Fortnum & Mason, renowned as the UK’s most prestigious grocery store and holder of a Royal Warrant from His Majesty King Charles, is often regarded as the pinnacle of luxury shopping. In stark contrast, Aldi is celebrated as one of the nation’s most affordable supermarkets, catering to those on a budget.
But can the average person truly distinguish between dishes made with ingredients from these two vastly different retailers? To find out, YouTuber Sam Wilder conducted a blind taste test using two classic recipes: spaghetti carbonara and cottage pie.
Sam visited Fortnum & Mason’s elegant Piccadilly store to gather his premium ingredients, which came to £19.37 for the carbonara and just over £30 for the cottage pie. Meanwhile, his Aldi equivalents cost only £8.89 and £9.47 respectively—less than a third of the price.
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Cooking both versions back home, Sam noted a few key differences. For example, he used authentic pancetta from Fortnum & Mason while Aldi’s version relied on bacon lardons. Both dishes delivered a satisfying salty kick complemented by a rich, buttery egg sauce. The Fortnum & Mason carbonara boasted a slightly more indulgent flavor and a richer orange hue, attributed to the premium eggs.
During a blind taste test with his wife Carolina, the distinction grew even blurrier. Carolina struggled to correctly identify which dish was which, even mistaking the budget Aldi cottage pie for the luxury version. Sam himself admitted the main difference was the texture of the mince—Fortnum & Mason’s was thicker with a more intense flavor—but overall, the contrast was subtle.
Ultimately, the less expensive Aldi ingredients won praise for matching, and in some ways surpassing, their high-end counterparts. Sam concluded, “Honestly, in this instance, I think I prefer the Aldi one.”