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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Emma Gill

Budget supermarket owned by B&M that beats Tesco and Asda on some food prices

A budget supermarket has gradually caught the nation's attention amid the rising cost of living crisis - and it started life as a family butchers.

Heron Foods, which was Grindell Butchers in 1979, has shot in popularity in recent months following the sharp rise of prices of foods in most supermarkets.

Everything from bread and milk to fish fingers and beans has suffered as a result of inflation.

Heron Foods benefited from a takeover by B&M in 2017 and, since the huge £152million deal, it has operated more than 250 stores across the UK.

By recent figures it's now outperforming B&M, Manchester Evening News (MEN) reports.

When a MEN reporter visited a Heron Foods in Wigan, Greater Manchester, recently, she was surprised at just how cheap some of the foods were and she "picked up a pretty big haul" for around £50.

Heron Foods has around 250 stores across the UK (Joseph Raynor/ Nottingham Post)

Writing for the publication, reporter Emma Gill said: "Overall I picked up a pretty big haul for just over £50 though. It's probably not somewhere I'd go for a weekly shop, but I'll definitely be back soon to bag more of the bargains in store.

"I was surprised by just how cheap many of the products were.

"The price of eggs - £1.39 for a pack of 15 - was pretty much as cheap as you can get them, just 7p more than Asda's new Just Essentials range."

During her trip, Emma also found a four-pack of Muller Light Greek Yoghurts for 89p, Belvita biscuits for £1 and the huge 754g bottle of Hellman's Squeezy Mayonnaise for £2.

"Drinks were cheap too, with a 1.25l bottle of Pepsi Max Lime priced just 79p and a 1-litre bottle of Robinson's double strength blackcurrant for £1. The same cordial costs £2.25 in Tesco and even under Asda's multibuy offer, still works out more expensive at two bottles for £3," the journalist continued.

Emma Gill, a reporter for Manchester Evening News, sampled a Heron Foods recently (Manchester Family / MEN)

"There were large packs of frozen food under Heron's XSELL brand, such as a 1.5kg bag of waffles for £1.75, but even the well-known brands were cheap - like the pack of 10 Young's fish fingers I picked up for £1, paying 25p less than the 'great value' price it had on the box.

"And there were some great deals on their equivalent of wonky stock - with a 907g pack of 'bacon misshapes' for £1.49 and a 500g biscuit variety pack, containing broken and misshapen biscuits, for just 69p.

"Probably the best bargain I picked up was a 375g jar of Ragu Original Chunky Bolognese sauce for 29p. It had obviously been reduced from £1 label on the jar because it was short-dated, but we all know stuff like that can be used well after its 'best before'."

A 1kg bag of Royal Gala apples was just £1.69 at the Wigan supermarket (Manchester Family / MEN)

The full Heron shop

  • Warburtons sliced white rolls 6-pack - £1.09
  • Kingsmill soft thick white - £1.15
  • Seabrook salt and vinegar 6-pack - £1.15
  • Hellman's Squeezy Mayonnaise 754g - £2
  • Giant white baps 6-pack - £1.25
  • Pink Lady apples 4-pack - £1.89
  • Birds Eye Crispy Chicken 70g - 2 for £2.50
  • Ye Olde Oak hotdogs - 69p
  • Biscuit variety 500g - 69p
Family favourites, like fish fingers, are typically going up in price in most shops (Manchester Family / MEN)
  • Royal Gala apples 1kg - £1.69
  • Eggs 15-pack - £1.39
  • Maryland choc chip cookies 2-pack - £1
  • Twix 16-pack - £2
  • Ragu Original Chunky Bolognese sauce 375g - 29p
  • Belvita blueberry and flaxseeds 6-pack - £1
  • Almond fingers 6-pack - 79p
  • Apple rounds 6-pack - 89p
  • Muller Light Greek Yoghurts 4-pack - 89p
  • Mars praline ice creams 6-pack - £2
  • Chicken breast slices 105g - £1
  • Fresh Deli Honey Ham 180g - £1
  • Cadbury Wispa Gold 2 x four-pack - 79p each
  • Semi skimmed milk 2 litres - £1.55
  • Moo Banana Milk 1 litre - £1.25
  • Toilet roll 4-pack - £1.35
  • Utterly Butterly 500g - £1.39
  • Sultana Scones 4-pack - 69p
  • Diet Coke and Dr Pepper - two cans for £1
  • Brioche rolls - £1.09
  • Richmond Skinless Sausages 16-pack - £1.69
It was a pretty big haul for just over £50 (Manchester Family / MEN)
  • Young's fish fingers 10-pack - £1
  • Skinny Whip bars - £1
  • Bacon 150g - 75p
  • McVitie's Trio biscuits - 49p
  • Mature Cheddar 280g - £2
  • Curly fries 600g - £1.29
  • Choc Brownies 4-pack - £1
  • Bacon Misshapes 907g - £1.29
  • Cadbury Giant Buttons 95g - 79p
  • Typhoo One Cup teabags 100-pack - £1.25
  • Hartley's strawberry jam 300g - £1
  • Pepsi Max Lime 1.25l - 79p
  • Robinson's double strength blackcurrant 1 litre - £1

Total £51.59

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