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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think Heinz is poor value and overrated?

105 replies

stoow · 09/05/2026 17:32

I’m wondering if those people who ‘have’ to have Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Heinz Baked Beans, Heinz soups, Heinz salad cream etc. Have never tried other brands including supermarket own lines?

Heinz is a brand which is a rip off and products don’t taste nice or have some weird texture.

I have no Heinz products at all in my home.

One of my friends’ DH used to be ‘everything has to be Heinz’. My friend got fed up with the rip off prices and bought the supermarket own. Then one day, she and DH had beans on toast for lunch. He said the beans are very nice and nicer than before. She confessed that the beans were Aldi’s own. Plus could buy almost 4 cans for the price of 1 Heinz can.

OP posts:
Bjorkdidit · 10/05/2026 02:25

Imlyingandthatsthetruth · 09/05/2026 20:25

"Those beans are a bit small, Bert, and the sauce is a bit thin, slap a Tesco label on that one!"

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You joke but I visit a lot of food factories for work. I don't know specifically if Heinz make for other brands but its more likely that another company makes the own brand stuff.

They often have different quality control procedures depending on retailers, eg Tesco value is subjected to less rigorous checks than M&S. An example of this would be cherry bakewell, M&S the cherry has to be in the middle and the right way up but it gets thrown on any old how for the Tesco value version.

I've never liked most Heinz products and we generally get our shopping from mostly Aldi but some things from M&S. We don’t use ketchup but like Aldi brown sauce. We generally get beans, soup and tinned tomatoes from M&S, theirs are excellent and much cheaper than Heinz. I like most Aldi things but tried their canned beans and soup years ago and didn't like them.

However Heinz pasta sauce is very good and not UPF, we stock up on that when its on offer.

Original poster
stoow · 09/05/2026 21:27

DogBallad · 09/05/2026 21:17

I’ve just googled why and it’s actually done like that on purpose as a marketing thing to get more space and be noticed more on supermarket shelves apparently.

Yes, I’m very bored to have googled that. 😂

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I have worked for a supermarket and when we had to dress the shelves - we had to get tins of Heinz from the back and keep the SRP (shelf ready packaging, the cardboard tray) to make it look full. The other brands we didn't need the SRP.

OP posts:
DogBallad · 09/05/2026 21:17

cariadlet · 09/05/2026 21:04

I've learned something new today. Never realised that Heinz cans don't stack. What a stupidly basic design flaw.

I’ve just googled why and it’s actually done like that on purpose as a marketing thing to get more space and be noticed more on supermarket shelves apparently.

Yes, I’m very bored to have googled that. 😂

Theyreeatingthedogs · 09/05/2026 21:17

BleedinglyObvious · 09/05/2026 17:39

Was it really worth starting a thread about this?

Was it really worth questioning someone starting a thread?

SusanChurchouse · 09/05/2026 21:15

I buy their beans and vegan sausages as, AFAIK, it’s the only brand that offers such a product. I tend to buy them when on offer, usually with the beans and pork sausages for DH. He likes those because of nostalgia really, it’s a taste that reminds him of childhood.

I quite like their pasta sauces but have switched to Mutti recently as the kids seem to prefer it.

I thought the stacking thing was just me!

Original poster
stoow · 09/05/2026 21:13

reptilemad1985 · 09/05/2026 20:25

I actually watched a programme that showed a lot of baked beans etc are made in the same place just have different labels its a trick of the mind that you think some taste diffrent

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Most supermarkets websites have the NVs and ingredients so you can compare and see if any are bang on identical.

OP posts:
cariadlet · 09/05/2026 21:04

I've learned something new today. Never realised that Heinz cans don't stack. What a stupidly basic design flaw.

KatiePricesKnickers · 09/05/2026 21:04

WongLynchFellini · 09/05/2026 20:23

They’re definitely not all the same because often the beans are different sizes and the sauces have different colours and thicknesses between brands but I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the own brands are basically the same.

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I know someone who works in a Heinz owned and ran production plant in the North West.
They make a ton of non Heinz products there. The recipes usually change slightly.

