With the festive season in full swing, the craving for an ice-cold, fizzy cola is a familiar feeling for many. But does the iconic taste of Coca-Cola have a serious, budget-friendly rival on supermarket shelves? A recent investigation put the own-brand colas from the UK's leading supermarkets to the test, with one surprising contender emerging almost indistinguishable from the famous original.
The Cola Challenge: Ranking the Supermarket Rivals
The taste test, conducted by a team of reporters, assessed colas from Aldi, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, and Lidl against the benchmark of classic Coca-Cola. The goal was clear: to find out if any supermarket alternative could match the taste and experience of the branded favourite, which itself received a top rating of 5 out of 5.
Starting from the bottom, Aldi's Vive cola, priced at £1.69 for a six-pack of 330ml cans, was deemed merely "drinkable." Reviewers noted it lost its fizz quickly and tasted overly sweet, earning it a modest 2/5.
Marks & Spencer's 'Very Interesting Cola' with Madagascan vanilla, costing £4.50 for four 275ml bottles, also disappointed. Described as excessively sweet and reminiscent of cola bottle sweets, it failed to live up to its name or its vanilla-infused inspiration, scoring just 2.5/5.
Tesco's Classic Cola (80p for a 2L bottle) initially smelled promising but was criticised for a watery taste and lack of the signature "crispy fizz," also receiving a 2.5/5 rating.
The Front-Runners: Which Colas Came Close?
Moving into more favourable territory, Asda's Cola at 70p for 2 litres was recognised as a solid middle-ground option. It captured a good flavour reminiscent of Coke but was let down by being too flat, securing a 3/5 score.
Sainsbury's Cola, also 70p for 2 litres, performed well as a cheaper alternative. Reviewers acknowledged a noticeable but not stark difference from the original, though it was slightly sweeter and less fizzy. This earned it a respectable 4/5.
The Shock Winner: A 49p Contender Takes the Crown
The standout performer of the test was Lidl's Freeway Cola. Available for just 49p for a 2-litre bottle or £1.79 for a six-pack of cans, it was hailed as being "as good as the real thing." The reviewer stated that in a non-blind test, they might not have realised it wasn't Coca-Cola.
The only minor critique was that the fizz lacked the ultimate "crispy" sharpness of the branded drink. However, for a product costing 80% less, this was considered a negligible compromise. Lidl's Freeway Cola received an impressive 4.5 out of 5 rating, making it the clear value champion.
The results, first published on May 5, 2025, suggest that for consumers looking to save significantly without a major sacrifice on taste, one supermarket's own label has confidently thrown down the gauntlet to the global giant.
