Hyphen’s Ramadan supermarket sweep
From pantry staples to overall festive vibes, we rate the best stores for your seasonal shopping
It was only a few days into the new year when I noticed a “Ramadan Mubarak” banner at the entrance to my local Sainsbury’s. The supermarket chain’s 2026 offers will run until 20 March and include discounts on items ranging from rice, flours and tinned tomatoes to fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit. There are also deals on spices, condiments, oils and crisps.
“Ramadan is an important moment in our calendar,” a Sainsbury’s spokesperson told me via email. “We recognise how meaningful this month is for many of our customers and colleagues, so we want to help make those moments as joyful, accessible and affordable as possible for everyone observing.”
In the weeks since my Sainsbury’s visit, a number of other large retailers have launched their own campaigns and are busily trying to attract Muslim shoppers. It’s not hard to see why — research published in March 2025 estimates that Ramadan sales generate £228m to £342m of annual revenue for UK supermarkets. So, with that in mind, I went to check out the competition in my local area and speak to representatives of some of the country’s biggest chains.
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At Tesco, David John, buying manager for world foods, told me the chain will be offering discounts on items including Palestinian medjool dates, cooking oils, rice and flour until 18 March.
“Everyone’s welcome at Tesco,” he said. “We have everything that our customers may need throughout Ramadan and Eid, including an extended range of cooking ingredients, dates and other treats.”
The store’s clothing range, F&F, also features Eid outfits, including embroidered kurtas and waistcoats for adults and partywear for children.
Sadly, I don’t have a local Morrisons, but a spokesperson for the chain told me that its focus for 2026 is the charitable aspect of Ramadan. “We are supporting local community initiatives, while also fundraising for our charity partner Marie Curie, with 5p donated from the sale of selected products during Ramadan,” they said via email.
Key discounts are on rice, beans and flours, as well as freezer items including kebabs, pasties and bhatura, until 7 April.
Now we’re at the start of the most important month in the Islamic calendar, I’ve been on a mission to crown the best supermarket for your Ramadan shopping. Here’s what I found….
Lidl
While Lidl has promised Ramadan savings, my local store left a lot to be desired. There were no signs of festive joy to be found and its offers have been restricted from 29 January until the start of Ramadan on 18 February. Although some stores have offered seasonal savings on KTC ghee, gram and chapatti flour, frozen parathas and spices, the only discounts I could find at my local branch applied to alcohol, ketchup, coffee and jam.
Aldi
Much like at Lidl, the spirit of the holy month was all but absent from the south London Aldi branch I visited. I noticed few Ramadan staples — no gram or chapatti flour, and a limited rice selection. There were, however, plenty of pulses and beans at regular, non-discounted prices. Maybe I’m a sucker for performative inclusion, or maybe it’s the fact that I generally love shopping at Aldi, but a simple sign offering me best wishes for the season would have boosted this rating considerably.
Asda
Finally, a supermarket chain that really knows how to do Ramadan. Asda usually places its Rollback offers — the items with the big savings — at the front of stores. As soon as I entered I could tell the company had Muslims in mind, thanks to the crates of Rubicon mango, coconut milk, ghee, rice, chapatti flour and oil on display. While it wasn’t explicitly stated, I knew these offers were Ramadan-focused. There were even large cooking pots on sale, perfect for preparing a big iftar for guests.
As I made my way around the store, I saw Ramadan banners in four places. Popcorn featured heavily in many of the Ramadan deals across all the supermarkets, which surprised me as I’m not sure how many people are eating popcorn at iftar or suhoor. Other more expected items on offer were nuts, dates, cornmeal and biscuits. What really took the cake, though, was the message being played over the tannoy. “From all of us here at Asda, Ramadan Mubarak,” it said. I’ve never felt more at home.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s is the only supermarket I visited that was proudly displaying Ramadan Mubarak banners at the very front of its stores. In my local branch, the seasonal offerings aisle — located to one side of the entrance — was bursting with items commonly eaten during the holy month. Aside from the usual rice and flours, there were tinned fruits, condiments, masalas and instant noodles. It seems Sainsbury’s has catered to everyone, from home cooks feeding families to students needing a quick, cheap iftar. I was especially pleased to see plenty of pani puri shells.
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Tesco
Like at Sainsbury’s, the seasonal aisle at my local Tesco was filled with Ramadan staples. It was, in fact, the biggest selection I encountered across all my supermarket visits: cake rusks, chocolate, olive oil, dried pulses and sweet treats such as besan laddu, plus Eid decorations, ornamental gold lanterns and decorative silver serving trays. Six whole shelves were dedicated to dates and there was even a Ramadan advent calendar. Like in Asda, large stockpots were also on offer. Shoppers here will be spoilt for choice. I left very impressed.
Marks & Spencer
I love a posh shop at Marks & Spencer as much as anyone, but my visit to its Charlton branch put the chain squarely in the company of Lidl and Aldi as a bottom-tier provider of Ramadan vibes. Not a single seasonal offer or decoration in sight. I also made sure to check the date selection. In my local store, all listed Israel as their country of origin. Given that many Muslims actively boycott Israeli produce, Ramadan is clearly not a priority for the buyers at M&S head office.
Based on my not exactly scientific research, I’ve come up with my own Ramdan awards for UK supermarkets. Here are the rankings:
Best range of Ramadan products: Tesco
Best for Ramadan staples: Asda
Best value for money: Asda
Best decor: Sainsbury’s
Best Ramadan vibes: Asda
Biggest Ramadan loser: Marks & Spencer
