I love nothing more than a few biscuits with a cup of tea or coffee during a quick break between work or winding down for the evening in front of the TV. My go-to option is usually the digestive biscuit.
We often pick up the branded product during the weekly shop out of habit if nothing else. But, over the last year, everything in the supermarket has rocketed in price and the once humble biscuit now comes in at close to £2 a pack which really isn't a wise decision if you're trying to save a few quid each week on your shopping bill.
So, like many shoppers across the UK battling to keep their bills in line, I've become more open to swapping my beloved brands for supermarket alternatives to well-known products. This time, I raided the shelves of my local shops to see if any could hold a torch to the much-loved McVitie's Digestive.
READ MORE: Only 'two North Wales fixed speed cameras are active', new data shows
READ MORE: Developer 'gazumped' by council over bid to buy Welsh Government building for apartments
Asda & M&S:
70p at Asda for 400g // 80p at M&S for 400g
![M&S and Asda have their own versions of the popular biscuit](https://i2-prod.dailypost.co.uk/incoming/article27900866.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_MS_ASDA.jpg)
Asda's biscuit, to me, did not live up to expectations with a bland taste and flimsy structure that was a little too easy to snap in half. This should have been my sign it was going to fail miserably at the 'dunk test' as half the treat ended up going for a prolonged bath in my tea.
M&S' biscuits were the most expensive own-brand item - but only by 10p - and were a whole £1 cheaper than the big brand that usually sits in my cupboard. They were a little nicer than the Asda ones with a nice aftertaste and didn't fall apart during the dunk test.
- Asda Score: 4/10
- M&S Score: 6/10
Aldi & Lidl:
55p at Aldi for 400g // 55p at Lidl for 400g
![Aldi and Lidl biscuits are great for those on a budget](https://i2-prod.dailypost.co.uk/incoming/article27900865.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_ALDI_LIDL.jpg)
The budget retailers Aldi and Lidl do not disappoint. I've started picking up more and more of my weekly shop from here since ditching brands as I've found, more often than not, that the quality sometimes trumps the major market leader.
Both biscuits tasted great and survived the dunk with ease. What really gained extra points for these products was the price being really affordable. Compared to a smaller pack of McVitie's, at £1.80, you could get three packs of Lidl or Aldi biscuits meaning that your money would go much further if your family went through several packs of biscuits.
- Aldi Score: 7/10
- Lidl Score: 7/10
McVitie's & Tesco:
McVitie's, 360g pack,priced at £1.80 in every supermarket that stocked the brand // 55p at Tesco for 400g
![Ms Molly's, from Tesco, contains more digestives than the leading brand McVitie's](https://i2-prod.dailypost.co.uk/incoming/article27900864.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_TESCO_BRANDED.jpg)
Despite being the most expensive biscuit in my line-up, I can't deny that McVitie's tastes great. I wouldn't buy it time and time again otherwise. Over the years, I've come to recognise its buttery, crumbly texture that pairs perfectly with a cuppa.
I'd probably still grab a pack if they were ever on offer but my optimism isn't high that they'll come close to what value an own brand offers.
When picking up my supplies for this test, I did grab the obvious Tesco own-brand product (priced at 70p for 400g) but then noticed the pack of Ms Molly's (another own brand like Tesco's Stockwell range) tucked away at the bottom of the shelves boasting an Aldi price match. The size difference was pretty clear and I made my choice.
The biscuits in Ms Molly's were a little bigger than the other packs and, compared side-by-side with the big brand you quite obviously got a couple more biscuits per pack for less money - a clear win-win. They also tasted pretty similar to McVitie's and held their own when submerged in my morning cuppa.
- McVities Score: 8/10
- Tesco Score: 9/10
Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox