With Chinese New Year approaching, many are looking for cost-effective alternatives to takeaways. Supermarkets offer their own versions of spring rolls, but a recent taste test by the Manchester Evening News found them lacking in flavour and authenticity.
Liv, a tourism writer, compared vegetable spring rolls from Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrisons, and Marks & Spencer. Prices ranged from £1.99 at Morrisons to £3 at M&S. The rolls varied in size and quantity, with some packs of four large rolls and others of six small ones.
Sainsbury's spring rolls were golden and crisp, but the filling lacked the promised ginger and sesame flavour. Tesco's rolls had a greasy pastry that flaked, though the filling was the tastiest of the four. Morrisons' rolls had a thick, spongy pastry and bland filling, leaving a greasy aftertaste. M&S rolls required longer cooking and had a colourful filling, but were also lacking in flavour.
Overall, no clear winner emerged. The reviewer noted that supermarkets focused more on pastry than filling, and all rolls lacked authentic flavours. She concluded that next time she would stick with her local Chinese takeaway.
