Supermarket own-brand Coke hailed ‘as good as real thing’ — and it costs just 49p

Can a supermarket own-brand cola hold its own against Coca-Cola? (Picture: Getty Images)

There’s nothing quite like cracking open a can of ice cold can of crispy Coke… or is there?

While for some, nothing will ever beat the taste of Coca-Cola, we at Metro couldn’t help but wonder how supermarket own-brand colas stack up against the OG.

So we decided to put fizzy drinks from the UK’s biggest supermarkets to the test to see if any of them were better than the branded version (which gets a 5/5 rating from us).

Spoiler alert: None of them were found to be better, BUT one of them was deemed to be ‘as good as the real thing’ and what’s more, it costs 80% less.

Is your interest piqued? Keep on reading to find out which own-brand colas we loved and which can get in the bin, starting with the worst and ending with our favourite…

We put six own-brand fizzy drinks to the test (Picture: Courtney Pochin)

Aldi Vive, £1.69 for 6-pack of 330ml cans

Aldi’s cola might look like the real thing, but it doesn’t live up to it (Picture: Aldi)

Nothing compares to a cold can of Coke in the afternoon, and though Aldi’s version looks similar in terms of packaging and I found it to be drinkable, I wouldn’t be desperate to reach for it again at 3pm.

It was quite fizzy to start with, but quickly went flat within the hour I’d had it open. It tastes and smells much sweeter than regular Coke, so if you’re after a quick sugary fix, it might be for you.

Rating: 2/5

Reviewed by Jess Hamilton, lifestyle reporter

M&S Very Interesting Cola, £4.50 for 4-pack of 275ml bottles

The M&S one was very sweet (Picture: M&s)

Marks & Spencer only sell full fat own-brand Cola with Madagascan vanilla in it. It’s not as interesting as the name suggests in my opinion – just very, very sweet.

If you’re a fan of cola bottle gummies this is the drink for you, as it tastes exactly like them. It’s not overly fizzy and didn’t live up to actual Coke or its vanilla counterpart, which was a shame, as I had high hopes for this one.

Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer

Tesco Classic Cola, 80p for 2L bottle or £3.10 for 8-pack of 330ml cans

Tesco Classic Cola didn’t measure up to the real thing (Picture: Tesco)

I’m truly a sucker for a full fat Coke but I did try to be open minded when it came to cracking open a can of Tesco’s Classic Cola. Honestly, when I gave it a sniff I had hope. It smells pretty darn similar to Coca Cola, albeit not quite as strong, but as soon as it touched my lips I was sadly underwhelmed.

It lacks the crispy fizz of the real deal, and is rather watery in taste. When I drink a Coke, I know it’s bad for me – I want to feel the fizz and sugar seep into my veins – making it a nice naughty treat. But this feels like I’m trying to be healthier – and I didn’t sign up for that. Sorry Tesco, I love you, but I’d rather spend 95p on the real thing.

Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by Alice Giddings, lifestyle reporter

Asda Cola, 70p for 2L bottle

Asda’s drink was the middle of the bunch (Picture: Asda)

Asda’s one is definitely the middle range of the bunch we’ve tried, but it’s not a bad drink. It’s got good flavour that’s reminiscent of Coke, but it’s flatter with nowhere near enough fizz.

Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer

Sainsbury’s Cola, 70p for 2L bottle

This one is a solid contender (Picture: Sainsbury’s)

The Sainsbury’s drink has a good taste and is a solid choice if you love Coca-Cola but want a cheaper option. You can definitely taste a difference between it and the real thing, but it’s not as obvious as some of the others in the test.

The only reason it didn’t get full marks is because it’s not as fizzy as actual Coke and it’s a little sweeter than the regular stuff too.

Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer

Lidl Freeway Cola, 49p for 2L bottle or £1.79 for a six-pack of cans

The Lidl version was hailed ‘as good as the real thing’ (Picture: Lidl)

We didn’t do this as a blind taste test, but honestly I fully believe that if someone handed me a glass of this and didn’t tell me it wasn’t Coke, I might not have even realised. It was pretty much as good as the real thing – the only thing I’d say that makes Coca-Cola better is that Freeway isn’t as crispy. There’s not a sharpness to the fizz that you get with actual Coke. But for 49p, I reckon I could live with that.

I went into this test thinking the own-brand drinks would be disgusting, but now I see why Lidl was cocky enough to launch its own rival Christmas Cola Truck last year…

Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer

Rating: 4.5/5

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