Spend a little more and you often expect better quality, better flavour and a better overall experience.
But every now and then, reality has other ideas.
This week I bought two punnets of strawberries from two very different supermarkets.
One came from a well-known premium supermarket with a reputation for quality. The other came from one of the UK's popular cheap but cheerful discount supermarkets.
If I'd been asked to guess which would be the better buy before tasting them, I would have confidently chosen the expensive ones.
And I would have been completely wrong.
The premium strawberries looked attractive enough, but biting into them was a real disappointment. They were firm to the point of being hard, lacked the juicy sweetness that makes strawberries such a summer favourite, and had an unexpectedly and jarring bitter flavour. They weren't unpleasant enough to throw away, but they certainly weren't all that enjoyable.
Then came the discount supermarket strawberries, which I bought the next day on a whim. (The purpose of the trip was to buy some unsalted rice cakes for our parrot.)
Costing around half the price, these strawberries couldn't have been more different. They were beautifully ripe, wonderfully soft without being mushy, packed with juice and bursting with natural sweetness. Every strawberry tasted like summer should taste.
It was a reminder price isn't always the best indicator of quality.
There are plenty of reasons why this can happen. Strawberries are highly seasonal and incredibly delicate. They don't continue to sweeten after being picked, so timing is everything. Fruit harvested slightly too early may survive transport and last longer on the shelf, but it may never develop the rich sweetness that customers expect.
Meanwhile, another retailer may receive fruit picked closer to peak ripeness, even if it has a slightly shorter shelf life. The result? Better flavour at a lower price.
Storage also plays an important part. Strawberries kept too cold can lose some of their aroma, while poor handling during transport can affect texture and taste.
The lesson for shoppers is simple: don't judge strawberries solely by their price or the name above the supermarket door.
Instead, look carefully at the fruit itself. Bright, fresh green leaves are a good sign. The berries should be evenly coloured with no white shoulders, and there should be little or no juice collecting in the bottom of the punnet, which can indicate damaged or overripe fruit. Most importantly, buy them when you plan to enjoy them within a day or two for the very best flavour.
Sometimes you'll find exceptional strawberries in a premium food hall. Sometimes you'll discover a bargain that tastes even better in a discount store.
This week's shopping trips reminded me that good food isn't always about spending more. Sometimes it's simply about finding the retailer that has sourced the very best produce that week.
So next time someone tells you, "You get what you pay for," just smile... and offer them one of your delicious bargain strawberries. If you have any left, that is!