We tried Lidl’s copycat versions of big brands – these are the five we’d always buy again and the three to avoid

SUPERMARKET own brand ranges can be a bargain buy compared to well known brands.

But which products are really worth your cash – and what items are best left on the shelf?

The German discount supermarket is more popular than ever as shoppers look to beat rising food prices.

Plus the supermarket’s Middle of Lidl aisle offers regular bargains on everything from kids toys to garden furniture.

We tried top brands like Dolmio and Uncle Bens to see how they compare to Lidl’s own versions – here’s our verdict.

Dolmio

• Lidl Baresa Bolognese Sauce (500g) – 69p, 14p per 100g
• Dolmio Original Bolognese Sauce (500g) – £2.20, 44p per 100g

The Sun’s consumer reporter Lynsey Hope put supermarket spaghetti sauce up against family favourite Dolmio.

And Lidl’s proved quite a surprise, beating the pricier branded one.

Lynsey said: “I found it quite hard to coat all the meat with this Baresa sauce from Lidl. It looked quite watery and my expectations were low before I started tucking in.

“I was left pleasantly surprised. The taste was actually great. It wasn’t as rich as Dolmio but it felt light and nice to eat.

“The best thing – it’s only 69p for a 500g jar. Buying one of these instead of Dolmio every week could save you over £78 a year – an amazing saving!”

“I’ve never been a big fan of Dolmio. It’s very quick and easy to use but to me, this tastes far too sugary and sweet. The tomatoes were very acidic.

“I didn’t like the price much either – there are cheaper alternatives which taste better than this.”

Here’s how their scores compare:

Lidl

• Taste: 8/10
• Value: 10/10
• Overall: 9/10
• Total score: 27/30

Dolmio

• Taste: 5/10
• Value: 5/10
• Overall: 5/10
• Total score: 15/30

KP nuts

• Lidl Alesto Roasted Salted Peanuts (400g), £1.25, 31p per 100g
• KP Original Salted Peanuts (250g) – £3, £1.20 per 100g

Lynsey found that on taste and value combined, there was little difference between the supermarket’s own version of the famous snack brand.

She said: “A jumbo sized bag so I probably ended up eating more peanuts than I should have.

“These Lidl ones would be great for a big party or gathering if you’re hosting lots of people because they are such great value.

“They didn’t taste quite as salty as KP and the crunch wasn’t quite the same but they were nice enough.

“No complaints on taste and the price is great.”

“KP are lovely tasting peanuts and top marks for the resealable pack which made them easier to store once opened and kept them fresher for longer.

“The only downside here is the price – £3 a pack is a lot when we are all trying to shave money off our grocery bills.

“If you only like KP, they’ll have to be an occasional treat.”

Here’s how they were rated:

Lidl

• Taste: 6/10
• Value: 8/10
• Overall: 7/10

KP

• Taste: 9/10
• Value: 5/10
• Overall score: 7/10

Uncle Ben’s

• Lidl Cavala Basmati Rice – 89p per 250g packet
• Ben’s Original Simply Basmati Rice – £1 per 250g packet

Uncle Ben’s is well known for its rice – but it didn’t live up to the hype for Lynsey and Lidl’s came out on top.

Lynsey said: “Known for being a budget chain, this is an expensive product from Lidl.

“That said it is still cheaper than the big brands.

“The grains were a bit chewy and it wasn’t as light and fluffy as it should have been.

“It was a bit stodgy – a bit like rice that has been reheated. Not for me.”

“I’d never tried Ben’s before and given it’s a big brand, my hopes were high.

“The rice was long but less fluffy and there wasn’t really any flavour at all.

“I didn’t get any enjoyment from it all and was left feeling disappointed.”

Here’s how Lynsey scored them:

Lidl

• Taste: 5/10
• Ease of use: 8/10
• Value for money: 5/10
• Overall score: 6/10

Uncle Ben’s

• Taste: 4/10
• Ease of use: 8/10
• Value for money: 4/10
• Overall score: 4/10

Harpic and Duck

• Lidl W5 Pine Forest Toilet Gel (750ml) – 49p (65.3p per litre)
• Duck Deep Action Gel Pine Forest (750ml) -£1.25 (£1.67 per litre)
• Harpic Active Fresh (750ml) – £1.30 (£1.73 per litre)

Lidl left Lynsey’s loos sparkling and it didn’t cost a fortune like others.

She said: “A rather off-putting green colour but actually the Lidl one was one of the best.

“It’s a great product and left my loos sparkling and clean. They do a lemon cleaner so might try that one next time.”

“The Duck cleaner claims to remove 99.9% of bacteria and eliminate unpleasant odours.

“It did all that but even after several goes, there was some brown staining in the toilet bowl which for this price I was hoping it might remove.

“It is very thick so does cling to the toilet bowl and I thought it would have done a better job. It has a nice autumnal smell.

