Cheap, shop bought stuff which you rather like

[captainzep]

The prevailing view on PH is to choose quality and accept the cost. I don’t disagree largely.

But what cheap goods do you buy, -not because its all you’re willing to afford, but because you actually like it?

I’ll kick of with Tesco ‘Value’ cider. 2 litres for £1.32. Thoroughly chilled, I’ve developed a taste for this. Its less strong than many supermarket brands (so you can have a refreshing couple of glasses without falling over) and its drier than most of the cloyingly sweet mainstream stuff. Great to cook pork/chorizo in too.

I don't drink cheap own label lagers/bitters because they lack any flavour, and I like more expensive/interesting ciders/perrys too.

N.B. I’m not 14, homeless or a council recreation area drinker.

[5potTurbo]

We buy the local supermarket's (French) cider for the same reason.

Their Pancetta's pretty good too, particularly with fresh tagliatelle and parsnips!

Actually, my wife buys a lot of the supermarket's own labelled stuff, incl. wine, as she gets a cashabck credit on her fidelity/loyaly card. I think we've around €300 "saved up" ready for the Christmas shopping on that alone.

[Wadeski]

co-op own brand pesto was much better than any of the celeb-chef endorsed ones. good enough to use raw on a bruschetta.

[LordGrover]

Sainsbury's tinned tomatoes. Not their own brand, the pikey white and orange labelled ones. Good enough for most things, though they can vary sometimes - the odd tin has watery juice but at feck-all per can I can live with that.

[PaulHogan]

Thick sliced white bread. Toasted. Lots of butter.

[JFReturns]

My local Tescos fishmonger is pretty good for live mussels. In my experience they have a similar if not higher yield of live ones, and need less cleaning.

Some cuts of meat are okay even when vacuum packed - I'm thinking those that I cook low 'n slow, such as shoulder of lamb.

[neenaw]

Tesco Extra Value custard creams and bourbon biscuits. Far better than any of the more expensive ones!

The Sainsbury's basics chocolate digestives are also far better than Mcvities ones

[trix-a-belle]

neenaw said:

Tesco Extra Value custard creams and bourbon biscuits. Far better than any of the more expensive ones!

tesco value tortilla chips I much prefer to doritos etc

[BarnatosGhost]

PaulHogan said:

Thick sliced white bread. Toasted. Lots of butter.

yes, bread should be either very expensive or very cheap. Mid-market stuff does nothing for me, but the cheapest, foamiest white rubiish is absolutely delicious.

Same for ketchup -

premium, dark red, lumpy stuff: great.
Thin, sweet, pinky, artificial cafe stuff: also great.
Heinz and HP - no ta.

[T84]

BarnatosGhost said:

Same for ketchup -

premium, dark red, lumpy stuff: great.
Thin, sweet, pinky, artificial cafe stuff: also great.
Heinz and HP - no ta.

On a slightly related note my OH puts a small bowl full of tomatos and a bit of balsamic vinegar in the oven whilst cooking bacon/sausages for a sandwich and spreads the cooked tomatos on instead of ketchup, it's really nice!

[Mr Gearchange]

Co-op own brand butter (award winning dontchaknow) is by far and away the best stuff to put on bread.

[BarnatosGhost]

T84 said:

BarnatosGhost said:

Same for ketchup -

premium, dark red, lumpy stuff: great.
Thin, sweet, pinky, artificial cafe stuff: also great.
Heinz and HP - no ta.

On a slightly related note my OH puts a small bowl full of tomatos and a bit of balsamic vinegar in the oven whilst cooking bacon/sausages for a sandwich and spreads the cooked tomatos on instead of ketchup, it's really nice!

very nice too. We brits should use fresh toms more often with that sort of thing. Takes a bacon butty to another level.

[LordGrover]

Red sauce is squeezed out of plastic bottles.
Anything else is a bit too posh/continental/new labour for me.

[BarnatosGhost]

That is slightly beyond my grot-limit. (seen one too many documentaries about this sort of thing).

But I bet it tastes superb.

[AndyAudi]

trix-a-belle said:

tesco value tortilla chips I much prefer to doritos etc

Tesco's own double concentrated, no added sugar diluting Orange & Pineapple.

Also, after a thread on here a long time ago, Tesco's own midget gems.

[Parsnip]

BarnatosGhost said:

PaulHogan said:

Thick sliced white bread. Toasted. Lots of butter.

yes, bread should be either very expensive or very cheap. Mid-market stuff does nothing for me, but the cheapest, foamiest white rubiish is absolutely delicious.

Same for ketchup -

premium, dark red, lumpy stuff: great.
Thin, sweet, pinky, artificial cafe stuff: also great.
Heinz and HP - no ta.

YES!!

The crap super bright red stuff you get from burger vans is fantastic - enough vinegar in it to strip the enamel from your teeth

[Matt_N]

Sainsbury's tartare sauce is much better than Colmans.

[Balmoral Green]

NeMiSiS said:

A kind of bacon substitute

I was going to say Spam, which fries up with no mess compared to sausages and bacon, and is a scrummy combined substitute for both in sarnies with sauce.

I've not seen or tried that stuff though, will get some in.

[retrorider]

Tesco organic tomato sauce & Tesco value teacakes,39p for a pack of six.

[Lemmonie]

the value coffee from tesco.

I know coffee drinkers will say its poo but i really like it. I think they out chikory (sp?) in it?

Otherwise:

Tesco value potato rings (hula hoops) 84p for 8 bags

Tesco value lemon squash 44p

Tesco own diet coke £2.69 for 12 cans

And you cant beat cheap white bread