There's nothing better than a decadent bar of chocolate, but some come with a hefty price tag.
As the cost of living crisis rages on, a chocolate bar may not be an essential shopping list item but when so many of us are working hard every week, a sweet treat is most needed. This week, we decided to see how supermarkets' own value bars measure up to the big brands and luxury ranges.
A bar of Cadbury's popular Dairy Milk or a silky bar of Galaxy can cost £1 and upwards at the majority of supermarkets, but many retailers boast their own in-house alternatives for a fraction of the cost. Over the last few months, we've been testing out all kinds of budget-friendly shopping products including tea bags, coffee, tomato ketchup, milk and more.
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Some budget items have impressed us and even beaten the likes of the big name brands, but did we manage to track down a chocolate bar that hit the spot while still being good value? Here's what we thought:
Asda Smartprice Dark Chocolate
In my humble opinion, chocolate is one of the best treats on the planet and my expanding waistline is proof we're completely spoilt for choice.
My personal favourite is Galaxy, in all its variations, and though I'm open to trying other brands and iterations, Galaxy maintains its hold over me. This week, I was keen to see how Asda's Smartprice bar would measure up to the big league chocolate companies.
At just 33p for a 100g bar, the price tag is certainly impressive. I opted for dark chocolate - though I didn't hold out much hope for the flavour or texture.
Asda surprised me in that this bar of chocolate, while not as chunky or sweet as its pricier competitors, was still silky smooth and thoroughly enjoyable. I won't lie or exaggerate, it absolutely doesn't hold a candle to a bar of Galaxy but it's still not to be sniffed at.
Though it's not quite as creamy or luxurious as creations by Cadbury or Galaxy, it absolutely hit the spot and satiated my desire for something sweet. I think, especially for the price, this is a lovely product that curbs any sugar cravings without breaking the bank. The Smartprice bar appears to have been rejuvenated as part of Asda's new Just Essentials range, which is the same price.
Like last week with our supermarket crisps test, I was disappointed by the lack of Smartprice and Just Essentials stock. Asda's Extra Special range of chocolate bars had more options but they're £2 a bar, which isn't an accessible price for many people these days. People on a budget shouldn't be so limited in their choices - we're all pinching the pennies more and more these days, and a sweet treat here and there can be a significant mood boost.
Price: 33p
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Online at Asda or in store
Tesco Milk Chocolate Bar
To say I've got a sweet tooth would be a gross understatement. I love chocolate, always have, always will. That's why I was more than happy to head to my local Tesco store to grab a budget bar of chocolate.
The cheapest bar I could find was Tesco's Milk Chocolate Bar, priced at £1. I'm usually a Cadbury Dairy Milk fan, so opting for something different was odd for me, but I thought I'd give it ago.
The bar was similar in style to the Cadbury bar, with a similar opening on the package but different design. The bar was sooth and silky, which gave me great hope when it came to flavour. However, my hopes were let down when I realised the taste wasn't up to the standards of Cadbury, Nestle or Galaxy.
Price: £1
Rating: 3/5
Where to buy: Your local Tesco store or online
Marks and Spencer Belgian Milk Chocolate
Recently I've gotten such a sweet tooth, and let's be honest, it's never very good for the waistline. Nevertheless, a nice sweet chocolatey treat is sometimes the best medicine after a busy day, and I like it in all varieties.
Milk, white, dark you name it, I'll eat it, and I wouldn't say I'm particularly picky at all when it comes to chocolate. I actually really like cheaper chocolate like advent calendar chocolate, so I was really excited to pop into M&S and grab the cheapest bar I could find (which really wasn't that cheap in hindsight.)
The cheapest bar I could find was £1.90 for 180g and considering you can get a 200g bar of Dairy Milk from Tesco from £1.80 I was disappointed in the price, but wasn't surprised as M&S food items can be rather pricey.
In terms of aesthetics, of course this bar looked very luxurious. It had thick gold packaging and foil, and looked far from 'basic' considering it was the cheapest bar available.
I took a big bite (after keeping it in the fridge for extra crunch) and was very impressed. The chocolate was so creamy, and although it tasted a tad like advent calendar chocolate, it was almost like a posh advent calendar chocolate.
It left a delicious after taste in my mouth and it was incredibly moreish. The only thing I didn't like about this chocolate was that it didn't have even square segments, it was a bit all over the place which would make it difficult to share evenly - oh well, all for me then I suppose!
Price: £1.90
Rating: 5/5
Where to buy: Your local M&S store or online.
Morrisons Savers White Chocolate
I have a massive sweet tooth and to say that I love chocolate would be an understatement. However, I tend to stick to the branded options and have never really given the own brand offerings a try. I love all forms of chocolate but fancied some white chocolate, so opted from the Morrisons Savers range. The 100g bar cost 36p - a bargain compared to the same sized bars from Cadbury or Milkybar.
This chocolate was absolutely delicious and I loved how creamy and sweet it tasted. It had a taste that resembled Milkybar and I couldn't believe how indulgent it was for such a low price. If you like white chocolate, then you definitely won't be disappointed with this bar - I will be buying it again for sure.
Price: 36p
Rating : 5/5
Where to buy: Your local Morrisons store or online.
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