Conor Pope examines and reviews various Quiche Lorraine offerings.
Tesco Finest Quiche Lorraine €3.89 for 400g, €9.72 per kg
Highs: Tesco gets nearly everything right with this quiche. The pastry is nicely crumbly, the large amount of surprisingly good tasting bacon is very crispy, and it looks pretty appetising both before and after it has been in the oven. The addition of onions into the mix lends it a pleasingly sweet taste while the presence of Gruyere cheese rather than cheddar might explain why it is not as salty as the others.
Lows: Although it makes no difference to the taste, the texture of the egg mixture isn't as smooth and creamy as it could be, and it and ends up looking a little like scrambled egg which, combined with the crispy bacon, creates an all-day breakfast feel. While it is not the most expensive quiche tried, it certainly isn't cheap.
Verdict: Very morish.
Star rating: *****
Dunnes Stores Quiche Lorraine €1.99 for 340g, €5.85 per kg
Highs: This is the cheapest quiche tried and tastes okay, if entirely unremarkable. It also has a fairly speedy cooking time and is ready to eat a whole 10 minutes sooner than the offerings from M&S and Tesco, something which may be a factor if you're absolutely starving or incredibly impatient.
Lows: If you're incredibly discerning, however, this mightn't be for you. It doesn't look too appealing, something which might be down to its slightly grey appearance or the excessive mincing of the bacon. Although the meat is unlikely to have ever seen the inside of a smoke-house, it has an incredibly smoky taste which almost entirely overpowers the other flavours.
Verdict: Smoke gets in your pies.
Star rating: **
Marks & Spencer Quiche Lorraine €2.99 for 400g, €7.47 per kg
Highs: This is the cheesiest (but in a good way) quiche tried. The egg mixture is very smooth and very creamy and the bacon is fairly good too. It's surprisingly good value, too.
Lows: It's downhill from there though. The pastry isn't appealing and the bacon, which initially looks to be in abundant supply, all but disappears when the quiche is cut into slices. It's almost like they sprinkled all of it on top to create the impression that there was more of it than is actually the case. Unless you live within striking distance of an M&S store, you'll have to give this a miss.
Verdict: Cheap and cheesy.
Star rating: ***
Pierre Martinet Quiche Lorraine €1.99 for 130g, €15.30 per kg
Highs: This comes directly from the home of quiche, so much was expected of it. It is the only brand that both comes in a single serving and is ready to eat, so it can be consumed on the hoof or at your office desk if needs be. It is made with crème fraïche and tastes grand. And at 20 per cent, it has the highest percentage of bacon of any of the quiches tried.
Lows: While the packaging gives you permission to eat it cold, we wouldn't recommend it - you'll only be disappointed. It looks like a weird cross between a soufflé and a pork pie, and it doesn't taste like there's a whole lot of ham in it, despite what the packaging promises. It is also hideously expensive by comparison with the others.
Verdict: Excessively expensive.
Star rating: **
