Which supermarket is the cheapest for top British brands? Spoiler, it’s not who you think!

Think you know which supermarket will give you the cheapest weekly shop? Aldi or Lidl might spring to mind.

But, you’d be wrong.

To be fair, the budget supermarkets didn’t feature in this particular branded-grocery study because they don’t sell enough branded items.

Instead, Asda has been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket for branded groceries, beating its rivals to the top spot for the seventh month in a row.

The figures come from consumer group Which?, which compared the prices of 220 popular branded groceries across the major supermarkets.

And we’re talking about the things you’re likely to recognise and buy regularly, from Colgate toothpaste and Mr Kipling cakes to Fairy washing-up liquid, Philadelphia and Lynx body spray.

So, how did the supermarkets stack up when it came to filling your trolley with big-name brands?

• Asda: £771.21
• Tesco with a Clubcard: £782.39
• Sainsbury’s with a Nectar card: £787.57
• Morrisons with a More card: £797.32

So, if you’re a regular Asda shopper, you might want to give yourself a little pat on the back. Its basket was the cheapest of the lot.

But Which?'s latest research also confirmed just how much loyalty cards can make a big difference to what you pay.

If you shop without using a loyalty card, Tesco and Sainsbury’s become considerably more expensive, with their baskets costing £860.29 and £869.16 respectively.

In fact, without loyalty-card discounts, both supermarkets were more expensive than Waitrose (£839.71) and Ocado (£815.28) on average.

So, before you assume the supermarket with the poshest reputation will always cost you more, it’s worth checking the numbers.

And if you’re feeling the pinch when it comes to your weekly food shop, you’re certainly not alone. Even small savings can add up over the course of a month.

If you’re struggling with the cost of your weekly shop, check out our guide on how to create a budget.

By keeping an eye on how much money you’ve got coming in and going out, you can prioritise your spending and know how much you can afford.

We’ve also put together some handy tips on how to keep the cost of your weekly shop down, which could help your money go further.