagels. They’re what I grew up eating, and although the cinnamon and raisin variety is my personal favourite, the plain ones are pretty good too. They’re nice and fluffy on the inside, and tasted lovely with some pistachio spread on top.
They also had that lovely sheen on the exterior and were easy to slice through without completely breaking apart. However, they were a little on the thin side, so for that, they lost a point.
Rating: 4/5
Lidl
Next up was Lidl. I didn’t intend on picking up the sesame variety, even though I do like these, but again, we’re basing the taste test off the bread alone.
Immediately, they felt quite a bit drier and crumblier than the New York Bakery variety, and upon tasting them, they didn’t have as much of the nice chewy element either. I didn’t necessarily dislike them, and would probably buy them again, but for me, they were the most disappointing of the bunch-and I usually love Lidl’s baked goods too.
Speaking of which, they apparently sell fresh bagels in their famous bakery section, so maybe I’ll have to give these a try to see if they’re any better. This five-pack was priced somewhere between 90p and £1.
Rating: 2/5
Aldi
Please don’t be put off by the anaemic-looking thing in the picture above. I clearly didn’t keep it in the toaster for long enough. The Aldi bagels were 89p, which is an absolute steal, as things from Aldi generally tend to be.
The packaging is probably the most similar to the New York Bakery, too. How do they get away with this? However, we all know it’s all about the quality of the produce, not whatever it’s wrapped up in.
These were surprisingly the most similar to the big-name brand, albeit a little bit squidgier, which I really like. Having said that, they did get a tad claggy by the end, and you really had to use your tongue to scrape remnants off your teeth. But at that price, they’re still pretty good.
Rating: 4/5
Asda
At this point, I’ll admit I was getting pretty sick of bagels. This five-pack from Asda actually looked the least appealing to me, as the packaging is a bit on the boring side, and the bagels themselves looked a little pale too.
However, my opinion changed very quickly when I actually tried them. They crisped up beautifully in the toaster, and the inside had that perfect chewy quality without being too cloying, which is always a massive plus.
Despite not having much colour, the bagels did have that shine on the outside, which did make them look a lot better. And it’s not just me that loves them-reviews on the Asda site say they’re “better than branded”, “delicious” and “great value for money”.
They’re also only £1.08, so a great bargain if you’re looking for your bagel fix without spending too much.
Rating: 5/5