'Value' or 'No frills' type food in supermarkets - what's good?

[Lakota]

As everyone is tightening their belts at the moment I wondered if anyone could recommend any 'value' ranges or 'no frills' foods which are actually worth buying? I remember there being a Lidl/Aldi thread where where people said what was good and what was revolting, so I thought one for the 'big' supermarkets might be handy.

I will freely admit that I never used buy the value ranges - possibly to do with some sort of snobbery on my part but mainly as I thought they'd be lower quality. I remember buying some cheap chopped tinned tomatoes and they were just full of stalky bits and that put me off! But I have recently tried Tesco Value part-bake baguettes and Tesco Value rice (half the price of their usual range) and both were absolutely fine. I honestly couldn't taste any difference at all and it was far cheaper.

Any other recommendations?

this is quite a new website that gives scores for supermarket own brands.

here

cereal is usally fine, my kids cannot tell the differece, ditto fruit juices, porrige oats, noodles, veg if they do it (usually means they are smaller than 'usual' or uneven, bumpy carrots etc), pasta. Value flour for baking.

oh and cheese. Cheddar is cheddar is cheddar IMO, especially if you're cooking with it.

Thanks all. Just to clarify, I didn't mean Tesco versions of 'name' brands - more the very cheap stuff in super plain packaging.

eg. In Tesco you might be able to buy

1. Merchant Gourmet rice (posh brand)
2. Tesco Basmati (what I'd normally get)
3. Tesco Value rice (in 'no frills' bag, bottom shelf)

I quite often buy Tesco cereal for example - have never seen 'no frills' cheese though.

I think the cheese was Smart Price Asda, now I think of it...sorry.

Sainsburys versions of pengins, kit kats and chocolate wafer thingies are all good [ravenous breastfeeder here]

Tesco value mature/ mild chedder.
Tesco value basmati rice.
Tesco value pasta.
Tesco own brand coco pops.
Tesco value tin tomatoes.
Tesco value part bake baguettes (very good).
Tesco value tortilla chips.
Tesco value veg stock cubes.
Tesco value crisps.

Tesco value bourbons biscuits etc (big barrel pack is good).

Tesco etc do value cheese too. I don't buy anything else unless it has run out or whatever.

We get value pasta (19p a bag or something!), value squash, value lemonade (the coke is gross), value tins of tomatoes, sweetcorn etc, value bread, fruit and veg, ready meals (although they are a bit small but still taste fine for a ready meal, chesse, tortilla chips, probably a lot more but can't think now!

Anyway, all of the above I have been perfectly happy with.

Don't buyy tesco value coco pops - they are awful. I think thats the only horrible thing though.

oh yes and you can get a big pack of "value cooking bacon" for about 70p. It is still nice, but just not in perfect slices. Great for shoving in pasta etc or even sandwiches if you don't mind chunks! Sooo much cheaper than proper bacon.

Just checked my last online shop - I bought and used:
Tesco - butter,
chocolate digestive bars (great for packed lunches)
tuna chunks,
they do do value cheese BTW, just checked online - finefor cooking,
tinned sweetcorn,
forzen peas,
oven chips,
all biscuits,
tinned custard (I always like to have some in cupbaord for emergency puddings )
jelly (7p and I add orange juice when I make it up)
brown bread
fromage frais

I hated the value soups and I'm afraid I am squeamish about cheap meat, so can't comment on that. The crisps were a bit rubbish (very highly flavouted)

Most of this stuff was for children's packed lunch stuff and meals and I have had no complaints

tesco value sardines 17p tin
tesco value tinned tomatoes 26p

i dont eat cereals but other stuff all seems fine to me

oh yes, the unsmoked gammon joint was nicer than 'normal' range IMO. And yes, bacon is fine too!

oh i get the tesco value mayonnaise too which i think is about 48p

and they do cottage cheese for 47p

omg how do i know all these prices

oh cool, I like cottage cheese!

Oh and they do 6 fromas frais things for 45p

and 6 yougurts for about 30p ish

all fine.

And I agree about the gamon, it is a bit salty tasting sometimes though but that can happen with any brand with gammon.

Just had value Mozarella from Asda and that was yummy.

alway value cereal too - they are the same as expensive ones.

Tesco value spaghetti, tinned tuna, butter, juice, all good.

Tesco value butter for baking.
Value flour.
Value fromage frais for kids lunches.
Own brand washing powder.
Tesco value cooking bacon- bits good for pasta sauces, soup etc. Very very cheap.
Tesco value bourbons are lovely.
Tesco value stewing steak.

All good.

Individual tesco value yogurts.

And yes the tesco value fromage frais.

Haven't gone down the value route for anything processed. However, I do top up my veg box with some of the Sainsbury's basics fruit and veg - lovely new potatoes earlier in the year, strawberries, mandarins etc - only difference is that they are a bigger range of size and shape (i.e. normal and very akin to what our farmer provides). Not been disappointed yet.