PurpleNightingale · 09/05/2026 21:04

I have tried other beans but they don't taste right to me. My MIL made fish fingers beans and chips at her house when I visited with the kids and I have no idea what beans she used but they were disgusting and I had to leave most of them. And I love baked beans usually!

Ketchup I'm less fussy about, I can often tell its a different brand but I enjoy all types.

I have many brand dupes I have tried and swapped to over the years (e.g. Aldi does an amazing own brand mars bar) so it's not a reluctance to try.

Kittyfur · 09/05/2026 20:59

InterestingDuck · 09/05/2026 20:35

I like an unexciting, chatty thread like this where people share mundane preferences. It's relaxing.

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So do i

Roofofthecaravan · 09/05/2026 20:49

Love a bit of Heinz ketchup and mayo

but just buy what you like and what suits your budget - there is no definitive ‘good’ or ‘bad’ condiment - just what’s available and affordable

AhBiscuits · 09/05/2026 20:43

I really like some of the soups but the fact that the tins don't stack fucks me off no end.

I do mostly buy own brand stuff.

HedgehogMugs · 09/05/2026 20:43

reptilemad1985 · 09/05/2026 20:25

I actually watched a programme that showed a lot of baked beans etc are made in the same place just have different labels its a trick of the mind that you think some taste diffrent

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Being made in the same place doesn't mean it's has the exact same ingredients and recipes.

HedgehogMugs · 09/05/2026 20:42

Notmyreality · 09/05/2026 20:33

You have to wonder what goes through some people’s heads don’t you?
Not a lot of would seem.

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You have to wonder why people who consider threads are a bit pointless, feel the need to then comment on them ... If they're so dull, click away and move on...

HedgehogMugs · 09/05/2026 20:41

BleedinglyObvious · 09/05/2026 17:39

Was it really worth starting a thread about this?

🚨🚨🚨🚨Woop -woop that's the sound of da police 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨

CoastalCalm · 09/05/2026 20:39

I’ve switched to M&S from everything I used to buy Heinz - much cheaper and often nicer

sanityisamyth · 09/05/2026 20:39

Never eaten a Heinz product as allergic to tomato and hate mayonnaise, salad cream or anything similar.

Secretseverywhere · 09/05/2026 20:38

I used to be Heinz everything but it was competitively priced, so it was just a few pence over supermarket brand. Now there’s a £3+ difference in the price of ketchup. I prefer the Aldi version tbh.

mydogisthebest · 09/05/2026 20:38

M&S beans and tomato ketchup are much nicer than Heinz and a lot cheaper

BuffetTheDietSlayer · 09/05/2026 20:38

JackandVictor · 09/05/2026 17:46

I have recently bought a bunch of Heinz tinned soups while they were on offer and I've remembered the main reason I don't buy Heinz is because the tins don't stack and I have high cupboards and it makes retrieval a hazard! If anyone has any suggestions I'd be grateful 😅

Buy a can organiser.

InterestingDuck · 09/05/2026 20:35

Notmyreality · 09/05/2026 20:33

You have to wonder what goes through some people’s heads don’t you?
Not a lot of would seem.

Show quote history

I like an unexciting, chatty thread like this where people share mundane preferences. It's relaxing.

Notmyreality · 09/05/2026 20:33

BleedinglyObvious · 09/05/2026 17:39

Was it really worth starting a thread about this?

You have to wonder what goes through some people’s heads don’t you?
Not a lot of would seem.

WongLynchFellini · 09/05/2026 20:31

reptilemad1985 · 09/05/2026 20:25

I actually watched a programme that showed a lot of baked beans etc are made in the same place just have different labels its a trick of the mind that you think some taste diffrent

Show quote history

True but I think Heinz actually do use their own factories.

nam3c4ang3 · 09/05/2026 20:28

Agree - Heinz so expensive and really - nothing special. We buy from Aldi. The only thing I won’t compromise on is Kelloggs cornflakes - no one has ever, ever come close to replicating that

InterestingDuck · 09/05/2026 20:27

Mayo - rubbish, tastes like salad cream. Prefer Hellmans.
Beans - not enough sugar in the sauce since sugar tax. Prefer supermarket own (not value)
Tinned soup - nice
Ketchup - nice
Brown sauce - average, prefer HP
Mustard - average, prefer Maille