I tested Heinz BBQ sauce dupes – a bargain is a third of the price and BETTER than the brand

SUMMER is barbecue season, which means many of us fire up the coals and start cooking our favourite chicken wings and ribs no matter the weather.

And most of us will want to jazz up our meals with some condiments.

You can't go wrong with a simple jar of BBQ sauce.

It's versatile and can be used as a condiment and a marinade pre-cooking.

But does it have to be Heinz?

A bottle of barbecue sauce from the famous brand will now set you back £3 at most supermarkets.

Lynsey Hope, 42, from West Malling, Kent, tried out some own brand versions to see how they compare and here she shares her verdict:

Heinz Classic Barbecue Sauce (480g)

• £3
• 62p per 100g

Lovely consistency and the perfect balance between sweet and smoky, this really packs a flavour punch.

A family favourite and there's always a row over who grabs the bottle first.

The only downside is the price. It costs twice as much as most own brands.

• Taste: 10/10
• Value: 5/10
• Overall score: 7/10

M&S BBQ Sauce (500g)

• £1.45
• 29p per 100g

Love the rich smoky flavour of this M&S BBQ sauce.

It is deeper in colour than most of the others but sweet and more-ish.

A lovely hint of paprika runs through it.

It is quite high in sugar - 29.5g per 100g - but otherwise, five stars from me.

• Taste: 9/10
• Value: 8/10
• Overall score: 9/10

Asda Classic BBQ Sauce (460g)

• £1.20
• 26.1g per 100g

I've tried better, I've tried worse.

The smoke flavouring is nice and it's not too sweet.

I thought it was perhaps a bit too vinegary, but overall, no real complaints.

• Taste: 5/10
• Value: 5/10
• Overall score: 5/5

Tesco Fire Pit Kansas Style BBQ Sauce (300g)

• £1.65
• 55p per 100g

I loved the sweet smell of the Tesco sauce, but when I squeezed it out it was quite runny and tasted incredibly sweet compared to most of the others.

I wasn't surprised to see it contains 26.7g of sugar per 100g. Not my favourite.

• Taste: 3/10
• Value: 2/10
• Overall score: 3/10

Aldi Bramwells Classic BBQ Sauce (480g)

• 99p
• 21p per 100g

Plenty of spice and a bold, fruity sweetness that makes you want to reach for it again and again.

It comes in at a great price point too.

• Taste: 8/10
• Value: 9/10
• Overall score: 8/10

BBQ Sauce by Sainsbury's (500g)

• £1.15
• 23p per 100g

Quite light in colour, a bit watery and bland compared to all the others.

Mild and nowhere near enough tang. Not for me, which is a shame as the price is good.

• Taste: 2/10
• Value: 4/10
• Overall score: 3/10

Lidl Batts Classic Barbecue Sauce (500g)

• 99p
• 19.8p per 100g

Lidl's sauce is not only the cheapest of the bunch, it's also the tastiest.

It has a rich, caramel taste and the tomato flavour comes through well.

It's infused with a smoke flavouring so a good option for gas barbecues too if you want to recreate that cooked over coals flavour.

For the price, you really can't go wrong. Stock up before it sells out.

• Taste: 10/10
• Value: 10/10
• Overall score: 10/10