It is no secret that supermarket own-brand items are cheaper than big-name brands, but in several recent taste tests, they have also proven to be tastier. We have seen own-brand butter beat Lurpak, McVitie's lose out to M&S in a chocolate digestive comparison, and Tesco's cheddar cheese was also found to be superior to Cathedral City and Davidstow. Now, another affordable supermarket staple has beaten big names to be crowned the UK's best banger.
According to a blind taste test of 65 people, Lidl's Deluxe Pork Sausages (£2.49 for 400g) are the cream of the crop, beating out competition from M&S, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons, as well as brands like Heck, Jolly Hog, and The Black Farmer. Nine supermarket own-brand sausages were pitted against each other and compared with several popular brands. Ultimately, three were named the superior 'best buys' of the lot.
Which supermarket own-brand sausages are the best?
Lidl's sausages topped the rankings with a score of 77% as consumers loved their 'juicy texture', 'perfect meaty flavour', and 'herb and spice seasoning that hit the spot'. Three-quarters of participants liked the salt levels, while many said they were 'good-looking and succulent' sausages. As well as being a Best Buy, Lidl's sausages were also given a Great Value award as the price is well below average. However, it is worth noting that Lidl's sausages are pretty high in saturated fat. Two sausages contain 11.5g, which is more than half the recommended daily maximum for women and more than a third for men.
Following closely behind the bargain retailer, M&S Collection British Outdoor Bred Pork Sausages (£4.20 for 400g) came in second place with an overall score of 75%. The priciest of the bunch, these were well-liked sausages with good pork flavour, juiciness, and salt levels relished by three-quarters of the tasters. Two-thirds said they enjoyed the texture, but while 58% said seasoning was well-balanced, the remainder were divided on whether it was too much or too little.
Sainsbury's also garnered a score of 75% for their Taste the Difference British Pork Sausages (£3.25 for 400g). These bangers were hailed as 'excellent all-rounders', with highly rated pork flavour, 'perfect' juiciness, saltiness, and seasoning levels. The texture was also praised by two-thirds of testers. However, they lost a few marks on appearance compared with the other Best Buys, as around a third said these sausages looked 'too pale'.
Sausage ranking from the blind taste test
- Lidl Deluxe Pork Sausages, 77%
- M&S Collection British Outdoor Bred Pork Sausages, 75%
- Sainsbury's Taste the Difference British Pork Sausages, 75%
- The Black Farmer Premium Pork Sausages, 72%
- Asda Exceptional Classic Pork Sausages, 71%
- Morrisons The Best Thick Pork Sausages, 70%
- Aldi Specially Selected Pork Sausages, 69%
- Co-op Irresistible Pork Sausages, 69%
- The Jolly Hog Proper Porker Sausages, 69%
- Iceland Luxury The Ultimate Pork Sausages, 65%
- Waitrose No.1 Free Range Pork Sausages, 62%
- Heck 97% Pork Sausages, 54%
Outside of the top three, The Black Farmer Premium Pork Sausages (£3.50 for 400g) scored 72%. They were said to be 'appetising' but lost points for seasoning as a third of tasters wanted them to be 'punchier'. Asda's Exceptional Classic Pork Sausages (£3.17 for 400g) came in fifth place, with The Best Thick Pork Sausages from Morrisons (£3.25 for 400g) in sixth. Aldi's Specially Selected Pork Sausages (£2.49 for 400g) were in seventh place tied with both The Jolly Hog's Proper Porker Sausages (£3.80 for 400g at Tesco, or £3 with Clubcard) and Co-op's Irresistible Pork Sausages (£3.90 for 400g). And at the bottom of the list were Iceland's Luxury Ultimate Pork Sausages (£3 for 300g), Waitrose's No. 1 Free Range Pork Sausages (£5.25 for 400g) and Heck's 97% Pork Sausages (£3.25 for 400g).
How was the taste test conducted?
All of the sausages were blind-tasted and rated by a panel of 65 people in April 2025. The panel was made up of people who buy and eat pork sausages, and who broadly represent the demographic profile of adults in the UK (age range, gender split, and more). The sausages were cooked according to pack instructions and served in a fully rotated order to avoid any bias. Each tester had a private tasting booth so they could not discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others. The tasters then rated the flavour, aroma, appearance, and texture of each sausage, and shared what they liked and disliked. The overall score given was based on 50% flavour, 20% appearance, 15% aroma, and 15% texture. These weightings are based on what people ranked as the most important attributes when tasting pork sausages.
