Why are branded items so much nicer?

[purplespink]

I try to buy Aldi/Lidl own versions of things as much as I can but a lot of them just aren’t as good. Off the top of my head, I’ve recently bought Lidl’s version of skips, cookies, *diluted juice, Nutella and ice cream. All really rubbish compared to the branded versions. I’m increasingly finding this the case with Aldi and Lidl products, which I find annoying as overall I really like Aldi, and Lidl’s bread and chocolate are my favourite. But why is it that the branded stuff is nicer? I know it seems obvious but I assumed that branded products spent a lot more on advertising/brand awareness, hence the premium price.

*The cookies I was comparing to Fox’s and diluent juice I was comparing to Robinsons.

I'd never buy Heinz beans again, Aldi's are much nicer. There are loads of Aldi/Lidl products that are just as nice as branded, then there's some that are worse...like anywhere really. I get all my fruit and veg from there usually, went to Morrisons last week and the veg was awful.

Some branded products really can't be replaced by own brands eventhough I've tried. Hellmans mayo, Colemans mustard, HP Sauce for example. I just go to ASDA when I need the branded stuff.

Yes, many products have the same producer so no difference. I always look at the ingredients- the shorter list the better.

It does make it sound like it’s to do with class though when you say that
it’s like me saying oh Sainsburys is awful. Really? All of it? Even the dry goods, sea salt, black pepper, milk? I cannot tell the difference between Waitrose or Aldi flour or milk or sugar or rice

it’s like Heinz v Hellmans mayo, one isn’t better than the other, they’re just different in taste

Actually at Lidl, I find their Fenton’s gin is very nice, as is their tonic water, ginger biscuits, tea bags, crackers (the round ones), tex mex dips. That’s off the top of my head. Maybe eg tea bags I could get nicer ones but I get a lot more for the price a pay for more expensive ones. The others, cannot tell the difference really.

Oh Aldis I think salted caramel ice cream bars on a stick are just as nice as branded ones.

I can honestly say Aldi and Lidl have upped their game recently when it comes to packing and branding and store experience. The only thing I wouldn’t rush to buy is eg fruit and veg as that goes off quickly. I’ve been in an M&S food, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s recently (I shop around) and honestly they’re much of a muchness re shopping experience.

My local Aldi is great. Park right outside its clean wide aisles lovely and cold inside and their fruit , veg, dairy bread and fish is on a par with Tesco’s in my experience. Don’t eat red meat so can’t comment on that. Can’t speak for their jars of sauce or packet stuff etc. as I don’t use it.

Two things come to mind that I find better at Aldi than Sainsbury’s. 1. Cheese-topped bread rolls (more cheese at Aldi, and the Sainsbury’s ones are always a bit burnt-looking). 2. Liquorice Allsorts. Aldi is the only place I can find any that are palm-oil free. And I think they’re just as nice as Bassett’s.

A friend who worked in a local biscuit factory in the 70s used to have a little chuckle to herself when people used to say how much nicer M&S custard creams were than other brands. They all came off the exact same machine and M&S just had a slightly fancier wrapper. I suspect there’s a lot of this goes on. Personally I think all custard creams are vile 😁

Exactly! Maybe the older stores aren’t as nice but the ones I know are built within past 5-10 years and it’s definitely not pile it high, stack up in boxes that it used to be. DB goes to his local ones quite often and brings his kids and his eldest son (8 years old) is more than happy with things from there (sweets, chocolate, sugar, flour, milk, nappies, baby food, baby lotions and shampoos, eggs, crisps). When I was there recently with him I paid for some shopping, he asked how much it cost and then said “that’s cheaper than Sainsbury’s isn’t it?”. I said “yes it is actually”. Good he’s learning about money (but not when with me, auntie is buying him stuff!).

The one thing I find frustrating is eg herbs and spices in Aldi Lidl are often either not available or not much choice. But their baking materials are great. Family friend who likes Sainsbury’s, M&S food often goes to Aldi Lidl. She’s very wealthy and a real gourmet (trained at a Cordon Bleu school) but she knows exactly what to find in Aldi and Lidl.

My brothers girlfriend used to work at the factory that made Bodycare stuff and it all went to m&s and waitrose etc just under different labels

They are not always nicer. Sainsburys own brand cornflakes has significantly less sugar than Kelloggs and I find they taste better too. Sainsburys Taste the Difference Vanilla Ice Cream is devious (I find most vanilla ice cream is very bland) and in a Which survey, it came out top, ahead of the brands, Waitrose and M&S.

Lidl's Bixies are much nicer than Weetabix, says DH. I think they're both vile, so count me out of this discussion.

The only branded product I prefer is proper marmite the rest there is no difference

I much prefer Aldi & Lidl beans, don't like Heinz at all!

I’m on maternity leave and have been amusing myself going round the local supermarkets and seeing what’s good in each.

