Meal deals have become the default option for so many of us on our dinner break.
The variety of combinations and the value for money have made them extremely popular for those of us needing a quick but filling food fix. However, these supermarket offers have not been exempt from the price rises seen across the nation’s shops.
With food prices continuing to rise, I attempted to see if I could save a bit of money by changing up my lunch. Tesco is one of the most popular options for a meal deal, but Aldi remains renowned for its cheaper prices.
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Research by Which? earlier this year found that Aldi was the cheapest UK supermarket. Tesco was in third place.
Furthermore, Aldi do have their own quick food to go section which I was intrigued to try out. I decided to compare its offering with Tesco’s, judging them on the range of options, price and taste.
The options
I visited both supermarkets early in the morning and both were located in Liverpool city centre. Aldi’s options were not extensive and large sections of the sandwiches shelves in the food to go section were empty.
There was no sign of my usual go-to of a chicken club, so I had to settle for a BLT. I also picked up some grapes for my snack and an apple juice to drink.
Meanwhile, Tesco’s shelves had a lot more options. In the interests of fairness, I also opted for a BLT and apple juice. Annoyingly, there were no grapes available, so I opted for pineapple instead.
The price
The BLT at Aldi individually costs £1.99, compared to £2.50 at Tesco. Similarly, the apple juice was 99p at Aldi, compared to a larger bottle at Tesco for £1.50.
I couldn’t find any grapes at Tesco, but they are priced at £1.15 on Tesco’s website compared to 99p at Aldi. However, while the individual items at Aldi are cheaper than Tesco’s, the German supermarket does not have a formal meal deal offer.
This greatly surprised me. I assumed given their reputation that Aldi would offer a formal, cheaper alternative dinner option to Tesco.
All in all, my lunch at Aldi came to £3.97, whereas Tesco’s meal deal came to £3.40 with a Clubcard. The individual items are cheaper at Aldi, but the meal, snack and drink combination costs less at Tesco.
The taste
Aldi’s BLT was tastier than Tesco’s in my view. While Aldi’s offering is a little bit drier, the butty is actually bigger, as evidenced by the ingredients falling out of the bread.
Aldi’s grapes were bigger than Tesco’s. However, recalling previous experiences, Tesco’s are a lot juicier. There wasn’t too much difference in the apple juice.
Verdict
Tesco’s meal deal was definitely better value for money. Its range of food and drink was far greater too. However, if you just want an individual and larger butty, Aldi is the place to go. With nicer sandwiches and cheaper prices in its shop overall, maybe it's time Aldi launched a formal meal of its own.
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