Negative supermarket own brand reviews

[Keith Oates]

I'm not a lover of coffee and very often if I go to meet people in a coffee shop (or similar) I just have hot water, it's cheaper and overall better for you.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Arrowfoot]

I'm not a lover of coffee and very often if I go to meet people in a coffee shop (or similar) I just have hot water, it's cheaper and overall better for you.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I note that you are in China. Not sure if you aware but doing that in China is considered rude when others are ordering coffee / tea. You are supposed to order a beverage to keep them company.

 

[theclaud]

I note that you are in China. Not sure if you aware but doing that in China is considered rude when others are ordering coffee / tea. You are supposed to order a beverage to keep them company.

That's presumably what the hot water is for...

 

[gbb]

Weetabix..a while ago, I thought I'd try Asda own brand. One Weetabix in the bowl, one Asda and tasted one spoon of one then the other.
Almost exactly the same..just a tiny hint of a different flavour, not bad just different.
The saving was appreciable, the product is just as good.
Very scientific eh

 

[rich p]

I note that you are in China. Not sure if you aware but doing that in China is considered rude when others are ordering coffee / tea. You are supposed to order a beverage to keep them company.

Yeah, I agree, WTF would Oatesy know about China

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Weetabix..a while ago, I thought I'd try Asda own brand. One Weetabix in the bowl, one Asda and tasted one spoon of one then the other.
Almost exactly the same..just a tiny hint of a different flavour, not bad just different.
The saving was appreciable, the product is just as good.
Very scientific eh

This reminds me of a scene in the brilliant Pulp Fiction movie where the John Travolta character goes to a heroin dealer who peddles a range of wares from different origins and the discussion goes the same. "Not better, just different."

 

[stephec]

I was chatting with the occupational health nurse at a company I used to work for about 10 years ago. She was a contractor so she was also working for other companies. One of them was the company that make Soreen malt loaf. She told me that the company making Soreen also made supermarket own label malt loaf.

Just a great big hopper mixing the stuff. Some days they would package it with Soreen packaging, some days with the own label packaging

That happens with a lot of things, I can't name names obviously.

Sometimes there's a slight change in ingredients, but other times it's just a packaging change.

 

[Turbo Rider]

That happens with a lot of things, I can't name names obviously.

Sometimes there's a slight change in ingredients, but other times it's just a packaging change.

Same with tea bags...used to be a professional tea-bagger (ahem) and Harrods finest stuff would be the same mix as the bargain basement stuff you get...the 300 bags for a quid type stuff...only difference was the machines uses to make the bags...Harrods were sealed differently, with more refined machines.

 

[neil_merseyside]

When my mum used to work at the Cadbury factory in Moreton (donkeys ago!!) the only difference in some of the biscuits was just where they came from on the line, the bake wasn't even across the line, so some home brand stuff was either from centre or edge, so identical ingredients but just a different shade (flavour?) but when it's then enrobed in choccy - go figure!
We used to get br'oken biscuits' cheap and it was any product that wasn't quite right (so under OR overweight) - the best by far was when we got failed 'Bar 6' this was just solid choccy!!

 

[brodiej]

I usually buy Sainsbury's own brand small cheese pizzas then add pineapple

 

[nickyboy]

I note that you are in China. Not sure if you aware but doing that in China is considered rude when others are ordering coffee / tea. You are supposed to order a beverage to keep them company.

I no longer live in China but go there about 10 weeks per year on business. What you say is not correct

 

[Davidc]

All instant coffee has a nasty aftertaste and I just don't like it. I generally stick to Lavazza, usually the red ground one or the espresso version. it needs to be drunk soon after brewing whether prepared filter or espresso, and I like it strong and black with no sugar. Supermarket own brands I've tasted are all inferior. When it's on sale in 3 for the price of 2 packs the Lavazza Red is no more expensive than supermarket brands.

HOWEVER I really can't understand the difference between a Sainsbury's basic cauliflower and a standard one, except for the price. Same goes for other vegetables and fruit.

I go to Waitrose when in Wellington specially to buy one of their own-brand tapenades which is IMO superb, but agree with comments above for most of their own-brand things, often bought by some family members.

 

[User482]

All instant coffee has a nasty aftertaste and I just don't like it. I generally stick to Lavazza, usually the red ground one or the espresso version. it needs to be drunk soon after brewing whether prepared filter or espresso, and I like it strong and black with no sugar. Supermarket own brands I've tasted are all inferior. When it's on sale in 3 for the price of 2 packs the Lavazza Red is no more expensive than supermarket brands.

HOWEVER I really can't understand the difference between a Sainsbury's basic cauliflower and a standard one, except for the price. Same goes for other vegetables and fruit.

I find the greengrocer's veg to be much fresher and cheaper than any supermarket. I can't say I much prefer Lavazza over decent supermarket fairtrade coffee beans, but I do like Illy.

 

[Ron-da-Valli]

Some of Asda brand biscuits are made by Fox's and Burtons. Their Smartprice lager and bitter is brewed by Magners.
As for Smartprice tea? Just ask Adolf:

 

[stephec]

When my mum used to work at the Cadbury factory in Moreton (donkeys ago!!) the only difference in some of the biscuits was just where they came from on the line, the bake wasn't even across the line, so some home brand stuff was either from centre or edge, so identical ingredients but just a different shade (flavour?) but when it's then enrobed in choccy - go figure!
We used to get br'oken biscuits' cheap and it was any product that wasn't quite right (so under OR overweight) - the best by far was when we got failed 'Bar 6' this was just solid choccy!!

I used to love visiting that place, the staff shop was great.