In a recent blind taste test, Aldi’s own-label baked beans have emerged as the top choice, surpassing several well-known brands.
- The evaluation was conducted by Which?, involving 66 consumers rating various baked bean brands based on several criteria.
- Aldi’s beans achieved the highest score, praised for their appearance, aroma, and flavour strength, with a texture deemed ‘just right’ by 80% of participants.
- Branston’s beans closely followed in the ranking, with high marks for the texture of its tomato sauce.
- Heinz, although popular for flavour strength, faced criticism for aroma and sauce texture.
Aldi has topped a blind taste test conducted by consumer watchdog Which?, with its own-label baked beans beating big-name brands like Heinz and Branston. The test involved 66 consumers who evaluated the beans on appearance, aroma, flavour strength, and texture. According to the results, Aldi’s Bramwells baked beans received a leading score of 76%, with high ratings in appearance and aroma, and 80% of participants agreeing that the beans’ texture was ‘just right’.
Branston baked beans narrowly missed the top spot, scoring 75%. The product was particularly commended for the texture of its tomato sauce, with 89% of taste testers expressing approval. These results highlight a strong performance in key sensory attributes, making Branston a formidable contender in the baked bean market.
Co-op and Asda’s baked beans also performed well, securing scores of 74% and 73% respectively. In contrast, Heinz Beanz, although celebrated for their flavour strength with a score of 72%, did not fare as well in terms of aroma, and more than a third of consumers regarded the sauce as overly thin. Waitrose, with the same score, mirrored these findings.
Further down the rankings, Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s baked beans achieved scores of 71% and 70% respectively. However, the bottom of the list saw Morrisons and M&S scoring 68% and 67%. Critics mentioned that despite a favourable texture, the beans from these supermarkets were considered lacking in flavour and sweetness, with a third of the testers desiring a sweeter taste from M&S beans.
The taste test also reflects broader trends identified earlier this month, following Which?’s blind taste test of supermarket teas, where Asda’s own-label tea bags claimed victory.
Aldi’s victory in the taste test underscores its competitive edge in quality within the supermarket own-brand market.
