Own brand versions that are at least as good as the market leaders.

I have tried Potatoe Rostie from various supermarkets and never been happy with the taste or price till I went to Asda on Monday.
I think it's a new range in the ready made veg section run to Asda!
The six pack of Potatoe Rostie are super delicious £1.30 a pack I can't recommend them highly enough.

Food manufacturers made tremendous changes during the Covid years - and not for the better. Smaller portions with increased prices; cut, shape and size of actual ingredients; taking fragrance out; taking out flavor enhancers; substitutions…
I’m still ticked off over having to pay more for less!

And very few items will return to original pricing. Companies will keep the current prices levels - all hail the mighty profit!

Even tho big manufacturers make “in-house” labels for chains for less cost, that reduction in price means they’ve taken something out of the product. Oftentimes it’s in the taste of the product. You will also notice that for canned (tinned) veggies/fruits they add more liquid to the weight of the product - slightly less beans or pears! Very rarely buy in-house brands, I stick with major brands and buy them only when the weekly sales are advertised.

A few things I buy - Aldi Carlini Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I love it. Their milk and eggs are locally sourced. Seasonal chocolates and holiday items very good! A wine from Aldi can be a nice surprise.

Manufacturers are taking us for a ride. It’s always been like that.
USA Gundy

I have just been shopping in Lidl. On my list were Chocolate covered digestives, choc chip cookies , chopped tomatoes. toothpaste. paracetamol, frozen peas, porridge oats. fruit & nut muesli, milk chocolate bars, ready salted crisps. Rather a lot of things we don't normally buy but to tempt temporary invalid All good replacement brands
Of the other things I bought ,I don't know of other brands to compare. They were out of stock of the KitKat equivalent

Always bought them …. no difference in taste. ! And as you say half price ….sainsburys beans same taste as Heinz as well ….must try these things before poo-pooing them!

TerriBull You might try saving the Heinz bottle and refilling it with Sainsbury's ketchup. Their ketchup came out best in a Which comparison.

I can't get to an Aldi or Lidl easily here but really miss both. We switched to Branston's baked beans ages ago, I don't think I buy anything Heinz now, we're not that fussy about ketchup and rarely eat tinned soup.
The one thing I never buy is "own brand" is pasta, De Cecco and Garafolo are our favourites, we just like the taste and texture better and I stock up when they're on offer. Waitrose Fusilli Bucati is lovely too, the grandchildren and I find the twirly shape is very easy to eat, avoiding tipping sauce down our clothes!

M n S wholemeal bread is cheaper than the known brands and just as tasty.
And they sell a bag of potatoes for £1 and they last for at least 2 weeks.
Asda baked beans are the best even though they have shot up in price by 50%.

I like Aldi tinned tomatoes(not their cheapest) as they have 65 /70% content tomatoes. Most others just give you 60%. Aldi's is about a half the price of Napolino's.

I agree with Dee1012 about Aldi for laundry liquid. I have tried this and found it very favourable but I have used the Aldi washing powder for many, many years now. It's cheaper than own brands by far , works wonderfully well , smells lovely and comes in small , recyclable cardboard boxes which enables me to persuade myself I am being environmentally friendly ( although that's probably a day dream )
I have tried the eco friendly laundry detergents and use an Ecoegg for things like blankets and towels but still come back to Aldi washing powder for most things.

4allweknow

I like Aldi tinned tomatoes(not their cheapest) as they have 65 /70% content tomatoes. Most others just give you 60%. Aldi's is about a half the price of Napolino's.

I buy them too. I love Mutti tinned tomatoes, but just can't justify the price when the Aldi ones are so much cheaper. And if you're putting them in something like chilli or bolognese, who's really going to notice the difference?

I think that Lidls mayonnaise is by far the best, especially if you can get the jar rather than the squeezy bottle. Their tomato sauce is excellent according to my grandchildren and they prefer Lidls sugar free coke to Coca Cola. My naughty favourite is their chocolate digestives and the smaller bar of whole nut chocolate which is stacked with nuts. Other favourites are their jam, lactose free milk, cat biscuits to name just a few.

Tescos fruit and fibre cereal, absolutely full of raisins and nuts. Can’t beat it. Also their Rich Tea biscuits are more than half the price of McVities. How do McVities justify what they now charge for their plainest biscuit?
It’s really good to see all the other recommendations which I will be working my way through.

Waitrose toastie loaf is nice and even better than warburtons.Also Aldi Assam teabags and the Earl Grey teabags are lovely.Really flavourful.

I rarely buy much branded stuff. Exceptions are Yorkshire Tea, bronze die pasta, Mutti tinned tomatoes and tomato puree, and Mrs Ball's Chutney from Sainsbury. Aldi were selling a very nice French butter with salt crystals but that seems to have disappeared. My favourite risotto rice is all but unobtainable and unbelievably expensive when I track it down on line.

Aldi and Tescos versions of Lurpak type butter are good. Aldi is best.

I prefer Sainsbury's Real Mayo to Hellman's Mayonnaise.

Morrisons own brand baked beans are really good, not as much juice as Heinz! Never thought I’d switch.
Highly recommend Aldi sunscreen with moisturiser, not sticky and covers well.
Also, Aldi cup a soup, box of 4 for 49p! The minestrone is particularly good.
Also a lot cheaper are ALDIs Parmesan and chorizo.

That's interesting Blondiescot. We used to buy our ground coffee from Aldi or Lidl and it was great. We don't drink much coffee but like the idd cup of instant.

Lidl own brand "Batts" tomato ketchup - delicious and about a quarter the price of the leading brand.

Aldi’s no sugar added Swiss style muesli is very good, and low priced.

Sainsbury’s lime cordial. Much nicer than Rose’s which I find too sweet.

Asda Fruit and Fibre cereal, and their essentials mixed dried fruit, my morning starter for ten plus a few chopped mixed nuts and any fruit that happens to be in season to boost it up

Their instant coffee is pretty passable too and pounds cheaper than Nescafé

Migrated to Branston beans from Heinz, well worth the extra £ & use a half tin to offset the extra spends. Will try M&S based upon comments here.

Also moved from Heinz Ketchup to Mutti brand ketchup - a bit £ but far far more tomato & flavour.

Not fussed about own branded coffee as long as it is ground Peruvian.

I think it depends on the product.

For example: I definitely prefer Italian Pasta De Cecchio verses other Italian brands. I do not purchase non - Italian Pasta.