Aldi loses its cheapest supermarket crown for essentials - one big brand has snatched it away

We compared the cost of a shopping basket of eight household basics and Lidl came out on top after slashing its tea bags price by 50p.

Lidl has stolen Aldi's crown as the cheapest supermarket thanks to its price reduction through its loyalty scheme. Since we began monitoring prices in 2022, there hasn't been a significant price difference between Aldi and Lidl for the eight basic household items, which includes milk and bread.

For a considerable period, Lidl held the title of being the cheapest, until Aldi reclaimed it in August, with Morrisons taking the lead for much of September due to its More Card scheme. However, Lidl has once again won the title after slashing the price of its tea bags by 50p through its Lidl Plus scheme.

It may not be as well-known as Tesco's Clubcard or Sainsbury's Nectar card, but it's gaining popularity. In October, it introduced an additional benefit for Lidl customers - a free bakery item for anyone who spends £10 a month at the supermarket. Other deals include a 10% discount on a weekly shop for anyone spending £250 a month there.

Lidl's October offer on tea bags brought the cost of a 160-pack down to £1.53, making the total bill for the eight household essentials - including bread, milk, butter, coffee, beans, chicken and mince - £11.80. Aldi came in second cheapest at £12.12, followed by Sainsbury's in third at £12.31. Tesco is just pennies behind, at £12.33, followed by Morrisons at £12.45. Asda proved to be the priciest with the total cost at £12.77.

Aldi has hit back, challenging the accuracy of our weekly price comparison, claiming that it fails to match 'like-for-like' products or recognise the 'higher quality' that Aldi offers, as pointed out in September's Panorama exposé. An Aldi spokesperson said: "Our promise to customers is that they will make significant savings every time they shop with Aldi, which is why we've been named Which? Cheapest Supermarket of the Year for three years running.

"Which? has also named Aldi the UK's Cheapest Supermarket every month this year, even in its latest analysis including loyalty prices." Asda has also voiced concerns regarding our comparison, disputing that our selection of goods doesn't give a fair view of its pricing and fails to include the special deals they offer. Asda boasts that, when looking at the big picture, its Just Essentials line trumps others by being the biggest and cheapest on the market.

The breakdown in full

Lidl

Loaf of white bread 800g - 47p

Milk 2 pints - £1.20

Coffee 200g - £1.99

Teabags 240 - £2.29 (down from £2.79 and works out cheaper per bag than the pack of 160)

Salted butter 250g - £1.79

Beans 420g tin - 28p

Chicken 300g - £2.25

Mince 500g 25% fat - £2.29

Total: £11.80 (down from £12.13)

Aldi

Loaf of white bread 800g - 47p

Milk 2 pints - £1.20

Coffee 200g - £1.99

Teabags 160 - £1.85

Salted butter 250g - £1.79

Beans 420g tin - 28p

Chicken 300g - £2.25

Mince 500g 25% fat - £2.29

Total: £12.12

Sainsbury's

Loaf of white bread 800g - 47p

Milk 2 pints - £1.20

Coffee 200g - £1.99

Teabags 160 - £1.85

Salted butter 250g - £1.79

Beans 400g tin - 27p

Chicken 300g - £2.25 for 300g (down from £2.65 for 320g / £2.48 for 300g)

Mince 500g 20% fat - £2.49

Total £12.31 (down from £12.54)

Tesco

Loaf of white bread 800g - 47p

Milk 2 pints - £1.20

Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) - £2

Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack) - £1.84

Salted butter 250g - £1.79

Beans 420g tin - 29p

Chicken 300g - £2.25

Mince 500g 20% fat - £2.49

Total £12.33

Morrisons

Loaf of white bread 800g - 47p

Milk 2 pints - £1.20

Coffee (2 x 100g) - £1.98

Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack Savers) - £1.60

Savers Salted butter 250g - £1.79

Beans 410g tin - 27p

Chicken 300g - £2.41 for 300g (from £2.65 for 330g)

Mince 500g 25% fat - £2.29

Total £12.45

Asda

Loaf of white bread 800g - 47p

Milk 2 pints - £1.20

Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) - £2

Teabags 160 (4 x 40-pack) - £1.80

Salted butter 250g - £1.89

Beans 410g tin - 27p

Chicken 300g - £2.65

Mince 500g 20% fat - £2.49

Total: £12.77