Who are these formats for?

Anyone stocking up the cupboard

If you’d like to keep several tins for meals after Easter, compare the quantity per tin and choose between a single recipe and a mixed selection.

Anyone preparing a drinks party or brunch

For toast, salads or spreads, the choice between whole sardines, fillets and boneless products depends on how you’ll serve them and who’s coming.

Anyone keeping an eye on ingredients

Whether you’re choosing sardines in spring water, oil or sauce, check the label for the ingredients, allergens and storage instructions for each product.

What should you look for?

When doing your Easter shop, start with what matters most to you: having several tins to hand, making serving easier or choosing specific recipes.

What to consider What to check Who is it for?
Quantity for the cupboard Number of tins, weight per tin and drained net weight, where stated. If I want to make several meals with the same recipe after Easter, I need to know how much each tin contains; around 40% of consumers make stocking up their priority.
Ease of serving Whether it says ‘boneless’ or ‘fillets’, and how much you’ll need for the dish. If I’m topping toast and don’t want to remove any bones, I look for a product explicitly labelled ‘boneless’; around 30% of consumers prioritise ease of serving.
Recipe and label Ingredients and allergens; date and storage instructions after opening. If I need the dishes to suit my guests, I check the recipe on each tin before putting it away; around 30% of consumers prioritise what’s in the product.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Counting the tins without checking what’s inside

    E.Leclerc lists multipacks of 3 × 135 g, Auchan has packs of 3 × 140 g, and Carrefour offers a mixed selection of 8 × 115 g. So a higher number of tins doesn’t, by itself, tell you how much of each recipe you’re getting.

    Compare the weight of each tin and, where shown on the packaging, the drained net weight.

  • Assuming fillets, whole sardines and boneless products are the same

    These terms describe different ways of presenting the fish. For toast, bones may mean extra preparation; sardines in olive oil also have different ingredients from those in spring water.

    If avoiding bones is essential, look for ‘boneless’ on the specific product rather than assuming that ‘fillets’ means the same thing.

  • Storing an opened tin like an unopened one

    Storage instructions change once a tin has been opened. For its 100 g sardine fillets in spring water, Saupiquet recommends keeping them in the fridge and eating them within two days of opening.

    Read the instructions on the tin you’ve bought and follow them as soon as it’s opened.

  • Planning a recipe without checking the product on offer

    A product listing for a multipack doesn’t guarantee that the same recipe will be available at your chosen shop or for your selected click-and-collect order.

    Before you shop, check which product and format are available at your store, and have another recipe in mind if your menu allows.

Brands to consider by recipe

These ranges give you a guide to the available formats and preparation options. Choose by checking the label on the specific product you’re interested in, rather than assuming every recipe is available in every shop.

Saupiquet

The Saupiquet range includes whole sardines and fillets, including varieties in spring water, olive oil and flavoured recipes.

  • The 100 g fillets in spring water give you a specific format to compare when checking portion sizes.
  • Check the recipe and storage instructions after opening on the product you choose; details for fillets in spring water won’t apply to the whole range.

Connétable

Connétable offers whole sardines and a boneless variety in extra virgin olive oil; Auchan also lists three-tin packs from the range.

  • The ‘boneless’ label makes it easier to find this style when serving matters.
  • Check the recipe and weight of the multipack you’re considering: they may differ from those of the boneless tin.

Carrefour Classic'

Carrefour lists, among other products, a 135 g tin of Carrefour Classic' sardines in extra virgin olive oil.

  • This single-tin format gives you a useful comparison when deciding how much you want in each tin.
  • Don’t confuse this individual product with a mixed selection or multipack.

Pêche Océan / Marque Repère E.Leclerc

The E.Leclerc range includes sardines in spring water, oil and flavoured recipes, as well as packs of three tins.

  • The 3 × 135 g products are an option if you want several tins of the same recipe in the cupboard.
  • Check the exact recipe in the multipack and whether it’s available at your chosen E.Leclerc store.

Auchan

The Auchan range includes sardines in spring water, lemon and basil with no added oil, and extra virgin olive oil.

  • These recipes let you choose according to the ingredients you want for your planned dishes.
  • Weights vary between products in the range, so check the weight of each tin before comparing formats.

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Frequently asked questions

What should you compare when choosing between two sardine multipacks?

Compare the number of tins, the weight of each tin and the drained net weight, where stated. Also check whether the multipack contains one recipe or several: Carrefour offers a selection of eight tins split across four recipes, while the E.Leclerc and Auchan ranges list packs of three tins.

Can you put an opened tin of sardines back in the cupboard?

No. Once opened, follow the storage instructions for the product you’ve bought. For its 100 g fillets in spring water, Saupiquet says to keep them in the fridge and eat them within two days.

What should you check on the label before buying sardines?

Check the ingredients, any highlighted allergens, the net quantity and the date shown, followed by the storage instructions. The DGCCRF lists these as key labelling information for prepacked foods in France; the label on the tin you choose will tell you exactly which recipe it contains.

Should you check the best-before date before stocking up?

Yes. Check the best-before date on each tin and the storage conditions shown on the packaging. When organising your cupboard, go by the dates on the tins you’ve bought rather than assuming that every multipack has the same date.