Own Brand vs Branded Food UK — Is It Worth Switching?

Branded food usually costs more than own-brand equivalents, and Which? has found that even standard own-brand lines can cost several times as much as the supermarket budget range. Here is a category-by-category guide to where switching makes sense.

Category Analysis — Switch or Keep?

How to Switch Without Waste

Start with 3–5 products per shop that are clearly low-risk (pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes). Use the own-brand once. If you notice no quality difference, switch permanently. If you prefer the branded, revert for that category.

Do not switch everything at once — you will miss products, waste money on things you don’t eat, and abandon the experiment.

Own-Brand Tiers

Most supermarkets have multiple own-brand tiers:

The value tier varies more in quality — trial before committing. The standard own-brand tier is consistently good value for the categories listed above.

For the full savings picture, see How to Save Money on Your Food Shop UK.

Aldi and Lidl Own-Brand vs Major Supermarket Own-Brand

Aldi and Lidl do not stock branded products in most categories — their entire range is own-brand by design. This makes them the reference point for comparing own-brand value:

In Which?’s September comparison of 93 items, Aldi cost £159.48 and Lidl £161.84, against £193.45 at Tesco without a Clubcard. Taking Tesco as the base, that is about 18% less at Aldi (17.6%) and about 16% less at Lidl (16.3%), computed from the basket totals. The basket includes branded and own-label items, so it measures overall shop cost, not own-brand alone.

What to Consider Beyond Price

Packaging and portion sizes — own-brand packs occasionally differ in size from branded equivalents. A “400g” own-brand vs a “410g” branded pack can affect the unit price comparison. Always check the price per kg/per litre on the shelf label.

Welfare and sourcing standards — for eggs, meat, and dairy, check that own-brand products meet the welfare standards you care about. Many supermarket own-brand products carry Red Tractor or equivalent assurance. Some branded items have stronger welfare credentials — this is a personal choice to balance against cost.

Children’s food — children are often less brand-aware than adults. Own-brand breakfast cereal, pasta shapes, yoghurts, and snacks are typically well accepted and significantly cheaper. Worth trialling across the full range of products your children eat regularly.

Building Your Own-Brand Swap List

The most effective approach is to systematically build a personal swap list over 4–8 weeks:

1. Each week, swap 2–3 branded items for own-brand equivalents
2. Note whether you notice any quality difference (and whether it matters to you)
3. Add the swaps you’re happy with to your permanent shopping list
4. Over 2 months, you’ll have a personalised list of 15–25 own-brand switches that save money without compromise

This approach prevents the common mistake of either switching everything at once (and abandoning it when one product disappoints) or never switching at all.

See also: How to Reduce Your Weekly Food Shop UK and Cheapest Supermarket UK 2026.

Related Guide

• Supermarket Savings UK 2026 — Loyalty Cards, Cheapest Supermarkets and How to Cut Your Food Bill