Taste & Tell
Which supermarket's ready-made Greek salad is the freshest?
To help you buy the best, we put salads from five major retailers to the taste test
HOW WE CONDUCTED OUR TASTE TEST
IT'S FREE AND FAIR!
The Taste & Tell series is a monthly feature where the same or similar supermarket items are put to a taste test by a panel; we gather a different group of people to be part of the panel for each tasting. (This one was made up of chefs from Capsicum Culinary Studio in Randburg, Joburg.)
A theme for each tasting is selected by Sunday Times food editor Hilary Biller, who goes out and shops as a consumer would.
The tasting takes place at a facility that offers a professional kitchen and a room where the panel can evaluate the food.
We work with chefs who assist with any preparation that's necessary; reheating and cooking is done strictly to package instructions. Items are categorised, numbered and stripped of all their packaging before being served. A food expert in the kitchen oversees the entire process.
The tasters undertake a blind tasting and the food is judged on a score sheet and is rated according to appearance, taste, quality of ingredients and whether the taster would consider buying the product. Each category is judged out of 10 points: 10 is excellent, 5 average and 1 extremely poor.
An auditor checks each score sheet and collates the results.
THE RESULTS
FIRST PLACE: FOOD LOVER'S MARKET
Take home Greek salad
Price: R50.
What the judges said:
- Nico: Love it, nice fresh ingredients. Love the feta, it's nice and creamy.
- Tyrone: Very fresh, crunchy and yummy.
- Andrew: Good selection of lettuce and Danish feta.
- Awande: An array of ingredients with beautiful colour and three different kinds of lettuce.
SECOND PLACE: CHECKERS
Freshmarket Greek salad with sachet of olives and feta
Price: R54.99 for 400g.
What the judges said:
- Pierre: Very good salad, very nicely balanced.
- Tyrone: Above-average salad.
- Andrew: Good selection of lettuce. Feta was a poor quality.
- Awande: I found the pieces of lettuce too big.
THIRD PLACE: WOOLWORTHS
Crunchy & fresh Greek salad
Price: R44.99 for 285g.
What the judges said:
- Tyrone: Not my favourite.
- Andrew: Too much lettuce, not enough of other ingredients.
- Yolanda: I enjoyed the freshness of the salad.
- Awande: Lettuce pieces too big and more of other ingredients required.
FOURTH PLACE: PICK N PAY
Greek salad bowl with sachets of feta cheese and olives
Price: R59.99 for 450g.
What the judges said:
- Pierre: Feta could be of a better quality and the balance of ingredients too.
- Nico: Nice freshness, needs more variety and less lettuce.
- Andrew: Too much lettuce, too few garnishes.
- Awande: Lettuce overkill.
FIFTH PLACE: SPAR
Greek Salad with a sachet of dressing. (Purchased at Pineslopes Spar, served on February 2, sell by date, February 3.)
Price: R34.99.
What the judges said:
- Tyrone: Unpleasant, the ingredients are slimy and off.
- Andrew: Very poor quality.
- Yolanda: Lettuce was old, feta tasteless.
- Awande: Forgettable.
- Nico: Not fresh at all.