Toby Atkin-Wright

A few weeks ago, we tried doing our weekly shop in Aldi. This was an experiment for us; we normally do our main shop at one of the major supermarkets, with perhaps an occasional top-up shop at Aldi or Spar, but we thought it would be interesting to see whether we could get everything that we’d normally buy at Aldi. We didn’t do so badly. The fruit and veg selection was reasonable, and we managed to get much of what we needed. But the real killer for me was the lack of brand-names, and in particular the lack of Heinz ketchup.

Those who know me might have noticed that I have a liking for red sauce, and that my brand of preference is Heinz. I’ve tried others; some are too vinegary or too sweet, and others have an overpowering taste of tomato purée. Some look like a violently-red syrup, and others are too runny, or lack the silky smoothness of Heinz.

The availability of Heinz ketchup is a deal-breaker for me, and for that reason alone I’m afraid we won’t again be doing our weekly shop at Aldi. (I’ll skip over the poor checkout experience, and the mad rush to pack our bags.)

(P.S. Heinz ketchup — like Irn Bru — is best served out of glass bottles. Plastic ketchup bottles look scruffy and dirty; in a glass bottle the red sauce can glisten enticingly. Mmm.)