Jennifer Pinto put Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup head to head with own-brand versions from six supermarkets, and the result was not what many loyal buyers would expect. After tasting cream of tomato soups from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Aldi, Lidl, M&S and Waitrose, she said the iconic tin did not come out on top.
Pinto was blunt about the original. “I actually didn't like the Heinz tomato soup much at all,” she said after sampling the range during her taste test. That matters because Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup was sold for £1.30 at Sainsbury's and £1.59 at Tesco, while Aldi's Bramwells Cream of Tomato Soup cost 59p for a 400g tin — less than half the price of the branded version at one retailer.
The comparison underlined how close supermarket labels have come to the familiar red tin. Pinto said Aldi's Bramwells soup was probably the closest to Heinz out of the supermarket versions she tried, while Lidl's soup was too sweet and too thin in texture. Tesco's own Cream Of Tomato Soup stood out for a different reason: it had a 91% tomato content and used tomato purée instead of whole tomatoes in water.
That detail is part of why this sort of taste test keeps drawing readers back to the supermarket aisle. Heinz remains the benchmark in the cream of tomato category, but the own-label shelves are crowded with cheaper alternatives that try to match the comfort and consistency buyers expect from the classic. Pinto's verdict suggests those versions are no longer easy to dismiss, especially when price gaps are this wide.
Her strongest praise went to M&S. Pinto said M&S Cream of Tomato Soup was rich, creamy, comforting and a great alternative to Heinz, helped by the use of double cream. In a field of six supermarkets, that left one clear conclusion: the most famous tin did not win this comparison, and for shoppers willing to look beyond the brand name, several cheaper soups now offer a serious run at it.
