The cost of living crisis is affecting things us as consumers, with many shoppers trying to find ways to get a cheaper bill after a food shop to save money.
With bills going up drastically, many of us are turning to cheaper alternatives for staple items such as coffee, fairy liquid, baked beans and tea bags. Some are put off by the 'value' ranges and drawn to more 'extra special' products, which cost a lot more for even the simplest of items.
As part of our supermarket reviews series, after reviewing budget baked beans, this week, we're moving onto white bread, a staple item we need on a daily basis - whether it be for lunch, breakfast or dinner. Many supermarkets offer more expensive bread, but do they really taste much different?
READ MORE: We tried 'value' baked beans from Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury's and a 21p tin made us give up Heinz
This week, we're testing out 'value white bread' from supermarkets to see if they're worth swapping to because, in times like these, small changes make a big difference. We purchased white bread from Lidl, Aldi, Sainsbury's and Asda and put them to the test in terms of taste and value.
Lidl 'Simply' medium sliced white bread
I'm a big lover of bread, and although I try to opt for brown bread most days, you can't beat a good old slice of buttery white bread.
This 'Simply' medium sliced white bread only cost me 34p, I was shocked at the bargain price but intrigued to see whether it tasted any different. In terms of aesthetics, the slices of bread looked quite thin for medium sliced, but I didn't let that put me off.
I decided to opt for toast with plenty of butter (Clover to be exact), and I'm so glad I did. The bread had a lovely crunch to it, and it wasn't too thick and doughy which you usually find with white bread.
Honestly? It was no different to any other white bread I've tried, other than the fact it was slightly thin. I'm usually a big fan of the Warburtons Toastie loaf, but would definitely opt for this one instead to save some money.
Considering my usual loaf of bread costs £1.10, this 34p swap is well worth it. If you're willing to miss out ever so slightly on thickness but still keep that moreish white bread taste, Lidl are bang on the money.
One thing I will say though, is that the bread didn't feel entirely fresh. It was slightly harder than the usual white fluffy piece, but still tasted fine toasted.
Price: 34p
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Your local Lidl store
Asda Smartprice White Bread
Bread is, without a doubt, one of my most favourite things to eat. Having a bad day? Toast is the ultimate mood booster. Need a quick, effort-free snack? A slice of bread. Feeling sad or hormonal? Bread is the answer.
I'm quite snobby with bread and, in my opinion, the thicker the better. My favourite bread is Roberts Mega Thick, which is £1.20 a loaf and, quite frankly, utter, doughy perfection.
With Asda's Smartprice bread, the first thing I noticed was how painfully thin the slices were. I wasn't looking forward to trying it but then, I noticed the price.
Asda's budget-friendly loaf is just 39p, which is pretty brilliant in these financially painful times. It's nowhere near up to the mark taste-wise as it's quite dry and very plain, while the thinness is disappointing, but it does satisfy any immediate hunger pangs.
It definitely does the trick but after being used to super thick bread, I needed at least three slices to feel properly full. It's not as decadent and as comforting as a lovely, thick slice but when we're all budgeting, it does hit the spot and is great for saving some much-needed money.
Price: 39p
Rating: 2.5/5
Where to buy: Online or at your local Asda store.
Sainsbury’s soft white medium bread
Bread is definitely one thing that has gone up in price lately and it’s something we get through quite a bit of in our house as a family of four.
I usually go for the Hovis Granary Medium Sliced loaf which is £1.65 in Sainsbury’s and then buy a big sourdough or something similar on the weekend, but the cost does rack up. Like many children of the 80s and 90s I was brought up on white bread but I’m not keen on it now, preferring more wholesome flavours and seeded batches.
In Sainsbury’s, the cheapest full size loaf I found was this 60p soft white loaf, which was certainly a good saving of more than a £1 on my usual bread. It certainly was soft, but didn’t really have that fresh bread smell. It didn’t really smell much at all to be honest.
I tried a bit with a thin spread of Lurpak and the plain taste took me back to my childhood, as did the claggy texture. Toasted and topped Lurpak it was easier to eat without getting stuck to the roof of my mouth and the taste improved a bit too.
I imagine if I’d had one to many drinks the night before it would make a glorious bacon sandwich. A decent price if you like white bread, but the flavour didn’t impress me enough to make it a swap for me.
Price: 60p
Rating: 3/5
Where to buy: Sainsbury’s in store or online
Aldi's Everyday Essentials Medium Sliced White Bread
I eat bread most days, with a seeded loaf being my go-to for sandwiches due to the the extra flavour. However, whenever I have scrambled egg or beans on toast, I usually opt for white bread. I prefer a thick white loaf, so I was intrigued to try Aldi's Everyday Essentials Sliced White Bread as it's quite thin.
My first impressions were good, as despite being thin, the bread felt soft and had a nice smell. I decided to try a bit of the slice on its own before buttering it, but this led to disappointment - I couldn't get any flavour from the bread at all until I added the butter.
I think if you're wanting to eat the bread on its own, such as to make buttery toast in the morning, you may want to choose a different white loaf that has more thickness and flavour. However, if you're going to be adding a filling to make a sandwich or have eggs or beans on toast, I think Aldi's Everyday Essentials loaf will help the white bread craving.
Price: 36p
Rating: 3/5
Where to buy: Your local Aldi.
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