Budget Beans Win
Journalist Sophie Harris' blind tasting reveals a 28p supermarket baked bean tin beat Heinz.
A 28p tin of Asda own-brand baked beans has beaten Heinz in a blind taste test — scoring a perfect 10 out of 10 while the £1.45 market leader managed just a 5. Journalist Sophie Harris tasted nine supermarket brands without knowing which was which, and the budget tin came out on top by a wide margin. Cambridge News reported the full results on June 14, 2026.
The gap between the winner and Heinz is not just about flavour. Swapping to the Asda tin could save a household buying two tins a week around £121.68 per year, according to Wales Online. The test came as UK baked bean prices have risen 70.5% since 2024, making value for money a bigger issue than ever.
Asda's 28p Tin Scores Perfect 10, Lidl Finishes Last
Harris tasted all nine brands blind, then scored each out of 10. Asda came first with a perfect 10. She described it as having "perfect texture, sweet sauce, best on toast." Sainsbury's came second with a 7, followed by Tesco on 6. Heinz scored just 5 — the same score as Morrisons, Aldi, and Waitrose. Lidl finished last with a 3, with Harris noting "very hard beans" and a "significant lack of flavour," according to Coventry Telegraph.
M&S also scored a 5. Harris noted a "slight barbecue taste" that did not work well on toast. Waitrose, despite costing 55p — nearly double the Asda tin — scored the same low mark. Harris said the premium beans had "quite hard" texture and lacked flavour. The results suggest a higher price does not mean a better bean, Daily Post reported.
Heinz Costs 142% More Than Own-Label Rivals on Average
At £1.45 a tin, Heinz costs more than five times as much as the winning Asda tin. Consumer analyst Lisa Rees from NIQ noted that "branded baked beans are 142.2% pricier on average than own label." Harris herself said: "Loyalty to branded goods doesn't always guarantee a superior product." The blind format of the test removed packaging bias, which can trick tasters into rating a product higher just because they recognise the brand.
Heinz still holds around 60% of the UK baked bean market. But its grip is slipping. Discount retailers like Aldi and Lidl have grown fast. A 2025 study by consumer group Which? found Aldi and Lidl's 40p tins frequently beat Heinz in lab tests too. Harris's June 2026 test is notable because its winner was even cheaper — just 28p — and focused on real-world use like toast, Cambridge News reported.
Cost-of-Living Crisis Puts Budget Beans in the Spotlight
The timing of Harris's test was no accident. On May 28, 2026, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a cut to tariffs on 125 everyday items — including baked beans — to help fight rising grocery costs. Food Foundation data projects a tin of Heinz could reach £1.77 by 2030 if inflation trends continue. That makes own-brand alternatives harder to ignore, Wales Online reported.
Harris said switching to own-brand staples has "reduced my outgoings without any sacrifice in quality." Market analysts expect Heinz to respond with more promotional deals, such as buy-one-get-one-free offers, or new product lines to hold its position. The company recently launched a "Spaghetti Carbonara" variety as part of its push to stay relevant, according to Coventry Telegraph.
Heinz Still Has Its Fans — But Context Matters
Harris was fair to Heinz. She said the classic brand was more "aesthetically appealing" and worked well on jacket potatoes. The sauce has a consistent texture that fans say is hard to replicate. Some shoppers argue that premium beans from M&S and Waitrose use better ingredients, including less sugar and organic haricot beans. But in Harris's blind test, those qualities did not produce better scores, Daily Post reported.
The key takeaway is that "best" depends on what you are making. For toast — the most common use — the 28p Asda tin won clearly. For saucier dishes, some tasters may still prefer Heinz. But with a £1.17 price gap between the two, the budget tin gives most shoppers very little reason to spend more, according to Get Surrey.
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