I tested all the shepherd’s pies from the supermarket and the winner was the cheapest
IT’S the classic British dish, filled with delicious lamb and topped with creamy mashed potatoes.
However, the shepherd’s pie can take a good hour to bake in the oven if you make it from scratch.
But every supermarket has a ready-made version that takes just 25 to 35 minutes – and some taste almost as good as a homemade version.
To celebrate British Pie Week this week, Hayley Minn indulged in some shepherd’s pies, rating them on taste, appearance and value for money and giving them a score out of five.
400g, £3.25 (or £2.50 with a Nectar card)
9
At first glance, Sainsbury’s shepherd’s pie didn’t look like much Nice like some others. And when it came to taste, it was just kind of meh.
Although there was a lot of meat and the potato was tasty, the dish could have used a little more flavor.
This may need salt, pepper and spices to make it pop.
2/5
400 grams, £3.80
9
THIS looked really good – I would love to present it to the in-laws.
There was a lot of flavor and it felt very hearty, with lots of tasty meat, potatoes and vegetables, so I was a big fan.
I noted it down for the price as it was a little more expensive than some others that tasted just as good.
4/5
400 grams, €3.50
9
At first glance, this shepherd’s pie looked really good thanks to the creamy puree on top, decorated in waves.
But you wouldn’t expect anything less from the luxury supermarket.
Taste-wise, the sauce and lamb were delicious, and there were plenty of vegetables and potatoes, but there were other pies that I preferred.
3/5
400 grams, £4.75
9
Part of Morrisons’ The Best higher end range, this was the most expensive of all the products I tried. But it looked “best” when I took it out of the oven.
So I had very high expectations when it came to the taste and I was not disappointed.
There was plenty of juicy lamb and creamy mash, and it was very well seasoned.
4/5
400g, £3.25
9
When I took it out of the oven, the Tesco one was definitely the least attractive and looked slightly anemic.
If you want the top to be crispier, you will need to cook it longer than the recommended time.
Unfortunately the taste wasn’t much better as I could only distinguish potato and no meat.
I also couldn’t see any vegetables and there was no taste.
1/5
800g, £3.80
9
I bought the version intended for two people, but there is also a 400g version that costs £3.25, so this is one of the cheaper ones.
There was a nice touch on top, but when it came to flavor it needed a lot more spice and maybe some rosemary on top too.
However, there was a good balance between meat and potato.
3/5
Inspired kitchen, Aldi
400g, £2.49
9
The appearance of the Aldi shepherd’s pie was good and it browned very nicely, with nice waves in the puree.
Although the meat I could taste there was quite good, it was masked by all the mash.
It needed a bit more seasoning and a lot more filling, which may be why it was one of the cheaper ones.
3/5
Cake maker: Chef Select, Lidl
450g, £2.79
9
You get a little more here, with an extra 50 grams. I thought the flavor would be lacking and the cake would skimp on the ingredients, but how wrong was I.
The lamb flavor was so strong it felt like a roast dinner, and there was so much sauce and delicious puree.
Lidl went to town with the pipes. My winner.
5/5