'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?

tesco value red onions, tend to need used up quick.
tesco value, carrots, peppers and tomatoes

Tesco value fromage frais.

Value flour, butter etc all for baking

Value "market" potatoes - brilliant cheap staple potatoes

I didn't like the tesco value rice, went fluffy and think you could tell it was cheap

tesco own pesto red and green fine

tesco own cereals, all of us can't tell the difference

We get tesco luxury toilet roll - still considerably cheaper than branded and v good

I didn't like tesco value tinned tomatoes - thought they were watery but the standard tesco own ones fine

And the biggest bargain - value roll on deodorant - works better than Sure and a sixth of the price.

Each week I try to order a couple of products in value and see if the family can tell the difference, if not then we keep them as regulars.

We shop at Morrisons

Morrisons value tinned tomatoes - fine
Morrisons value sandwich pickle - awful really - no bits, just sauce with the occassional corky lump. I thought I'd just picked a bad one but tried again a month later - still yuk! However Morrisons own brand sweet (sandwich) pickle (like branstons) was very nice
Morrisons value pasta twirls - fine
Morrisons value spaghetti - fine

I saw a link to answer this question on another site a few days ago but I can't remember where now - I think it was in amongst all this eek! That's a lot of trawling but you'll get loads of ideas while you look.

Morrisons own Tomato sauce is hideous.

oh yes, Morrisons value carrots and peppers - absolutely fine - I'm sure most of the value fruit and veg are often just the ones the supermarkets usually reject because they aren't the right shape .

I find the value stuff doesn't keep quite as long, but still perfectly ok.

I had some Asda 'smart price' grapes last week which DH commented were very good, he was amazed they were the cheaper ones. They weren't even misshapes.

Mostly, the only difference is the packaging.

An easy rule of thumb is that is it is in it's natural state (not a cooked processed food) it is only the packaging/size/variety that is any different. This includes fruits,veg,pulses and grains, fruit juice, butter, etc etc

More processed foods might have cheaper ingreidnets in them, but they might not. Tesco do deals with suppliers of certain things that they will only stock their branded goods if that supplier also make the tesco value range as well, but the value range is sold at a loss to the supplier (never tesco) or just breaking even.

Value doesn't always mean inferior goods, big supermarkets know value ranges are very good at getting people through the doors, those people then buy other stuff too.

I know that the manufacturers of all of tesco's chilled desserts and yoghurts also make the value desserts and yoghurt using exactly the same ingrediets (just a different recipe), so the same sugar, fruit and yoghurt for example. The value chocolate mousse by tesco is the best recipe on the market after Gu at the moment, according to one of the top guys at the company who make them.

Don't let the label put you off. You need to read the ingredients and then try the product out yourself. I don't like tesco value baked beans, but sainsbury's value ones are fab.

Bigbadhouse that is right, value fruit and veg is usually just all the stuff that is rejected from being graded classA because of size.

Hence tesco value bananas contain a mixture of different bananas (still often with their original labels on) even fairtrade and organic.

Their value apples this summer where delisious local english apples. Only reason they where cheaper was because they where small and hadn't been flown halfway round the world to get on the shelves.

By Overmydeadbody on Thu 23-Oct-08 20:15:10

"I know that the manufacturers of all of tesco's chilled desserts and yoghurts also make the value desserts and yoghurt using exactly the same ingrediets (just a different recipe), so the same sugar, fruit and yoghurt for example".

Hmmmm...this is true. How do you know that?

Hmm, all very interesting. I knew we were basically paying a premium for the big brands as they are advertised heavily (Kellogs, Nescafe etc) but don't quite understand why the supermarkets need two ranges of their own, a normal and a value, when they don't (or didn't) specifically advertise either. Usually Tesco and Asda are just arguing over who has the cheapest branded goods.

I think I will buy a value product a week and test it out, as suggested. Still a bit dubious about what fillers etc might be in cheaper things though. I liked the cheap baguettes, but are they more full of salt, for example? Will have to do some proper label comparison, if ever I don't have baby and toddler in tow.

oh yes, the tesco value choc moousse got seal of approval from my ds1 - who has made his own in th past

value chocolate generally is strangely edible (from a committed g&b girl)

we had value salmon cooked with value lemons tonight, delicious- asda far cheaper than tesco for that btw

lakota IME of the food indusrty the value ranges often have no specific recipe. It is just what is available all chucked together. i.e if you were a factory producing chutneys and had some ingredients left over from premium (say branston) and supermarket own chutney you would just use them to make up a batch of value stuff to save waste and make some money. Fillers cost money, you wouldn't add them just for the value range unless they were already in a higher level range iyswim.

'don't quite understand why the supermarkets need two ranges of their own, a normal and a value, when they don't (or didn't) specifically advertise either. Usually Tesco and Asda are just arguing over who has the cheapest branded goods.'

i thought research showed when people are broke they downgrade by one brand- hence a more expensive own brand makes money? also that many people (me included) will opt for the one-up from cheapest in almost all purchases- therfore the shops target that area iyswim

That makes sense Peachy. Still sticking with free range eggs though. And really cheap sliced bread is grim.

I skip meat- used to work for a food related company (haulage) and we used to get all these trade mags with adverts for steam injectors saying 'why sell chicken when you can sell water?'- ah no thanks then!

tesco value basmati is brilliant. £1 per kilo.
tesco value potatos were fine too. but went off more quickly
tinned veg is not something i normally buy, so i wasnt too bothered abotuthe value tomatos i bought from tesco.
never bought any value meat, so no ideas
the kids dont liek the tesco value frozen pizza.

but tesco have recently brought out a third range. they call it tesco market value. one up from value, one down from own brand. their cucumber, cherries, and mushrooms are perfectly lovely

Oh yes Tesco value mouses ore lovely very chocolatey.
The value creme caramel dessert (in fridge near mouses) are also very tasty.

Bigbadmouse I know it coz I have insider info!

Value bags of peppers can be good, got a bag from Tesco of all red peppers last week, very cheap.
I also get the tesco value basmati rice, find it fine.
Only things I won't compromise on are chickens and eggs, both free range.
Often in Tesco they do sides of salmon at the fish counter which work out alot cheaper than buying salmon pieces. I buy one chop it up and freeze it. Always check it hasn't been previously frozen though.
Bread I bake. Anyone that does bake their own, Tesco will give you fresh yeast free as will Asda, sainsburys has a small charge. I'm a bit fed up with baking bread so bought a loaf last week but it was awful, spongey and horrible, kids wouldn't eat it and it cost £1.17. I can bake enough bread for a week from 1 bag of flour which costs 50p. So now I'm back to doing my own.

Sardines, cool value. Omega-3 and all..
Strange thread, value shopping is where you find it? Agree with the fairtrade and organic wherever possible

I always buy the value tinned tomatoes, sweetcorn, baked beans and spaghetti. The weetabix take offs for 75p or 80p are also good, but do tend to crumble easily. I never ever buy own brand or value cornflakes as I find them just revolting.

I only do free range eggs. Having said that, Asdsa were selling 15 free range eggs for £2 yesterday! 15! The reason was, they were all different sizes. Like I care....

OMDB - Aha! Maybe we are in the same line of work then