During the week, there's nothing quite like a breakfast of cereal to give you a boost of energy until lunchtime. It's quick, easy, tastes so good, and is great for busy mornings with kids too - and a popular supermarket is selling a budget range of cereals that could potentially rival those of Kellogg's and Nestle.
Thanks to the rising cost of living, many of us are looking to swap to cheaper alternatives as and where we can, but we certainly don't want to compromise on taste. Big brand dupes are a great way to make this swap, and Manchester Evening News writer Emma Gill tried the M&S cereal dupes - and thought many were well worth a go.
Emma wrote: "I bought 10 boxes from the M&S range, making sure to include the most popular varieties that people had mentioned, to then compare them with the real deal.
"Included in my list were Honey Nut Corn Flakes, Corn Flakes, Multigrain Hoops, Special Flakes, Bran Flakes, Malted Wheats, Wholegrain Wheat Bisks, Choco Pops, Rice Pops and Fruit & Fibre Flakes."
She said there was "very little difference" between Special Flakes and Special K, noting that the M&S ones "weren't as sweet", but she said that didn't make them any worse.
She checked the boxes and noted that Special K are 5% sugar, while the M&S Special Flakes are 3%.
She then said that the Shreddies dupes were "the closest match" she's eaten before when it comes to apperance and taste. And Emma noted that you'd never know the difference between the Honey Nut / Crunchy Nut variations, other than they're a "bit shinier."
Emma noted the Wholegrain Wheat Bisks were a little bit smaller than the Weetabix, but it wasn't anything major, and they tasted similar.
And the M&S Bran Flakes had a price tag of just 75p, making them a great swap, and they "tasted the same", with Emma saying she preferred them.
There were a couple from the M&S range that didn't go down too well though - Emma wasn't a fan of the Choco Pops or the Multigrain Hoops, and nor were her kids.
She continued: "Eight out of 10 isn't bad though is it? And, when you consider how much you can save with the M&S ones, there's only one winner here."
A spokesperson from Kellogg's said: "Kellogg's has been working hard to reduce sugar and salt in its cereals for many years. For example, reducing sugar by 50% in Coco Pops in 2018.
"Today four out of five of Kellogg's top-selling cereals in the UK are non-HFSS (not high in fat, salt, or sugar) and all of our UK children's cereals will be non-HFSS by the end of 2023.
"Many Kellogg's cereals also contain 50% of your daily needs of Vitamin D to help people get more of this essential vitamin in their diet."
In response to shoppers turning to other brands, the spokesperson previously said: "Naturally, the taste of our cereals will be slightly different to own-brand products – in the same way own-brand products will also vary from supermarket to supermarket.
"Although seemingly similar, they are different recipes which, in many cases, are also made in different ways. Likewise, the price will also vary. Our consumers demand quality from a brand that they trust and that's what we give them."
Prices - M&S vs big brand (the MEN used Tesco prices for comparison)
- Honey Nut Corn Flakes 500g £2 / Kellogg's Crunchy Nut 500g £3.30 (Clubcard £2.50)
- Corn Flakes 500g 85p / Kellogg's Corn Flakes 500g £2.25
- Multigrain Hoops 375g £1.40 / Nestle Cheerios Multigrain 540g £3.25 (Clubcard £2.50)
- Special Flakes 500g £2 / Kellogg's Special K 500g £3.30 (Clubcard £2.50)
- Bran Flakes 500g 75p / Kellogg's Bran Flakes 500g £2
- Malted Wheats 750g £1.75 / Nestle Shreddies 630g £3.25 (Clubcard £2.25)
- Wholegrain Wheat Bisks 480g £1.85 / Weetabix 24 pack £3.25
- Choco Pops 357g £1.20 / Kellogg's Coco Pops 480g £3.30
- Rice Pops 375g £1.20 / Kellogg's Rice Krispies 510g £3.30 (Clubcard £2.50)
- Fruit & Fibre Flakes 500g £1.30 / Kellogg's Fruit & Fibre 375g £1.99
Would you try own brand cereal? Let us know in the comments.
