Picnic foods: taste test:
From quiches to couscous, lemonade to scotch eggs, Gizzi Erskine tastes and rates the best al fresco summer foods
Fentimans Victorian lemonade
275ml, £1.79, selfridges.com
Tastes fresh, clean and balanced with good acidity and not too much sugar. It also has a fermented flavour. Excellent, with lots of va-va-voom! ★★★★★
Morrisons
Cloudy lemonade
2l, 62p, morrisons.co.uk
Very refreshing - makes your lips pucker. It has a bitter edge, which is good. Tastes like they've used the zest as well as juice of the lemons. ★★★
Marks and Spencer
Sicilian cloudy lemonade
750ml, £1.69, marksandspencer.com
Tastes a little dull and lacks vibrancy. What's more, it is barely fizzy, so with ice added this would be totally flat. ★
Natoora
La mortaucienne
1l, £2.99, natoora.co.uk
Very sweet and without much lemony flavour. It feels flat in the mouth - a bit nothingy. Like fancy dish water! ★
Finest chargrilled vegetable couscous
280g, £2.10, tesco.com
I love all the body and textures - it looks and tastes homemade.There are large bits of roasted veg and two different types of cous cous. ★★★★
Sainsbury's
Taste the Difference Moroccan couscous
460g, £4, sainsburys.co.uk
Visually beautiful with lots of fresh herbs, fruit and spice but too sweet to taste. Would be great with hot braised lamb but not a picnic dish for me. ★★★
Morrisons
Chargrilled vegetable couscous
225g, 95p, morrisons.co.uk
Really citrusy but not seasoned enough. This makes an easy accompaniment but it's a little bland on its own. ★
Lidl
Meadowfresh couscous with roasted vegetables
280g, 99p, lidl.co.uk
One of my pet hates is flabby undercooked aubergine and I can see it here! The cous cous isn't fluffy enough and it tastes cheap. No stars
Goat's cheese and spinach quiche
£2.50 per slice, harrods.com
Good pastry and deep-filled with fresh spinach. Looks lovely, but could do with more cheese and seasoning. ★★★
Waitrose
Broccoli and gruyere quiche
400g, £2.49, waitrose.com
Personally, I don't like broccoli in quiche but I'm also struggling to taste the cheese here. It's not set enough and looks more like bechamel sauce. ★
Sainsbury's
Taste the Difference Taw Valley cheddar and caramelised onion quiche
475g, £3.50, sainsburys.co.uk
Really soggy pastry but a nicely set quiche. It's a bit flat but the sweet caramelised onions bring it to life. ★
The Cooperative
Crustless red pepper and basil quiche
340g, £2.29, cooperative.coop
Really pappy, with no flavour except the pepper which just offsets everything. There are notes of cheap dried herbs, too. Not a fan. No stars
Melton Mowbray pork pie
440g, £3.49, marksandspencer.com
This looks so exciting - it has a pastry Union Jack on top. Perfect rock hard pastry, but the flavour of meat lets it down - a bit like tasteless stuffing. ★★★
Riverford
Individual picnic pork pie
190g, £2.95, riverford.co.uk
I love that the jelly is spilling over the edges - it looks artisan. Pastry feels a bit thin and it could do with more meat, although the flavour is lovely. ★★★
Lidl
Castlegrove crispy bake snack pork pies
260g, £1.09 for 4, lidl.co.uk
Looks like a conventional pork pie. Smaller than the others, and with waxier pastry. Nothing exceptional but a good standard pie for picnics. ★★
Harrods
Pork pie
£2.50 each, harrods.com
Completely soggy pastry, which gives it a cheap appearance. The taste is good, however, with well seasoned meat. Shame the pastry lets it down. ★
Deli counter soft-set scotch egg
£1.49 each, marksandspencer.com
Has an artisan appearance, with an interesting texture and gorgeous runny yolk. Loads of flavour throughout and the meat has sage notes. ★★★★
Tesco
Finest two scotch eggs
227g, £1.50, tesco.com
Lots of crumb, which I like, although it's lacking crunch. The egg is well cooked and the sausage meat is peppery with good seasoning. ★★★
The Cooperative
Chilled individual scotch egg
113g, 70p for two, cooperative.coop
Traditional but uninspired. The crumb has a homogenous orange colour and the egg is too small with a tiny yolk. The sausage meat needs extra herb, too. ★
Waitrose
Scotch egg
140g, £1.19, waitrose.com
I like the grain on the sausage meat - it's not too tightly packed. It's missing depth of flavour, though. I want more pepper and warmth. ★
Arabica Food & Spice Co. taramasalata
100g, £2, selfridges.com
The pale colour makes it look homemade. Beautiful creamy texture with loads of smoky, fishy flavour. A great authentic mezze. ★★★★
Waitrose
Supreme Taramasalata
170g, £1.21, waitrose.com
Delicious - really acidic and smoky with a grainy texture. A good example of the taramasalata we were brought up on in the UK. ★★★★
Tesco
Taramasalata
211g, £1, tesco.com
Very smooth and mild. Has the best seaonsing of the lot but doesn't have all the layers of flavour I'm after. Nice but tastes pre-packaged. ★★
The Cooperative
Taramasalata dip
200g, £1.19, cooperative.coop
This has a clotted, curdled texture. Very fishy but, once again, without all the flavour nuances of oil, garlic and smoke I'd like. ★
Cloudy lemonade
