Value for Money

CONOR POPEtakes a look at pasta sauce

Seeds of Change Classic

€2.79 for 350g €7.79 per kg

This organic tomato and basil sauce is rather excellent and, were it not for the price, it is the kind of thing we would eat quite happily. The tomato pieces are lovely and juicy – and at 68 per cent, there are absolutely loads of them in the jar – the pieces of basil are readily identifiable and full of flavour, while the pieces of onion are equally flavoursome and have a nice crunch. It has a surprisingly peppery kick and you can also feel good about the fact it is an organic product. The price, however, will be beyond many budgets in these challenging times.

Verdict: Good. Expensive

DIY option

€2 per kg

Fry a little bit of onion and garlic in some olive oil, add the chopped-up tomatoes, a few basil leaves and a tiny sprinkling of sugar, and you have a much nicer meal than you can get in the shop, and at a lower price. It is better for you, will make your kitchen smell a whole lot nicer, and can be done by anyone with even the most rudimentary culinary skills.

Verdict:Unbeatable

Loyd Grossman

€2.29 for 350g €6,54 per kg

This is made with 60 per cent tomatoes, but by our reckoning the batch used in our jar must have been awfully watery, because there is a whole lot of liquid in here and not a whole lot of tomato flavours. The basil flavour, on the other hand, is quite pronounced and there is a saltiness that we enjoyed. It is not the most expensive sauce we tried, but it is still comparatively pricey, and we’re not convinced it represents good value for money.

Verdict:Disappointing

Tesco Value Pasta Sauce

€0.79 for 440g €1.79 per kg

Oh dear. This is horrible. And that is us being kind. It has a thick, cloying texture and comes with added saccharine for extra revoltingness. While it is flecked with pieces of green that are, presumably, herbs, herby flavours are nowhere to be found in the mix. It is is the cheapest of the shop-bought sauces we tried, although the DIY option comes close to it in price. Tesco will argue that it is an entry-level product and that is has a whole lot of better own-brand ranges on its shelves, but even so, that’s no excuse for this.

Verdict:Did we say horrible?