I tried supermarket tomato ketchups – the winner tastes as good as Heinz and costs less than £1
WHETHER dolloping in a burger bun or dipping chips, there’s no denying tomato ketchup is a kitchen cupboard staple.
Heinz is probably the most recognised name, but a growing number of alternatives are now popping up on supermarket shelves.
If you like them, they might save you a pretty penny on your food bill. But how to they fare compared to the market leader Heinz?
From the more tomato puree-led flavours with a homemade appeal to the more familiar, sweet and sour sauces, most use just a few simple ingredients.
We tried a range of supermarket-own brands, here’s the verdict…
Heinz Tomato Ketchup (460g)
- £2.50
- Per tbsp: 15 calories, 3.4g sugar, 0.3g salt
A staple in many households, it’s most people’s go to ketchup.
There is no denying the perfect taste of this iconic sauce. It’s made with real sun ripened tomatoes, rather than cheaper substitutes, as well as sugar, salt, spice and herbs.
Simple and delicious. It was saltier than most, which is a concern if the kids eat a lot.
And it’s very expensive compared to all the others, working out at more than 53p per 100g, so a cheaper and tasty alternative would be very welcome.
- Taste: 10/10
- Value: 5/10
- Overall score: 8/10
Essential Waitrose Tomato Ketchup (470g)
- 95p
- Per tbsp: 15 calories, 3.2g sugar, 0.22g salt
The Waitrose sauce is an appetising vibrant red and a lovely sweet and sour aroma.
The flavour is subtle and inoffensive, and I enjoyed the fresh, tangy flavour of the tomatoes.
If I was being picky I’d say it was a little vinegar heavy. But it’s a good price from Waitrose for a quality-tasting sauce.
- Taste: 8/10
- Value: 7/10
- Overall score: 8/10
Morrisons Tomato Ketchup (450g)
- 90p
- Per tbsp: 15 calories, 2.8g sugar, 0.12 salt,
Middle of the road sauce, Morrisons had the lowest salt content and less than average levels of sugar but the flavour was too weak and the texture a bit watery.
The colour was too dark too. It’s a good price but this wasn’t my favourite recipe.
- Taste: 5/10
- Value: 7/10
- Overall score: 5/10
Tesco Tomato Ketchup (890g)
- £1.35
- Per tbsp: 14 calories, 2.8g sugar, 0.19g salt
Squeeze the Tesco bottle, nothing for ages, then before you know it, you are drowning in ketchup.
The squirty lid really doesn’t work very well and you end up with waste. Taste wise it’s not great either. It’s watery with strong garlic and onion notes and Worcestershire sauce vibes.
Shame as the big family sized bottle would have been great value if it had tasted any good.
- Taste: 3/10
- Value: 3/10
- Overall score: 3/10
Lidl Batts Original Tomato Ketchup (650ml)
- £1.15
- Per tbsp: 15 calories, 2.9g sugar, 0.16g salt
Lidl’s ketchup was an impressive all rounder. It’s much cheaper than big brands. It had a lovely tangy flavour, just the right amount of sweetness and the colour looked appetising.
The consistency was spot on too and it had less sugar and salt than average.
- Taste: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
- Overall score: 10/10
Asda Classic Tomato Ketchup (550g)
- £1
- Per tbsp: 15 calories, 3.2g sugar, 0.17g salt
The ingredients in Asda’s ketchup were closest to Heinz and taste-wise, it’s the closest match. If anything, it had a bit too much garlic. The thickness was nice and it’s good value.
It’s slightly lower in sugar and salt than the market leader, too.
- Taste: 9/10
- Value: 9/10
- Overall score: 9/10
Aldi Bramwells Tomato Ketchup (560g)
- 89p
- Per tbsp: 16 calories, 3.3g sugar, 0.24g salt
A lovely texture and colour, but I found Aldi‘s version quite sweet and it does contain more sugar than most.
It was a bit too tangy and a little on the runny side, but overall not a bad choice and excellent value for money.
- Taste: 7/10
- Value: 8/10
- Overall score: 7/10
Sainsbury’s Tomato Ketchup (460g)
- 90p
- Per tbsp: 14 calories, 2.9g sugar, 0.15g salt
Even the picky eaters in my house liked this one. It’s a lovely texture and tastes as good as Heinz. The ingredients are quite simple and looks as though as it is made mainly using water and tomato puree. But the added spices were spot on.
It was less sweet and watery than many of the other own brands and as it contains less sugar and salt, it’s healthier too. A winner all round.
- Taste: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
- Overall score: 10/10
Daylesford Organic Tomato Ketchup (250ml)
- £5.90 from Ocado
- Per tbsp: 81 calories, 17.2g sugar, 0.6g salt
Rich and tangy, this posh organic ketchup is pricey but delicious. It’s got apples in it which give it a lovely fruitiness and sour favour as well as plenty of tomatoes at 47 per cent and puree to boot.
It was thicker and richer than some, but that was it’s appeal. Incredibly expensive though so perhaps best reserved for special occasions or fancy meals.
I definitely wouldn’t be letting the kids dip their sausages in this.
- Taste: 10/10
- Value: 6/10
- Overall score: 7/10
M&S Reduced Sugar Tomato Ketchup (495g)
- £1
- Per tbsp: 16 calories, 3.2g sugar, 0.2g salt
I preferred this reduced sugar version from M&S to their standard bottle, and it’s good value. It is quite dark in colour and quite thick and even though it’s reduced sugar, it did taste sweet.
Perhaps this is because it is made with dark brown sugar. I liked the vinegar levels and the spices. The paprika flavour gave it a lovely tangy flavour.
- Taste: 6/10
- Value: 5/10
- Overall score: 6/10
How to save on your supermarket shop
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.