SAINSBURY’S has added a surprise new item to its meal deal – and shoppers are delighted.
The retailer has this month introduced small cartons of Covent Garden soup to its regular, premium and kitchen deli meal deals, which all comprise a main, snack and drink.
Shoppers can choose between tomato or chicken soups as part of the meal deal[/caption]
The 280g containers of either chicken or tomato flavour soup are classed as the snack option, meaning customers can also choose mains like sandwiches or baguettes to dip into them.
The revelation has been a big hit with shoppers, who have hailed the addition as a game-changer.
One said on Reddit.com: “Soup as a snack? That’s mad, I did not know about it!”
Another added: “They do SOUP as part of a meal deal!?!?! And as a snack, not even as the main!
“Thank you for this knowledge. Now off to Sainsbury’s for lunch.”
A third enthused, “Soup as a snack is a big win. That and a sandwich sounds perfect.”
A fourth agreed: “The soup changes the game for a winter meal deal.”
However there were questions over whether the soup would need to be eaten cold rather than heated up – with some saying they would heat it in their office microwaves.
Sainsbury’s currently has three lunchtime meal deals, including the standard one for £3.95, a premium version at £5.50, and the posher Kitchen Deli option at £7.
Tesco offered Covent Garden soup cartons in its meal deal earlier this year, but they were removed in May.
The retailer said: “We periodically refresh our meal deal range to ensure that it reflects the latest trends and the products that our customers want to buy.
“With more than 20million combinations available in the Tesco meal deal there is something for every taste.”
Meal deals are big business for supermarkets, with customers frequently debating the best combinations on social media.
Asda this month launched a new meal deal for £3.74 to replace its old three for two offer on lunchtime items.
Like other supermarkets, its offer includes a main, snack and drink.
It’s now the cheapest non-membership meal deal available and no loyalty cards are needed to access the savings.
The new meal deal is available in all Asda stores, including Asda Express, as well as online.
Boasting a choice of 132 mains, 336 snacks and 222 drinks, customers can mix and match from a wide selection of favourites.
Price hikes on offers often hit the headlines.
Sainsbury’s this month put up the price of its premium meal deal from £5 to £5.50, while Tesco recently hiked its regular deal by 25p to £3.85 with a Clubcard – a move that infuriated customers.
And dine-in deals for Tesco and Sainsbury’s have risen from £12 to £15 with loyalty cards.
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes – plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury’s also sells £2 “Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me” fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps – food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains – yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains – sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they’ve found on the cheap, including food finds.
“Downshift” – you will almost always save money going for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as “downshifting” and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.
