We all love a tin of soup, right? Especially as the weather gets colder and you run the risk of getting caught in the rain on your way home from work. A warm bowl of soup just always seems to hit the right spot when you need to feel cosy on a particularly rubbish day.
But before you reach for a tin of Heinz tonight, have you ever considered that the giant of tinned foods might not actually be the cream of the crop? Many of us skip over the own-brand soups offered by our local supermarkets in favour of the big names, but we could be missing out on a better taste - and a cheaper price tag - by doing so.
Researchers at Which? asked a large panel of consumers to blind-taste tomato soups from the likes of Heinz and Baxters alongside supermarket offerings from Morrisons, Asda, Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, and M&S to find out which one is really worth slurping this winter.
Reena Sewraz, Which? money and shopping editor, said: "Tomato soup is a winter staple for many, and yet again our taste tests have shown that supermarket own-brand products can more than stand their ground against pricier items from big brands.
"Many households are looking for ways to cut their spending due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. Opting for supermarket own-label groceries is not only a great way to save money, but often you won't have to compromise on taste."
Coming in at the very bottom of the list of tomato soups was, surprisingly, the offering from Baxters. Which? reported that around three-quarters of their consumers found the texture too thin, and two-thirds found the tomato flavour weak - and at £1.60 per tin, that's a hefty investment for a lacklustre soup.
And while the most expensive soup on the list came in at last place, the cheapest one only just beat it to eighth place, proving that price isn't always everything.
The Bramwells Cream of Tomato soup sold for 45p per tin at Aldi was disappointing for consumers, with 59% of testers claiming it was too weak, and more than half saying it was far too thin. If you're looking for a bargain, this is the tin to buy - but be warned that it might be more akin to water than soup.
Now for the shocking part - seventh place on the list of nine tomato soups, was Heinz themselves. At £1.40 per tin, the brand name fell short of the much cheaper supermarket varieties, most of which are less than half the price.
Consumers said Heinz did well in the texture and appearance categories, but 58% of those involved in the taste test said that the tomato flavour just wasn't strong enough.
Which? said of the brand's ranking: "The top brand was rated well for texture and appearance, but 58% were disappointed by the weak tomato flavour."
Pipping Heinz to the post in sixth was the 60p cream of tomato soup offered by M&S, which most people thought had a good texture, while fifth place went to the equally priced Waitrose Essential tin - as tasters said they loved the texture, sweetness, and colour.
And narrowly missing out on a place in the top three was Morrisons, who at 85p per tin are actually the most expensive of the supermarket brands. Consumers again liked the texture and sweetness, but felt 45% were disappointed by the strength of the tomato flavour.
Regular shoppers at Asda can rejoice, as their soup came in third place on the list, with only a quarter of testers suggesting that the flavour could be improved. Which? said: "The flavour, texture and sweetness were all a hit with our testers. Around a quarter felt the tomato flavour could be stronger, but most found it about right."
The final two spots were incredibly close, but it was Tesco who just missed out on being crowned the best tomato soup, as they lost out to Sainsbury's - both of whom price their tins at a humble 55p.
Speaking about the Tesco offering, Which? said: "Tesco tomato soup was a very close second. The vast majority of tasters said that the strength of the tomato flavour was just right. It ties with Sainsbury's as the third cheapest soup on test, so is a great choice if you happen to be in Tesco or shop there regularly."
And they added of Sainsbury's: "The well-balanced tomato flavour and appetising colour were both rated highly by our taste testers. It’s a good price too - it tied for third cheapest of the soups on test, and is less than half the price of Heinz. If you shop at Sainsbury’s, it's a clear win."
So if you're in the market for a tin of soup for your tea, head to your nearest Tesco or Sainsbury's - and resist the temptation to splash more money than necessary on a brand name.
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