Food prices have climbed, labels feel busier, and yet the simplest money‑saving cue is hiding in plain sight. Shoppers scan the front for offers and miss the tiny code on the back that quietly links budget buys to big‑name brands. It looks like nothing. It changes everything.
He wasn’t comparing fat or salt or the marketing line about “farm assured”. He was hunting for something smaller. A stamp, oval, tucked near the seam.
He found it on both. Same letters. Same numbers. One pack was £1.15 cheaper. He smiled, put the branded one back, and moved on with that calm, private win you only get in a supermarket on a Tuesday night. We’ve all had that moment where a tiny clue saves the day. The clue was an oval.
The little oval no one talks about
Flip over packs of cooked meat, cheese, yoghurt, even ready meals, and you’ll spot a small oval stamp. Inside sit a country code (UK, IE, FR), a set of digits, and sometimes two letters at the end. That’s the official identification mark for the approved site that made or packed the product.
It’s there for traceability and food safety. For you, it’s also a breadcrumb trail. If two products carry the same oval code, they came through the same facility. **Look for the oval stamp — it’s the quiet link between “value” and “premium”.** The recipes can differ. The packaging does the shouting. The code whispers, telling you where it was made, not just who wants your attention on the shelf.
Post‑Brexit, you’ll often see “UK” in the oval for sites in Great Britain, and “UK(NI)” or “EC” on goods tied to Northern Ireland rules or EU trade. Either way, the principle holds. That tiny mark maps your food’s origin more reliably than a brand story ever could.
One code, two prices
Take sliced cheddar. A branded block at £4.50 sits two steps from an own‑label pack at £3.05. Turn both over and you might spot the same oval code: “UK 1234”. That means the same approved site handled them. The own‑label version often lands cheaper because of packaging, marketing and contracted specs, not because the place is second‑rate. The savings can stack across a basket when you repeat that move on ham, yoghurts, pizzas and sausages.
I spoke to a parent who started doing this during a rough patch last winter. She began with bacon. Then yoghurts. Over a month, she shifted five regular items to own‑label matches with the same code and noticed her weekly bill slide by around 8–10%. Not a magic wand, just steady trims. *And yes, it works beyond meat and cheese.* She kept the few branded things she truly loved. Everything else? Code twins.
Why it works is simple economics. Supermarkets and brands often share factories. Big plants run multiple recipes to keep lines busy. When you buy the own‑label sibling, you’re skipping ad budgets, glossy sleeves and some recipe tweaks. **Same factory doesn’t always mean same recipe.** Salt, fat, spice blends and maturation time can vary. But the site isn’t a mystery. That’s power in your pocket, because you can test swaps knowing you’re not rolling the dice on a random producer.
How to use it on your next shop
Pick one product category for a test run. Cheese is a good start. Grab your usual brand, then the store’s mid‑tier or value line. Flip both. Find the oval stamp, usually near the storage advice or date. If the country code and numbers match, buy the cheaper one for a week. Taste it at home in real life—on toast, in a sandwich, melted on pasta. Let your palate, not the packaging, make the call.
Keep the process light. Two or three checks per trip is enough. Let’s be honest: nobody really does that every day. Note the price per 100g to avoid shrinkflation tricks. If you cook for kids, test swaps in meals rather than solo—sauce and heat mellow differences you’d notice straight from the packet. And be gentle with yourself. Some swaps won’t stick. Move on, no guilt.
There are snags to watch. One code can cover different lines in one site. Seasonal runs can change suppliers. **You can still pocket real savings without feeling you’ve ‘downgraded’.**
“The oval tells you the gate your food walked through,” says a former supermarket buyer. “It doesn’t tell you the whole story, but it’s the best shortcut shoppers never use.”
- Look on the back near the seam or storage text for a small oval with a country code and numbers.
- Match code first, then compare price per 100g and ingredients.
- Trial one swap per category: cheese, ham, yoghurt, pizza, sausages.
- Freeze wins and note fails. Your future self will thank you.
What this changes in your basket
Once you start spotting the oval, your trolley gets quieter. Less brand noise, more calm choices. You’re not chasing loyalty points or bogof fireworks. You’re following a practical clue. That gently reshapes habits. Maybe you keep your favourite crisps and coffee because they’re “you”. Maybe you trade down on staples where your tongue barely notices.
This is also about waste. Products from the same site often share freezing guidance and storage rhythms. Pair the oval trick with the snowflake symbol and the “use by” versus “best before” difference, and you begin to stretch food days, not just pounds. It won’t solve every bill. It will take the edge off the weekly sting, and that matters in the middle of a busy life. Your shop becomes less of a gamble, more of a conversation with the back of the pack.
| Key point | Detail | Interest for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| Find the oval stamp | Country code + numbers identify the approved site | Quick way to link own‑label with branded equivalents |
| Test‑and‑taste approach | Swap one item, compare at home, keep what works | Low‑risk savings that fit real habits |
| Mind the differences | Same site, possible tweaks in recipe and pack size | Avoid false bargains and pick genuine value |
FAQ :
- Does the oval code guarantee the product is identical?No. It shows the same approved site, not a clone recipe. Use taste, texture and unit price to decide.
- Where exactly is the stamp on packs?Usually on the back or side, near storage instructions, dates, or the barcode seam. It’s small and oval.
- What do the letters mean?The top part is the country code (UK, IE, FR). The numbers identify the site. You might see extra letters tied to legal marks.
- Does this work for fresh produce like apples?Not really. The oval appears on animal‑origin and processed foods. For produce, lean on unit pricing and variety.
- Is this allowed?Yes. The mark exists for traceability. You’re simply reading the label and making a savvy choice.
