If you didn’t have time to pack lunch before work, you might find yourself grabbing a meal deal from the shop when midday rolls around.
And while the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s offer a main, snack and drink for £4 or less, a new study has claimed that another supermarket is actually offering UK shoppers the ‘best value’ for money.
The team at NetVoucherCodes compared the most expensive meal deal items available at seven top shops – including Boots, Poundland and Morrisons – and an unexpected retailer was found to offer the biggest savings.
It was Waitrose that actually came out on top as part of the analysis – despite selling the most expensive meal deal of the bunch.
While Waitrose’s meal deal might cost £5, you can actually save up to £5.30 on your lunch if you buy the most expensive items included in the offer.
The example given featured a GLO Pulled Beef & Onion Salad (£4.80), Taiko Mini Nigiri (£2.50) and Jimmy’s Iced Coffee (£3).
If you purchased these items outside of the meal deal, it would cost you £10.30, meaning you’re saving £5.30 by using the deal.
Comparatively, Poundland was found to be the cheapest meal deal overall at £3, but it offered the smallest saving on the most expensive items included.
The best value meal deals from supermarkets and high street shops
Here are the stores with the biggest savings if you buy their most expensive meal deal items:
- Waitrose (saving £5.30)
- Tesco (Saving £5.15)
- Boots (saving £5.11)
- Co-op (saving £4.65)
- Sainsbury’s (saving £4.50)
- Morrisons (saving £4.15)
- Poundland (Saving £2)
If you were to buy a premium wrap or sandwich from the store, as well as Woodys Skewers and a Starbucks Caramel Macchiato or Red Bull, it would cost you £5. So with the deal, that’s a saving of £2.
Elsewhere, Tesco ranked in second place when it came to savings, with the meal deal costing £4 and the most expensive meal deal combo giving shoppers a saving of £5.15.
Boots was third, Co-op was fourth, followed closely by Sainsbury’s and Morrisons in fifth and sixth place respectively.
NetVoucherCodes adds that for the study, only the classic meal deal price at each store was considered, without any other promotions such as loyalty card prices or premium meal deal offerings.
This comes after Tesco recently made a big change to its meal deal, adding the ‘food of the gods’ to the line-up.
Pot Noodles are now available to grab as a snack option, but there is a bit of a catch – it’s only available in selected stores across the UK and it’s only one specific flavour you can get.
Customers can add the Chicken & Mushroom Pot Noodle (90g) as a side option in 50 Tesco stores nationwide.
Locations where this is available includes Barnsley, Prescot, Hanley, Swansea, Hastings, Wrexham, Peterborough, Bristol and Swindon.
The cheapest and most expensive meal deal items:
As part of the study, researchers compared the cost of items included in the classic meal deal offering from supermarkets and high street stops.
Here’s a look at the best value meal deal combinations from each store, as well as the cheapest meal you could get outside of the lunch deal…
Waitrose – £5 Meal Deal
Best Value
GLO Pulled Beef & Onion Salad – £4.80
Taiko Mini Nigiri – £2.50
Jimmy’s Iced Coffee Original 380ml – £3.00
Total: £10.30. Save £5.30
Cheapest
Essential Tuna Mayo / Cheese & Onion Sandwich – £1.95
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bar single 45g – £1.00
Essential Still / Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 500ml – £0.80
Total: £3.75.
Tesco – £4 Meal Deal
Best Value
YO! Sushi rolls/poke bowls – £4.75
Naked Smoothie 300Ml – £2.90
Itsu Chicken Gyoza Snack Pot 47g / Ginsters Butter Chicken Bake 117G – £1.50
Total: £9.15. Save £5.15
Cheapest
Volvic Natural Bottled Mineral Still Water 1L – £1.10
Tesco Cheese & Onion / Cheese / No Ham / Egg & Cress Sandwich – £1.50
Nature Valley Crunchy Oats & Honey 42g – £0.75
Total: £3.35.
Morrisons – £4 Meal Deal
Best Value
Morrisons Limited Edition Chicken Fajita Wrap / Itsu Katsu Veg Big Bao – £3.25
Gu Zillionaire Cheesecake / My Protein Yoghurt Top Hat Vanilla Chocolate – £2.00
Naked Smoothie 300ml – £2.90
Total: £8.15. Save £4.15
Cheapest
Morrisons Egg & Cress / Cheese & Onion Sandwich – £1.55
Reese’s Peanut Butter Creme Egg 34g / Malteasers Milk Chocolate Easter Bunny 29g – £0.35
Deeside Natural Mineral Water, Morrisons Scottish Water Still – £0.55
Total: £2.45.
Co-Op – £4 Meal Deal
Best Value
Co-op Tomato Basil And Chicken Pasta Salad 285g – £3.45
Co-op Treat Millionaire’s Shortbread 245g – £2.45
Innocent Super Smoothies Energise 300ml – £2.75
Total: £8.65. Save £4.65
Cheapest
Co-op Cheese/Tuna Mayo Sandwich – £1.40
Co-op Irresistible All Butter Croissant, Co-op Bakery Cinnamon Swirl Each – £1.00
Co-op Still Mineral Water 500ml £0.65
Total: £3.05.
Sainsbury’s – £3.75 Meal Deal
Best Value
Sainsbury’s Picnic Triple – £3.50
Holy Moly Guacamole Chips & Dip 77g – £1.85
Naked Smoothies 300ml – £2.90
Total: £8.25. Save £4.50
Cheapest
Sainsbury’s No Mayo Ham Sandwich – £1.50
Mcvitie’s Gold Billion Chocolate Wafer 39.5g – £0.75
Aqua Pura Mineral Water 500ml – £0.90
Total: £3.15.
Poundland – £3 Meal Deal
Best Value
Wraps / Salads / Premium Sandwiches – £2.00
Woodys Skewers 10pk – £1.50
Starbucks Caramel Macchiato 220ml / Red Bull 250ml – £1.50
Total: £5.00. Save £2.00
Cheapest
Basic Sandwiches – £1.25
Oreo Choc Snack 27g – £0.60
Emerge Energy Drink 250ml – £0.30
Total: £2.15.
Boots – £3.99 Meal Deal
Best Value
Boots Sandwich Ham & Egg Club / Tanpopo Rice Bowls – £3.60
Del Monte Apple & Toffee Dip – £2.50
Innocent Juice Apple & Guava 330ml – £3.00
Total: £9.10. Save £5.11
Cheapest
Simply Chicken Mayo Sandwich – £1.50
Snacking Essential Mixed Buts 35g – £0.70
Arla Cravendale semi skimmed milk 250ml – £0.60
Total: £2.80.
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