With the recent rise in prices for pretty much everything, we wanted to see if 'value' supermarket essential items are really any different to the more expensive brands.
Milk is something many shoppers buy more than once a week, especially for those who are partial to a cuppa or cereal for breakfast. It's a staple grocery item we all need, but some bottles can end up costing over £2.
Depending on the size of your family, milk is an item that some people get through really quickly. A couple of bottles of milk could set shoppers back almost £5 a week depending on the brand, which might not sound like much, but it can soon rack up.
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We decided to try own brand milk from Iceland, Morrisons and Sainsbury's to see if there's really any point on splashing out extra cash on organic 'better quality' milk - or does it all just taste the same?
There's nothing like saving a bit of money on your weekly shop. Even if it ends up being a couple of quid saved, every little helps when we're in the midst of a cost of living crisis.
Here's what we found:
Sainsbury's British Semi Skimmed Milk 2.27L (4 pint)
I'm a person that gets through a lot of milk, mainly because of the amount of cups of tea I consume on a daily basis. I've become a bit of a milk snob recently, often turning to Cravendale for its creamier taste.
Although Cravendale is only 45p more expensive than this Sainsbury's 4 pint bottle (price at £1.45 for 4 pints) I'm always keen to save a bit of money wherever I can. I'm a big fan of Sainsbury's in terms of quality of their grocery products, so I was expecting big things from this particular bottle of milk.
I sipped the milk first on its own, then had it in a cuppa, and can confirm it was absolutely delicious. I'm a bit of a weirdo in the sense that I can drink milk on its own, which I know some people find weird, so perhaps I'm bias.
But as a whole, the milk was incredibly creamy and quite thick for a semi skimmed milk, making it extra tasty. It was good in a cuppa and stayed fresh right up until its sell by date - which doesn't usually happen with cheaper milks, something I learnt the hard way when buying milk from my local garage.
I'm quite loyal to creamy Cravendale, but I'd happily make the swap to this to save some pennies. I was generally really impressed.
Price: £1.45
Rating: 5/5
Where to buy: Your local Sainsbury's or online
Iceland British Fresh Pasteurised Semi Skimmed Milk 4 Pints
I’m a big fan of ordering your shopping to your front door, but there’s always a risk when it comes to getting stuck with too-soon use by dates or frozen products slowly but surely melting.
However, I lucked out this time when it came to ordering milk - along with my week’s food shop, of course - from Iceland. It arrived still very cold and with a use by date more than a week away.
When it comes to milk I sit firmly in the middle - I’m not a fan of whole milk as it’s too thick and I see no point in skimmed milk; it's much too watery. Luckily for me, Iceland got the perfect balance between the two with its semi-skimmed option.
The taste reminded me of Cravendale, which comes in at almost £1 more at the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s. The packaging is basic but does the job - and at £1.45 I couldn’t complain.
I was certainly impressed and wouldn’t hesitate to order my milk from Iceland again.
Price: £1.45 for four pints
Rating: 5/5
Where to buy: Your local Iceland store or online here.
Morrisons British Semi Skimmed Milk 2 Pints
I usually go through a fair bit of milk each week as I am a huge tea lover and tend to eat cereal for breakfast. So for me, finding an affordable option to add to my morning cuppa is an essential.
Priced at £1.25 for a two pint bottle, Morrisons semi skimmed milk is usually my go-to. The milk is creamy and tastes nice when added to a cup of tea. It isn't too watery which is definitely a bonus and the milk stays fresh too.
In my opinion, it's good value for money and I would choose this milk over the more costly branded options.
Price: £1.25
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Your local Morrisons store or online here.
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