Many of us are trying to save cash where we can at the moment and part of that is likely to be swapping out some of our favourite products on the weekly shop for the supermarket's own brand version. But is it possible to do it without compromising on taste?
HP is the original when it comes to brown sauce. It's been doing its thing since 1895, no less. Us Brits have been coating our pies, bangers and mash and cooked breakfasts with it ever since.
But with the cost of living biting, could we find decent alternatives on the supermarket shelves for less cash?
Ashley Summerfield from the Express cooked some chips and got tasting. Here is what he found.
HP Sauce
I opted for the smaller 285g bottle from Tesco for £1.70. However, depending on which supermarket you shop at, the normal 450g bottle will cost you between £2 and £3.
What can I say? The sauce is a delight to the taste buds. I found myself eating quite a few chips before I remembered that I had a job to do.
The dark brown sauce has the perfect consistency and taste. It is tangy and peppery and has a kick, which lets you know it is the star of the dish. Need I say more? 10 out of 10.
Asda
I picked up this 460g brown sauce for 90p. The consistency is similar to HP, but the colour is different—it has a slight reddish tint.
I am not sure what my expectations were going into this, but the sauce was disappointing. The flavours are far too sweet, and the aftertaste is not one to be desired. Sorry Asda, 3 out of 10.
Sainsbury's
Having cleansed my palate, I was ready for the next contender. I paid 95p for Sainsbury's 450g brown sauce.
My first impression was that it was very runny, far more so than its predecessors. The taste was tangy, but once again it was too sweet. After one chip, I did not want to go on, but I forced myself to eat a couple more just to be sure, and I can confirm it is not for me. That being said, it was better than Asda, 4 out of 10.
Tesco
I forked out 90p for Tesco's 435g brown sauce. With my stomach feeling unsettled thanks to the previous sauces, I was hesitant to go on, but I am glad I did.
Its consistency and colour is very similar to HP's, and its taste was the best yet (excluding HP, of course). Like it says on the bottle, it is "bold" and "tangy" and that is about all there is to it, really. A decent attempt, Tesco, 6 out of 10.
Lidl
At only 65p, Lidl's brown sauce is the joint-cheapest. If I was reviewing customers and not brown sauce, I would give Lidl 10 out of 10.
The store was heaving with people and the checkout queues stretched for miles (I am exaggerating). But when I joined the line with my solitary bottle of brown sauce, people were quick to offer me their place and, within seconds, I was at the front.
There is not much to say about the sauce, though. It is slightly too runny, the colour is almost the same as HP and the taste is tangy, but once again it is too sweet. I would give it a 5 out of 10.
Aldi
I will not lie, at this point, I was disappointed in the sauces and in myself for suggesting this taste test idea in the first place. But what is that in the distance - a knight in shining armour? No, in fact, it is our final challenger, Aldi.
Aldi's brown sauce is also 65p. It is the darkest of all the sauces, and has the perfect consistency.
I popped a chip coated in the sauce into my mouth and wow, it was delicious. It is almost identical in taste to HP Sauce, but at a fraction of the cost.
At that moment, my housemate walked into the living room where I was conducting this important piece of journalism. "Are you crying?" he asked me, and yes, yes I was - the sauce is beautiful. It restored my faith in supermarket own brands.
Thank you, Aldi. You pulled it out of the bag. 10 out of 10.
Verdict
We all agree that HP Sauce is top tier, but if you are trying to save money where you can during the cost of living crisis, like me, I wholeheartedly recommend switching to Aldi's brown sauce to save a few pounds.
