I tried 8 gravies from M&S, Aldi, Asda & 5 more-the winner was £2.33 cheaper than Bisto

Gravy is a staple item in many people's cupboards, delicious on roast dinners, pies and more. It comes in many forms these days, but granules are the most traditional and readily available. There are so many on the supermarket shelves, and I wanted to take it back to basics.

In a world full of artisanal and homemade recipes, sometimes the simplest and easiest option for families is right on the supermarket shelf. I decided to put convenience to the test and tried nine supermarket gravies to see which one tasted the best. I tried one from Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda, Tesco and compared them to Bisto.

M&S - £2 for 200g

Marks and Spencer's chicken gravy was absolutely delicious. Flavoured with sage and onion, the flavour reminded me of stuffing, and it went brilliantly with roast chicken.

I loved the packaging, the flavour and the consistency, but it was a tad too salty. This was rectified by making a slightly thinner gravy. I've never tasted a gravy like this, and I'm now using it all the time on my roast dinners.

Slightly more expensive than some of the others tried, it's still much cheaper than Bisto's standard chicken gravy.

Score: 9/10

Lidl - £1.09 300g

Lidl's gravy was tasty, it had a good richness, a good consistency and good flavour. When prepared according to the packet instructions, the gravy was thick but not too thick and wasn't salty at all.

It had a slightly weird texture for me, which is why I'm not putting this in the first place, but it's a good budget gravy.

Score: 8/10

Aldi - £1.09 for 300g

Aldi's gravy was also tasty, with a nice, rich flavour with decent salt levels, but a tiny bit too much for me. Again, the texture wasn't quite there for me, which scored it down again, but it's one I would definitely eat, and have eaten again.

Score: 8/10

Asda - 69p for 200g

I think Asda's gravy was very good value for money, and it had a lovely taste. It also had a lovely thick consistency, and I needed fewer spoonfuls of granules than the recommended packet instructions.

It went perfectly with my roast dinner, but it also complemented toad in the hole well too, and was a good all-rounder gravy. I might even have this one on my Christmas dinner.

Score: 10/10

Sainsbury's - 62p for 170g

Similarly, Sainsbury's also surprised me with their own-brand chicken gravy. I had tried it a few years prior, but for some reason, I didn't like it, so it put me off buying it again.

However, for this taste test, I was intrigued to see if anything had changed, and to my surprise, I actually loved it. In fact, just like Asda, it was good value for money, had a great flavour and consistency.

Score: 10/10

Morrisons - 99p for 200g

A more expensive supermarket gravy, Morrisons didn't hit the mark for me. It was slightly thin, slightly tasteless, and when I added more granules, it became slightly too salty.

Score: 4/10

Tesco - 73p for 200g

Tesco's chicken gravy was tasty, but I couldn't compare it to M&S's, Sainsbury's or Asda's. The flavour was decent, the consistency was good, but it was slightly salty, which put me off a bit.

Score: 6/10

Bisto - £2.95 for 190g

My go-to gravy for years, Bisto is a staple in many people's cupboards. However, the prices are creeping up, and you're paying for a premium product, one I don't think you're getting.

Whilst tasty and of a good consistency, I don't think the price justifies the product. Some other gravies in the taste test had better flavour, and the price was much more affordable. Bisto is quite often on offer, and that's the only time I'd buy it, but I think supermarket gravies beat it for me.

Score: 6/10

Waitrose - £1 for 170g

I was slightly disappointed with this gravy as it was quite expensive for a supermarket gravy. It lacked any flavour, but it wasn't too salty, which helped.

It was a little too watery, but went better with a toad in the hole than all over a roast dinner.

Score: 5/10

Verdict:

Sainsbury's, Asda and Marks and Spencer all won this taste test for me. Whilst Asda and Sainsbury's were standard chicken gravies and more affordable, I keep reaching for Marks and Spencer's because of the delicious sage and onion flavour.