“There is no denying Harpic works well but it costs much more than others.

“It was thick and one of the most effective cleaners, getting rid of discolouration in the toilet bowl after a few uses and leaving it smelling fresh and clean.

“It’s so expensive though and others we tested did just as good a job.”

Here’s how Lynsey rated the Loo cleaners:

Lidl

• Cleaning: 9/10
• Value for money: 9/10
• Overall score: 9/10
• Total score: 27/30

Harpic

• Cleaning: 10/10
• Value for money: 4/10
• Overall score: 7/10
• Total score: 21/30

Duck

• Cleaning: 6/10
• Value for money: 4/10
• Overall score: 5/10
• Total score: 15/30

Plenty

• Lidl Simply Kitchen Towels – 99p for 240 sheets, 37p for 100 sheets
• Plenty The Original Kitchen Roll – £5 for 200 sheets, £2.50 per 100 sheets

Toilet’s isn’t the only area of the house where Lidl cleaned up either.

Lynsey said: “This is VERY thin kitchen paper but at only 37p for 100 sheets from Lidl, who cares?

“It’s not much different in quality to some other supermarket brands so if you are only using it for a quick wipe here and there it might be ok.

“If you are mopping up lots of spillages or go through a lot of kitchen towel though I’d probably choose a thicker one.”

“Plenty is very expensive compared to own brand options but it absorbed well and seemed to retain more water.

“It promises to be wringable but when I tried to wring the water out I just ended up with a sloppy mess of tissue in my hands.

“It was great for clearing up though and there is no doubt it lasts a lot longer than some rolls.

“If you can pick these up while on offer, it might be worth buying and save you money in the long run.”

Here’s how each of the paper towel rolls stacked up:

Lidl

• EFFICIENCY: 3/10
• VALUE: 9/10
• OVERALL MOP RATING: 8/10
• TOTAL SCORE: 20/30

Plenty

• EFFICIENCY: 9/10
• VALUE: 3/10
• OVERALL MOP RATING: 6/10
• TOTAL SCORE: 18/30

Philadelphia

• Lidl Milbona Full Fat Soft Cheese (200g) – 89p
• Original Philadelphia (165g) – £2.20

Branded cream cheese was actually cream of the crop for Lynsey versus Lidl’s own brand.

She said: “The foil split when I tried to open the Lidl packet and there was a film of liquid over the copy.

“I found this to be quite off-putting and the cheese itself was thinner and more watery.

“It tasted ok but I wouldn’t rush back – even at just 89p for 200g, it’s not my top choice.”

“Creamy and a lovely flavour, Philadelphia is a staple in many family fridges. It’s perfect for savoury and sweet dishes.

“I can’t fault the taste, the problem is the price. It’s £2.20 for a small 165g tub and with three kids to feed, this doesn’t last very long in my house.”

Lidl

• Taste: 5/10
• Value: 7/10
• Overall: 5/10
• Total score: 18/30

Philadelphia

• Taste: 9/10
• Value: 4/10
• Overall: 6/10
• Total score: 19/30

HP sauce

• Batts Brown Sauce 450g, 75p
• HP Sauce 285g, £1.80

The Sun journalist Laura Stott pitted HP against supermarket brown sauces – and Lidl’s did not hit the mark.

She said: “Lidl is a Bargain. But while you’ll save some cash, the taste might not set your Full English alight.

“Quite runny, and I found it rather bland and quite bitter as an accompaniment to a fried egg.

“The overriding flavour is one of sweetness but there’s also a strange, salty aftertaste which I didn’t much love.

Wouldn’t be my first pick.

“Old favourite HP has the flavour and smell most of us think of when craving a dollop of the dark stuff.

“Tomatoey, tangy, tart, mellow and beautifully balanced with dates for sweetness and a peppery, tamarind hit. Lovely consistency and flavour.

“No complaints from me on taste, but the price for such a small bottle is eye-watering.”

Laura gave Lidl just 2/5 compared to HP’s 3/5.

Baileys

• Lidl Deluxe Irish cream liqueur – £7.99 for 700ml
• Baileys original cream liqueur – RRP £17 for 700ml

Consumer reporter Rosie Taylor tried the tipple that’s a favourite for many: Baileys.

But despite being better value, the taste just didn’t hit the spot.

She said: “The classic drink is exactly as you’d expect: creamy and smooth with a warm aftertaste.

“But it comes at a price – the RRP for a standard bottle is £17, or £2.25 per 100ml.

“That’s more than three times the price of the cheapest imitation bottle.”

“The Lidl version was nice and thick and matched Baileys in alcohol content, at 17 % ABV.

“It had a synthetic toffee-like taste and was middle-of-the-range on price, at £1.14 per 100ml.

Lidl

• Taste: 6/10
• Value: 6/10
• Total: 12/20

Baileys

• Taste: 10/10
• Value: 4/10
• Total: 14/20

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