SCOTCH eggs have been enjoying something of a revival in the UK – even making an appearance on fancy restaurant menus.
But if it’s a quick snack you’re after, or something to add into a picnic, chances are you will buy yours at a supermarket.
Writer and mum-of-three Lynsey Hope tried out some supermarket own-brand scotch eggs
But there is little more disappointing at a family picnic than a dry Scotch egg.
So, who makes the tastiest and where you can get best value for money?
We asked writer and mum-of-three Lynsey Hope to try out a range. Here she shares her verdict:
The Lidl eggs were our favourites
Lidl Chef Select 2 Scotch Eggs
Lynsey says: “I loved these Lidl eggs. They looked almost identical to more expensive ones from Waitrose and Sainsbury’s and the taste was just as good.
“Seasoning was spot on and they cut nicely. A perfect snack. They’re a great price working out at 42.5p per egg.
“For this price, I was impressed. Loved them.”
Taste: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
Total score: 29/30
The Sainsbury’s eggs were worth the money
2 Scotch Eggs by Sainsburys
Lynsey says: “I loved the Sainsbury’s Scotch Eggs. They are pricier than most but had a lovely amount of seasoning and flavour.
“A slightly stronger onion taste than some of the others, but I didn’t mind that. I liked that the packaging was resealable which saved using foil or clingfilm to keep them fresh after opening.
“A great option from Sainsbury’s and I thought these were worth paying a little extra for.”
Taste: 10/10
Value: 7/10
Overall: 9/10
Total score: 26/30
Morrisons were the only ones who offered four eggs in one packet
Morrisons Scotch Eggs 4 pack
Lynsey says: “These cut well and tasted good. The sausage meat had a lovely seasoning and the egg was decent size.
“I loved the crumbly breadcrumb coating. They are not the cheapest but still pretty good value for money.
“One of the only supermarkets to offer a four pack, rather than two.”
Taste: 9/10
Value: 7/10
Overall: 8/10
Total score: 24/30
These were good-sized, well-cooked eggs – but they’re quite expensive
Essential Waitrose 2 Scotch Eggs
Lynsey says: “The most expensive of the Scotch eggs we tried costing 27p more than most of the others, and whilst tasty, I’m not sure they were different enough to warrant the extra pennies.
“The colour was darker than most but they had a good-sized, well-cooked egg in the middle and a lovely sausage meat filling.
“But I felt they were too expensive.”
Taste: 9/10
Value: 6/10
Overall: 8/10
Total score: 23/30
Asda’s version was tasty and not too expensive
Asda 2 Scotch Eggs
Lynsey says: “Really tasty scotch eggs. There wasn’t a great deal of seasoning so some might find them too bland but I had nothing to complain about.
“The sausage meat was nice and they had a good texture. Matched Aldi, Lidl and Tesco on price.”
Taste: 7/10
Value: 9/10
Overall: 7/10
Total score: 23/30
These weren’t the tastiest
Tesco 2 Scotch Eggs
Lynsey says: “These were quite hard to slice and had a tendency to disintegrate as I cut into them.
“The flavour was ok, a little on the dry side perhaps. They tested better warmed up in the oven.
“Probably not my favourites.”
Taste: 4/10
Value: 7/10
Overall: 5/10
Total score: 16/30
Aldi’s version was our least favourite
Aldi Crestwood Scotch Eggs
Lynsey says: “The most striking thing about these was the very light orange colour and they looked less appealing as a result.
“When you cut into them the sausage meat was grey and squidgy.
“The flavour was negligible. Great price from Aldi, but sadly let down on taste.”
Taste: 3/10
Value: 4/10
Overall: 3/10
Total score: 10/30
Read about our supermarket own-brand burgers taste test here.
We also made a verdict on supermarket sausages – a budget brand beat the well-known version.