I tried Aldi’s Easter munch mix, it tastes just as good as M&S’ but there’s one big difference
SHOPPERS are going made for a dupe of the M&S viral Easter munch mix being sold at Aldi.
The budget supermarket chain has launched a copycat tin which is over £5 cheaper than the M&S version – and online it is being hailed as delish.
Packed with a moreish mix of jelly bunnies, fruity flower gummies, mini eggs, popcorn and crunchy pretzels, it looks impressive, but how does it stack up to the original?
It doesn’t launch in stores until Sunday (23/3) but I got an early sample to try, so now it’s time for me to find out.
First of all, in this cost of living crisis when money is tight, we have to look at whether it is good value.
Though the tins are the same size with a similar Easter, Spring-themed design, there is less in the Aldi tin.
It holds 350g of sweets compared to 500g in M&S. This work outs at £1.42 per 100g of treats compared to £2.17 per 100g for the original.
What is most noticeable when you compare the tins is that the Aldi tin has far less chocolate treats.
The M&S pretzels are milk chocolate-coated, whereas the Aldi ones are plain.
There’s a lot more popcorn in the Aldi tin too, presumably it’s a cheaper way to bulk it up.
The popcorn is toffee flavoured and had a lovely taste, with a delicious crunch as you bit into it.
The sweets are not such a pretty design, especially the bunnies, but I can’t deny they taste JUST as good.
The other sweets were pretty flowers in lovely pastel colours and fried eggs.
The popcorn and pretzels were moreish and there were a few mini egg dupes too.
When I put this tin down in front of a group of kids, it was gone in a matter of minutes.
You can buy a smaller version in a bag for £1.99.
The tin is lovely though and a great idea for taking somewhere if you visit friends over the Easter break.
What I liked about the M&S tin was the chocolate coated pretzels.
The sweets have a lovely Easter theme with pink and white bunnies, fried eggs and carrot gummies inside.
I loved the brightly-coloured M&M style sweets and the tin as a whole looked more pretty and colourful when you took off the lid.
There is nowhere near as much popcorn but what there is has a delicious white chocolate and raspberry coating.
I was actually really impressed by this tin. It’s pricey at £10 but such a lovely gift.
Not everyone is a fan. Some sweetie lovers have taken to social media to question putting pretzels, sweets and chocolates all together in the same tin, but for me, it works.
Here’s how I rated each tin:
ALDI DAIRYFINE EASTER MUNCH MIX (350g)
£4.99 (£1.42 per 100g)
RATING:
Value: 10/10
Taste: 8/10
Appearance: 9/10
Overall score: 27/30
M&S SCRUMMY BUNNY MUNCH (500g)
£10 (£2.17 per 100g)
RATING:
Value: 7/10
Taste: 9/10
Appearance: 9/10
Overall score: 25/30
VERDICT: The Aldi tin would benefit from a few more chocolate options but it’s SUCH good value, it had to be my winner.
The toffee popcorn was delicious, as were the pretzels and sweets. It’s less than half the price of the M&S offering.
You really can’t go wrong. Both tins are fab though and I hope both Aldi and M&S come up with a version of this lovely treat that can be sold all year round!
How to save money on chocolate
We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…
Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.
Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.
Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.
Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.
They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.
Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.
So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.