This week, Value for Money compares four varieties of the popular salad dressing

Dunnes Stores Continental Style Mayonnaise

€2.42 per kg

This has the texture and colour of mayonnaise, but virtually none of the flavour. The only thing that rescues it from total blandness is a weird sweetness which is not entirely pleasant. It is cheap (less than half the price of the best-known brand) but it tastes cheap too. We have a soft spot for the soviet-era style packaging and the fact that it is produced in Ireland. However, we won’t be in a hurry to buy it again.

VerdictCheap and flavourless

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Delouis Mayonnaise

€9.28 per kg

This looks like a posh, artisan option so we had high hopes for it. It didn’t quite live up to those hopes, however. While we liked its sharp vinegary edge, we were a whole lot less enamoured by the price. Given that it contains many of the same ingredients as Hellmann’s, we couldn’t escape the feeling that we were paying over the odds for the packaging and the fact that it was for sale in the refrigerated section of Fallon & Byrne.

VerdictOverpriced

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Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise

€6.22 per kg

Initially we thought it would be really hard to look beyond this mayonnaise but as it turns out it isn’t. it’s not the dearest product but, at over €6 per kg, it is too dear. It does have a nice richness to it, although the most pronounced flavour is probably salt . It’s made with free range eggs and is a good source of Omega 3, Hellmann’s are quick to remind us.

VerdictWhat you'd expect

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Stokes Real Mayonnaise

€12.31 per kg

This is the most expensive mayonnaise we tried; unfortunately, it is also the best. It has a lovely richness and a depth of flavour which is not to be found elsewhere. It is nice and creamy; not too salty, too vinegary or too sweet.

It is also the only product to use olive oil. Mind you, the olive oil makes up only 5 per cent – the rest is rapeseed.

VerdictLovely, too dear

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