Best buys, not just worst offenders
Naming the loser is half the job. Here is the other half: of the rival packs of the same thing on the same shelf, which one gives you the most real food for your money. We take the shelf price, strip out the water and filler with the declared content percentage, and crown the lowest cost of 100g of the actual hero ingredient. Often that is not the dearest pack, and not the one with the most hero on the label. Every figure is sourced on each pack's own page.
Green pesto
£0.98 per 100g of basil
What the actual basil costs, water and filler stripped out
48% basil · 190g · £0.89 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Sainsbury's Sainsbury's Basil Pesto, Taste the Difference 150g, works out at £8.33 per 100g. You pay 754% more for the same basil.
Frozen pepperoni pizza
£6.08 per 100g of pepperoni
What the actual pepperoni costs, water and filler stripped out
9% pepperoni · 320g · £1.75 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Chicago Town Chicago Town Tiger Crust Double Pepperoni Frozen Pizza 320g, works out at £10.83 per 100g. You pay 78% more for the same pepperoni.
Chocolate hazelnut spread
£2.86 per 100g of hazelnuts
What the actual hazelnuts costs, water and filler stripped out
35% hazelnuts · 300g · £3.00 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Nutella Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, works out at £6.37 per 100g. You pay 123% more for the same hazelnuts.
Best buy
£0.91 per 100g of chickpeas
What the actual chickpeas costs, water and filler stripped out
52% chickpeas · 200g · £0.95 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Sainsbury's Sainsbury's Extra Smooth Houmous, Taste the Difference 170g, works out at £4.25 per 100g. You pay 365% more for the same chickpeas.
Supermarket guacamole
£0.91 per 100g of avocado
What the actual avocado costs, water and filler stripped out
95% avocado · 150g · £1.29 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Asda Asda Guacamole, works out at £3.97 per 100g. You pay 338% more for the same avocado.
Best buy
£1.21 per 100g of pork
What the actual pork costs, water and filler stripped out
17% pork · 480g · £0.99 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Sainsbury's Sainsbury's Ultimate Pork Sausage Rolls, Taste the Difference 270g, works out at £3.97 per 100g. You pay 227% more for the same pork.
Garlic chicken kievs
£0.92 per 100g of chicken
What the actual chicken costs, water and filler stripped out
60% chicken · 490g · £2.70 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Birds Eye Birds Eye 2 Garlic & Herb Chicken Kievs 204g, works out at £3.50 per 100g. You pay 281% more for the same chicken.
Frozen fish cakes
£1.22 per 100g of fish
What the actual fish costs, water and filler stripped out
41% fish · 200g · £1.00 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Young's Young's Chip Shop 2 Extra Large Fish Cakes 210g, works out at £3.35 per 100g. You pay 175% more for the same fish.
Best buy
£2.02 per 100g of pork
What the actual pork costs, water and filler stripped out
49% pork · 440g · £4.35 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Sainsbury's Sainsbury's Individual Melton Mowbray Pork Pie 145g, works out at £4.12 per 100g. You pay 104% more for the same pork.
Frozen chicken nuggets and dippers
£0.61 per 100g of chicken
What the actual chicken costs, water and filler stripped out
60% chicken · 450g · £1.65 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Birds Eye Birds Eye 22 Crispy Chicken Dippers 403g, works out at £2.48 per 100g. You pay 306% more for the same chicken.
Cod fish fingers
£1.09 per 100g of cod
What the actual cod costs, water and filler stripped out
64% cod · 900g · £6.25 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Birds Eye Birds Eye 8 Breaded Cod Fish Fingers, works out at £2.72 per 100g. You pay 151% more for the same cod.
Supermarket pork sausages
£0.81 per 100g of pork
What the actual pork costs, water and filler stripped out
93% pork · 400g · £3.00 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Farmison & Co Farmison & Co Nidderdale Pork Sausages, works out at £2.23 per 100g. You pay 176% more for the same pork.
Back bacon rashers
£0.48 per 100g of pork
What the actual pork costs, water and filler stripped out
87% pork · 300g · £1.25 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Sainsbury's Sainsbury's Unsmoked Air Dried Dry Cured Back Bacon Rashers, Taste the Difference x6 220g, works out at £1.80 per 100g. You pay 275% more for the same pork.
Best buy
£0.31 per 100g of fruit
What the actual fruit costs, water and filler stripped out
35% fruit · 454g · £0.49 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Hartley's Hartley's Strawberry Jam 300g, works out at £1.24 per 100g. You pay 301% more for the same fruit.
Chicken tikka masala
£5.21 per 100g of chicken
What the actual chicken costs, water and filler stripped out
18% chicken · 400g · £3.75 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Sainsbury's Chicken Tikka Masala with Pilau Rice Taste the Difference, works out at £6.06 per 100g. You pay 16% more for the same chicken.
Best buy
£0.87 per 100g of pork
What the actual pork costs, water and filler stripped out
77% pork · 150g · £1.00 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Sainsbury's Sainsbury's 6 Cooked Ham Slices 120g, works out at £1.68 per 100g. You pay 94% more for the same pork.
Peanut butter
£0.38 per 100g of peanuts
What the actual peanuts costs, water and filler stripped out
96% peanuts · 340g · £1.25 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Whole Earth Whole Earth Smooth Peanut Butter 454g, works out at £1.09 per 100g. You pay 185% more for the same peanuts.
Quarter pounder beef burgers
£1.02 per 100g of beef
What the actual beef costs, water and filler stripped out
86% beef · 454g · £4.00 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Birds Eye Birds Eye 4 Classic Beef Quarter Pounder Burgers with Onion 454g, works out at £1.53 per 100g. You pay 49% more for the same beef.
Best buy
£0.17 per 100g of beans
What the actual beans costs, water and filler stripped out
45% beans · 400g · £0.30 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Heinz Heinz Baked Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce 415g, works out at £0.66 per 100g. You pay 297% more for the same beans.
Cream of tomato soup
£0.48 per 100g of tomatoes
What the actual tomatoes costs, water and filler stripped out
89% tomatoes · 400g · £1.70 on the shelf
The dearest rival, Baxters Favourites Cream of Tomato Soup, works out at £0.85 per 100g. You pay 79% more for the same tomatoes.
These are content head-to-heads, judged on declared ingredient content (QUID) rather than a shrink over time. The price each verdict rests on was captured from the retailer on the date shown on the pack's own page, so treat the figures as a sourced snapshot, not a live feed. See every head-to-head.