In recent weeks there’s been a lot of talk about the price of butter after a picture of a £9 tub of Lurpak went viral.
It feels like every time we go to the supermarket the prices have crept up again and many of us are looking for ways to make savings at the check out. One way to cut costs is by switching to cheaper supermarket own brands and ECHO Reviews writer Emily Sleight recently reviewed Aldi's Norpak to see how it compared to those pricey tubs of Lurpak - you can read the review in full here.
Over the last few months, we’ve been testing out supermarket value brands to see which are just as good as the more expensive varieties on the shelves. We’ve already tested value tea bags, coffee, tinned tomatoes and baked beans, in our quest to find the best budget buys.
READ MORE: We tried supermarket burgers and there was a clear winner
This week, we've been trying out margarine spreads from supermarkets Sainsbury’s, M&S, Asda and Morrisons. Here's what we found:
Sainsbury's Butterlicious
Despite its hefty price tag, I have to confess to being a Lurpak lover so I'm constantly keeping an eye out for when it’s on sale. For me, you can't beat its salty, creamy texture spread on piping hot toast.
But, like most people, I'm trying to save money at the tills by switching to cheaper products because I can't quite believe how high prices have risen in recent months. I picked up a tub of Sainsbury's Butterlicious, which is £1.10 for a 500g tub. The same size tub of Lurpak at Sainsbury's is usually £5 though it's currently on sale at £3.75 - still twice the price of Butterlicious.
It was the cheapest spread I could find in the supermarket, with Sainsbury's Olive Spread a few pence more at £1.15 and Clover the cheapest branded item at £1.75. The first thing that struck me when I opened the lid was how yellow the spread was. It didn't have a particularly noticeable smell and looked really soft and smooth.
I tasted a tiny bit on my finger and it had a slightly salty taste, which I enjoyed. When I’ve had margarine or vegetable spreads in the past I’ve found them to be quite bland, but once spread on a slice of toast this actually had a pleasant taste.
I found it sank into the hot toast really quickly and had a creamy flavour and texture. Thankfully it didn’t have a greasiness to it. Overall, I'd say it was a 'better than expected' experience. I’m not sure I’ll be switching from Lurpak in a hurry, but if prices keep going up like they have done, at least I know I’ve got a cheaper option to turn to that I actually like.
Rating: 3/5
Price: £1.10
Where to buy: Sainsbury's online or instore
Asda Just Essentials Soft Spread
I struggle finding a decent margarine or spread because, though I'm a vegetarian, I am making the slow transition to veganism and stick to plant based milk and butter/margarine alternatives. Flora's vegan spread is pretty darn delicious so I've been stocking up on it whenever it's on offer.
Asda's new Essentials range, with its garish yellow packaging and promise of low prices, has caught my eye while perusing the aisles of my local store but I'd yet to try anything from the range - until this week's review. I picked up a 500g tub for a respectable 75p -quite a bit cheaper than my usual £4 1kg tub of Flora 100% Natural Dairy Free Spread.
A thick slice of buttery toast is the ultimate comfort food in my opinion, so I decided to see if Asda's Essentials range could provide the same soothing quality. Upon taking a tentative bite, I instantly knew this was no Flora.
This spread is decent enough for its price, but it's quite bland and left the roof of my mouth feeling like it had an oily film across it which wasn't the most pleasant after taste experience. It still does the trick and offers a light taste but it could definitely do with a little more salt, in my opinion.
When it's near the end of the month - or half way through the month these days - this is a worthwhile option to keep you going. It gets the job done and it's an excellent price. It's not something I'd choose over Flora - when it's not long been pay day - but I do think it's excellent value for money.
Rating: 3/5
Price: 75p
Where to buy: Online or in store
M&S Reduced Fat Olive Oil Spread
I've got to admit, I'm a Clover lover through and through because I absolutely love its rich buttery taste, so I was intrigued to see how good this M&S spread tasted. A hefty price tag often comes with some M&S food products, which is why I wasn't too surprised when I saw the price of this Reduced Fat Olive Oil spread.
For £1.75, you get a standard 500g tub which looks pretty stuffed I'll admit. The packaging was up to its usual luxurious M&S standard despite it being their own brand, and aesthetically the spread looked very creamy.
I spread the butter onto two pieces of warm toast and was pretty impressed with how easily it spread (watch out, Lurpak!) But there was one issue - the taste severely lacked.
As a whole, the Reduced Fat Olive Oil Spread was slightly buttery in taste, but it had nothing on my favourite, Clover. It was actually quite average, and you could definitely tell it was reduced fat (which is good for the calories, but not the taste!)
It spread really easily, but it just lacked that exciting flavour that butter adds to a piece of toast. I'll be giving this spread a middle of the range 3/5, especially because it was so expensive.
Rating: 3/5
Price: £1.75
Where to buy: Ocado online or instore
Morrisons Olive Spread
When it comes to spreads, I tend to opt for olive spread as I prefer the taste over butter. I picked up a 500g tub of Morrisons own brand olive spread for just £1.30, which is great value, especially when compared to the Flora version which is priced at £4.49 for the same sized tub.
The spread appears creamy when you open the tub and looks appealing. I love spreading it on toast, and found it to be a smooth and delicious addition to my breakfast. The product is suitable for vegans and, according to the Morrisons website, contains 78% less saturated fat than butter.
Overall, I was very impressed with this spread and would definitely purchase it again, as it is a great quality spread at an affordable price.
Rating: 4/5
Price: £1.30
Where to buy: Morrisons stores or online.
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