You’ve bean beaten! Supermarket own-brand baked beans defeat more expensive rivals in annual blind test

• The Which? test covered flavour, appearance, texture and aroma – and Asda’s own brand costing 50p a tin achieved the top score of 77 per cent
• Tasters said the texture of Heinz sauce and beans said the flavour was ‘too weak’ 

Supermarket own-label baked beans have beaten their more expensive branded rivals 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, which is less than half the price of established competitors, achieved the top score of 77 per cent in the Which? test for flavour, appearance, texture and aroma.

Joint cheapest Aldi came second with a score of 75 per cent, while Branston’s 90p cans took third place with 74 per cent, 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 per cent and 67 per cent 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’.

Supermarket own-label baked beans have beaten their more expensive branded rivals in an annual test, with two cheaper cans being voted the best by blind tasters

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.

 Asda’s own-brand baked beans costing 50p a tin, which is less than half the price of established competitors, achieved the top score of 77 per cent in the Which? test for flavour, appearance, texture and aroma

‘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.’

A Kraft Heinz spokeswoman said: ‘Our loyal consumers are at the centre of everything we do, and we remain committed to providing them with tasty, nutritious and high-quality Heinz Baked Beans.’ 

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