Own brand products that are just as good as the branded version

Money Savingkeen_owl_1631started 30 Mar6 replies8 views

keen_owl_1631

30 Mar

I've been on a mission to switch to own brand where possible and honestly some of them are identical to — or better than — the branded version. Here are my top swaps so far:

Aldi:

Norpak butter → literally the same as Lurpak, made in the same factory
Specially Selected coffee pods → better than some Nespresso ones imo
Bramwells mayo → blind taste test winner over Hellmann's in our house

Lidl:

Cien moisturiser → constantly wins awards vs premium brands
Deluxe dark chocolate → easily rivals Lindt

Asda:

Just Essentials chopped tomatoes → 28p vs £1 for branded, zero difference
Extra Special sourdough → better than most bakery loaves

Tesco:

Finest sausages → genuinely excellent, beat most butcher's sausages

What are your best own brand swaps? I want to build a definitive list!

clever_owl_6092

30 Mar

The Aldi Norpak thing is 100% true — I worked in food manufacturing and can confirm it comes off the same production line. Different wrapper, same butter.

My additions:

Aldi Lacura serums → dupes for The Ordinary at a fraction of the price
Lidl W5 cleaning products → as good as Cif/Flash, costs about 60p
Sainsbury's own paracetamol → literally the same drug, 30p vs £2 for Nurofen

The biggest scam in the UK is branded painkillers. It's the exact same active ingredient by law.

breezy_lapwing_3175

30 Mar

Mate you're sleeping on Aldi's wine selection. Their Exquisite Collection Malbec (£6.49) has won more awards than wines five times the price. I buy it by the case now.

Also their Specially Selected pesto is better than Sacla and half the price. We did a side by side and nobody picked the branded one.

lucky_heron_1354

30 Mar

For parents — Aldi Mamia nappies are genuinely brilliant. We switched from Pampers and saved about £30 a month with zero difference in quality. The wipes are great too.

Also Lidl Lupilu baby food pouches at 65p vs Ella's Kitchen at £1.50+. My kids can't tell the difference and honestly neither can I 😅

lucky_linnet_2771

30 Mar

One thing I will say — not ALL own brand is good. Some misses for me:

Aldi own brand ketchup → no substitute for Heinz, sorry
Lidl own brand crisps → not a patch on Walkers
Tesco Value bin bags → false economy, they split every time

But overall switching saves us roughly £200 a month compared to buying all branded. That's nearly £2,500 a year. Life changing money.

thrifty_falcon_5751

30 Mar

Can't believe nobody's mentioned Costco Kirkland. Their dishwasher tablets absolutely destroy Finish and they're about 8p each. The bin bags are industrial strength too.

Their olive oil is award-winning and half the price of branded. You need a membership (£35/year) but it pays for itself in about two shops.

clever_weasel_6425

30 Mar

Adding my favourites:

M&S Dine In for £12 beats most restaurant meals
Tesco Finest frozen pizzas are honestly restaurant quality
Asda Extra Special ice cream is better than most branded tubs

The thing with own brand is it used to be the cheap rubbish option but supermarkets have invested massively in their premium ranges. "Extra Special", "Finest", "Specially Selected" — these are genuinely premium products.