Beans are big business, especially where kids are concerned.
Throw in some sausages and you've got what many youngsters would probably admit to being among their favourite meals.
But with Heinz prices going through the roof, families have been looking for alternatives to the big brand.
And there's one in particular that's been getting rave reviews - and that's Sainsbury's.
With that in mind I decided to give the retailer's own brand a go.
The biggest selling point is that they're 52p a tin, a quarter of the price of Heinz which are generally selling for £2 a pop.
![](https://i2-prod.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article26211626.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_EGR_100223beans_07jpeg.jpg)
Apart from the colour of the tin, they look pretty similar on the outside, with almost identical lettering - all part of the marketing ploy no doubt.
But what about the inside?
Well you can see from the photos that the sauce with the Heinz ones is lighter and thinner in consistency.
Some shoppers have suggested the Heinz recipe has changed recently, with the juice more watery, but the company insists that's not the case and says it remains 'committed to giving our consumers great tasting and nutritious products without compromising on the quality they know and trust'.
![](https://i2-prod.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article26211653.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_EGR_100223beans_03jpeg.jpg)
As for the sausages, they look different too. With Heinz you get a slimmer, smoother sausage, like a miniature version of a typical hot dog.
But with Sainsbury's they're stumpier and with wrinkly skin. And while that might not sound appealing they're pretty tasty.
Having spent too many years living off a certain budget brand of beans and sausages while at university, as a 'proper grown up' I've always bought Heinz - and when my kids came along they got Heinz too.
It was never really an issue, but then prices were nothing like they are now.
The problem I have now is that they're reluctant to try any other - and are so accustomed to the look and taste of Heinz that they know if I'm trying to give them 'a rip-off' version.
![](https://i2-prod.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article26211699.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_EGR_100223beans_09jpeg.jpg)
I actually prefer the Sainsbury's ones to Heinz, on texture and flavour as well as my bank balance.
I'm angry at myself for not trying an alternative to Heinz earlier, when they were at the age they'd neither notice nor care.
A parenting fail that's now hitting me in the pocket.
Have you swapped Heinz for a supermarket's own brand? Have you found another money-saving swap you'd recommended to others? Let us know in the comments.
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