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Friday 28 October 2011

Not good value, but watching free TV is.

This is a warning, not all Tesco Value food is OK. I bought these last week, worth a try I thought at just under £1 for a packet of four. With some steamed veg that would make four meals for a lot less than a pound each.

I did potatoes, cauliflower and an onion, and grilled one of the portions. Yuk. The outer covering whatever it was, a mixture of breadcrumbs and batter I think, came away from the miniscule, rather grey looking piece of fish inside. It looked and tasted like all the unwanted bits of the fish had been put through a mincer. Now I remember why I don't buy fish fingers. I think I will give the rest of them to the cats.

I watched an interesting and entertaining programe on Channel 4od last night.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/kirsties-handmade-britain/4od
I like Kirsty Allsopp as a presenter, she is so pleasant to listen to, and she injects just the right amount of humour into it. The series is about crafting, and this week it's all about paper crafts. She makes paper jewellery, a paper bird, and a card machine stitched with paper flowers. These she enters into the exhibition tent at a County Show in Wales. Well worth a look at this programe if you are into crafting. I believe last weeks show was all about baking cakes.

I know most of you don't watch Coronation Street, it's rubbish I know, but it's a bit of light entertainment while I eat my dinner. I'm a bit sad to read that the young lass who plays Rosie Webster is to be written out. She has been in it since she was nine years old, and now wants to move on. Her character Rosie is a great laugh, and is one of my favourites. I love it when she bullies her boyfriend Ryan, and bosses her mother Sally about, then has a go at her father and sister Sophie. She is a stroppy madam, lives in a fantasy world, always wants her own way, sulks and stomps about, she's a right attention seeker. Poor Ryan jumps to attention, he hangs on to her every word, and lets her walk all over him. It's so funny to watch her, and I wonder what trick she is going to pull next. I shall miss the little Miss Bossy Boots when she goes. Get a grip, it's only a story, ha ha.
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16 comments:

  1. Unknown28 October 2011 at 20:45

    I don't mind fish fingers, but I do buy brand not value. I can just imagine what those fillets tasted like. Oh well, at least they didn't go to waste and you only bought one packet.

    Reading your blog is like consumer research for the rest of us.

    Thanks!

    We used up tuna, pasta, sweetcorn and vegetable stock for our dinner tonight. Eating from the cupboards/freezers is going well!

    Sft x

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  2. Unknown28 October 2011 at 20:48

    Those fish fingers sound a bit grim. You sure you want to give them to the cats?

    I'd be tempted to keep the cats in for a while and feed the birds. Or take them back to Tesco -telling them what you've told us. You never know, they might do the honourable thing and swop them for some proper fish.

    Brian

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  3. Campfire28 October 2011 at 21:25

    I'm generally a fan of 'value' brands but there are just some things I wouldn't buy. One I do is Asda value pickle at 25p. They do another own brand one with a fancier jar label but that is 65p. Branston is over £1. As my OH tends to load it on his dinner with a tablespoon, that's the one I get!

    I watched Kirsty's programme last week, on catch up and really enjoyed it. She's quite naive isn't she? Made the scones but I didn't like them as much as the ones I normally make, but my Mum thought they were OK. I'll watch the next programme later in the week.

    I don't watch Coronation St, haven't for years, but I do admit to Emmerdale. It's changing a lot nowadays but hey ho, that's life. A bit of light relief when you're having a snack.

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  4. lizzie28 October 2011 at 21:53

    Most frozen fish is very disappointing and some you are right is downright disgusting. I m quite pleased with frozen tilapia here in the States, I think it perch and is farm raised and environmentally friendly. Some people think it has an earthy taste but the texture is great when gently sauteed with a speck of butter and a few herbs. Frozen cod is pretty bad - tasteless and flabby. Barramundi is supposed to be good - anyone tried it ?
    Do you like sardines ?

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  5. gz28 October 2011 at 22:43

    I found tesco value pasta anything but!- boiled it for twice the usual time and it was still chewy and inedible!

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  6. Bryallen28 October 2011 at 22:50

    Ugh, I had Tesco value fish fillets. It was some bizarre fish I'd never heard of from Vietnam, although when I Googled it I discovered it was the least environmentally friendly fish there is - from Vietnam, grown unsustainably using weird hormones from some completely different country.

    Anyway, when I tried it I was nearly sick! Absolutely disgusting! (And I can cook fish!) Even my housemate (who would eat pretty much anything - I had to wrangle a greenish chicken breast away from her once) tried it and found it vile.

    Some Tesco Value stuff is ok, but the fish seems to be completely awful!

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  7. Bryallen28 October 2011 at 22:50

    Oh, and also, as a student I know my baked beans. Tesco Value baked beans are TERRIBLE!

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  8. Miss Piggy Bank28 October 2011 at 22:54

    I've had similar before and they are garbage.

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  9. Practical Parsimony29 October 2011 at 00:41

    Find a toll free number and call the company. Take it back to Tesco. Here in the US, I thought Tesco was sort of like Walmart. I do not buy WM brands.

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  10. Rose H (UK)29 October 2011 at 02:43

    I'd certainly be complaining!
    I don't know if you have a Lidl nearby? They sell Ocean Trader fish fingers, and they are fished for responsibly and I actually prefer them to Birds Eye ones. They are wild Alaskan Pollack, but are made from cuts and not minced fish. If you get chance give them a try, £1.99 a pack of 15 - I think you'll like them.
    See here for more details
    http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/SID-83ACDD97-691FBEC2/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/5199.htm

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  11. Anonymous29 October 2011 at 12:37

    You should definitely let the manager of the shop you bought them from know your feelings, even if the money is not refunded they should be made aware of any shortcomings.

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  12. Meanqueen29 October 2011 at 15:39

    Thank you to everyone who is concerned about the safety of the grotty fish. Thanks to Bonnie who emailed me with her concerns. On the back of the packet it says the fish was caught in the North East Atlantic Ocean, and the portions were produced in Poland. I am going to take the rest back to the shop and suggest their quality control take a look at them, though I doubt they will refund my money as I don't have the till receipt.

    Hi Bryallen, I think Tesco baked beans are ok, but the Value yogurt is like water, horrible. The Value Bran Flakes are ok.

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  13. Kath29 October 2011 at 17:50

    My Nan used to get so involved, I swear she forgot it was just pretend. I'd ring her up and ask "So how are you Nan?" and she'd go "I'm OK, What about that Dirty Den then, ooh he's a bad un and no mistake".
    The rest of the call would involve Nan giving out about the characters, on her favourite soaps :-D

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  14. john bain30 October 2011 at 00:38

    I tried that fish, and I agree with you. I think Tesco would give you a refund, receipt or not.

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  15. lizzie30 October 2011 at 02:59

    Just take the packet back - no need for the (stinking) fish - they will give you your money back, no sweat.

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  16. lovelygrey30 October 2011 at 07:27

    Thanks for letting me know that Kirsty's back on TV. I'll catch up on the i-player thingie today.
    x

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