SelfridgesFentimans Victorian lemonade
275ml, £1.79, selfridges.com
Tastes fresh, clean and balanced with good acidity and not too much sugar. It also has a fermented flavour. Excellent, with lots of va-va-voom! ★★★★★
Morrisons
Cloudy lemonade
2l, 62p, morrisons.co.uk
Very refreshing - makes your lips pucker. It has a bitter edge, which is good. Tastes like they've used the zest as well as juice of the lemons. ★★★
Marks and Spencer
Sicilian cloudy lemonade
750ml, £1.69, marksandspencer.com
Tastes a little dull and lacks vibrancy. What's more, it is barely fizzy, so with ice added this would be totally flat. ★
Natoora
La mortaucienne
1l, £2.99, natoora.co.uk
Very sweet and without much lemony flavour. It feels flat in the mouth - a bit nothingy. Like fancy dish water! ★
Couscous
TescoFinest chargrilled vegetable couscous
280g, £2.10, tesco.com
I love all the body and textures - it looks and tastes homemade.There are large bits of roasted veg and two different types of cous cous. ★★★★
Sainsbury's
Taste the Difference Moroccan couscous
460g, £4, sainsburys.co.uk
Visually beautiful with lots of fresh herbs, fruit and spice but too sweet to taste. Would be great with hot braised lamb but not a picnic dish for me. ★★★
Morrisons
Chargrilled vegetable couscous
225g, 95p, morrisons.co.uk
Really citrusy but not seasoned enough. This makes an easy accompaniment but it's a little bland on its own. ★
Lidl
Meadowfresh couscous with roasted vegetables
280g, 99p, lidl.co.uk
One of my pet hates is flabby undercooked aubergine and I can see it here! The cous cous isn't fluffy enough and it tastes cheap. No stars
Vegetarian quiche
HarrodsGoat's cheese and spinach quiche
£2.50 per slice, harrods.com
Good pastry and deep-filled with fresh spinach. Looks lovely, but could do with more cheese and seasoning. ★★★
Waitrose
Broccoli and gruyere quiche
400g, £2.49, waitrose.com
Personally, I don't like broccoli in quiche but I'm also struggling to taste the cheese here. It's not set enough and looks more like bechamel sauce. ★
Sainsbury's
Taste the Difference Taw Valley cheddar and caramelised onion quiche
475g, £3.50, sainsburys.co.uk
Really soggy pastry but a nicely set quiche. It's a bit flat but the sweet caramelised onions bring it to life. ★
The Cooperative
Crustless red pepper and basil quiche
340g, £2.29, cooperative.coop
Really pappy, with no flavour except the pepper which just offsets everything. There are notes of cheap dried herbs, too. Not a fan. No stars
Pork pies
Marks and SpencerMelton Mowbray pork pie
440g, £3.49, marksandspencer.com
This looks so exciting - it has a pastry Union Jack on top. Perfect rock hard pastry, but the flavour of meat lets it down - a bit like tasteless stuffing. ★★★
Riverford
Individual picnic pork pie
190g, £2.95, riverford.co.uk
I love that the jelly is spilling over the edges - it looks artisan. Pastry feels a bit thin and it could do with more meat, although the flavour is lovely. ★★★
Lidl
Castlegrove crispy bake snack pork pies
260g, £1.09 for 4, lidl.co.uk
Looks like a conventional pork pie. Smaller than the others, and with waxier pastry. Nothing exceptional but a good standard pie for picnics. ★★
Harrods
Pork pie
£2.50 each, harrods.com
Completely soggy pastry, which gives it a cheap appearance. The taste is good, however, with well seasoned meat. Shame the pastry lets it down. ★
Scotch eggs
Marks and SpencerDeli counter soft-set scotch egg
£1.49 each, marksandspencer.com
Has an artisan appearance, with an interesting texture and gorgeous runny yolk. Loads of flavour throughout and the meat has sage notes. ★★★★
Tesco
Finest two scotch eggs
227g, £1.50, tesco.com
Lots of crumb, which I like, although it's lacking crunch. The egg is well cooked and the sausage meat is peppery with good seasoning. ★★★
The Cooperative
Chilled individual scotch egg
113g, 70p for two, cooperative.coop
Traditional but uninspired. The crumb has a homogenous orange colour and the egg is too small with a tiny yolk. The sausage meat needs extra herb, too. ★
Waitrose
Scotch egg
140g, £1.19, waitrose.com
I like the grain on the sausage meat - it's not too tightly packed. It's missing depth of flavour, though. I want more pepper and warmth. ★
Taramasalata
SelfridgesArabica Food & Spice Co. taramasalata
100g, £2, selfridges.com
The pale colour makes it look homemade. Beautiful creamy texture with loads of smoky, fishy flavour. A great authentic mezze. ★★★★
Waitrose
Supreme Taramasalata
170g, £1.21, waitrose.com
Delicious - really acidic and smoky with a grainy texture. A good example of the taramasalata we were brought up on in the UK. ★★★★
Tesco
Taramasalata
211g, £1, tesco.com
Very smooth and mild. Has the best seaonsing of the lot but doesn't have all the layers of flavour I'm after. Nice but tastes pre-packaged. ★★
The Cooperative
Taramasalata dip
200g, £1.19, cooperative.coop
This has a clotted, curdled texture. Very fishy but, once again, without all the flavour nuances of oil, garlic and smoke I'd like. ★
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