Supermarket own-brand ketchup matches Heinz for flavour — and it’s much cheaper

Which ketchup is your favourite? (Picture: Getty Images) The UK’s best tomato ketchup has been revealed, with one own-brand option scoring exactly the same as Heinz, and coming in at less than half price. 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 significantly cheaper than Heinz, at £1.13 for 550g, while the latter will cost you £3.00 for 460g at supermarkets like Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. The cheapest we’ve found the big brand is £2.25, currently on offer at Asda. When it comes to taste, both condiments received an overall score of 77%, based on flavour, appearance, texture and aroma. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. The majority of the panel said Asda’s Classic Tomato Ketchup ‘had well-balanced tanginess, sweetness and strength of flavour’. It also contains less salt and sugar than its winning counterpart. Asda’s own-label ketchup was a bit hit, scooping both Best Buy and Great Value (Picture: Asda) 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) with a 470g bottle costing you a measly £1. 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%. Heinz Tomato ketchup still scooped the title of Best Buy but testers loved Asda’s own-brand equally (Picture: Getty Images) 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, 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 95p for 495g, but there are cheaper alternatives that scored better. M&S didn’t impress in this taste test (Picture: Getty Images) 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 £1.13 for 550g 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 around £3 for 460g at most supermarkets. Waitrose Essential Tomato Ketchup – 75%. Another strong own-brand alternative, costing just £1 for 470g. 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 89p for 550g. Sainsbury’s Tomato Ketchup – 71%. Good tanginess and sweetness, but the texture was less appealing compared to others. Costs 95p for 460g. Tesco Tomato Ketchup – 71%. Good appearance and texture, but the flavour didn’t impress. Costs £1.15 for 555g. Hellmann’s Tomato Ketchup – 70%. Twice the price of many supermarket own labels, but apparently lacked both texture and flavour. Costs £2.15 for 430g. 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. M&S Tomato Ketchup – 61%. This was the least liked ketchup overall, with some tasters finding it too thick, dark and tangy. Costs 95p for 495g. Deals of the Day Wuka launches the UK’s first period-proof swimwear for heavy flows Bridgerton fans are rushing to buy these new Netflix-inspired perfumes now £12 off The affordable summer wardrobe update you'll wear from rooftop drinks to beach holidays The £7.99 lip balm beauty fans love for glossy, hydrated lips just dropped four new shades This Keskine hydrogel mask could fix your summer skin This article was first published on July 2025 and has since been updated with July 2026 prices. Do you have a story you’d like to share? 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