We tested 6 supermarket bakeries at Lidl, Sainsbury’s and M&S: would you pay £2.60 or £1.89?

Six bakeries, one trolley and a hungry tester: prices, freshness and nostalgia collide in a very British crumb-off.

I spent a week shuttling between Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Morrisons, filling a bag with pastries, doughnuts, breads and biscuits. I looked for value, variety, freshness and that spark of invention that makes you pause at the oven-warm aisle.

What a modern in-store bakery has to prove

Shoppers want more than cheap jam doughnuts. A good bakery must balance price with quality, offer seasonal fun, keep staples stocked and serve familiar British classics beside trend-led treats. Freshness matters, and so does the sense you could build a tea-time spread without visiting three aisles.

Value, variety, freshness and a hint of theatre: that’s the checklist every in-store bakery has to pass.

The six-way taste test

6. Aldi

Plenty of Aldi branches still operate without a full fresh bakery counter. That limits the selection and flattens the experience. On my visit, the space felt tight and short on choice, with everyday loaves dominating and only a slim line-up of pastries, doughnuts and cakes. Seasonal bakes were missing.

When the treats landed, they were fine for lunchboxes, but the range lacked the “pick-and-mix” joy you get from hot trays and rotating specials. Budget wins on basics, yet the bakery aisle needs breadth to compete here.

5. Marks and Spencer

M&S sets a high bar for presentation and premium appeal. The shelves looked gorgeous, the recipes read indulgent, and the bake quality was consistently neat. Prices bite, though. Many fresh items sat between £1.50 and £2.30, with a simple almond croissant at £2.60. A single 50p roll was the rare bargain.

If you go, target the knockout lines: the Yumnut remains a clever hybrid, and the white chocolate all-butter biscuits make a posh coffee break. Regular weekly shops rapidly add up, so most people will cherry-pick a treat and move on.

4. Asda

Asda’s bakery still carries a whiff of 1990s comfort: iced ring doughnuts, muffins and family packs lined up under warm lights. I visited around 6pm and found strong availability across pastries and breads, with a Krispy Kreme rack for those who want a brand-name sugar rush.

Caramel and pecan buns stood out as a welcome twist on the iced bun or cinnamon roll. Seasonal bakes—Halloween bits now, festive gear arriving early—hit sensible price points. The range felt decent but not daring, with fewer head-turners than rivals higher up this list.

3. Lidl

Lidl’s bakery is a magnet. Low prices, golden trays and that irresistible waft combine to draw you in. Social media-friendly ideas keep queues moving too. Industry figures suggest Lidl sells about 122 croissants a minute and shifts jam doughnuts at roughly one a second, which says plenty about its pull.

Lidl’s pace-setter reputation comes from simple pricing, eye-level warmth and crowd-pleasing mashups that keep tills busy.

Toffee-filled yum yums were the tray to beat on my run. The jam doughnuts were hard to pass as well. The range in my store skewed continental; I’d have liked more British nostalgia—school cake, tea cakes, gingerbread men—though this can vary by branch. A few items were edging stale by evening. Tip: reach to the back for fresher bakes.

2. Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s nails the British bakery mood. Think school cake squares with sprinkles, buttery flapjacks, apple turnovers, tea cakes and gingerbread men, alongside an ample bread bay of rolls, baguettes, sliced loaves and naans. Seasonal riffs—witchy biscuits now, snowy yule-style bites creeping in—keep the aisle lively.

Prices and breadth sit in a sweet spot for families. You can stock a kids’ party plate and a Sunday breakfast tray without breaking stride. Innovation is gentle rather than flashy, which suits shoppers who want familiarity first.

1. Morrisons

Morrisons lands top because it covers the most ground with the least fuss. There’s no showy counter in my branch; instead, a big, well-stocked department that mixes warm staples with chilled puddings and smart little snack packs. The scale and pricing make it easy to feed a household.

Two raspberry croissants for £1.89 delivered buttery layers and a bright, jammy centre that tasted like patisserie without the weight. A generous strawberry trifle sat at £2.25, perfect for a shared pudding. Bitesized spins on British favourites—mini teacakes with a strawberry marshmallow surprise—add playfulness to the weekly shop.

Two raspberry croissants for £1.89 and a £2.25 trifle set a value benchmark that rivals struggled to match on the day.

Shoppers have previously reported multi-buy pastry deals in some stores, making the numbers even kinder when you need a box for the office or a weekend breakfast spread. Offers vary, so check shelf labels locally.

Quick verdicts at a glance

• Aldi: functional for basics, light on theatre and seasonal choice.
• M&S: plush experience, sharp flavours, prices better for occasional treats.
• Asda: solid family selection, reliable availability late in the day.
• Lidl: impulse heaven, strong value, watch freshness later in the evening.
• Sainsbury’s: the home of British classics, easy to build a full spread.
• Morrisons: breadth, value and fun twists make it the most complete package.

Price snapshots

Timing, freshness and storage tips

Go earlier in the day for bakes with crisp edges and soft centres. Evening sweeps are decent for markdowns, though texture can suffer. If you shop late, pick from trays at the back, where newer batches usually live.

For maximum freshness at home, cool hot pastries on a rack, then store in paper, not plastic.

Reheat croissants in a 180°C oven for five to seven minutes to revive flake and aroma. Doughnuts firm up in the fridge; room temperature is kinder. Freeze sliced bread flat in zip bags to toast from frozen, one slice at a time.

Allergens, nutrition and value checks

Look for clear allergen cards near the bakery case. Many seasonal items swap recipes during limited runs, so don’t assume a safe list is static. For budget planning, compare price per item across multipacks and single bakes. A two-pack pastry at £1.89 undercuts several single-serve options elsewhere.

The bottom line for your basket

If you want one destination that delivers range, warm bakes, chilled desserts and playful riffs without premium pricing, Morrisons takes it this week. For classic British nostalgia, Sainsbury’s is hard to beat. Lidl remains the tempt-at-the-aisle-stop, while M&S shines as a treat run. Asda serves the family crowd reliably, and Aldi makes sense for bread and basics when price trumps theatre.

Rotate where you shop for bakery treats and lean into time-of-day tactics. Small switches—like picking up a Morrisons croissant two-pack over a single premium pastry—can shave pounds off a month of morning coffees without dulling the joy of a warm, flaky bite.