Asda's Classic Tomato Ketchup has tied with Heinz in a blind taste test conducted by consumer watchdog Which?, scoring an identical 77% overall while costing less than half the price. The 550g bottle of Asda's own-brand sauce retails at £1.13, compared to £3.00 for a 460g bottle of Heinz at supermarkets like Sainsbury's and Waitrose, with the cheapest Heinz price found at £2.25 on offer at Asda.
In the test, 72 participants sampled eight supermarket own-label ketchups—from Aldi, Asda, Tesco, M&S, Co-op, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, and Lidl—alongside Heinz. Both Asda and Heinz earned the Best Buy title, with Asda also receiving a Great Value commendation. The panel praised Asda's ketchup for its 'well-balanced tanginess, sweetness and strength of flavour,' and noted it contains less salt and sugar than Heinz.
Heinz's premium price and taste profile
Heinz Tomato Ketchup, while winning Best Buy, was the most expensive option in the test. Tasters rated it highly for texture and flavour but flagged its higher salt and sugar content compared to most other sauces. The 77% score for both brands was based on flavour, appearance, texture, and aroma.
Jessica Carson, Which? food and health editor, said: 'The perfect tangy flavour boost on chips, burgers, bacon sandwiches and so much more, it isn’t hard to see why tomato ketchup is one of the nation’s favourite condiments. The good news is that rather than forking out for the big brand version, you can get a tasty supermarket alternative for a third of the price.'
Other top-performing own-label options
Waitrose Essential Tomato Ketchup took second place with a 75% score, praised for its 'just right' thickness. A 470g bottle costs just £1, making it a strong value option. Aldi's Bramwells Tomato Ketchup came third with 73%, but only half the panel were satisfied with its sweetness and strength of flavour, likely due to its lowest sugar content. However, at 89p for 550g, it remains an inexpensive choice.
Co-op Tomato Ketchup scored 72%, with tasters finding it 'too tangy,' though it's competitively priced at 89p for 550g. Sainsbury's Tomato Ketchup and Tesco Tomato Ketchup both scored 71%, with Sainsbury's noted for good tanginess and sweetness but less appealing texture, while Tesco had good appearance and texture but lacked flavour. Hellmann's Tomato Ketchup scored 70%, costing £2.15 for 430g—twice the price of many own-labels—yet lacking in both texture and flavour. Lidl Batts Tomato Ketchup scored 68%, with tasters unimpressed by its flavour despite its 89p price for 560g.
M&S ketchup disappoints
M&S Tomato Ketchup finished last with a 61% score. Tasters found it too thick, dark, and tangy, despite its reasonable price of 95p for 495g. This is a rare miss for M&S, which often receives praise for its innovations.
The Which? test also included Hellmann's, which scored 70%. The full ranking places Asda and Heinz at the top, followed by Waitrose, Aldi, Co-op, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Hellmann's, Lidl, and M&S in descending order. This article was first published in July 2025 and updated with July 2026 prices.
