Value for money

Garlic bread with Conor Pope.

Galbert's Fresh Garlic Bread

€2.39 for 280g, 8.54 per kg

Highs: This is a widely available brand and, because it is wrapped in cling-film, you can see what you're getting before you buy it. It is Irish-made and at least some butter was used in the recipe - unlike some of the other brands who rely on vegetable spread instead. It looks home-made, has a good solid garlicky kick and the bread is very moist.

Lows: It might even be a bit too moist and a bit too doughy. The lengthy list of not entirely wholesome sounding ingredients, including seven E numbers, is a bit off-putting too.

It is also the messiest of the garlic breads tried when both cooking and eating it and the big pool of garlicky liquid left behind on the baking tray wasn't much fun to clean.

Verdict: Easy to find but not to eat.

Star rating: ***

Dunnes Stores Garlic Baguettes

€1.49 for 340g, 4.38 per kg

Highs: You get a whole lot more garlic bread for your buck when you buy this own-brand bread. It is very cheap and while most of the competition limits your allowance to a single baguette, Dunnes allows you to double up.

The light sprinkling of herbs looks quite appealing. It also crisps up well in the oven and the bread used is nice and light.

Lows: It would be a whole lot nicer if it tasted of something. Rather than garlic butter, this is made with a distinctly less appetising garlic and herb spread. It ends up being largely tasteless and very greasy. There isn't a whole lot of spread on each slice, although whether that's a bad thing depends on your attitude to the spread.

Verdict: Cheap but bland.

Star rating: ***

Giovanni di Firenze Garlic and Herb Baguette

€1.79 for 175g, 10.23 per kg

Highs: Made in Germany for an Italian company before being shipped to Ireland, this bread has certainly come a long way. It is the low-fat option, crisps up well and looks fairly pleasant when it comes out of the oven. It is also, the packaging reassures us, "made from only the finest ingredients".

Lows: It is nice, then, to know that only the "finest" diglycerides of fatty acids were used in this "traditional" recipe. The baguette is very small and the makers have also been a little mean with the garlic butter mixture, confining it to the centre of the slices. Maybe it's because there isn't much of it or maybe the "traditional" recipe needs tweaking but it doesn't taste much of anything really. It's also pretty pricey.

Verdict: Overpriced and under-flavoured.

Star rating: **

Marks & Spencer Garlic Baguette

€1.49 for 200g, €7.45 per kg

Highs: This looks the best coming out of the oven, golden brown with the right amount of garlic butter gently oozing from the sliced bread. It has a comparatively healthy ingredient list.

It is also comparatively good value. The light and airy bread is excellent and the fresh bits of chopped garlic are clearly identifiable on each slice. It has a very strong garlic taste which lingers pleasingly on the palate.

Lows: Or course that taste might linger just a little bit too long for some tastes, and you might want to be careful who you kiss after eating a couple of slices of this particular garlic baguette.

Verdict: Tasty and tempting.

Star rating: ****

Supervalu Garlic Ciabatta

€1.66 for 250g, €6.64 per kg

Highs: When bought last week this product was on special, down from its normal price of 2.49, making it very super value indeed. It also tastes very good. The bread is soft, rather than crunchy, moist without being at all soggy and buttery without being excessively greasy. It also has a garlic flavour which, though subtle, is certainly discernible.

Lows: The very light sprinkling of herbs looks okay but doesn't add much to the bread in taste terms, and the garlic flavour might be a little subtle for some. Finally, despite the promise on the packaging, it doesn't look or taste much like any ciabatta PriceWatch has ever had.

Verdict: Great tasting, good price

Star rating: ****