Supermarket own-label baked beans win blind taste test

Supermarket own-label baked beans have beaten established brands in an annual test, with two cheaper cans being voted the best by blind tasters.

Asda’s own-brand baked beans costing 50p a tin – less than half the price of well-known branded rivals – achieved the top score of 77% in the Which? test for flavour, appearance, texture and aroma.

Joint cheapest Aldi came second with a score of 75%, while Branston’s 90p cans took third place with 74%, losing points for the beans’ “too firm” texture.

Own-brand offerings from Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s and Lidl all scored higher than Heinz and HP, which managed 71% and 67% respectively.

Tasters said the texture of the Heinz sauce and beans were high points, but more than a third reported that the flavour was “too weak”.

Heinz was by far the most expensive of the beans tested, costing £1.39 for a 415g tin.

HP Baked Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce at £1 a can was the least liked of all the beans, with two-thirds of the panel finding the sauce too runny and others finding the strength of flavour lacking.

As with other kitchen staples, the cost of baked beans has risen over the past year.

The beans were assessed in February by a panel of people who regularly buy and consume the product.

Which? Retail editor Reena Sewraz said: “Our latest taste tests reveal that supermarket own-label baked beans have beaten the established brands including Heinz, and the great news for shoppers is that the winning products cost less than half the price compared to the offerings from some rivals.

“Many households are looking for ways to cut their spending due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Opting for supermarket own-label groceries is not only a great way to save money, but you often get tastier products as well.”