Potato salad is a staple at any barbecue or picnic, but which supermarket makes the best? I tried four own-brand potato salads to find out
Potato salad is a staple at any barbecue or picnic, but which supermarket makes the best? I tried four own-brand potato salads to find out(Image: Inna Brailchuk via Getty Images)
Potato salad is one of those dishes that invariably makes an appearance as a side dish, providing a light, creamy contrast to the rest of the fare. However, I have always considered potato salad to be rather uninspiring; it is typically drowning in mayonnaise and devoid of any notable taste.
Whether you purchase it ready-made from the supermarket or prepare it yourself, potato salad remains a firm favourite. But the crucial question is, which supermarket produces the finest version?
I put four supermarket own-label potato salads from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer, and Waitrose to the test, in order to determine the superior choice.
I assessed them across three criteria: the most enjoyable flavour, the ideal potato-to-dressing balance, and the quality of the potato preparation.
Tesco – £1.25 for 300g
Tesco is typically my go-to destination for a meal deal, though I will only purchase something if I am particularly pressed for time. Tesco’s potato salad, similar to the others, is packed full of mayonnaise, obscuring any chunks of potato I might encounter.
It had the poorest potato-to-mayo balance of the four potato salads, with an excessive quantity of mayo and sour cream. The packaging stated the salad contained onions, chives and lemon… yet I could not detect anything that remotely resembled those ingredients.
The mayo was not as dense as the others, resulting in it being somewhat less effective at maintaining its consistency. Another drawback was the texture of the potato chunks, which were so small they resembled pebbles and practically fell apart with each bite.
Tesco represents everything I dread in a potato salad: an overwhelming, soggy disaster with far more sauce than potato.
Total – 3/10
Waitrose – £1.30 for 300g
Having sampled Waitrose’s offering first, the most striking contrast between that and Tesco’s was the “doneness” of the spuds. While Waitrose’s potato salad contained considerably more potatoes, they were somewhat on the firm side.
Verging on underdone, one might say. That said, this did offer a contrasting texture against the dressing.
The small cubes lacked much in the way of potato flavour, though the mayonnaise dressing carried a subtle hint of onion. The mayo itself was thick, but its understated taste was too mild to make for an exciting mouthful.
The one thing I could say with confidence is that every forkful offered a generous amount of potato. Make no mistake, it was a notch above Tesco, but fell marginally short of both Sainsbury’s and M&S.
Total – 5/10
Sainsbury’s – £1.30 for 300g
At first glance, Sainsbury’s dressing stood out with visible flecks of herbs that the others lacked. It quickly became apparent that those chives were far more than a garnish; their flavour came through clearly in the sauce, alongside a distinct onion taste.
Indeed, Sainsbury’s boasted the boldest mayonnaise dressing of the lot. It was comfortably the most flavoursome of all, which worked beautifully to counterbalance the richness of the mayo.
Sainsbury’s also provided a generous ratio of potato to mayonnaise, so it never felt as though the sauce was overwhelming. Sainsbury’s potato salad is undoubtedly a cut above the rest.
If pushed to select which supermarket potato salad offered the finest flavour, Sainsbury’s would triumph every time. The chives were not overpowering, yet they undeniably set Sainsbury’s potato salad apart from the competition.
Total – 9/10
M&S – £2.80 for 300g
Marks and Spencer promises customers a “rich and creamy” experience with its Baby Potato Salad, and that is certainly what you get. The mayo is almost whipped, creating a meringue-like texture.
The density of the mayonnaise prevented the sauce from slipping off the potatoes or leaving a greasy sensation in the mouth. Much like the other contenders, it contains onions and chives, though it did not deliver quite the same punch as Sainsbury’s.
That said, M&S deserves considerable credit for its potatoes. Proper generous chunks — with the skin left on — ensured the spuds took centre stage, as they rightfully should.
Rather than tiny cubes, you are treated to substantial pieces of perfectly cooked potato. While M&S’s potato salad may set you back £1.50 more than the alternatives, in this case the difference is genuinely noticeable.
For a luxuriously subtle option, M&S is the remedy to your potato salad dilemmas. However, if it is bold, punchy flavour you are after, Sainsbury’s wins hands down.
Total – 8/10
