With food prices soaring and many of us keen to make savings, one woman was intrigued after hearing of Martin Lewis' "Downshift Challenge".
The task, which is said to cut some grocery bills considerably, simply involves switching branded products for basic or store-brand items. Later, you are to try and tell the difference when it comes to taste.
As a self-confessed lover of "all things Kellogg's and Heinz", Alexandra Bullard wanted to know how much she would save, and whether the non-branded goods would live up to their more expensive equivalents.
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Writing for MyLondon, she said Tesco is her go-to supermarket, and the giant retailer separates their products into different categories, such as Tesco's Finest. They also have cheaper own brands such as Hearty Food Co. and The Grower's Harvest which are presented in a similar way to manufacturers' brands.
Armed with a food list, Alexandra made her way around the supermarket to grab some essentials - without being tempted by big name brands. In the end she managed to avoid the brand giants, and paid less than £14 for a lot of supplies.
She bought:
- Stockwell & Co 24 Wheat Biscuits 432G (74p)
- Tesco 6 Crumpets (25p)
- The Growers Harvest Long Grain Rice 1KG (45p)
- Tesco Oat Drink 1L (£1.00)
- Tesco Squeezy Honey 340G (£1.80)
- Tesco Coconut Milk 400ml (90p)
- Tesco Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce 420G (35p)
- Tesco Clementine Or Sweet Easy Peeler Pack 600G (£1.35)
- Tesco Vegetable Soup 400G (50p)
- Growers Harvest Pure Apple Juice 1 Litre (69p)
- Hearty Food Co. Tomato & Herb Pasta Sauce 440G (39p)
- Tesco Tuna Chunks In Brine 3X80g (£2.00)
- Hearty Food Co. Spaghetti Pasta 500G (20p)
- Tesco Smoked Salmon 120 G (£3.00 Clubcard price)
In total, she spent £13.62 and her findings were "life changing".
Alex said she mostly eats fresh vegetables and pulses, and that she found these to be some of the cheapest items on offer. She said: "Tins of tuna and coconut milk cost between 90p and £1.50 depending on the quality, and there's virtually no difference in taste when compared to branded, more expensive, alternatives.
"For breakfast items, I always make sure I have my cupboard stocked with cereal such as Weetabix. The Stockwell & Co version looked very depressing in appearance, with their biscuit sizes tiny in comparison. However, they tasted exactly the same as Weetabix. I couldn't believe I had been paying more for years.
"I am a huge fan of Warburtons crumpets, so I was apprehensive about trying the Tesco own version. Once again, I was completely in shock when I couldn't tell the difference - and I saved 70p in the process."
Alexandra switched our her Uncle Bens rice and Rowse Honey for Tesco's own brands - saving £1.19 on the honey alone. She said: "Tesco's own brands tasted exactly the same in these departments".
One product failed the taste test, however. Alexandra added: "I wasn't too keen on Tesco's baked beans, there was a huge difference when I ate this over my toast for breakfast, and I was horrified at how bland and watery it was. Next time I'll probably stick to Heinz."
Overall, though, she recommends adopting the challenge into your weekly food shop, adding: "Hooray for Martin Lewis ".
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