I tried the Lidl and Aldi Vimto dupes - and this is what I honestly thought

Vimto - which was invented by Blackburn man John Noel Nichols - has been a staple in many homes since 1908 with its distinctive flavour combination of fruit juices and herbs.

Read more about the Lancashire roots of Vimto here

Now Lidl have brought out a 99p Mixto dupe, and Aldi are selling Fruit-o for £1.15. But are they any good? People on social media claim they are - with some even saying they taste better than the real thing.

So, being a bit of a Vimto fan, I went off to buy the dupes to compare, and see if it could possibly be true. I also bought the real Vimto as it’s very easy to say something tastes alike if you don’t have it right there to compare with.

Mixto

Mixto from Lidl’s ‘Lindhouse’ range flatters to decieve. It is the cheapest dupe, and with the most similar-looking name and packaging (apart from the white bottle top - silly mistake). But there’s only a slight fragrance when you smell the made-up drink, and it lacks any kind of depth you’d associate with Vimto. It is a pleasant fruity drink and it’s sweet - that’s about all I can say for it. Lidl certainly haven’t nailed the Vimto flavour here.

Fruit-o

The price of this one surprised me. You can widely get the real Vimto for £1.25, and this fake was only 10p cheaper. I would say that if you’re in Aldi and you can’t pick up the real deal, then this isn’t a bad subsitute. It has more herby depth to the taste than Mixto without the over-the-top sweetness. It’s an enjoyable drink that you probably would think was Vimto, if you didn’t have the real one right next to it like me. Which, let’s be honest, you wouldn’t.

So in conclusion, for the very small price difference, if you can get the real Vimto, just do that. The bottle’s also nicer.