Student Homemaker

Even though the meal planning didn’t quite work out, I am still here to review the purpose of my experiment, ‘Basics Living’. However, this is turning into the first of a series of frequent reviews, rather than the one first expected.

Battered Fish (Basics range - 96p 4 pack)

This was minced pollock inside a batter shell. Unfortunately, the fish was tough and rubbery, not very appetising, but edible none-the-less. You try some, and unfortunately you lose some. Next time, I’ll be looking for some whole-fillet instead of minced.

Fromage Frais (Basics range - 46p 6 pack)
This was six little pots of fruit-puree fromage frais, although not as much fruit as in other ranges. I found these just as tasty as any brand I’ve tried. The only problem I had with them was they are far too small to eat just the one. I’ll be having these again, but first I’ll try the bigger yoghurt packs.

Chicken kiev (Basics range - 83p 2 pack)

This was a buttery garlic sauce contained in a minced chicken shell and breadcrumbed. Again, it was just as tasty as any other kiev I’ve eaten. I had no problems with this and I’ll gladly eat again and again.

Chicken soup can (Basics range - 18p)

This was a tasty thin chicken soup, with small chicken pullings in it. As you may be able to tell from the poor compression of the picture, the colour wasn’t great - a murky beige.  The taste was like any other chicken soup, but it was too much on the watery side. It’d be good reduced down a little more. I’d try other varieties before this again, as own brand is often really cheap anyway (around 35p)

Tortellini with Basics tomato pasta sauce (26p)

It does what it says on the jar - it’s basic tomato pasta sauce. It’s tasty, tastes of tomatoes, blends well with plenty of other flavours. It’s not wow, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s just your average, pure, tomato sauce. You could even add your own herbs and spices to it to make it special. Verdict - you won’t catch me buying any other plain tomato pasta sauce - why pay more?.

My only conclusion so far is that the Basics range is a little hit-and-miss. Some foods are great, some are ok for the price, and some are just not worth any money at all. For this reason, whenever I eat a new Basics range product, it will appear in a Basics Living review, and also, an up to date page will be kept, listing hits and misses - check it before you buy.