Brand ‘Snobbery’?

At a friend’s for dinner I praised the green beans because they are often tough and these were perfect - they were Tesco’s frozen!

Own brands are much improved these days. We buy all sorts of them now. I said I would never buy own brand tea bags but I buy Aldi or Lidl Red Label tea bags now. They're great.

Many own brands are more than ok, but there's only one brand for beanz imo, and we all know which one that is, no other supermarket's own, or indeed any other well known producer of the humble baked beanz doez it for me

When products are advertised “as good as the leading brand” they are the leading brand, many items are the same product, produced in the same factory just with different packaging.I have a friend that works in purchasing.

Like Terribull only one brand of beans for me. Also same brand of mayonnaise. I've tried others.

Some own brand products are indistinguishable from the named brands. Cereals are a good example and the price difference is enormous.

Most big food brands will not allow supermarkets to use their recipes, so the idea that branded products are the same is not strictly true. A non-recipe product such as frozen veg might be the same, but things like chips or (even more so) ready meals are absolutely not.

What is true, however, is that the main difference is advertising. There is no inherent reason why Brand Beans are better than Supermarket Beans, but we are probably more used to their taste, and have been told since childhood that they are the best.

When it comes to non-food goods, such as drugs, the difference is stark. Generic ibuprofen, for instance, in places like Home Bargains is about 37p a pack, whereas the 'Leading Brand' is £2.99. The active ingredient is identical, and is even printed on the pack, but some people still insist that the branded one is better, which shows the power of advertising.

Oddly, beans I don't mind any brand - but tea, coffee, mayo I haven't yet found substitutes.
M&S bakery cheese scones ?

Marmite. No substitutes will be accepted!

Otherwise lots of non-branded foods are more than adequate.

I have always bought own brands, unless we preferred the taste and texture of a more expensive alternative.

This applies to everything I buy. I start with the cheapest and work up, if necessary, until I reach an acceptable and enjoyable product.

I have brand habits but am always willing to give a cheaper alternative a try. Have had great success in this arena with hot chocolate, walnuts and set honey so far and I'm always on the lookout for new competitive alternatives in my purchase regulars.

I usually buy supermarket own brand washing powder and toilet rolls as I think they are just as good as the expensive brands.

Ah, DH always insisted there was only one brand of baked beans - until they weren't available one day and we discovered Branston.

I'm always up for trying own brands. I've no loyalty to supermarkets, let alone to the big brands. The only time I came a cropper was when I bought Sainsbury Marmite....

Organic as a brand of course if you have the cash to do it, the premium stuff that goes past me at the till is unbelievable.

I'm a Yorkshire tea fan but bought Aldi red label when desperate one day. I was surprised at the tea being ok. Not as good as Yorkshire but no t like bad tea either.

I have to disagree about THE brand of baked beans. We stopped buying them when there seemed to be visibly fewer beanz and thinner, less tomatoey sauce. Aldi baked beans are much better.

Organic, like Fairtrade are not brands in the supermarket sense as lots of brands of the same product can make claims to one or the other.

They are claims that the ingredients in the product where raised under particular argicultural regimes.

We buy Aldi ground coffee for the cafetiere, at around half the price of better known brands. Aldi baked beans too. The programme with Greg whatsisname and the other guy where they swap people's favourite brands with supermarket own brands is quite enlightening.

Greyduster

I have to disagree about THE brand of baked beans. We stopped buying them when there seemed to be visibly fewer beanz and thinner, less tomatoey sauce. Aldi baked beans are much better.

Totally agree about the watery sauce nowadays! I’ve been buying Branston beans recently as the sauce is much thicker.

Ro60

Oddly, beans I don't mind any brand - but tea, coffee, mayo I haven't yet found substitutes.
M&S bakery cheese scones ?

It has to be YORKSHIRE! as Seen Been would say!
And Douwe Egberts

I don't eat much mayo but always buy Hellmans for those who like it.

I’ve been buying Branston beans recently as the sauce is much thicker.
Yes, the Branston beans were nice Teacheranne but the sauce was so rich I couldn't finish my half a tin on toast the other day.

There is only one brand of baked beans and it’s Branstons.

I always buy generic ibuprofen.
Never N........

Same for many pharmaceuticals. Silly to pay more for advertising and packaging.

I find Branson’s beans far too sweet! Aldi beans are perfect as is Aldi Colombian instant coffee.