A Tesco customer said she was shocked at what she discovered after taking on the Martin Lewis Downshift Challenge. Journalist Alexandra Bullard took the advice from the MoneySavingExpert.com founder to buy basic or own-branded products and try to tell the difference in taste compared to branded goods.
Writing about her experience for MyLondon, Alexandra said despite the huge variety of goods on sale in supermarkets, there is one major concern that remains: How much things cost, especially during the cost of living crisis.
Saying she was intrigued by Martin Lewis' suggestion to 'downshift' in supermarkets, she decided to put her preferences for brands such as Kellogg's and Heinz to the test. Choosing to do her weekly shop at Tesco, she went around her store to try the own brand food on offer.
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She said Tesco has a number of own brands, including Tesco's own brand, Tesco's Finest, Hearty Food Co. and The Grower's Harvest. In the end, she managed to spend less than £15 for 14 items.
- Stockwell & Co 24 Wheat Biscuits 432G (74p)
- Tesco 6 Crumpets (25p)
- The Growers Harvest Long Grain Rice 1KG (45p)
- Tesco Oat Drink 1L (£1.00)
- Tesco Squeezy Honey 340G (£1.80)
- Tesco Coconut Milk 400ml (90p)
- Tesco Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce 420G (35p)
- Tesco Clementine Or Sweet Easy Peeler Pack 600G (£1.35)
- Tesco Vegetable Soup 400G (50p)
- Growers Harvest Pure Apple Juice 1 Litre (69p)
- Hearty Food Co. Tomato & Herb Pasta Sauce 440G (39p)
- Tesco Tuna Chunks In Brine 3X80g (£2.00)
- Hearty Food Co. Spaghetti Pasta 500G (20p)
- Tesco Smoked Salmon 120 G (£3.00 Clubcard price)
Total Cost: £13.62
She said that she noticed virtually no difference in taste for vegetables, tuna and coconut milk. And despite being wary of the Stockwell & Co version of her usual Weetabix (which looked 'depressing in appearance' she said), they tasted "exactly the same" as the branded version.
The Tesco own brand version of crumpets were as good as her previous Warburtons favourite and was 70p cheaper. She said: "I was completely in shock when I couldn't tell the difference."
She also said own brand versions of her usual Uncle Ben's rice and Rowse honey were cheaper and tasted the same. The only product she wasn't so keen on was the Tesco Baked Beans saying Tesco's own brand was 'bland and watery'.
In conclusion, she said: "If you want to save up, I highly recommend adopting this into your weekly food shop. I will most definitely be continuing this challenge to ensure that I am not wasting money for no reason. Hooray for Martin Lewis."
