The UK’s best tomato ketchup has been revealed, with one own-brand option scoring exactly the same as Heinz, and coming in 72% cheaper.
In a blind taste test, the consumer watchdog Which? asked 72 people to taste and rate eight supermarket own-label ketchups including Aldi, Asda, Tesco, M&S, Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Lidl, alongside the beloved American brand.
And while Heinz Tomato Ketchup did win the title of Best Buy, it shared joint first place with Asda’s Classic Tomato Ketchup, which also scooped Great Value.
Asda’s tomato sauce is less than a third of the price of Heinz, at £1 for 550g, while the latter will cost you £3 for 460g.
When it comes to taste, both condiments received an overall score of 77%, based on flavour, appearance, texture and aroma.
The majority of the panel said Asda’s Classic Tomato Ketchup ‘had well-balanced tanginess, sweetness and strength of flavour’. Fun fact: it also contains less salt and sugar than its winning counterpart.
When it came to Heinz, tasters rated it highly for texture and flavour but the downsides include it being the most expensive option in the entire test, as well as having more salt and sugar than most other sauces tried.
What about the other supermarkets?
Another Heinz alternative to consider is Waitrose’s Essential Tomato Ketchup, which came in a respectable second place with an overall score of 75%.
Apparently taste testers were a big fan of the consistency, claiming the thickness of the sauce was ‘just right’.
It’s also pretty good value for money (shock, we know) coming in at just 2p more expensive than Asda per 100g – a 470g bottle will cost you a measly 95p.
If you prefer to do your weekly shop in Aldi, you’re in luck too. Taking third place is Aldi’s Bramwells Tomato Ketchup with a score of 73%.
However, only half the panel were satisfied with the sweetness and strength of flavour of this sauce, perhaps because it has the lowest sugar content of the bunch.
But when it comes to price it’s of course an absolute steal, at just 89p for 550g – that price is bound to make it taste a little sweeter.
M&S missed the mark
It seems like we’re so often raving about the marvellous innovations at Marks & Spencers, from Chunked N’ Loaded cookies to the Strawberry Sandwich, but its attempt at tomato sauce didn’t impress.
In fact, M&S Tomato Ketchup came dead last with a score of 61%. People weren’t a fan of it’s thickness, finding it to be too much, and it was also too ‘dark and tangy’.
It did okay on price. You can pick up a bottle for just £1 for 495g, but there are cheaper alternatives that scored better.
Jessica Carson, Which? food and health editor said: ‘The perfect tangy flavour boost on chips, burgers, bacon sandwiches and so much more, it isn’t hard to see why tomato ketchup is one of the nation’s favourite condiments.
‘The good news is that rather than forking out for the big brand version, you can get a tasty supermarket alternative for a third of the price.’
Which? ranking of the best ketchup
The consumer champion tested own-label tomato sauces against Heinz and Hellmann’s to see which came out on top.
Here’s the verdict:
- Asda Classic Tomato Ketchup – 77%. One of the tastiest on test and one of the cheapest too. At£1 for 550g/18p per 100g it was awarded Which? Best Buy and Great Value commendations.
- Heinz Tomato Ketchup – 77%. It’s a classic for a reason, also receiving the title of Best Buy from Which?, although it’ll cost a pretty penny at £3 for 460g/65p per 100g.
- Waitrose Essential Tomato Ketchup – 75%. Another strong own-brand alternative, costing just 95p for 470g/20p per 100g.
- Aldi Bramwells Tomato Ketchup – 73%. This had the lowest sugar content of the bunch which meant it lost points for sweetness, but it makes up for it with the 89p price tag for 550g.
- Co-op Tomato Ketchup – 72%. Scored well but the verdict was it was ‘too tangy’. It’s £1.25 for 550g/23p per 100g.
- Sainsbury’s Tomato Ketchup – 71%. Good tanginess and sweetness, but the texture was less appealing compared to others. Costs 95p for 460g/20p per 100g.
- Tesco Tomato Ketchup – 71%. Good appearance and texture, but the flavour didn’t impress. Costs £1 for 555g/18p per 100g.
- Hellmann’s Tomato Ketchup – 70%. Twice the price of many supermarket own labels, but apparently lacked both texture and flavour. Costs £2.15 for 473g/45p per 100g.
- Lidl Batts Tomato Ketchup – 68%. Cheap, but not that cheerful. Our tasters weren’t particularly impressed by the flavour of Lidl’s ketchup. Costs 89p for 560g/16p per 100g.
- M&S Tomato Ketchup – 61%. This was the least liked ketchup overall, with some tasters finding it too thick, dark and tangy. Costs £1 for 495g/20p per 100g.
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