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Do Jack’s and Tesco products taste the same? Our Bargain Hunter puts them to the test
We've taken eight items that you'd typically find in your kitchen cupboards and compared them on taste, look, and price
IT'S almost a month since Tesco unveiled its new discount retailer Jack's - and now we've put the supermarkets against each other in a taste test.
We've taken eight items that you'd typically find in your kitchen cupboards and compared them on taste, look, and price.
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Jack's stores contain a much smaller number of products than Tesco - just 2,600 compared to tens of thousands in normal Tesco branches.
At least 1,800 of these products are Jack's own branded goods, the rest are big brands such as Kingsmill.
In addition, there is a focus on selling British produce with eight out of 10 products in stores made or produced in the UK.
We gave you a preview of the first Jack's store before it opened and compared the prices against Aldi and Lidl too.
Read our Bargain Hunter verdict below and watch our taste test video to find out more.
Teagbags (80 tea bags)
Whether you like it strong, milky or builders' there was no difference in taste when comparing Tesco and Jack's teabags.
Tesco's packaging looked slightly more sophisticated but it came with a 25p premium costing £1.10 to Jack's 85p.
Winner: Jack's
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Custard Cream Biscuits (400g)
When it comes to your good old fashion Custard Creams, neither supermarket took the biscuit.
There was very little difference in taste or packaging and the price is the same at 36p a pack.
But Jack's crumbled at the dunking hurdle with Tesco's biccy proving to be made of sterner stuff when dipped in a cup of tea.
Winner: Tesco
Where are Jack's stores?
JACK'S now has four supermarket stores. These can be found in:
- Chatteris, Cambridgeshire
- Immingham, Lincolnshire
- St Helen's Merseyside
- Edgehill, Liverpool
Two more stores are opening on Thursday October 18 in:
- Cheshire
- Birmingham
Orange squash
On taste, Jack's double strength orange squash beat Tesco's Everyday Value squash with its fruitier flavour.
Jack's also won with its colourful packaging, although the price was the same at both retailers - £1 for 1.5litres.
Winner: Jack's
Pasta (500g)
When it comes to taste, there was no difference in flavour or texture.
On looks, Tesco's packet won for it's smaller size and it's resealable packaging but it comes at a cost - 50p compared to Jack's 39p.
Winner: Draw
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Pinot Grigio
Jack's wine won on taste with it's crisp, fresh flavours.
I preferred the classic look of Tesco's bottle compared to Jack's bright and modern bottle, but Jack's was also cheaper at £4.25 compared to Tesco's £4.50.
Winner: Jack's
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Cox's apples
Comparing apples for apples, Tesco was my winner on taste - its apples were crunchier and juicer and just tasted much nicer.
On looks, there was nothing in it, although Jack's was cheaper on price at 59p for a minimum of six apples in comparison to Tesco's £1.20 for a minimum of five apples.
Winner: Tesco
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Ready salted crisps (six pack)
Tesco's crisps were much crunchier and more flavoursome than Jack's, which tasted like old cardboard.
On looks there was very little difference and the same went for price, with Jack's crisps costing 75p and Tesco's costing 77p.
Winner: Tesco
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Fruit pastilles (250g)
Jack's sweet treats were so chewy they stuck my teeth together for a good while after so Tesco's were my favourite on taste.
I also preferred Tesco's old fashioned packaging, although its fruit pastilles cost more at 89p compared to Jack's 65p.
Winner: Tesco
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The overall winner: Tesco
For me, the taste test crown goes to Tesco.
It won four of the eight taste tests with Jack's winning three and one - the pasta - coming out as a draw.
On the whole, Tesco's products tasted better, looked more high end and where there was a price difference it was only very small.
Tesco is also far more widely available - meaning you're more likely to have a store in your local town.
Plus, with Tesco you can also shop online - a service that isn't available to Jack's customers.
More on Tesco
Check out our first look inside Jack's new Chatteris store.
Reports that Tesco was planning to open the new stores, with prices to rival Lidl and Aldi, first surfaced in February.
Earlier this year Tesco closed Tesco Direct, its online retail platform for tech, toys, clothes and homeware.
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