With the weather still damp and cold, there is no better way to spend your afternoon lunch than with a warming bowl of soup.
As the temperatures keep dropping, it's probably going to be a lot more warming for your soul - and stomach - than a cold sandwich or roll.
It also helps that there are a lot of different options for you to choose from, such as chicken, lentil, potato and leek - the list could go on forever.
However, only one of them really stands as a cut above the rest when it comes to the chillier evenings - tomato.
Well, that's what Sam Honey from Kent Live thinks when it comes to his 'go-to' simple soup of choice and, of course, there is no other brand as instantly recognisable as Heinz.
However, with the rising cost of living and inflation, it's understandable that a lot of shoppers may be thinking about switching their favourite brands to a budget supermarket version.
Many supermarkets across the country offer their own versions of some popular household products that are not just a fraction of the price, but also very similar in taste.
With this in mind, Sam decided to test tomato soups from M&S, Tesco and Aldi against the mighty Heinz to see if his lunchtimes could be changed forever.
Here's how he got on...
Heinz
The reporter started out with a £1 tin of his lunchtime favourite that he picked up in Iceland to begin the taste test to set the standards.
He described the familiar taste of the creamy soup as "the perfect balance between sweet and savoury that really hits the spot on a cold day."
Despite the rather cheap price for the tin, he did admit that every other alternatives from the supermarkets were cheaper in comparison.
He added: "Heinz has also perfected the texture, not too creamy and heavy and not too runny either, the perfect midpoint that really makes a lasting impression.
"University nostalgia of living off of this and bread that was almost certainly past its use by date aside, it’s a soup that really is tough to beat."
M&S
First up for the challenge was the retailer that is synonymous for quality food - M&S.
The retailer's tin of tomato soup came in at just 50p for a standard sized can, which was half the price that Honey paid for the classic Heinz soup.
He added that he was "pleasantly surprised" by the offering and did find that he noticed a difference in the soups as soon as he opened the tin.
After trying a spoonful, he said: " The flavours were much richer and heavier, bearing a lot of similarities to cooking sauces used for pasta, I did actually double check the can after my initial taste to make sure I had actually picked up soup.
"Then in terms of consistency, the double cream was very noticeable and after just a few spoonfuls began to feel very heavy."
Honey admitted that M&S' offering was by no means "bad quality", but he personally would prefer a tin of Heinz.
Tesco
Next up on the list was Tesco's own Cream of Tomato Soup which cost Honey just 45p, which he admitted was "an undeniable bargain."
After trying out Tesco's tomato offering, the reporter once again found that there was quite a difference between the supermarkets version and his staple choice.
He did find that, despite the bargain, it didn't make up for the flavour which he described as "not nearly as strong as the previous two choices."
He added: "The consistency as well was much runnier and watery compared to the other two which really let it down.
"So, when looking for an alternative to Heinz unfortunately Tesco doesn’t quite meet the mark."
Aldi
The fourth and final tomato soup on the list was a version from everyone's favourite budget supermarket Aldi.
Living up to their promise of low prices, Honey managed to pick up a tin of Aldi's Bramwell's Cream of Tomato Soup for just 40p - the cheapest of the bunch!
After giving it a go, Honey admitted that the soup was not only a winner on the price front but also on taste.
After just one spoonful, he said that he was "genuinely stunned" as it tasted almost identical to the classic Heinz soup that we all know and love.
Honey added: "Aldi’s offering tasted almost identical to Heinz, if maybe only a touch sweeter but not enough to detract from the overall taste.
"Looking at the colour and the consistency, we also had a near-perfect match.
"Between the exceptional price and genuinely great quality, this very easily took the top spot of the day."
The verdict
From Honey's overall responses to each different Tomato soup, it looks like Aldi gives Heinz a good run for it's money and will leave you feeling just as satisfied.
With prices rising across the board, the budget supermarket's tomato soup will offer a lower price and good taste.
Honey said of the results: "M&S did offer a very interesting and delicious alternative that I’ll be sure to try again in the future, but if we’re looking for the closest match to Heinz it strays a little too far from the mark.
"Tesco unfortunately left me rather disappointed overall, and I’d be unlikely to pick this over the leading brand."
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