I will now make specific visits to Lidl to stock up on coconut milk, pesto, tinned sardines and mackerel, and tomato purée. Not necessarily the best available, but perfectly good and much cheaper than competitors. The coconut milk is over 80% - I haven’t found anything close to that outside organic ranges. The bakery aisle is fabulous and incredibly cheap - I assume it’s a loss leader. On the other hand, the chocolate is dreadful for cooking.

Aldi is genuinely good for bread (sourdough and giant naans!)

Both are great value for British free range eggs. The dried herbs don’t have a great variety, but are fine. Cooking oils also fine, as is dried and tinned fruit. All cheaper than the big supermarkets.

Branded products - Yorkshire tea, Fairy - are also significantly cheaper in Aldi/Lidl, so why wouldn’t you buy them there?

Our local Aldi is a lovely shopping experience. The Lidl is a bit rubbish, but I’ll put up with it for the sake of those croissants!

I think some things are better.
I don’t like Aldis own brand Pringles. I can tell the difference.
I do think their fruit and veg goes off quicker than other supermarkets. So does the salad.
Some things though such as baked beans, latte pods I really like.
I also use their sun cream and find it to be good.

It’s entirely down to the local management, I suspect.

Our Aldi is a lovely shop with very good quality fruit and veg compared to the nearby Lidl which can be untidy with stuff waiting to be shelved piled up in the aisles.

I definitely don’t agree that branded stuff is better though. I love the Aldi Roisin (Irish) chocolate and the Lidl deluxe Easter eggs used to made by Skelligs chocolate according to my pal from Kerry.

Again the Irish meat in my local Aldi is very good quality.

I also prefer Aldi brand mango chutney. It’s my absolute fave.

I feel a right snob when I say it as I feel the same ( add in Waitrose) with just a few exceptions - we don’t actually have an Aldi here within 8 miles and the Lidl is genuinely horrible - but I shopped enough at them both when we lived in Copenhagen ( both were very local) to know that apart from the odd few items most of it was ‘in my opinion’ not very good - ( cheese, yoghurt, cooked meat all fine) plus Aldi did a decent tiramisu! and fruit and veg was downright awful - think totally dry raspberries etc - I guess it’s all what you are used to , my relative thinks it’s fine but to be honest she doesn’t really cook and just judges everything on price -

The cheaper supermarkets use cheaper ingredients to make their food, so inevitably the quality is poorer, taste poorer, etc.

I once did the audit for a huge sandwich manufacturing firm supplying sandwiches to various supermarkets, convenience stores, garage chains, etc. Yes, it was the "same" production line, but they had VERY different raw foods going onto the production line depending upon who the batch was being made for. I.e. frozen diced chicken from the Far East compared with fresh local chicken. Basically everything in the sandwich was depending upon the buyer specifications, from bread to the spread, mayonnaise, salads, meats, etc. The production may well have produced sandwiches for, say, Spar and Waitrose on the same day, but the ingredient quality was vastly different.

That’s why I love living in Ireland. 🤩

Visit any rural little petrol station Deli counter and all the wraps, rolls, sandwiches and hot dinners will be freshly cooked and prepared by hand and include generous portions and provides excellent value for money. You won’t find those horrible plastic triangle packets of crusted crappy sandwiches in those places.

Also, Supervalu and Centra make a big deal about selling locally made products, so the offerings will vary by County. My sister-in-law only shops at Waitrose in the south of England where she lives, but she adores pottering and buying stuff in the local SuperValu stores. She thinks they’re far superior and she’s very fussy.

AI comparison of nutella vs Aldi - a little different so if you are sensitive to taste and texture maybe you pick up on it whereas others don't?

Key differences

• Oil blend: Nutella uses only palm oil, while Aldi Nutoka uses a blend of rapeseed oil, palm fat, and palm oil, which can give it a slightly different texture.
• Cocoa: Aldi contains 9% cocoa, compared with 7.4% in Nutella, so it may taste a little more chocolatey.
• Milk ingredients: Aldi includes whey powder in addition to skimmed milk powder, whereas Nutella uses only skimmed milk powder.
• Flavouring: Nutella specifies vanillin; Aldi lists a more general flavouring.

Overall The two products are very similar—they're both predominantly sugar and vegetable oils with 13% hazelnuts. The main formulation differences are Aldi's mixed oils, higher cocoa content, and added whey powder. Most people find the flavour close to Nutella, though Nutella tends to be slightly creamier while Aldi's version can taste a bit more chocolate-forward.

I think it’s hit and miss. Lidl crisps are awful. But their jaffa cakes are much nicer than original. And so on.

Try their luxury beef/steak and ale ridged crisps in Lidl. They’re delicious! Their luxe vegetable crisps are very nice too.

The veg at my Aldi is really poor. I bought some fresh beetroot recently, but when I got it home and cut into it, it was mouldy, so it went straight in the bin. I find it's a bit of a false economy because I end up throwing too much away due to the quality - so I avoid buying the fruit and veg at Aldi if I can. To be fair, though, I think the quality of fruit and veg has declined in most supermarkets recently.