Pancake Day essentials will be on many shoppers' lists as they head to supermarkets this week.
Shrove Tuesday, or pancake day, falls on March 4 2025. And, the store with the cheapest ingredients out of the big six - Aldi, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose - has been revealed.
For the classic ‘sugar and lemon’ pancake ingredients, Aldi is the best place to buy your ingredients at a total of £7.21, but other supermarkets followed closely behind.
Tesco and in 2nd spot with Morrisons close behind in third spot with ingredients costing a total of £7.41 and £7.51 whilst basic ingredients from Asda would ring up to £7.71.
The most expensive option was Waitrose, with even their cheapest ingredient options coming to £8.50, a £1.29 difference to Aldi. It’s sugar that will set you back the most, with the cheapest option being £1.09 for a 1kg bag from either Aldi or Tesco.
The ingredients on the list were:
- 1.5kg Plain Flour
- 6 Medium Eggs
- 250g Unsalted Butter
- 2 Pints of Semi-Skimmed Milk
- 1kg Sugar
- Lemons
The research compares ingredient prices across six major UK supermarkets, uncovering the best-value options not just for pancake basics but also for popular toppings like chocolate spread, honey, and strawberries.
It also highlights a notable 8% increase in pancake ingredient prices since last year, with Asda seeing the biggest jump (+£1.02) and Waitrose being the only retailer to lower costs.
It’s sugar that will set you back the most, with the cheapest option being £1.09 for a 1kg bag from either Tesco or Aldi.
The cheapest supermarkets for your favourite pancake toppings
Strawberries was the cheapest alternative topping, with Aldi being the cheapest place to pick some up at 69p. Closely followed by honey, which you can pick up for 75p from Sainsbury’s and Aldi.
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In 2024, financial experts at Moneyboat conducted a thorough analysis of the cost of essential pancake ingredients across major UK supermarkets. This study was repeated in 2025, revealing an average price increase of 8% within just 12 months.
The rising costs can be attributed to various factors, including inflation, supply chain challenges, and fluctuations in the cost of staple ingredients such as eggs, flour, and milk.
Among the supermarkets analysed, Asda experienced the most significant price hike, with the total cost of pancake ingredients increasing by £1.02 year-on-year. In contrast, Waitrose was the only supermarket to see a decrease, with prices dropping by 25p.
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