As shoppers across the country begin to tighten their budgets, insiders from some of the country's biggest supermarkets are sharing their secrets on own-brand products.
Insiders from M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Waitrose and Sainsbury's have been sharing all they know about the value products on Martin Lewis' MSE website.
And it's good news for shoppers, as own-brand products are said to be similar in every way - except for price.
It will come as welcome information for many shoppers who have been taking part in the Martin Lewis 'downshifting' challenge, which involves purchasing basic or own-brand products to cut back on costs.
One former cheese factory worker only purchases value cheese from M&S, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Asda as it is the same as their brand cheese, Hull Live reports.
A former McVitie's employee also says that the biscuit company makes 'own-brand' custard creams, bourbons, ginger its and digestives for "all the major retailers" and that "recipes were nearly identical, the main difference was usually a bit of salt."
A lorry driver agreed, telling MSE that "all own brand stuff you buy is made in the same factory with branded stuff" but with a "slightly different recipe".
And Daniel Dawson, who said he "worked for a large premium baby food brand", claims that was very little difference in baby food - with branded products being made on the same line as "baby food for shops such as Asda, Aldi and Lidl".
And the same is apparently true of adult ready meals too. Kerry Flinton - whose step mum worked in a packing factory - said: "Aldi and Lidl buy old M&S and big supermarket recipes – that's why their products taste good."
Meanwhile, Amy Mortson, a former Nando's employee told MSE that the popular Perinaise is merely a mixture of mayo and medium sauce, which are both available for free to diners in Nando's restaurants.
She also revealed there is a "secret" sauce known as peri flamer, which is mixture of peri tamer (bbq) and hot sauce.
And many households will be delighted to know that cheap cleaning products often work just as well as the more expensive branded versions. Pauline Emma John told MSE: "I'm a cleaner. 99p cleaner does exactly the sam £3.99 per bottle stuff. You are just paying fir the fancy bottles and the brand."
Tracey Cooper agreed, sharing a photo of various shower cleaners. "All these bottles are made in the same chemical factory, many different prices in shops, same liquid in them all," said Tracey.
The MSE website listed more than 20 of these "insider Secrets" on its website here.
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