Supermarket own-brand baked beans crowned best in the UK — and better than Heinz

Us Brits are a nation of legume lovers, getting through more than 2 million tins of baked beans every day.

But if you’re one of the millions who automatically reach for tins of Heinz at the supermarket – either out of brand loyalty or the notion that pricier equals better – it may be time to reconsider.

A recent study by consumer watchdog Which? crowned the UK’s best beans, with two own-label options beating the UK market leader on both flavour and price.

In a blind taste test, the consumer champion asked a panel of 60 people to rate 12 different varieties, including Heinz, Branston, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Aldi, and Tesco.

Each earning an overall rating of 77%, Aldi and Lidl were tied to top spot, narrowly edging out the big-brand favourite despite being more than three times cheaper.

Aldi’s Bramwells beans (a reigning champion of the annual ranking) were praised for texture and taste by the majority of testers, who agreed that they were pleasantly sweet.

At 41p a can, they were hailed as an ‘excellent all-rounder’ by Which?, winning Best Buy and Great Value awards.

Lidl also scooped these titles for its budget Newgate offering, which scored similarly well across the board.

While technically more expensive at 42p, these tins came in slightly heavier than those from Lidl’s German supermarket, meaning they were both equivalently priced per 100g.

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In at second place was Heinz, with a score of 76%. Over half of the panel said the sweetness levels were right, and most enjoyed their tomatoey flavour, yet more than a third said they’d prefer this to be stronger.  

While they landed a Best Buy from Which? though, the only accolade Heinz Beanz picked up in terms of value was ‘most expensive’. Costing £1.40, 415g tin from the brand is over 200% the price of its Aldi and Lidl counterparts — although Which? noted you can pick them up ‘more cheaply in multipacks or via offers, such as two for £2.’

Beans from Branston, Asda and Sainsbury’s placed third, fourth and fifthrespectively, while those from Ocado, Morrison’s and Waitrose were joint sixth with a score of 71%, followed by Tesco.

Perhaps surprisingly, M&S’s own-brand option failed to impress, being described as ‘dull-looking’ and lacking in flavour.

But it was Co-Op that fared worst in the trial; two-thirds of the panel said their flavour was too weak, and most wanted them to be sweeter, making them the least enjoyed out of all the beans tested.

Commenting on the results, Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: ‘Our taste test shows that you don’t have to compromise on flavour by ditching the pricier brands and choosing supermarket own-label beans – a switch that could save over £100 a year.”

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