Can You Tell a Premium Ready Meal From a Takeaway? (Blindfold Test)
Today we’re putting premium supermarket ready meals vs takeaway head-to-head in a blind taste test.
Can you actually tell a premium ready meal from a takeaway when you can’t see it? We’re taste testing two very similar dishes side-by-side (supermarket “posh” ready meal vs local takeaway), judging on flavour, texture, value for money, portion size, and overall satisfaction – and trying to guess which is which.
If you enjoy blind tasting, food comparisons, budget vs premium, and “worth it?” style tests, this one’s for you.
COMMENT BELOW: Would you rather spend your money on a premium ready meal or a takeaway – and which dish do you think wins?
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43 Comments
They need to save their critiques until after they guess. They're influencing each other's answers. Poker face until answered then what they thought.
so glad to see some british chinese takeaway representation that isnt bogged down by chips, i hate that thats always the way our chinese takeaways are presented to other countries, because i just dont view it as part of the experience and it just comes off as sad and beige, but its so much better than that
also with both chinese and indian, there is no beating the restaurants. even higher end ready meal versions just never taste the same to me, let alone anywhere near as good in quality.
Purely on hygiene alone, I’d pick the supermarket option.
If you want a takeaway, GO AND PICK IT UP!
The takeaway is no matter how premium they claim to be frozen is still frozen when compared to something fresh.
I don't understand Barry?
Why would he go home and eat a pizza after working? He eats a work all the time…
The 'Chicken Pepper Fry' from the sainsbury's collection curry range is fantastic, the whole range is tbf
Now do it where most of the takeaways aren’t BOGOF and the supermarket meals aren’t from your locally sourced farm shop where milk is £2 a pint
A bit hypocritical of Ben to bring up clean labels when in their last fresh v frozen they showed how M&S took their frozen chips and put one in a "fresh" box and slapped on a $4 price hike for the same product. Like I understand we should all strive to eat clean, but it really bugs me how this channel seems to be straying away from showing people how to cook on a budget and is going the way of influencer cooking channels by demonizing anything processed during a global cost of living crisis.
11:30 – i mean, hey, at least they're on the same page 😆😆
It's a bit strange listening to Ben and Barry talking about Anglo-Chinese food as though it's something that "authentic" Chinese people don't eat. Sure we do, it's pretty much our version of fast food. Sorted Food really should look into inviting more Chinese guests onto the show, or just more people of different ethnic backgrounds, this isn't the first time I've raised an eyebrow at a misconception they've had regarding Chinese cuisine.
As you've pointed out, this is very London-centric. Availability of decent takeaway options will generally be worse in other cities and large towns, and if you live in a rural village somewhere there's almost certainly no delivery and you would have to drive to pick it up. Given that most places can get a supermarket delivery these days, the high quality of the ready meals for a lower price sways the whole game, at least for anyone outside large conurbations.
Okay, guys, curry with chopsticks next, right?
Edit: Make sure they're blindfolded
Thanks !
Very fun, enjoy your episodes.
Gang of dopes can't even pronounce "Bigham".
There's no "n" in there.
Sorry but I don't consider Charlie Bighams to be a premium brand. Premium price but the same sh*t as something for half the price. Rice apart, a pre-made curry could be as good as fresh one if done correctly.
The spoon is far superior to the fork when eating curry/rice dishes.
Why didn't you feature the name/details for the second premium takeaway?
I think another angle is premade sauces or limited cooking kits vs full ready made and take away. I think for the margin of a slight bit of cooking, the difference will be huge. Products that target the hardest/longest/ingredient dense part of a dish while leaving the simple things like searing meat or dumping ingredients on top of each other to the customer.
Thai curry is such a weird dish to get at a restaurant/takeaway or as a ready made, since it is such an easy and quick dish to make at home
The best supermarket ready meal IMO is the M&S panaang curry. Its gone down a bit since they changed the chicken from thigh to breast, but the sauce is incredible.
Oh, by "ready meal" you just mean (mostly) proper frozen food and not the stuff that supermarket deli/lunch counters dump into trays and sell as meals to take home and reheat in the microwave.
"I prefer the authentic Chinese food we get in London".
Hilarious but expected London exceptionalism nonsense. 🤣
What would be interesting is seeing the difference between "premium" ready meals and the supermarkets own and then the supermarkets basics range and seeing whether the price difference makes a taste difference.
I have to agree with Jay that a frozen pizza and a takeaway pizza occupy quite different niches in food ecology.
I really like the premium vs cheap reviews!
What would be good to look at is the difference in nutrients. Like are you getting more of the ‘good nutrients’ from the premium. Or are the cheap products loaded with sugar, salt etc.
These dudes have gotten pretentious.
"I think you're going to work out it's a pizza. Even your home-cooked level could achieve that." Ben being his needy and condescending self all in one comment.
"Spitalfields, right near us". I wonder how hot the food is from there to your office in Hertford. It's a bit of a trek!
I always assumed this space was at your company's registered address rather than in London itself.
what is with this spoon hatred omg its such a better vessel!!! im currently eating cheesy gnocchi with a spoon . i wont stand for this.
You need to prepare a bite for them to truly compare. Relying on them to pick up items blindfolded is not really a true test. It is funny though…
Baz: Straight away, I'm stroking the bottom.
Me: You dirty, dirty old man… 😂
Seeing Barry so EXCITED was fun! Keep up the good work guys 🍻🍻🍻 (worked again)
Love this format ❤❤❤
With possible excepetion of pizza (mainly due to the wider range of variety), supermarkets will never manage to beat ordering directly from the takeaway. The extra money and delivery/collection time is almost always worth it for the better quality.
Blindfod tests are always a fun time guys! Love seeing You struggle For an answer! Always a great day with a new sorted video 😊😊😊
Go to supermarket is frozen wor wonton soup, very “fresh” frozen in that verges are only part cooked so come out fresh tasting. I struggle with takeaways charging for rice, in NZ it’s always included at least in our locals ( Chinese, Indian and Thai options),
so the only vegetarian meal (pizza) won but i think the meat is the biggest difference in rdy meals so maybe repeat then on vegetarian/ non meat meals to see if they are any better!
They finally got on the crosta mollica pizza. So damn good
would also love another version, with takeaway 'scratch' cheats i.e jarred sauces
20:03 that moment proves their brothers❤
I can not believe that Jamie didn't spill anything on his nice clean sweatshirt.
Wait what? If Rudy's is 11 quid why the hell are papa john pizzas even on deal more expensive :/