Cheapest UK grocery store to do your meals store – and it isn’t Lidl or Asda
A supermarket has come out on top in the latest weekly basket price comparison, taking it off Lidl, but it’s not the only retailer that’s seen a price hike this week
While Lidl and Aldi continue to be recognised as the most affordable grocery stores, another supermarket has emerged as the cheapest for a basket of essential items.
Asda has claimed this title for the seventh time this year, offering the lowest prices for eight key items among the six major supermarkets. This week, the retailing giant snatched the crown from Lidl after the latter increased the price of its cheapest mince from £2.69 to £2.89 per pack. Only Tesco and Sainsbury’s are selling it at a higher price, £2.99, but that’s for the 20% fat version rather than 25%.
Lidl’s price hike has resulted in a tie for second place with Aldi, both tallying an overall bill of £12.97, just behind Asda’s £12.87.
Aldi has also bumped up the price of its mince to £2.75.
But they’re not alone in raising prices. Both Sainsbury’s and Tesco have hiked the cost of their cheapest loaves, and Sainsbury’s has matched Aldi’s increase by upping the price of its Stamford Street tea bags from £1.85 to £1.99.
The comparison by the Manchester Evening News has been tracking the cost of the same eight essentials at the six main supermarkets for three years now. The basket includes milk, bread, coffee, tea bags, butter, baked beans, chicken and mince.
Sainsbury’s is stuck in fourth spot with a basket totting up to £13.19, while Morrisons is nipping at its heels at £13.23, and Tesco tops the chart as the priciest for the 17th week on the trot at £13.34.
Even though Aldi’s come out as the budget boss, they’re not chuffed with the price check, arguing it doesn’t weigh up the quality difference. They reckon their Diplomat Red Label tea bags and coffee are top-notch compared to what we’ve matched them with.
Plus, they claim their bean tins pack more punch than some rivals.
An Aldi spokesperson said: “Our promise to customers is that they will make significant savings every time they shop with Aldi, which is why we’ve been named Which? Cheapest Supermarket of the Year for four years running.”
But when it comes to meaty matters, our price probe only looks at the cheapest mince on offer, and at Aldi, Lidl, and Morrisons, you’re getting a chunkier 25% fat content, while the rest flog the leaner 20% fat mince, often seen as the better bit of beef.
Asda insists the snapshot doesn’t capture the full cost-cutting picture and overlooks their deals. They boast that their Just Essentials range is the biggest bargain bin around, giving Aldi a run for its money.
An Asda spokesperson said: “We’re focussed on delivering Asda Price and started 2025 as we mean to go on by cutting prices on thousands of products for our customers.
“While we’re always pleased to be recognised as the cheapest supermarket in any price comparison, eight products don’t reflect the unbeatable value we offer across our full range, both in-store and online. We would encourage shoppers to come in and see this for themselves.”
Asda’s prices are as follows:
Loaf of white bread 800g – 47p
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) – £2.16
Teabags 160 (4 x 40-pack) – £1.80
Salted butter 250g – £1.99
Beans 410g tin – 28p
Chicken 300g – £2.28
Mince 500g 20% fat – £2.69
Total £12.87
Aldi’s prices are:
Loaf of white bread 800g – 49p
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee 200g – £1.99
Teabags 160 – £1.99
Salted butter 250g – £1.99
Beans 420g tin – 27p
Chicken 300g – £2.29
Mince 500g 25% fat – £2.75 (up from £2.69)
Total: £12.97 (up from £12.91)
Lidl’s prices are:
Loaf of white bread 800g – 47p
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee 200g – £1.99
Teabags 240 – £2.79 / equates to £1.86 for 160
Salted butter 250g – £1.99
Beans 420g tin – 28p
Chicken 300g – £2.29
Mince 500g 25% fat – £2.89 (up from £2.69)
Total: £12.97 (up from £12.77)
Sainsbury’s prices are:
Loaf of white bread 800g – 49p (up from 47p)
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee 200g – £1.98
Teabags 160 – £1.99 (up from £1.85)
Salted butter 250g – £1.99
Beans 400g tin – 26p
Chicken 300g – £2.44 for 320g / equates to £2.29 for 300g
Mince 500g 20% fat – £2.99
Total: £13.19 (up from £13.03)
Morrisons’ prices are:
Loaf of white bread 800g – 47p
Milk 2 pints – £1.25
Coffee (2 x 100g) – £2.30
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack Savers) – £1.80
Savers Salted butter 250g – £1.99
Beans 410g tin – 26p
Chicken 300g – £2.65 for 330g, which works out to £2.41 for 300g
Mince 500g 25% fat – £2.75
Total: £13.23
Tesco’s prices are:
White bread loaf 800g – 49p (increased from 47p)
Milk 2 pints – £1.20
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) – £2.30
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack) – £1.80
Salted butter 250g – £1.99
Beans 420g tin – 28p
Chicken 300g – £2.44 for 320g, which equates to £2.29 for 300g
Mince 500g 20% fat – £2.99
Total: £13.34 (up from £13.32)
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