Going economy

Good Food Blog

What is RSS?

Posted at 2:00PM, 12 January 2011 by Sarah Sysum - Assistant editor, Easy Cook magazine

I've seen the light: it's unattractive packaging, cheap prices and oddly shaped fruit. Yes, I'm talking about supermarket 'budget' lines.

Like so many people, I've had to cut back. Having worked out how much I could save on a weekly shop, I decided to test the waters and go economy for a day.

I've always veered towards the top-tier supermarket ranges because they're better quality, right?

Conducting the taste tests for the magazine means that any preconceived ideas I've had about named brands being better were dismissed a long time ago. However, I've always veered towards the top-tier supermarket ranges because they're better quality, right?

With trepidation, I started the day with cereal. 'No fancy packaging, still a great breakfast', said the cornflakes packet. OK they were a little small but tasted of, well, cornflakes. My mid-morning banana was perfectly ripe, Fairtrade and cost me 10p as opposed to my usual 26p. Baked beans on toast for lunch was surprisingly good. I've heard horror stories of three beans per can but the brand I tested had great texture and flavour. A baguette can never replace a lovely artisan sourdough but it does the job and the £2.80 saving makes it taste even better.

By now my fears were diminishing. I baked a sticky chocolate cake, which tasted no different from when I've used top-of-the-range cocoa and golden syrup. And my dinner of Trout with crisp bacon crust was fine.

So was it worth it? In terms of both taste and saving I would say definitely. Since then I've tried other products with varying degrees of success; much budget meat lacks any ethical accreditation so that's a no-no, but plenty of economy coffee, chocolate and fruit lines have the Fairtrade stamp and I wager anyone to be able to tell the difference.

So go on, lower your standards, you might be surprised...

Comments

Lexi99

12 January 2011, 11:44PM
Lexi99

As a student I am by no means picky about brand names or not buying own brand products, and while some might say my stadards in taste are lower (debatable), i do just fine and make some really tasty meals

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
StormyRaincloud

13 January 2011, 9:30AM
StormyRaincloud

We don't have the choice, we have always had to buy value brands. In fact, we do most of our shopping at asda because they are the one supermarket that do the most value brands. Nearly everything we buy is smart price and we are healthy and happy. It makes no difference as far as I am concerned. Although you do have to be careful as supermarkets think everyone is stupid and sometimes the smart price product can be more expensive than an alternative. But we are careful and budget wisely and we eat very well. I cook from scratch and cook very well with cheapy stuff.

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
LibrarianGoddess

13 January 2011, 1:24PM
LibrarianGoddess

Everyone knows that broken biscuits taste better ... so oddly-shaped fruit probably does too :)

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
cool-girl123

13 January 2011, 3:32PM
cool-girl123

I think that the packaging on food doesnt make a difference in taste although thats not to say the quality it the same. I tested tescos cheapest ham and it was white and watery, yet again, tescos finest was delicious.

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
MandyB

16 January 2011, 7:00AM
MandyB

We always buy the value bananas from Tesco and they are excellent quality and much cheaper!

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
Four Candles

17 January 2011, 4:54PM
Four Candles

A baguette is one thing, but value sliced white quite another - it rather depends where you are lowering your standards from! Value orange juice tastes great, but the packet leaks in the fridge.. so we stick to the mid-priced own-brand. Value tinned toms and broken biscuits as mentioned above are my favourite cheap eats.

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
Stits

18 January 2011, 8:35PM
Stits

Check the labels; to keep the costs down and maintain flavour they may have added a few "extras", so be careful. Sometimes they are great value and sometimes you get more than you bargined for.

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
izzy2007

21 January 2011, 10:16PM
izzy2007

i think that some value products are just the same as the brand ones,every time i go shopping i try a value product or supermarket brand,and then decide what i like and what i dont. TRY IT FOR YOURSELF NEXT TIME YOU GO SHOPPING X

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
Ali S

22 January 2011, 9:30PM
Ali S

I go for an 'own brand' for standard food, and a 'value' if I am going to mix it with something - value orange juice plus own brand lemonade is perfectly acceptable to me

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason: