VALUE FOR MONEY

This week, Value for Money runs the rule over veggie burgers.

MS Vegetable Burgers

€4.49 for 250g; €17.96 per kg

Highs: These were the only fresh veggie burgers we tried, which presumably explains why they were absolutely miles ahead of the competition in terms of taste and texture. All the vegetables in the mix here are readily identifiable and have still got a bit of crunch to them. The small amount of cheese included in the recipe gives them a bit of tang while the cracked black pepper adds a little spice.

Lows: The quality comes at a price, however, which is horrendous. They are also the messiest. They don't have any breadcrumbs to hold them together, so flipping them on the grill was next to impossible. And when we tried they fell apart all too quickly and our perfectly formed vegetable patties quickly turned into gloopy balls of mush. Tasty mush, though.

Verdict: Very nice indeed

Star rating: ****

Birds Eye Vegetable Quarter Pounders

€2.91 for 454g; €6.41 per kg

Highs: These have considerably more vegetables - 74 per cent - then any of the competition and come dressed in a thick coat of golden breadcrumbs which crisped up well and tasted very pleasant. They're also comparatively cheap too.

Lows: It was lucky the breadcrumbs tasted so nice, because the vegetables were surprisingly, and disappointingly, devoid of flavour and we struggled to taste any of the individual vegetables we were eating. They not only lacked taste but texture too, and the whole affair was distinctly mushy and veered dangerously close to being soggy.

Verdict: Grand, if just a little dull

Star rating: ***

Dunnes Stores Vegetarian Burgers

€2.99 for 454g; €6.58 per kg

Highs: If you like your veggie burgers to have the look, feel and taste of vaguely meaty ones, then these are definitely for you. They are made with soya and wheat protein, and Dunnes have even gone to the trouble of giving them a chargrilled effect by drawing little black lines across each side if them. They are also small.

Lows: And once you've taken a bite, being small might just become the best thing about them. It is products like this that give vegetarianism a bad name - do people in the market for vegetarian burgers really want a product which looks, feels and tastes like the cheapest of cheap meat burgers? We really doubt it.

Verdict: Unnecessary

Star rating: **

Green Isle Vegetarian Quarter Pounders

€2.89 for 454g; €6.37 per kg

Highs: Although the filling is no less mushy than the Birds Eye option (thanks, we suspect, to the large amount of mashed potato), they do actually retain quite a bit of flavour and actually taste of vegetables. The breadcrumbs are plentiful and very crispy and don't overpower the other flavours. It is also considerably lower in fat than much of the competition and comparatively low in salt, which is to its considerable credit.

Lows: These are made with just 56 per cent vegetables, which is not to its credit at all. And while we'd like to say these burgers were Irish, we can't do so for sure, as all the box tells us is that they were produced for Green Isle.

Verdict: Nice and pleasant

Star rating: ***

Tesco Meat Free

€2.20 for 454g; €4.84 per kg

Highs: These are surprisingly nice given the relatively small amount of vegetables listed amongst the ingredients, and are a whole lot better than we expected given the low cost. You can still taste the vegetables, with the peas and sweetcorn in particular retaining their shape and flavour. If you like breadcrumbs on your burgers, then these will be the ones for you as they are absolutely smothered in them.

Lows: At just 45 per cent, there are a lot less vegetables in these than in the competition, and there are a few too many breadcrumbs too. Sandwiched in a burger bun, these will taste absolutely fine. But eaten on their own, the difference in quality between these and the best options on the market is plain to see.

Verdict: Good value

Star rating: ****