GRANOLA fans are in crunch talks with Aldi after the retailer axed a popular breakfast staple and replaced it with an “inferior” version.
Aldi’s Harvest Morn Protein Granola was favoured as a healthier breakfast option due to having extra protein than normal cereal.
The product was recently rebranded in fancy new packaging, with the new chocolate and berry flavours replacing the old “honey and seeds” and “apricot and cranberry” versions.
But fans have spotted that the revamped products contain around 10g per 100g less protein and 10g per 100g more carbohydrates than the previous ones.
The honey variety, now out of stock, contained 28g of protein and the apricot one had 27g.
But the chocolate version only contains 18g and the berry has 17g. All these values refer to the amount of protein in each 100g of the cereal.
The type of protein used has changed from soya to pea, with the price remaining the same at £2.39 for pack of 400g.
Fans have reacted furiously, with one saying: “WTF have you done with my apricot & cranberry protein granola!
“Get it back on the shelves now!
“Mornings are bad enough to deal with without inferior protein granola to deal with! Return it immediately!”
Another added: “Where has all the Harvest Morn honey and seed protein granola gone?! It was my favourite and it’s vanished from the shelves!”
And Robbie Hughes added: “I’ve noticed the new protein granola that is similar price yet worse flavours and considerably less protein, it’s barely ‘protein granola’.”
And Andrew Griffin said: “I’m frustrated that you (well, Harvest Morn) have replaced a protein granola with a “new” protein granola that has much less protein and much higher carbs.
“I’ll have to go back to buying the more expensive Lizi’s one from @sainsburys that I used to buy.”
Aldi said: “We continually review our range of products to make sure we’re meeting the needs and preferences of Aldi shoppers.”
It is not the first time in recent months that Aldi has ditched a popular product to customer fury.
In May, the retailer confirmed it had ditched a cherished chocolate bar, leaving sweet-toothed customers devastated.
Shoppers were distraught to find out the Dairyfine Spirals were no longer being stocked on shelves.
Meanwhile, last month, customers were left disappointed after realising a beloved Desperados dupe had been dropped.
It’s worth keeping an eye out for any red sticker products, which staff add to items when they’ve been reduced in price.
Aldi tends to add them to items in the morning so it’s best to get in there early if you want to get the best discounts.
Keep an eye out for slashed-price fruits and vegetables as well – the retailer tends to reduce six items every two weeks to “silly low” prices, according to deals expert Tom Church.
Get ahead of the crowd by signing up to Aldi’s newsletter and following the retailer on social media as well.
It often announces upcoming deals via the two channels so you can snap up the best prices before anyone else.
And of course, take advantage of Aldi’s cheap alcohol which could save you some cash compared to going with branded versions.
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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