The UK grocery sector is arguably one of the most competitive in the world.

In Grocery Gazette’s latest content series, ‘Battle of the Grocers’, we ask our panel of retail and FMCG experts which supermarket is top of the league across a variety of areas.

We start off with premium own-brand. Private label has surged in recent years, and with the cost-of-living crisis easing, we’ve seen a big focus on supermarkets revamping their premium ranges, including Asda’s launch of its Exceptional collection in May and Waitrose’s relaunch of its No. 1 range last month.

Our esteemed panellists dissect the premium own-label lines at the ‘Big 6’ grocers, looking at products, prices, branding and marketing, to decide which takes the top spot.

Peter Cross: “Launched in 1998, Finest soon became the supermarket’s jewel in its crown. My own experience has been that inner London convenience stores seem to always be full of the Finest and remarkably low in value-led lines.”

Vineta Bajaj: “The Finest range started off with just 130 products and was relaunched in 2013 with over 1,500. Tesco also expanded its own-brand plant-based range by more than 80 products last autumn. Tesco has arguably maintained its position as the largest plant-based range in the market.”

Phil McMahon: “A very broad range that spans over 80 categories, so plenty of choice. It has got a huge range of vegetarian options and lots of high fibre lines in the range too, catering to two key long-term consumer trends. The pricing and quality across the range generally feel like really good value for money for premium-tier, and hundreds of lines have Clubcard prices, too.”

Paul Stainton: “Tesco offers some seasonal variations, but not as many as the discounters do, and offers a competitive Finest Meal Deal. Examples of some “out there” products in the Finest range – Yakitori Style Chicken King Kebab, Indian Inspired Frittata, and Spicy Truffle Dip.”

Paul Stainton: “Tesco Finest is prominently featured in-store with strong facings – the silver design really stands out, and quite often full bays are dedicated to Finest. Over the past couple of years, Tesco has featured a Finest Chill cabinet at the store entrance, promoting latest Finest chill range additions.”

Peter Cross: “The clever flash of silver lifts a ready meal on a special night in, or a mince pie at Christmas, and still looks just about as fresh as it did back then, 26 years later. The branding still looks strong but the “Finest” part of the identity is probably showing its age. It also looks a little different across different categories – wine versus sausages – so can be easy to miss.”

Phil McMahon: “I feel the brand assets are starting to look a bit dated. A brand refresh and an advertising campaign more focused on the brand could ensure it remains front of mind with shoppers.”

Vineta Bajaj: “I can’t see a huge amount of difference between Tesco’s premium branding and its competitors. Its fourth iteration of the range showcases the ubiquitous branding of slate grey background with curly writing and pushy food photography assimilated by all high street premium brands.”

Vineta Bajaj: “Now offering over 1,800 products across nine different categories, it’s been hailed as arguably the biggest food brand launch in UK history. The Taste the Difference range has been a huge driver of growth with sales up 23% year on year. It would seem Sainsbury’s is going purely for the premium vibe rather than the “premium which is cheaper”, an approach which seems to set them slightly apart.”

Phil McMahon: “The only supermarket with the breadth of a premium-tier own-label range to rival Tesco. I think its frozen offer is the best of all the supermarkets, and I love that they offer a couple of Taste The Difference low alcohol wines.”

Peter Cross: “My own mini straw poll of customers confirms that the Taste the Difference range has fans and my own fridge confirms it – Taste The Difference Beef Lasagna is the simply best tasting lasagna money can buy.”

Paul Stainton: “The largest range by some distance. Sainsbury’s uses Nectar to give offers such as 33% off all Taste The Difference desserts and ice cream, and strong discounts on some individual products. Sainsbury’s also offers a good Taste The Difference Meal Deal. Some lovely summer edition lines this year include Garlic Aioli and Amarillo & Lime Butterfly Chicken Breast. There is the odd vegan item such as Vegan Block (chocolate), but not much – as in all of these six retailers.”

Phil McMahon: “The Taste The Difference branding is vibrant and exciting. The packaging design makes stellar use of imagery that provides visual flavour cues and shouts flavour and quality. The Summer 2024 advert suggests a “Taste The Difference picnic in the park” – exactly the type of language welcomed by shoppers after a fairly wet start to summer.”

Peter Cross: “Whilst there is a consistency to the purple flash which was redrawn in 2019, the range now look less premium than most of its competitors. If I was a betting man, in the light of the recent successes seen by M&S,  I would say that a new more confidently and exclusively branded Taste the Difference is probably in the pipeline if not a new more premium line entirely.”

Paul Stainton: “The design does not stand out as much as Finest, as the purple logo is mixed with various other colours on pack, so it’s a bit more difficult to find some of the Taste The Difference products on-shelf.”

Peter Cross: “Whoever guessed that one day you’d be able to buy a vintage cheddar and caramelised shallot quiche at Asda? Asda Exceptional is the new kid on the block bringing 70 core chilled products in a first wave. I suspect that pricing might be a challenge if it’s pushed too high.”

Phil McMahon: “Strategically, it got the first phase right by focusing on chilled foods, effectively offering shoppers a premium-tier deli range for all those impromptu summer picnics. Most of those products are under £3.”

Paul Stainton: “Asda have a few offers on this tier, but not as many as Tesco and Sainsbury’s. In general the range is ok – not so much new innovation, but good use of flavour varieties.”

Vineta Bajaj: “There are currently only 500 items in the range which puts it way behind Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Apparently the aim is to “champion taste” while providing shoppers with “the very best quality”, though it is unclear whether this is replacing its existing Extra Special range.”

Phil McMahon: “The branding lives up to its name – Exceptional. The dark green and gold colours, minimalist design, and elegant typeface suggest luxury. Minimising the Asda logo helps distance the new range from the supermarket’s ordinarily more budget-friendly image, elevating its perceived value. This is the best premium-tier own-label branding of all the big six supermarkets.”

