***** Excellent **** Great *** Fine ** Below Par * Awful

Tesco Finest Coleslaw, €2.25 for 250g, €9 per kg

Highs:Tesco makes a wide array of coleslaws, and this falls into the pricey category but it might just be worth paying because it is very good indeed. It is made with a little less cabbage (41 per cent) than most of its rivals and the extra carrot gives more colour and flavour. What really makes this stand out, however, is the crème fraîche and dollop of fresh cream, which give it a wonderful creaminess. The vegetables are crunchy and filled with flavour while the ingredients list is commendably pure.

Lows:It was the most expensive of the coleslaws here and comes in at almost three times the price of the cheapest offering. The tub is on the small side and contains a lot of fat – less than half the small tub accounts for nearly one third of an adult's GDA.

Verdict: Creamy but pricey

Star rating: ***

M&S Cheese Colesaw, €1.99 for 225g, €8.84 per kg

Highs: This immediately brought to mind the 50/50 chips – half coleslaw, half cheese (or occasionally, curry sauce) – that were popular in post-nightclub chippers in Salthill in the early 1990s. While the Salthill chips were as vile as they sound, this coleslaw actually works. It was found to be weirdly addictive and we were sorry when it was gone. It is made with a nice, tangy cheddar and flecked with chives. The mayonnaise is creamy with a nice mustard edge to it

Lows:If we were to be very picky, we would give out about the vegetables lacking a little by way of bite and moan about the size of the tub. One taster was put off by the strong cheese-and-onion flavours and said it reminded them too much of Tayto. Of course, that might be why we liked it so much.

Verdict:Top notch

Star rating: ****

Meadow Fresh Luxury Coleslaw from Lidl, €1.29 for 400g, €3.22 per kg

Highs:This fairly large tub of coleslaw will go a long way. While calling it luxury might be something of an exaggeration, it is absolutely fine and certainly represents great value for money. The vegetables are fresh tasting and have a pleasing sweetness to them, and the hefty chunks of cabbage are crunchy. It contains no artificial flavours or colourings. It is also very cheap.

Lows:Of course cabbage is a pretty cheap vegetable, which might explain why this is so cabbage heavy. It is a little one-dimensional because of that.

Verdict:Good value but a bit dull

Star rating:***

O’Briens Deli-style Coleslaw €2.95 for 400g, €7.37 per kg

Highs:This is a widely available brand, which many people will be familiar with. It is absolutely fine in a sandwich – unsurprising, perhaps, given the company who makes it.

Lows:If you want this to dress a baked potato or serve as a side dish, it might be found wanting, and we reckon you could do a whole lot better for those purposes. As with the Lidl offering, this was all about the cabbage, but while Lidl added onion to give its coleslaw a bit of a lift, O'Brien's contents itself with cabbage and carrot, which plays a bit part. The mayonnaise was also found to be lacking a little in flavour.

Verdict:Ordinary

Star rating:***

Oaktree Estate Coleslaw, €1.29 for 500g, €2.58 per kg

Highs:This was the cheapest of the coleslaws we came across, which is why we were attracted to it. When we bought this in our local Tesco we just assumed it was another brand unconnected with the retailing giant, so we were slightly surprised when closer inspection of the small print revealed this to be one of the new, slightly less-obvious discount products offered by Tesco. It's fine, but not something we'd actively go searching for again.

Lows:Inevitably, we had to compare it most closely with the Finest coleslaw and it pales in comparison. It is nowhere near as creamy, fresh-tasting or crunchy. The mayonnaise had a slightly sharp aftertaste and it looked a little mushy when compared with the other alternatives reviewed.

Verdict:Cheap but not great

Star rating:**