Baked beans are a staple in most households, but no one wants to spend over £1 on just one can so I decided to taste test five supermarket brands to see which ones are worth the money.
I decided to taste-test supermarket baked beans to see if one could beat Heinz (Image: Katherine McPhillips)
Baked beans may be a humble staple, but ladled over cheesy toast or a generous baked potato, they rank amongst the finest comfort foods we crave as the temperatures begin to drop. Most households keep a few tins of Heinz tucked away at the back of the kitchen cupboard for those grey days, but the question of whether a superior alternative exists has long been on my mind.
Heinz are undeniably delicious but tend to carry a heftier price tag than supermarket own-brand varieties, so I decided to put baked beans from a range of retailers to the test. I paid visits to Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and even Marks and Spencer to determine which baked beans came out on top and whether any could dethrone the iconic classic.
While some fared considerably better than others, I was genuinely taken aback to discover that one supermarket’s beans actually surpassed Heinz in terms of taste, all for under 50p. So which British supermarket has the tastiest baked beans?
Morrisons – 60p
The Morrisons beans proved rather underwhelming — distinctly bland and thoroughly uninspiring. The tomato sauce lacked any real depth or the robust flavour one would expect from a decent tin of baked beans.
The reason they finished bottom of my rankings was an unpleasant bitter aftertaste, which put me off after just a single spoonful. They tasted noticeably processed and artificial, and I can’t see myself reaching for them again.
Aldi – 39p (Bramwell)
Aldi is one of my preferred supermarkets, so I had reasonably high hopes for their baked beans — sadly, they turned out to be somewhat plain and lacking in seasoning. There was nothing particularly off-putting about them, but I found their flavour rather understated compared to several of the other options I sampled.
They were also considerably saucy, which can be appealing, but the sauce felt a touch too watery, which could prove rather messy when served on toast or a jacket potato.
At just 39p they were undeniably affordable, but I’d rather spend a few extra pennies elsewhere and pick up a superior tin from another supermarket.
Marks and Spencer – 40p
I thought Marks & Spencer offered a pleasing consistency, with a smooth sauce that coated the beans nicely without being overly thick. The beans themselves boasted a rich, tangy flavour that I found quite satisfying.
My only minor gripe was that the beans felt slightly too firm for my personal taste.
I tend to favour beans with a creamier texture, which led me to prefer certain other brands on the list. That said, I’d have absolutely no hesitation in purchasing these again.
Lidl – 39p (Newgate)
Lidl’s baked beans were noticeably more savoury than the other tins sampled, yet carried a subtle sweetness that I genuinely enjoyed. They struck a pleasant balance of flavours, with neither the sweetness nor the savouriness threatening to overwhelm the palate.
They weren’t my outright favourite of the entire taste test, as I could distinctly detect the salt within the sauce, but on the whole, I considered them a solid choice and would gladly purchase them again.
Tesco – 43p
The first thing that struck me about the Tesco baked beans was their delightfully sweet flavour, complemented by a wonderfully rich, deep tomato sauce. Of all the tins sampled, the Tesco beans undoubtedly packed the most flavour, setting them apart from the competition on supermarket shelves.
The sauce was notably thick, and the beans retained a satisfying tenderness without descending into mushiness. All in all, I was thoroughly impressed, and after completing the taste test, found myself polishing off the entire bowl for lunch alongside some generously buttered toast.
A 420g tin of Tesco baked beans costs just 43p, while a 415g tin of Heinz costs £1.40. As far as I’m concerned, the Tesco beans were the undisputed winner, proving conclusively that you don’t necessarily need to splash out more to enjoy a truly delicious tin of baked beans.
