I tried supermarket choc ices – the tasty 23p winner beat Aldi and Lidl and is the perfect freezer treat for hot weather
ULTIMATE 80s dessert the choc ice is enjoying a moment in the limelight after Princess Anne revealed she hands out the treat to guests.
The royal crowd-pleaser features a bar of vanilla ice cream covered in either milk or dark chocolate.
8
A pack of eight usually costs between £1 and £2 in British supermarkets.
But which brand would get the Royal seal of approval we tested a range to find out...
Tesco Milk Choc Ices
£2.15 (26.8p each)
Per choc ice: 131 calories, 9.3g fat, 9.2 sugar
Tesco has recently improved its choc ice and these are certainly an upgrade. The chocolate was thin but had a lovely flavour and smooth mouthfeel.
The ice cream was creamy, and whilst it only had a gentle hint of vanilla, it was pleasant to eat.
A little sweeter than most other own brands and a little more pricey - but pretty yummy to eat.
Taste: 3/5
Value: 3/5
Overall score: 6/10
Aldi Giannis Milk Choc Ices
£1.69 for 8 (21.1p each)
Per choc ice: 132 calories, 9.4g fat, 9.3g sugar
Aldi's chocolate was a little grainy and not as smooth as I'd have liked. The ice cream was very light textured, creamy and not too sweet.
They are a great price, costing just over 21p each - the very best in our test - so for a budget option these are fab. But these were let down by the unusual flavour of the chocolate.
Taste: 2/5
Value: 4/5
Overall score: 6/10
McDonald's launches brand-new burger featuring never-before-seen sauce
Lidl Bon Gelati Ice Cream Sandwich 8 x 720ml
£1.99 (24.8p each)
Per choc ice: 248 calories, 15.5g fat, 18g sugar
Lidl 's sandwich is the closest thing to a choc ice - part of it is covered with wafer.
The chocolate was satisfactory but a little on the thin side and the vanilla flavour of the overly dense ice cream dominated the overall flavour.
I liked the crunch of the water - a nice take on a choc ice and at less than 25p each, these are great value for money, if a little higher in calories, fat and sugar.
Taste: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Overall score: 7/10
Asda Milk Choc Ices
£1.97 for 8 (24.6p each)
Per choc ice: 132 calories, 9.4g fat, 9.3g sugar
Small, but nice-tasting choc ices.
The chocolate had a lovely snap as you bit into it and the ice cream was creamy and smooth, with a clear hint of vanilla.
Asda 's offering is one of the best value so a great budget-friendly treat option to keep on stand-by in the freezer.
Taste: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Overall score: 8/10
Waitrose Dark Choc Ices
£2.15 for 8 (26.8p each)
Per choc ice: 117 calories, 7.6g fat, 9.4g sugar
A little more pricey than many own brands but these dark choc ices were delicious.
The chocolate was thin and crunchy and no fancy flavours added to ruin the taste of it or the ice cream.
The ice cream was very yellow in colour, but it tasted nice.
Overall, sweet, but not sickly. A lovely after dinner treat.
Taste: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Overall score: 8/10
Iceland Majestics Milk Choc Ices
£1.50 for 6 (25p each)
Per choc ice: 117 calories, 7.7g fat, 7.2g sugar
The box is a good price but there are only six (most of the own brands come in boxes of eight).
It means they work out more expensive per choc ice than Asda, Sainsbury's, Lidl and Aldi.
Taste wise though, these are on point. The chocolate is rich and creamy with a lovely snap and the ice cream has just the right hint of vanilla and sweetness.
They are the same size as most of the other own brands but lower than most in calories, fat and sugar so not a bad option for your waistline either.
Taste: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Overall score: 9/10
Sainsbury's Milk Choc Ices
£1.90 for 8 (23.7p each)
Per choc ice: 132 calories, 9.4g fat, 9.3g sugar
Simple and cheap, these Sainsbury's treats were my favourite of all the choc ices. The thin layer of chocolate around the ice cream is delightfully crisp and moreish.
The kids have been lapping up in the warm weather.
In fact, they were as popular as a Magnum with my three children - but much, much cheaper. I think Princess Anne would definitely approve.
Taste: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Overall score: 10/10
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes - plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury's also sells £2 "Taste Me, Don't Waste Me" fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps - food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go's app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains - yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains - sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they've found on the cheap, including food finds.
"Downshift" - you will almost always save money going for a supermarket's own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as "downshifting" and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.
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