The alternative brands thread

Remembered two more:

Sainsburys taste the difference cherry tomato and chilli pasta sauce.
Aldi skips
 
Another vote for Branston beans. Heinz are watery and completely tasteless in comparison. I think in the drive to reduce sodium they forgot some is actually required for flavour!

My only gripe with them is the lack of ring pull.
 
Special k.

Changed the for the worse a few years ago (glazed coating). The Aldi brand is a ringer for the old how it used to be bland original.

If that's you're thing.
 
Although I'm a huge fan of Aldi, the reason their unbranded stuff tastes as good as the market leader is usually it contains more salt and sugar.

They have ruined the recipe of their Diet Coke though :(
 
Aldi and Lidl's products are just as good as branded stuff for me. I prefer Aldi's Clancey's peanuts and other nuts to anything else.

If you eat branded goods then you probably eat a load of processed crap.

Polish beers from the off licence beat anything in the supermarket.
 
Although I'm a huge fan of Aldi, the reason their unbranded stuff tastes as good as the market leader is usually it contains more salt and sugar.

They have ruined the recipe of their Diet Coke though :(

Aldi Pepsi Max is really good though. (Is it called ZX or something like that?)
 
If you eat branded goods then you probably eat a load of processed crap.

What a strange statement. Almost everything in a supermarket is branded in one way or another so even if you prepare every meal from it's base ingredients if you shop in a supermarket then you'll be buying branded goods.
 
What a strange statement. Almost everything in a supermarket is branded in one way or another so even if you prepare every meal from it's base ingredients if you shop in a supermarket then you'll be buying branded goods.

No it's not. Most branded goods are processed.

Do you request a certain brand of pork shoulder, or pears, or spring onions? ie base food isn't branded, processed food is.
 
No it's not. Most branded goods are processed.

Do you request a certain brand of pork shoulder, or pears, or spring onions? ie base food isn't branded, processed food is.

Not personally but I could.

Plenty of meat is sold under a brand whether you actively notice or not if I remember correctly this was in the news a few years ago as the branding used made the meat/eggs sound like it was coming from a fancy free range farm based in the deepest countryside IIRC whereas in reality it was coming from the same place as all the other stuff just branded in that way.
There are also plenty of brands of other ingredients such as albert rooster potatoes or Jaffa Oranges, plenty of herbs/spices/seasonings are branded as well.
 
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Not personally but I could.

Plenty of meat is sold under a brand whether you actively notice or not if I remember correctly this was in the news a few years ago as the branding used made the meat/eggs sound like it was coming from a fancy free range farm based in the deepest countryside IIRC whereas in reality it was coming from the same place as all the other stuff just branded in that way.
There are also plenty of brands of other ingredients such as albert rooster potatoes or Jaffa Oranges, plenty of herbs/spices/seasonings are branded as well.

I think you're being pedantic. Why don't you show me something made by Nestle or Unilever that isn't processed?

We're discussing brand alternatives. No-one seeks out Jaffa oranges specifically, you just buy oranges, or apples, whatever is offered to you. And meat brands are all the same in each supermarket, seeking out an alternative isn't going to another supermarket and buying another brand there as it will often be from the same location just with a different (irrelevant) name.

Additionally, go back through the thread and see the types of food being discussed. No-ones looking for Jaffa oranges alternatives.

There's a difference between something having a brand name like supermarket meat and being a 'branded' good. Branded normally means the expensive version and not the supermarket version (which may have a brand name)
 
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I think you're being pedantic. Why don't you show me something made by Nestle or Unilever that isn't processed?

You're right I am but I still stand by the fact it's a strange statement.

There's a difference between something having a brand name like supermarket meat and being a 'branded' good. Branded normally means the expensive version and not the supermarket version (which may have a brand name)
Aldi's jars of pasta sauce arent "branded" that doesn't make them any less processed than Dolmios.
 
Isn't a lot of the "own brand" stuff basically made in the same factories as the branded stuff?

ASDA biscuits are an example where I can't really tell the difference between them and the brands.

Yes/no.

Often the same factories - many manufacturers produce products under various brands as well as their own. Same factory doesn't mean same quality though. Different recipes will often be used, tailored to the requirements of the customer.

Quality can vary substantially, and it isn't always the case that the branded item is the highest quality.

While maybe not a great example if we're discussing heavily processed food, but Tuna is a brilliant example of where brands have fallen behind. The best, in terms of ethical sourcing, are Sainsbury's, M&S and Waitrose. Following close behind are Tesco, Lidl, and Aldi. Mid-table you've got the likes of Asda, Morrison's and Co-Op. Way down at the bottom, the UK's biggest selling Tinned Tuna brands; Princes and John West. Yup, the branded products rank as the worst. Yet people continue to buy them, en masse, despite much better products available around the same price point, all because of the shiny label.

TBH the success of Lidl and Aldi is largely tied to our obsession with branded goods. Both chains have been very successful in marketing their products as an alternative to the big brands, attracting many customers who normally perceive own-brand products as inferior. They've focussed on the price difference between their 'brand' of ketchup and Heinz, rather than the difference between their own-brand product and Tesco's (where there's not really a significant difference). Where you hear of people slashing their weekly food bill by huge amounts by going to Lidl or Aldi, it's usually because they've previously bought mainly expensive branded products. Lidl and Aldi might be a little cheaper overall, but nowhere near to the same extent as people's perception.
 
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no one dare suggest an alternative to Coca Cola.

their is no substitute.

Ban! It has to be Pepsi Max :-)

Other alternate brands:

I'm very fussy with salad cream. Has to be Tesco's own brand for me over any other brand. For mayo though, I'm fine with the usual Hellmann's.

Mac'n'cheese - Spar's own brand (if I'm not making it myself)

Cheddar - Pilgrim's Choice

Bread - Kingsmill (I'll prolly get banned for not saying Hovis lol)

Bread maker - Sainsbury's own bread mix, wholemeal version

Gravy granules - Ah Bisto

Gin - Hendrick's :D

Coffee at home - Café Direct (strongest version)

Coffee in town - Nero

Butter - Lurpak (although not sure if that counts as butter?)

Non-food items:

Ambi Pur - Thai Orchid version

Computer mice - right handed here, but mice HAVE to be symmetrical (I hate Microsoft mice!)

Potato peelers - have to be the Y-shaped version. The straight I-shaped version is useless on me.

Web browser - Firefox as I guess that's still considered 'alternative'.
 
I think ALDI do a great value for money in general - I'm sold on lots of their products now, I'm so glad that there is a supermarket that is pushing the big ones to lower their prices - they have had us all over a barrel for too long. They have opened a lot of stores around here and I hope to see more as they are so busy you can't get parked sometimes
 
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Still a classic with a couple of slices of white yes WHITE BUTTERED bread people, yeah that's right I'm hardcore. Must be one of the best produced soups in moderns times. Give it up for Heinz Tomato Soup people ! :D

Tescos own brand is just as good imho.
 
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