Supermarket own brand cereals beat big names in blind taste test

The own brand cereals that taste BETTER than the real thing! Supermarket versions of Special K, Shreddies and Weetabix beat big name originals in blind test (and they’re cheaper, too)

  • Good Housekeeping Institute rated Asda’s Special Flakes Cereal at 78 out of 100
  • Beat Kellogg’s Special K by one point with Sainsbury’s version one point behind
  • Asda’s 500g box is just £1.04 while Special K is £3.50 for 750g which equates to £2.34 for 500g, more than twice as much
  • In the malted wheat category, Aldi’s Harvest Morn Malted Wheaties at just 69p for 625g beat more famous Nestle Shreddies, which costs £1.40 for a 415g box

Special K is not so special after all. For it came second in a taste test to find Britain’s ‘best Special K-style cereal.’

The famous Kellogg’s brand was beaten by the own label version sold by Asda. Worse, the Asda version is less than half the price. 

Domestic gurus at the Good Housekeeping Institute rated Asda’s Special Flakes Cereal at 78 out of 100, beating Kellogg’s Special K by just one point with Sainsbury’s version, called Balance, just a further point behind.

Asda’s 500g box is just £1.04 while Special K is £3.50 for 750g which equates to £2.34 for 500g, more than twice as much.

The famous Kellogg’s brand Special K was beaten by the own label version sold by Asda, which is just £1.04 per 500g box  (pictured)

Special K (pictured) came second in a taste test to find Britain's 'best Special K-style cereal,' costing £3.50 for 750g

Special K (pictured) came second in a taste test to find Britain’s ‘best Special K-style cereal,’ costing £3.50 for 750g

The winners in each category were: 

Best fruit & fibre: Aldi Harvest Morn Fruit & Fibre

Best original granola: Eat Natural Low Sugar Granola 

Best corn flakes: Kellogg’s Corn Flakes

Best Weetabix alternative: Aldi Harvest Morn Wheat Bisks

Best golden syrup-flavoured porridge: Quaker Oats So Simple Golden Syrup Porridge

Best Special K-style cereal: ASDA Special Flakes Cereal

Best fruit & nut muesli: Lizi’s Super Muesli Glow

Best Shreddies alternative: Aldi Harvest Morn Malted Wheaties

Best wholegrain hoops: Nestle Multigrain Cheerios

Best indulgent treat cereal: Lizi’s Passionfruit & Pistachio Granola

Best gluten-free cereal: Planet Organic Paleo Granola Super Berry 

Good Housekeeping’s review of the Asda version reported: ‘Beating the branded version, these low-fat, fortified golden flakes had an appetising crisp texture and toasted honey flavour that proved a hit with our panel. And they’ll save you a few quid, too.’

The K-contest was one of a number of categories tested by the consumer organisation.

In the malted wheat category, Aldi’s Harvest Morn Malted Wheaties at just 69p for 625g beat the more famous Nestle Shreddies, which costs £1.40 for a 415g box. 

Aldi’s version scored 75, Kellogg’s did come top for its branded Corn Flakes, scoring 75/100 in the Best Cornflakes category ahead of trendy Whole Earth’s organic version with 72/100 and Sainsbury’s own brand with 71/100.

Aldi's Harvest Morn Malted Wheaties, 69p

Famous Nestle Shreddies costs £1.40 for a 415g box

Aldi’s Harvest Morn Malted Wheaties at just 69p for 625g beat the more famous Nestle Shreddies, which costs £1.40 for a 415g box

Aldi's Harvest Morn was the voted the best fruit and fibre cereal

It beat Mornflake (pictured) and Essential Waitrose

Aldi’s Harvest Morn (pictured, left) was the voted the best fruit and fibre cereal ahead of Mornflake (right) and Essential Waitrose

Aldi’s Harvest Morn was the voted the best fruit and fibre cereal ahead of Mornflake and Essential Waitrose while Eat Natural scored the best marks for granola.

In a competition to find the best alternative to Weetabix, Aldi’s ‘Wheat Bisks’ came first followed by Asda’s Wheat Bisks and then Waitrose’s Wholewheat Biscuits.

Good Housekeeping said: ‘We’ve long been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but when it comes to making healthy (and tasty!) decisions, it can be confusing.

‘We taste tested a selection of the most popular cereal categories, to see how the supermarket version compares to the big-branded buys.’

A team of taste testers tried 116 bowls of cereal and scored them for taste, texture and flavour and also for the right balance of ingredients.