I tested ready-made roast potatoes - the best was third of the price of Aunt Bessie
I tested ready-made roast potatoes - the best was third of the price of Aunt Bessie
There’s a very meaty aroma when these posh tats, made with beef dripping, begin to sizzle in the oven. The crisp on the skin is decent, although the insides could have been softer.
Aldi Specially Selected
3/5
1kg, £2.49 in store
While they gave off a nice aroma from the oven and crisped up well, the potato inside was hard and unenjoyable. Probably OK when smothered with gravy, but not my fave, which is a pity given the price.
Lidl
2/5
1kg, 95p in store
The most expensive roasties I tried – but they were delicious, which justifies the price. This was also the only bag to specify which actual spuds were used – British Maris Pipers – and the only one to use rapeseed oil.
M&S Maris Piper
4/5
800g, £3, M&S in store
The go-to for many, this bag is smaller than all the others, which means you get less for your money. Crispy golden spuds with nice soft potato inside, but it’s a shame they're made with non-eco-friendly palm oil.
Aunt Bessie's
2/5
720g, £2.50, tesco.com
A decent mix of small, medium and massive tats but the bright yellow hue was rather off-putting. The taste was fine, if not exceptional – quite crunchy and with soft insides. An average bag of tats.
Morrisons
2/5
800g, £1.09, morrisons.com
Premium roasties coated with 5% beef dripping as well as sunflower oil, so you get super-crunchy spuds and lovely melt-in-the-mouth soft potatoes. These come really close to smelling and looking like the home-made real deal.
Asda Extra Special
4/5
800g, £2.75, asda.com
These are made with sunflower oil which makes them suitable for veggies and vegans. The rice flour coating delivers crunch with lots of crispy bits plus nice soft insides. An economical and tasty bag of spuds.