I tried own-brand baked beans, olive oil and tablets — I'm never going back to branded

Switching to supermarket own-brand products has saved me money on my weekly shop

Sophie Harris Senior Lifestyle Reporter

06:00, 01 Mar 2026

Olive oil bottles

I tried own-brand baked beans, olive oil and tablets – I’m never going back(Image: John Keeble, Getty Images)

It’s easy to remain loyal to familiar brands, assuming they offer superior quality. However, I’ve tested numerous supermarket own-label products over recent months to reduce my grocery expenses, including baked beans and ketchups, and the results have been eye-opening.

These trials have led me to exclusively purchase certain own-label items, such as olive oil, baked beans and dishwasher tablets. Moving to supermarket alternatives has cut my costs without compromising on quality, and in several instances, I actually found them superior.

It’s shown me that brand loyalty isn’t necessarily synonymous with better quality; occasionally, it simply means spending more.

Baked beans

I transitioned to own-label baked beans last year, and I genuinely can’t fathom why I waited so long, reports the Express.

Following years of instinctively reaching for Heinz, I opted to sample Asda’s alternative, and it’s now become my preferred choice.

Beans on toast with fork on a plate.

I’ll never go back to branded baked beans(Image: Getty)

They’re not only considerably cheaper, which makes a genuine impact on the weekly shopping budget, but I genuinely favour the flavour. The sauce is flavoursome and perfectly balanced, and the beans possess an excellent consistency.

For a 410g tin, Asda prices them at merely 42p compared to the £1.45 Tesco charges for Heinz.

I’m also rather fond of Sainsbury’s own-label baked beans, though if I resided nearer to an Asda, they’d be my first choice.

Olive oil

I’ve adopted the identical approach with olive oil. I previously purchased Filippo Berio, believing it was superior, and I never contemplated alternatives after years of gravitating towards established brands.

Recently, I made the change to Sainsbury’s own-brand olive oil, and I genuinely love it.

It’s noticeably more affordable, which is a big plus, but it also works the same.

Olive oil

I’ve also done exactly the same with olive oil. I used to purchase Filippo Berio because I thought it was the best, and I didn’t consider anything else after years of being drawn to big brands.

Recently, I made the change to Sainsbury’s own-brand olive oil, and I genuinely love it.

It’s noticeably more affordable, which is a big plus, but it also works exactly the same.