Own brands or big brands?

28 comments

1. I’ve tried own brand mayonnaise and always go back to Hellmans, so mayonnaise. I’d try this stuff if I saw it though at least once, never know.

2. I’ll pay the extra for Mayo. Own name stuff can be awful.

3. Own brand mayo can be dicey.

4. Fucking Hellman

5. For Mayo… always Hellmans (although ballymaloe mayo is good)
   For Ketchup… always original Heinz (none of this sugar free stuff)
   For Butter… always kerrygold

6. I find places like Lidl and Aldi only sell the name brand stuff to kinda show off how cheap theirs is, places like Dunnes sell it for cheaper then that and it’s often on sale.

7. Pro tip,

   Look up the awards winners in the like of blas na heireann. You often see one product sweep a category with three slightly different named products. Often one is their own artisan brand and the other is their Lidl/Supervalue cheaper brand.

8. Worth a read of the label. I saw a protein drink with a few € in the difference between that and the private label equivalent. Same ingredients and in fact made in the same factory. Cheaper one hit the spot just fine

   Certain things the quality is worth the price difference but it’s trial and error

9. The Chef red sauce with 40% or whatever it is reduced salt and sugar is legit delicious and it’s way thicker consistency is really good if you’re dipping ships etc in it. Nothing else I’ve had since buying it by accident without noticing it was the reduced version comes close.

   Own brand stuff in Dunnes tends to be good, the tesco own microwave rice is as good or not worth paying the difference for Bens for. Aldi pizza is better than the Goodfellas ones. Fallons tea is nice enough too.

   Head and Shoulders is worth the money as in my experience the own brand stuff doesn’t do much for my scalp and caused me problems.

   With branded stuff though look at Mr Price and Dealz, Deals do 100ml tubes of branded toothpaste for 3.50 and 4.00 for example, Tesco do 75ml for 3.50 on offer throughout the year for a few weeks here and there at a time.

   EDIT: Just remembered, avoid Aldi deodorant like the plague it cakes like fuck in the pits of tshirts if you are in any way sweaty and if you are low temp washing it’ll be like melting a candle into the underarms of them. I used it for about a month and it ruined a few things on me.

10. Some items I refuse to waiver on. Hellmans, YR Brown sauce and Chef red sauce are on that list. Now i’ll take the 2.50 Aldi Wheat Brisks over 5 euro weetabix, Ballymore Bread over Brennans and Aldi Milk over Avonmore.

    Prime condiments are essential though – no schrimping there.

11. I refuse to skimp on ketchup and baked beans.

12. I can’t speak for the proper mayonnaise but Dunnes Vegan one is nearly 2 quid cheaper than Hellman’s and it’s just as good.

13. Heinz ketchup and Hellmann’s mayo are worth it and last ages.

14. Tesco’s own brand is decent.

15. Egg, oil, mustard powder and salt and 5 mins with a stick blender. Way better than Hellman’s.

16. Depends on the product. Most I go home brand but some things just aren’t up to scratch so I go brand name.

17. I think it really comes down to taste in this case, I actually prefer the Aldi mayo. The Lidl one is a bit thin compared to Hellman’s though.

18. Hellmans chilli charger mayo is my go to, tried the own brands like a lot others and always go back

19. Well I dont buy the shite in the jar anyway being coeliac. Hellmanns squeezy bottle all the way.

20. I love a McColgans pie and noticed the Lidl brand (Chef Select?) cheese and ham slices are made by them too. Everyone has their products that they’re brand loyal to but its always worth checking the label imo.

    I found some of the own brand cereals are like cardboard and only end up in the bin which is just a waste of money anyway.

21. Own brand mayo = own brand condoms .

22. I always get the own brand stuff, it’s grand.

23. Own brand all the way, every time. They’re very often also from the exact same production line, the definition of being a kid and swearing blind that Coca Cola just didn’t taste the same if the label fell off.

    I have heard mayo as the one people really stand by, but I’m generally not a fan and only use it as a base in other sauces in which cause, also own brand.

24. We’ve really shot ourselves in the foot with our shopping habits. On one hand we have branded items that once won a “race to the bottom” many years ago so now they raise their price and have become the “gold standard”. At the same time we have a new race to the bottom developing with non branded shite so even the “gold standard” stuff has to change ingredients and get even worse to stay profitable at it’s price point. All of our food is getting worse and worse, and even the high end stuff is just established branded shite.

    Supermarket fruit and veg is especially ridiculous. I’m not sure many Irish people actually know how good a tomato can taste.

    We are an independent country with our own laws. We really should be doing better then this and working on improving the nations diet

25. Don’t give a shit about which brand of mayo I buy. The ingredients are literally the same. Same with ketchup, mustard, most condiments really.

    There are very few things I find it worth going branded on, off the top of the head Heinz beans and soups, Fairy liquid, beers, ice cream and crisps.

26. I know Hellmans is expensive but it tastes the best and it lasts a while so I don’t mind paying a little extra but that doesn’t mean they’re not extortion us for it. Its just eggs and oil I’m sure it doesn’t cost as much to make.

27. I’ll bet you there both made in the same factory.

28. I tried the vegan stuff and now every time i try normal it just tastes of egg to me.