Heinz Ketchup vs supermarket own red sauce compared in taste test

Heinz’s classic Tomato Ketchup has been a staple at mealtimes since 1886. Heinz claims the sauce tastes so great because of the “sun-ripened tomatoes” as well as the brand’s “passion and knowledge that gives [the] recipe its unique flavour”. But with the cost of living crisis squeezing everyone’s purse strings, are there any supermarket’s own brand tomato sauces that rival the iconic Heinz Tomato Ketchup? Express.co.uk put red sauce to the taste test, and two supermarkets have created ketchup as good as Heinz – for a fraction of the price. 

Heinz Tomato Ketchup – 700g for £3.65 

The leading brand of red sauce has mastered the perfect balance of acidity and rich tomato taste. 

The sauce is a lovely shade of red, and not too thick, or too thin, but it did taste quite sweet. 

Per 15g of serving, there are 3.4g of sugar and 0.3g of salt. 

Aldi Bramwells Tomato Ketchup – 650g for 79p 

Aldi’s red sauce was thick in consistency, and the darkest shade of red compared to all other sauces in the taste test. 

Vinegar was the main flavour, with a sharp acidic aftertaste – 5/10. 

Per 15g of serving, there are 3.2g sugar and 0.26g salt.

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Sainsbury’s Tomato Ketchup Sauce – 460g for 85p 

Sainsbury’s red sauce was smooth in texture, but had a strong authentic tomato taste, with a good balance of acidity and sweetness – 7/10 

Per 15g of serving, there are 2.9g sugar and 0.15g salt.

Tesco Tomato Ketchup – 555g for £1 

Like Heinz, Tesco’s red sauce is also made with sun-ripened tomatoes, but despite shaking the bottle before squeezing, the sauce was runny and thin. 

There was a slight hint of herbs, but the ketchup tasted extremely similar to Heinz – 9/10.

Per tablespoon serving, there are 2.8g sugar and 0.1g salt making it the healthiest tomato ketchup in the taste test. 

M&S Tomato Ketchup – 495g for 75p 

A premium sauce, in a deep red, M&S’ was slightly thicker than other sauces and had a controlled top, so the sauce didn’t squirt out. 

It was really rich in taste and full-bodied – arguably more luxurious than Heinz but totally different from the leading brand – 8/10. 

Per 15g of serving, there are 5.49g sugar and 0.2g salt making it the unhealthiest option in the taste test. 

Conclusion 

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to Heinz that doesn’t compromise on taste, Asda and Tesco are great options. If you’re looking for a tomato sauce that’s more premium and cheaper than Heinz, consider M&S but it is high in sugar per 15g serving.