Peter Cross: “The star so far is the packaging and branding with a sophisticated emerald green and gold colour palette – giving Waitrose No. 1 a run for its money. On the more basic items, the identity can fall a little flat.”

Paul Stainton: “My initial reaction is that the design does not stand out as much as the previous Extra Special in-store. Some of the new Exceptional deli items are in display cases with brown lining, making the overall offer a little dull on the shelf.”

Vineta Bajaj: “Asda is at least diverging away from its competitors with an absence of stylised food photography and using a deep green rather than slate grey which I think actually works very well. Exceptional minimalism makes a nice change on packaging.”

Paul Stainton: “This is a more limited range than other big supermarkets – although the breadth of ‘The Best’ wine range stands out. There are quite a few offers across the range, which also features a strong fresh meat range, utilising its own production facilities.”

Phil McMahon: “The clear focus on quality helps it punch above its weight in terms of perceived value. Everything in the range looks like it has been developed with a focus on freshness and quality, and visually speaking, it might be the most appetising of all the premium-tier own-label ranges. In terms of pricing and offers, I think Morrisons are far too reliant on multi-buys to promote this range.”

Vineta Bajaj: “The Best focuses on British ingredients but aims to offer a cheaper premium range than key competitors. But affordable luxury means nothing when taken out of context and relies on regular promotions and discounts to allow customers to enjoy luxury at “affordable” prices.”

Peter Cross: “There’s clearly a push to own the event and experience space with The Best recommendations for afternoon tea and date nights.”

Peter Cross: “The logo is big and bold and whilst it does have echoes of the daddy (Tesco Finest) it oozes a more contemporary confidence. There is sometimes nothing more clever than owning the top spot – The Best. The photography is frankly best in class.”

Paul Stainton: “The Best is in an eye-catching design with the logo standing out well and therefore most products are easily seen on the fixture.”

Vineta Bajaj: “Morrison’s The Best packaging looks very similar to that of Sainsbury’s and Tesco with a deep grey colour palette and cursive writing.”

Vineta Bajaj: “There are 552 products so it’s not as extensive as other supermarkets but this is deliberate. Aldi and Lidl are simply shifting existing customers from one own label range to another. As a discount brand with an unthreatened in-store premium range, Aldi really have managed to achieve the holy trinity of brand recognition, affordability, and quality.”

Phil McMahon: “There’s no denying that Aldi’s Specially Selected range offers outstanding value for money. Britain’s cheapest supermarket has a surprisingly large premium-tier range with even more lines than Morrisons’ The Best. It is a clear driver of shopper loyalty, but Aldi must relentlessly innovate with this range to drive growth.”

Paul Stainton: “Aldi is open to any NPD ideas from suppliers and, in particular, encourage new innovation and flavours to put in the Specially Selected range. I firmly believe they have the most interesting premium range every Christmas – with a special focus on fresh. A stand-out launch for me is the food-to-go bowls with flavours such as Korean Style BBQ Beef with Brown Rice – just £2.69 each.”

Peter Cross: “Specially Selected appears to be the supermarket premium line which picks up far more awards than anyone else. The comms team at Specially selected clearly have either the very best relationships or some of the best products on the market.”

Phil McMahon: “The branding of Aldi’s Specially Selected range does an effective job of differentiating it from other ranges. However, in premium branding, it’s crucial that the brand identity remains the focal point, which currently looks deprioritised on some items.”

Paul Stainton: “The predominant blue colour stands out on shelf but the design is less premium than some other top tiers. Foil lettering is not used (maybe due to cost), and maybe a move to black and silver would align the design more with the very good quality products inside the pack.”

Peter Cross: “To be honest the branding is a bit all over the place compared to its rivals.”

Vineta Bajaj: “Aldi have grown to fame in the UK with its unique humour and ability to capitalise on market trends. It is on point and very reactive with its social media, also using TikTok influencers to appeal to a younger audience.”

Phil McMahon: “This range is all about ‘luxury for less’ and the range of products, minimalist branding, and pricing convey this offer very effectively. Lidl has also made good use of its Lidl Plus app to drive purchases by offering coupons on the Deluxe range.”

Vineta Bajaj: “Lidl positioned the Deluxe range to compete with other supermarkets’ premium offerings while still maintaining its reputation for value and affordability across their wider product range.”

Paul Stainton: “Lidl’s Deluxe range has a continental feel to it, as many items are sourced through the Lidl international network. It has a strong British fresh meat Deluxe offer, and some other nationally sourced products, but I do feel the Deluxe range is a little less relevant than others, and is more limited generally.”

Peter Cross: “Lidl clearly has certain categories when it overperforms on taste and quality such as wine but these never seem to relate to the Deluxe branding.”

Phil McMahon: “Some products’ packaging tries to communicate too much up front and ends up looking far too busy, which is counterintuitive to premium positioning.”

Peter Cross: “There are two “Deluxe’s” as far as I’m concerned. The one on a full bleed background with string confident font for the product reference and the Deluxe which is little more than a black flash on an otherwise standard product. Secondly, the word itself is obviously a little old fashioned which does not help the premium feel nor the sense of buying something a little special.”

Paul Stainton: “Lidl, like Aldi, does utilise the premium tier very effectively at seasonal times, with impactful featured bays at both Easter and Christmas.”

Vineta Bajaj: “It has made extensive use of celebrity endorsements for the Deluxe range across a wider and more varied spectrum than some of its competitors. Using Michel Roux Jr, Ben Tish and Kevin Love to create recipes and content as well as Jean-Christophe Novelli.”

And the winner is… Aldi Specially Selected.