I tested coleslaw & potato salads… 98p winner's perfect for BBQs with chunky spuds, creamy mayo & crunchy extra element
TASTIEST BITS ON THE SIDE I tested coleslaw & potato salads… 98p winner's perfect for BBQs with chunky spuds, creamy mayo & crunchy extra element
WITH Britain basking under sunny skies, eating al fresco is one way to make the most of the warm weather.
So it's not surprising that sales of barbecue-friendly ingredients are soaring.
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Laura Stott samples supermarket coleslaws and potato salads as Brits snap them up for BBQ season
Credit: Damien McFadden
Retailers have reported an increase in demand for popular cold sides, coleslaw and potato salad, which are perfect for scoffing outdoors alongside your griddled goodies.
Laura Stott tried and rated a selection of supermarket versions.
POTS OF COLESLAW
Marks & Spencer
13
Flavourwise, this is as close as you'll get to tasting homemade
Credit: Damien McFadden
TRADITIONAL COLESLAW, 300G, £1.30: THE usual cabbage, carrots and onions in a fresh and tasty mayo coating, plus a nice mustard tang, this will pair perfectly with your grilled meats.
The veggies are shredded quite finely and there is a lot of the dressing, so M&S's coleslaw is not quite as crunchy as some of the others.
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But flavourwise, it's as close as you'll get to tasting homemade.
4/5
Asda
13
Big cabbage chunks and bland flavour make this coleslaw a disappointing buy
Credit: Damien McFadden
COLESLAW, 300g, £1.32: A GOOD value tub of coleslaw from Asda, but tastewise, sadly, this missed the mark.
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Despite containing double cream and milk as well as egg mayonnaise, the flavour was bland and also rather sweet.
It lacked any vinegar sharpness and the veggies seemed to consist of mostly very thick slices of cabbage and big chunks of onion with not much carrot, which wasn't very appetising to look at.
1/5
Morrisons
13
Tangy and rustic, this coleslaw's sharp kick pairs perfectly with hearty BBQ sides such as corn on the cob or a baked potato
Credit: Damien McFadden
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CRUNCHY COLESLAW, 300g, £1.25: THIS pot of shredded onion, cabbage and onion definitely has a rustic and homemade feel and look to it, and I think if you put it in a serving bowl you could pass it off as one you made yourself – if you wanted to.
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Quite a sharp vinegar tang to Morrisons' coleslaw, so it's a little more acidic than some of the others.
Be nice piled up next to a corn on the cob or atop a jacket spud.
3/5
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Tesco
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Tesco's offering was like a liquid cold coleslaw soup with thin pieces of cabbage and carrot swimming in a sea of mayonnaise
Credit: Damien McFadden
COLESLAW, 300g, £1.25: I WASN'T that keen on the appearance of this slaw with its veggie ingredients sliced so finely they looked like they had been shredded.
The result of this was like a liquid cold coleslaw soup with thin pieces of cabbage and carrot swimming in a sea of mayonnaise.
Rather unpleasant and the mayo coating having a pinky-yellow hue didn't help appearances either.
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2/5
Aldi
13
Creamy, tangy and mustardy, this finely sliced coleslaw packs flavour without being too overpowering
Credit: Damien McFadden
SPECIALLY SELECTED CREAMY COLESLAW, 300g £1.29: A GOOD price for a ready-made coleslaw from Aldi's posher range of picky bits.
This side is made with free-range egg mayo and has a nice tang of vinegar and a strong punch of mustard without the flavours becoming too overpowering.
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Another pot where the veggies are sliced very finely and here in a uniform way so it looks shop bought.
5/5
Co-op
13
Nice balance of vinegar, mustard and mayo, and another tub that could pass for homemade - just a pity it's not cheaper
Credit: Damien McFadden
CLASSIC COLESLAW, 300g, £1.65: THIS is the priciest of the bunch, so it doesn't offer you the best barbecue bargain but the taste and quality is good.
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A fairly basic recipe with the usual mix of ingredients and quite a chunky texture so it's ideal with more rugged mains like meat cuts.
Nice balance of vinegar, mustard and mayo, and another tub that could pass for homemade. Pity it's not cheaper, though.
3/5
POTATO SALADS
Marks & Spencer
13
A lovely luxury side, but not cheap
Credit: Damien McFadden
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CHARLOTTE NEW POTATO SALAD, 300g, £2.50: THE white-fleshed Charlotte potatoes are creamy and waxy and really do have a delicious flavour.
I enjoyed that the tasty skins had been left on to scoff, too.
Quite a light dressing with sour cream, mayo, mustard and spring onions but nicely balanced so the spuds don't get drowned out when you eat it.
A lovely luxury side, but not cheap.
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4/5
Asda
13
Creamy, well-balanced and packed with spring onions — a tasty bargain potato salad
Credit: Damien McFadden
POTATO SALAD, 300g, 98p: THIS cold potato salad looked tasty in the tub and didn't fall down on flavour when I tried it either.
Really nice spuds, not too chunky or too mushy and a good creamy consistency to the mayo sauce.
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There's lots of spring onions to add interest and while the coating is on the gloopy side, it suits the homemade feel of this recipe. Amazing value for money too.
5/5
Morrisons
13
All the ingredients are present and correct but it's rather bland to eat and left a nasty aftertaste in my mouth
Credit: Damien McFadden
POTATO SALAD, 300g, £1.25: THIS cold potato and mayo combo also contains pieces of spring onion, which is a really nice idea instead of chives for a lovely sweet tang with all the creamy sauce.
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However, overall, I found this spud mix a little bit disappointing.
All the ingredients are present and correct but it's rather bland to eat and left a nasty aftertaste in my mouth.
There are better alternatives for this price.
2/5
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Tesco
13
The only downside I can find is that you can't reseal the container
Credit: Damien McFadden
POTATO SALAD, 300g, £1.25 (£1 Clubcard price): YOU certainly get plenty of potato for your pound, the coating is creamy and tangy, and it all tastes good.
Adding chives is a nice touch and exactly what I would do if I were making my own from scratch – and I also liked the citrus tang from the lemon.
The only downside I can find is that you can't reseal the container.
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4/5
Aldi
13
It's definitely a nice and filling salad for any barbecue buffet – and the cheapest!
Credit: Damien McFadden
DELI POTATO SALAD, 300g, 89p: MADE with sour cream and lemon juice you get plenty of tatties in a thick and very rich sauce, which is tempered nicely with enough acidity.
The cold potatoes are chopped in a mixture of sizes but one or two of mine felt rather firm.
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It's definitely a nice and filling salad for any barbecue buffet – and the cheapest!
4/5
Lidl
13
There are very large chunks of potatoes in this so it's almost like having a proper side of spuds
Credit: Damien McFadden
MEADOW FRESH POTATO SALAD WITH YOGHURT, 1kg, £2.95: A WHOPPER of a container from Lidl, which is perfect for a larger gathering and offers brilliant value for money.
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It's also made with a yoghurt coating, which is a little bit different.
There are very large chunks of potatoes in this so it's almost like having a proper side of spuds. Contains chives and a hint of chilli.
3/5
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