We didn’t start the war—but we’re here to butter the crust of it.
There's more to this debate than Reddit noise. We dug deeper—through forums, taste tests, and food blogs—to build the full loaf.
🥨 Lidl: King of Value (With a Side of Drama)
Still topping charts as the best budget bakery, Lidl gets major props for pretzel rolls, focaccia, brownies and maple plaits—just don’t get driven mad trying to grab ‘em before checkout. A Scottish Sun taste-off even crowned Lidl UK’s top supermarket bakery and launched a bakery gold-card for fans.
But price cuts haven’t been painless. Reddit users flagged shrinkflation—a brownie that’s "finished in two bites" now—and hygiene gripes:
“It’s uncovered all day… covered in flies… I’ve seen people bare-hand grab…”
Still, most say the flavour-to-cost ratio is unbeatable.
🥖 Morrisons: The Underdog with the Uppercrust
Morrisons continues to surprise. Their pain au chocolat snagged top spot in recent taste tests, praised for "rich chocolate content, flaky all-butter pastry" at just 45p. Pasties, pies, cheese rolls—Morrisons scores serious brownie points.
Plus, a blog review noted their bakery churns out over 70 artisan-style items, like honey & sunflower star bread and chocolate twists—straight from the oven daily.
🧀 Marks & Spencer: When You’ve Got to Treat Yourself
M&S remains the indulgent choice. Redditors appreciate the excellence of cookies and the quality of sourdough. And taste tests reveal why: in a Guardian run-through, M&S loaves ranked mid-tier—behind Waitrose and Co‑Op, but still solid.
🍞 Waitrose, Sainsbury’s & Co.
Waitrose stirs strong feelings. Their No. 1 hot cross buns were top-rated for fluffiness and fruit. But pricing vs. flavour is debated: “top-notch if you don’t mind paying for it,” said one.
Sainsbury’s and Tesco hover around “middling to okay,” though Tesco’s “Finest” can shine when freshly stocked. Co-op gets shout-outs for vegan treats and well-fired loaves.
A bittersweet vibe: the smaller chains (Aldi, Asda) are commonly dubbed “meh.”
🥐 The Croissant & Sourdough Angle
French-style patisserie remains elusive in supermarkets. 2017 Guardian croissant tests found none matched an artisan standard—and that sentiment still rings true.
More recently, Thomasina Miers praised Jason’s brand for its authentic supermarket sourdough (but not the usual names).
🏆 CRUSTDEPT. Final Crust Stack
-
Lidl – Ultimate value bomber
-
Morrisons – Surprising flavour champ
-
M&S – Payday treat king
-
Waitrose/Sainsbury’s – When price meets palate
-
Tesco & Co‑Op – Decent, reliable
-
Asda & Aldi – You do you…
TL;DR
-
Lidl’s bakery: low price, high yield—just dodge the rogue crumblers.
-
Morrisons: minimalist price, maximal punch—especially for pastries.
-
M&S: treat-level quality, treat-level prices.
-
Waitrose & Sainsbury’s: solid seasonal picks (hot cross buns, sourdough).
-
Tesco/Co‑Op: fine for basics.
-
Aldi & Asda: meh—skip unless in a bind.
Crust Challenge 🔥
Have a fav that deserves the spotlight—like Iceland's impromptu grocery croissants or Jason's sourdough hero loaf? Throw us a message. We’re building the ultimate Crust Dept. hitlist.
Crust Culture. Hype Yeast.
— CRUSTDEPT.