Tomato soup lovers may start to rethink their usual supermarket choice after a bargain own-brand tin came out on top in a blind taste test.
Sainsbury’s Cream of Tomato, costing just 59p for a 400g tin, shared first place with Tesco’s equally cheap version in testing carried out by consumer experts at Which?.
A panel of 77 soup fans rated a selection of major brands and supermarket own-label varieties without knowing which was which.
Sainsbury’s impressed tasters with its balance of “tanginess and sweetness”, while its appearance and texture also received strong marks.
Tesco’s version was similarly praised and was said to have “excelled on every measure”, with testers highlighting its flavour and tang.
Asda’s Cream of Tomato also performed strongly, with its 59p tin winning praise for its appearance, aroma, taste and consistency.
All three cost less than half the £1.70 price of a similarly sized tin of Heinz.
The famous brand was surprisingly close to the bottom of the rankings, with tasters describing its flavour as too mild and saying it lacked sweetness or creaminess.
Crosse and Blackwell was the highest-rated branded soup, costing £1.25 a tin, while M+S, Co-op and Morrisons also attracted positive comments.
At the other end of the table, Aldi and Lidl’s 59p soups were criticised for their texture and lack of creaminess.
Waitrose performed poorly among supermarket own-label options, with testers saying its flavour lacked sufficient creaminess.
Baxters finished last, despite being the most expensive at £2.05 a tin.
Tasters reportedly found its flavour underwhelming and the soup disappointingly thin.
The results could make for uncomfortable reading for anyone loyal to Heinz, particularly when the cheapest options performed so well.
For shoppers looking for a warming bowl without stretching the weekly budget, the taste test suggests there may be little reason to pay premium prices.
After all, sometimes the humble supermarket own-brand tin can pack the biggest surprise.