CHIPPY teas and home-cooked fries are set to rocket in price on the back of poor potato harvests.
The situation has been described as “dire” by northern fish and chip shop supplier PG Chips.
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And while the nation loves McCain’s to make at home, they are double the cost of many supermarket makes.
Thea Jacobs tests six own-brand alternatives and rates them out of five.
McCain Home Cut Straight, Tesco £3.20 (1kg)
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AS the nation’s favourite, it’s no wonder these are crisp and fluffy, though they look less yummy than I’d expect.
The golden colour is mottled with brown despite following cooking instructions.
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Tasty, but I can’t justify the price for the amount you get.
Rating: 3
Iceland Ridiculously Crispy Straight Cut £2.75 (1.44kg)
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THESE look more like fries than straight cut chips and turn a lovely golden colour when cooked.
Crunchy on the outside, super light and fluffy inside.
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I make $1,000 cheese boards for customers but whipped one up for $20 from Aldi – there’s even prosciutto and chocolate
A great bag of chips – it’s just a shame that they’re a little on the expensive side.
Rating: 4
Tesco Homestyle Straight Cut £2.20 (950g)
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STRAIGHT from the packet, these look promising.
But despite following the cooking instructions, a couple come out a bit burnt on the ends.
Much stodgier inside than McCain’s, but they would be great for dipping in gravy.
Not bad, but not the best.
Rating: 4
Sainsbury’s Crinkle Cut £1.99, (1.5kg)
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AFTER ten minutes in the oven the ends of these are starting to burn.
They look very spotty, which I think is the crinkle cut.
Somewhere between smooth and fluffy on the inside, which isn’t what I want in a chip.
Best left on the shelf.
Rating: 1
Asda Just Essentials £1.62 (1.5kg)
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MORE yellow than golden, these chips start looking burnt after 20 minutes.
But when I tuck in, they don’t taste fully cooked.
No sign of a crunch and, in fact, a bit slimy inside.
These might be cheap, but I just wouldn’t waste the cash.
Rating: 2
WINNER! Aldi Straight Cut£1.65 (1.5kg)
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TO turn them golden brown, these need a little longer than the recommended cooking time.
Thicker than a lot of the others, and crispy but super-light inside, they are almost as good as my local chippy.
Great value and an ideal substitute.
Rating: 5
Lidl Homestyle £1.49 (1kg)
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YET another batch that starts to look a bit burnt in places before they’re fully cooked.
They don’t go golden brown like chip shop chips and they lack in crunch, but are fluffy inside.
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Good value for money, though you do sacrifice some quality.
Rating: 3
