'I did big shop at supermarket and it was cheaper than Aldi and Lidl for essentials'

The supermarket shocked everyone when it came out cheaper than the budget retailers in a weekly price comparison

It's well known that budget retailers Aldi and Lidl typically offer lower prices than the big four supermarkets. In our a comparison of basic grocery items such as bread and milk, it's usually one of these two that has come out on top each week since the MEN began tracking prices in March 2022.

So, it was quite surprising when Morrisons took the lead last week, particularly as it was the most expensive just five months ago. The reason for this change was a significant expansion of its More Card scheme, which, like Tesco's Clubcard and Sainsbury's Nectar card, offers exclusive prices on several products and allows customers to collect points that can be converted into vouchers.

This month, the supermarket has added hundreds of additional More Card prices, with discounts on over 2,000 of its best-selling and branded products - including a 15% reduction in the price of its 330g pack of chicken breasts, which helped it snatch the cheapest crown from Aldi last week. Intrigued by its new position, I decided to visit Morrisons for a large shop to see how its prices are faring overall.

I made sure to get a More Card first, which can easily be done via the website or app. The empty shelf where the bargain chicken should have been was a clear indication that the reductions are popular with shoppers, Emma Gill, parents editor at the MEN reports.

It's not just the More Card that's attracting customers. The larger 1kg pack of chicken breasts I purchased was priced at £6.49, identical to Aldi and Lidl, thanks to Morrisons' price match initiative with both retailers launched in February.

Additionally, I earned 400 points on them, along with hundreds more points on five other items. For every 5,000 points you accumulate, you receive a £5 voucher to spend in-store.

I saved nearly £13 with More Card offers overall and was genuinely impressed with some of the discounts, including honeydew melons reduced from £1.89 - the price at Aldi and Lidl - to £1.50 each, and Pot Noodles down from £1.20 each to 65p. Many of the discounts applied to major brands too, and I managed to get a 605ml bottle of Heinz Ketchup reduced from £3.90 to £3, a 300g tub of Bisto gravy down from £3.79 to £2.50, a pack of seven Gold bars down from £1.75 to £1 and tins of Ambrosia Custard down from £1.99 each to £1.50 for two.

A decent five for £5 frozen deal allowed me to stock up on some of the kids' favourites like Alphabites and Birds Eye Crispy Chicken. Although I didn't need any beans, it was good to see a four-pack of Heinz reduced to £3 with the More Card and cereals like Rice Krispies (430g), Frosties (470g) and Shreddies (630g) down to £2.50 a box.

The 200g jars of Kenco coffee, down from £7 to £5, are the lowest price I've seen for a while.

I seldom purchase genuine Magnum ice cream lollies these days due to their high cost, so my children were thrilled when I came home with two three-packs, which were less than half the usual £3.25 price at £1.58. The reduced prices allowed me to buy other treats that I've recently been omitting from the shopping trolley.

It's no secret how much the cost of chocolate has increased, so it was a pleasant surprise to see Cadbury packs on offer for two for £3. The Wispa Gold and Dairy Milk packs I chose would typically cost £1.75 each at Asda and Tesco.

I also bought a packet of Rowntree's Safari Mix, reduced from £1.50 to £1. In addition to the More Card and the Aldi and Lidl Price Match, there were numerous other discounts that helped me save, such as a six-pack of Seabrook crisps for £1.25, Mr Kipling Angel Slices reduced from £2.50 to £1.50, two loaves of Hovis bread for £2.50, large packs of biscuits on offer at two for £1.20 and a pack of Extra Large Young's Chip Shop Fish Fillets reduced from £3.25 to £2.50.

But what I really appreciate about Morrisons are the extra touches. We adore their fresh pizzas from the counter and I got a massive 14 inch pepperoni one for £4.75.

I picked up a pack of four large Lincolnshire sausage rolls from the pastry counter for £2 and then there's the fresh bread from the bakery, with a pack of six wonderfully soft, large tiger rolls costing me £1.30. With special offers and the More Card, I saved a total of £24.72 on a £160 shop, which is certainly a significant saving.

While Morrisons may not have secured the Which? title of the UK’s Cheapest Supermarket, it is certainly attracting an increasing number of shoppers with initiatives like its More Card, price matching and various other offers. Meanwhile, Aldi disagrees with the weekly comparison results, arguing that these do not reflect a like-for-like product measure or acknowledge 'the higher quality' of their items.

An Aldi spokesperson commented: "Our promise to customers is that they will make significant savings every time they shop with Aldi, which is why we've been named Which? Cheapest Supermarket of the Year for three years running. Which? has also named Aldi the UK's Cheapest Supermarket every month this year, even in its latest analysis including loyalty prices."