We tested 6 supermarket bakeries near you: which £1.89 croissant beats £2.60 treats at M&S?

Shoppers swear by their local bakery aisle, yet prices, freshness and fun change sharply from one supermarket to the next.

With six big-name grocers sitting a short drive apart, we ran a real-world taste-and-value sweep of their bakeries. The mission was simple: find out where your money goes furthest, where the bakes taste freshest, and which counters still serve the British classics you crave.

How we tested

We visited six supermarkets on the same weekday evening to mirror a typical post-work shop. We checked presentation, breadth of range, pricing, and the balance between nostalgia and novelty. We looked for seasonal launches, children’s favourites, grab‑and‑go pastries, and everyday bread. We also tracked where products felt freshest on the shelf and noted any visible stales.

Morrisons edged the pack on value and breadth, while Sainsbury’s nailed nostalgia. M&S tasted premium but stretched the budget. Aldi’s range felt thin.

The quick leaderboard

Store‑by‑store verdicts

Morrisons

Morrisons took the crown. The bakery spans more than a quick pastry rack. A chilled dessert bay sits alongside rows of breads, small bites and family sharers. The standout? A two‑pack of fresh raspberry croissants for £1.89. The filling hits like jam but without the heavy doughnut feel. Texture stays flaky, buttered and light. A large strawberry trifle at £2.25 undercuts many rivals on both price and portion.

Two raspberry croissants for £1.89 and a £2.25 trifle together give Morrisons a rare mix of flair and thrift.

Choice matters as much as cost. The small‑bites section twists British favourites with playful flavours, which keeps the range from feeling samey. Even without a staffed counter, the breadth means you do not miss one.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s sets out its stall with nostalgia. Think school cake slices, tea cakes, all‑butter flapjacks, apple turnovers and gingerbread men. Bread varieties run deep too, from rolls and baguettes to sliced loaves and naan. Seasonal bakes land early and in numbers. For families, this aisle ticks boxes without a fight. Prices sit mid‑table and feel fair for what you get.

Serviceable value, strong variety and traditional comfort put Sainsbury’s on many weekly lists. It nearly topped ours, but Morrisons’ sharper prices and chilled selection tipped the balance.

Lidl

Lidl draws you in with an always‑busy display and sharp ticketing. The case looks great and the impulse lines deliver. Industry data from 2024 suggested its bakeries shift roughly 122 croissants per minute and about one jam doughnut every second. That momentum shows in store.

Plenty of fun, frequent novelties and social‑media hits, but freshness can fluctuate by shelf and time of day.

We hit stales on a few items and found the pre‑packed section unimaginative. Reach to the back for fresher trays. The value proposition remains strong, yet the range felt lighter on British classics than higher ranked rivals.

Asda

Asda balances price with a dependable, family‑oriented spread. We visited early evening and still found good availability. The caramel and pecan bun offers a welcome alternative to the usual iced ring or cinnamon roll. Themed bakes for Halloween and Christmas were out and fairly priced. The range is narrower than Sainsbury’s or Morrisons, and few items surprised us, but nothing jarred either.

Marks and Spencer

Marks and Spencer brings polish and premium flavour, yet the bill climbs fast. Many individual bakes sit between £1.50 and £2.30. A single almond croissant at £2.60 is a treat, not a habit. The Yumnut remains a fan favourite if you want one splurge. A 50p bread roll shows there are entry points, though most shoppers will need restraint to keep costs in check.

Aldi

Aldi excels at cupboard basics but lags on fresh bakery. Many stores still lack a full in‑house counter, so choice narrows to loaves, a few packaged pastries and occasional treats. Seasonal specials were thin on our visit. If you live for the bakery aisle, you may leave wanting more.

Best buys and smart swaps

• Stretch your pound: pair Morrisons’ £1.89 raspberry croissants with the £2.25 trifle for a crowd‑pleasing dessert under a fiver.
• Crave classics: Sainsbury’s school cakes and gingerbread men keep lunchboxes happy without breaking £2 per item.
• Chase novelty: Lidl’s cronut‑style lines and jam doughnuts satisfy sweet‑tooth moments on a tight budget.
• One treat only: at Marks and Spencer, target the Yumnut and skip extras if you are price‑sensitive.
• Family traybakes: Asda’s seasonal lines offer affordable variety when you need quantity for parties.

When to shop and how to keep bakes fresh

Timing changes value. Early evenings often bring yellow‑sticker markdowns as bakeries clear the day’s stock. Mid‑morning drops can be freshest, once ovens have turned out the second batch. Ask staff about bake times in your local branch. Store croissants and pastries in paper for the first day, then freeze what you will not eat. Reheat from room temperature at 170°C for five to seven minutes to refresh flake and lift aroma.

Check unit pricing per 100g when comparing trays, especially for doughnuts and mini bites. A multibuy can look cheaper, but the per‑gram cost sometimes beats a “deal” on a smaller pack. For allergens, watch for nuts, milk, eggs, sesame and soya in mixed displays. Cross‑contact can occur at self‑serve units, so sealed packs suit sensitive households better.

What this means for your weekly shop

If you want breadth and a strong price‑to‑portion ratio, Morrisons stands out. Sainsbury’s will please traditionalists who want dependable favourites with decent variety. Lidl remains a drive‑by temptation for viral picks and low headline prices, with the caveat that freshness swings by time of day. Asda offers safe choices and themed fun, while Marks and Spencer rewards a precise, one‑treat strategy rather than a full basket. Aldi keeps budgets tight on bread but will not satisfy a bakery aficionado in many locations.

Look for multibuys, check unit prices, time your visit, and freeze smartly. Those habits beat headline prices every week.

Extra tips that save pounds over a month

Build a simple rotation. One week, grab a family share dessert. The next, choose breakfast pastries. The third, try a speciality loaf. You cut waste and keep variety high. If your household eats pastries twice a week, a switch from £2.60 single buys to £1.89 multipacks saves more than £7 a month.

Consider nutrition trade‑offs. Glazed doughnuts often carry similar sugar to filled pastries but fewer calories than icing‑heavy buns. A seeded loaf adds fibre that helps balance a sweet pick. Pair a croissant with fruit and yoghurt to stop a mid‑morning crash. Small changes let you enjoy the bakery aisle without a budget or energy dip.