Baked beans are a staple accompaniment to breakfasts like a full English or simply on toast. Some even toss them into chilli con carne, but does the brand of beans make a difference, particularly between supermarket brands and Heinz?
In a recent blind taste test, I sampled nine tins of baked beans from various supermarkets to see if I could identify Heinz, and which one was the most flavoursome. The contenders were Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, M&S, Waitrose, Lidl, Aldi and Heinz.
The sauce was slightly watery despite being well-cooked, which wasn't to my liking.
However, they did go nicely on toast, and I would eat them again.
Score: 6/10
AsdaThese were truly delicious baked beans, with a great texture and tasty tomato sauce.
They weren't too sweet or too hard and were absolutely perfect. They were definitely my favourite in the taste test and cost just 23p.
Score: 10/10
Sainsbury'sThey had a good flavour and consistency compared to some of the others, with a rich tomato sauce.
The beans had a slightly more tomato taste compared to other supermarkets but I didn't mind that at all.
Score: 7/10
I found them lacking in flavour, but my boyfriend really enjoyed these ones, so it just goes to show how personal foods are.
They tasted nice on toast, but I personally found other beans in the test to be more enjoyable.
Score: 5/10
M&SThey had a slight barbecue taste, so I think they would be nice mixed in with a meal such as a chilli con carne.
Score: 5/10
WaitroseThe Waitrose beans were tasty, but definitely not my favourite. They lacked proper flavour, and the beans were quite hard.
Score: 5/10
I found them to lack flavour, but considering the price point (41p), I would definitely consider trying them again.
The bean was also slightly hard, but I didn't mind this, so it's down to personal preference.
Score: 3/10
AldiInterestingly, only large tins were available for purchase at my local Lidl and Aldi stores. However, the beans were tasty, lacked a little in flavour, but had a good texture.
I quite liked Aldi beans, but preferred the other ones in the taste test.
Score: 5/10
HeinzI thought I would be able to spot Heinz baked beans a mile away, but I couldn't, and I actually found these ones to be way too sweet.
I also didn't like the flavour of the tomato sauce as much as some of the other beans in the test.
Score: 6/10
In my opinion, Asda took the crown in this taste test due to the flavour and texture of the beans, coupled with their price point.