Aldi and Lidl are two supermarkets that are difficult to separate.
Not only do their names sound similar, but they're both known for their low prices, discount copycat products and speedy checkout staff. Both German retailers have long headed up the charts as the UK's cheapest supermarkets, but Aldi recently lost its budget crown to Lidl during the summer holiday period.
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A price comparison of a basket of essential goods, carried out by consumer group Which? saw Lidl identified as the best-value grocer in August - although Asda was the cheapest of the traditional supermarket 'big four'.
The comparison found that shoppers paid £24.11 for a basket of 23 essential items at Lidl, 43p less than in Aldi - and £9 less than Waitrose. The basket included own-brand products such as apples and eggs, and branded goods such as Hovis wholemeal bread.
However, prices have also changed in recent weeks - with the cost of some items at Lidl increasing by up to 84p.
To put these findings to the test, I went to my local branches of the two supermarkets - Lidl on Colchester Avenue in Cardiff and then less than half a mile away at Aldi on Newport Road - to do a food shop of my own.
Wanting to ensure a fair comparison, I went into both supermarkets with two near identical shopping lists, which included: Semi-skimmed milk (2pts), Penne pasta (500g), tomato and herb pasta sauce, three mixed peppers, pepperoni pizza, cornflakes, button mushrooms (200g), easy peelers, bananas, six medium free range eggs, unsmoked back bacon (10 rashers), chicken breasts (650g), wholemeal sliced bread and double strength orange squash (1.5l).
Despite being more familiar with Lidl, which was also less busy, I found Aldi easier to navigate, and was able to get in and out of the store in under 10 minutes.
However, while it varied from item to item, most of the food that I bought from Aldi was closer to its expiry date, with items from Lidl longer-lasting.
Neither store had self-scanners, which meant I had to queue at the checkout, but the operators at both stores were speedy, meaning I wasn't waiting too long — here's why Aldi checkout workers scan your shopping so fast.
The all-important factor, though, is price. The receipts from both showed the prices as follows (cheapest option in bold):
Lidl: Milk (£0.80), pasta (£0.29) , pasta sauce (£0.39), peppers (£0.82) , pizza (£1.69), cornflakes (£0.55), mushrooms (£0.79), easy peelers (£1.19), bananas (£0.77), eggs (£0.79), bacon (£1.39), chicken breasts (£3.35), bread (£0.49), orange squash (£0.89).
Total: £14.20
Aldi: Milk (£0.80), pasta (£0.42), pasta sauce (£0.39), peppers (£1.25), pizza (£1.69), cornflakes (£0.55), mushrooms (£0.75) , easy peelers (£0.69) , bananas (£0.65) , eggs (£0.79), bacon (£1.39), chicken breasts (£3.35), bread (£0.49), orange squash (£0.89).
Total: £14.10
As you can see, there is very little to separate the two budget stores - with only a 10p difference overall and an incredible nine items priced exactly the same in both supermarkets.
Only the pasta and peppers were cheaper in Lidl - with a huge 43p difference between the peppers in each store - while the savings made on the remaining fruit and vegetables in Aldi helped to push it over the line as the cheapest of the two discount giants.
In terms of quality, the two baskets were fairly even, with the easy peelers at Aldi - 'wonky' by their own admission - the only item that perhaps didn't look as fresh as I'd hoped.
With such a small difference in price, I can't separate the two and couldn't recommend one over the other for your weekly shop - both had a wide range of produce on offer, easily accessible stores and, most importantly, prices that other supermarket chains just can't compete with.
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