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THERE'S nothing like the joy of dunking a digestive in your cup of tea - but the ritual could be costing you more than you realise.

Almost six million packs of McVitie's digestive biscuits are sold in the UK every year, according to data website Statista.

We tried supermarket own-brand digestives to see how they compared to McVitie's
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We tried supermarket own-brand digestives to see how they compared to McVitie'sCredit: SIMON JONES

But while the branded version is clearly mega popular among shoppers, you can save plenty of cash by "downshifting".

The term means opting for supermarket or retailer's own-brand lines which are usually much cheaper than their branded counterparts.

We previously revealed how you can cut costs without sacrificing flavour by downshifting on corn flakes, bagels and tinned vegetable soup, but what about the classic digestive biscuit?

We called in own-brand packs of the wheaty biscuit from Sainsbury's, Morrisons, M&S, Lidl, Asda and Tesco to see how they compared against the classic McVitie's in terms of flavour and cost.

Read more on Taste Tests

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We also asked Aldi and Waitrose to send some to us but they didn't have any available.

Sainsbury's

  • Price - 55p
  • Price per 100g - 14p
Sainsbury's digestives come from the retailer's new budget Stamford Street range
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Sainsbury's digestives come from the retailer's new budget Stamford Street rangeCredit: Simon Jones

Sainsbury's usually fares well in taste tests with its own-brand products holding up well in terms of flavour and texture, so I was expecting its Stamford Street digestives to do the same.

The Stamford Street product range launched in May 2023 and includes 200 products from pasta to spreads and biscuits.

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In terms of flavour, the digestives were super malty but also light, almost tasting like a combination of rich tea and digestives.

But they were also really crumbly, with pieces falling out of the pack as soon as I opened it creating a major mess.

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  • Taste and texture: 7/10
  • Price: 9/10
  • Overall: 16/20

Morrisons

  • Price - 70p
  • Price per 100g - 17.5p
The Morrisons digestives were darker in colour and one of the richest flavour-wise
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The Morrisons digestives were darker in colour and one of the richest flavour-wiseCredit: Simon Jones

The Morrisons digestives were next up and their colour was one of the darkest out of the seven packs I tried.

They were super tasty as well, with them having a much richer flavour compared to the other biscuits in the taste test.

They were a bit too tough and grainy for me in texture though.

  • Taste and texture: 8/10
  • Price: 7/10
  • Overall: 15/20

M&S

  • Price - 75p
  • Price per 100g - 18.8p
The posh retailer M&S' pack was a bit of a disappointment in terms of flavour
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The posh retailer M&S' pack was a bit of a disappointment in terms of flavourCredit: Simon Jones

M&S, which is currently in the process of overhauling its store estate, was up next and I was anticipating good things from the posh retailer as its prides itself on good quality produce.

The supermarket chain says it adds demerara sugar to its own-brand biscuits for extra crunch as well.

And while the digestives didn't break apart too much and were crispy, they were quite sandy.

They were also quite cardboardy in terms of flavour and too salty for my liking.

  • Taste and texture: 6/10
  • Price: 8/10
  • Overall: 14/20

Lidl - winner

  • Price - 57p
  • Price per 100g - 14p
Lidl's digestives were the joint cheapest per 100g at the time of writing
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Lidl's digestives were the joint cheapest per 100g at the time of writingCredit: Simon Jones

The Lidl Tower Gate biscuits held their shape held well when I opened the pack with only a few crumbs seeped out on to the floor.

And as soon as the first one hit my taste buds, a burst of sugary golden syrup flooded my palette.

They weren't too salty either, which is what I like in a digestive, so overall one of my favourite's out of all the packs I tried.

  • Taste and texture: 8/10
  • Price: 9/10
  • Overall: 17/20

McVitie's

  • Price - £1.80
  • Price per 100g - 50p
The McVitie's biscuits came middle of the pack for flavour but were the most expensive
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The McVitie's biscuits came middle of the pack for flavour but were the most expensiveCredit: Simon Jones

Fifth in line for a taste were the classic McVitie's.

Their texture was solid and they stayed together as I took them out of the packet, while still having a nice crumbliness when I took a bite.

They tasted wheaty, sugary and salty in equal measure, but the overriding flavour I couldn't get out of my mouth was bran flakes, which I'm not a fan of.

  • Taste and texture: 6/10
  • Price: 6/10
  • Overall: 12/20

Asda

  • Price - 70p
  • Price per 100g - 17.5p
Asda's digestives were a major let down, with barely any flavour to them
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Asda's digestives were a major let down, with barely any flavour to themCredit: Simon Jones

The Asda digestives were moist enough, but also really gritty and stale.

Their flavour was a major let down too, with them having no discernible taste.

There was a lack of malty and creamy flavours, with the overriding flavour mostly just sugar.

  • Taste and texture: 5/10
  • Price: 7/10
  • Overall: 12/20

Tesco

  • Price - 70p
  • Price per 100g - 17.5p
Tesco's digestives were the most peculiar tasting out of all the packs
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Tesco's digestives were the most peculiar tasting out of all the packsCredit: Simon Jones

Last but not least were Tesco's digestives and texture-wise they were crumbly but not too dry.

These definitely had the most distinctive flavour out of all seven I tried, with them tasting quite hoppy and nutty.

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But they were also slightly metallic in flavour which I wasn't too keen on.

  • Taste and texture: 6/10
  • Price: 7/10
  • Overall: 13/20

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