Coco Pops are a household favourite, but the Kellogg’s branded boxes can be quite pricey. With that in mind, I tested out the best own-brand dupe on the market
Coco Pops are a breakfast staple that instantly transport us back to our childhood with every crunchy, chocolatey mouthful. Whether you’re a fan of hot or cold milk, the best bit about this cereal is undoubtedly slurping up the chocolate milk after you’ve crunched through every pop and crackle.
However, with the cost of living weighing heavily on everyone’s minds, many of us are on the hunt for cheaper alternatives to big-name brands like Kellogg’s. As someone who shares a home with five children who can’t get enough of this chocolatey treat each morning, I know all too well how expensive it can be.
Intrigued to see if supermarket own-brand versions could hold their own against (or even surpass) the original, I decided to conduct a blind taste test with brands from M&S, Sainsbury’s, and Aldi. Astonishingly, one box proved to be even tastier than Kellogg’s – and it’s more affordable too, reports the Express.
How I conducted my taste test
There’s no one better to taste-test supermarket-brand cereals against the classic than my picky-eating nieces and nephews, who swear they cannot eat anything for breakfast but Kellogg’s. After not much convincing, my seven-year-old, 13-year-old, and 14-year-old agreed to be involved, as did my older brother (36).
I used an empty cardboard box and cut out a small square window on one side. Each participant had to shut their eyes while I poured different cereals into identical small white bowls.
The corresponding cereal box was placed inside the box beneath the bowl, allowing me to see the brand while the tester remained oblivious.
The tester would then sample the cereal in each bowl (with their preferred plain milk) and try to guess which brand they thought belonged to that bowl. They would then tell me which bowl was their favourite.
The results
As expected, the seven-year-old was all over the place. Despite me telling him exactly what the brands are, he guessed “Lidl” or “from around the corner”…whatever that means. He also guessed Sainsbury’s twice for the bowls and was convinced I was tricking him.
In the end, he voted for the second bowl as his favourite. He originally thought it was Lidl, but once I reminded him of the list, he concluded it was Kellogg’s; however, he was actually eating the M&S brand.
My niece was up next, and she was the strictest one. She was absolutely disgusted by the Aldi brand and unamused by the Sainsbury’s bowl.
Despite mixing up the M&S brand, while eating, she said it had a little bit of flavour, but ultimately, nothing beats the “classical Kellogg’s taste.”
My 13-year-old nephew was up next. He had the least commentary and few facial expressions (as teenage boys do), so he was harder to read when I came to what he actually enjoyed.
My nephew confused Kellogg’s with M&S, but his favourite pick was bowl number two, Sainsbury’s (despite thinking it was M&S).
As there were only three taste testers, I asked my brother, who is self-proclaimed as a cereal connoisseur, to try out this challenge. He quickly identified which one was Kellogg’s, but mixed up the other brands completely (he also cheated by looking at the shade in each bowl, as Kellogg’s is darker and shinier).
The kids didn’t want the experiment to end, so with the help of their uncle, they tested me next. I was unsure about the first bowl I tried, as it was nice, but I didn’t want to guess just yet.
The second bowl, I immediately assumed, was M&S as it tasted rather boujee (fancy) and had richer notes of darker chocolate that I didn’t enjoy (spoiler alert, I was wrong). I immediately identified the third bowl as Aldi’s, given its lack of flavour.
I agreed with my niece that the 79p box was like munching on cardboard. I also correctly identified the final bowl as Sainsbury’s.
The supermarket’s own-brand foods have a distinctive taste (or perhaps it was the aroma) that is a dead giveaway – but as it is our regular store, I’m probably overly familiar with the brand.
Unexpectedly, my top pick was M&S, priced at £1.70, which is cheaper than the £2.35 Kellogg’s box (which was smaller in size at 295g). To me, Kellogg’s tasted bitter, while the M&S version had just the right amount of chocolatey delight.
The seven-year-old also chose M&S as his favourite, and it was a close second for my niece and brother.
If you’re dealing with fussy eaters but want to save money, M&S choco pops are the best alternative you can purchase, saving you a decent 65p.