Heinz Tomato Ketchup
Aaaah, the good old stuff from Heinz, established in 1869 and never failing to delight. What’s more, the bottom down container stays clean and allows easy squeezing without having to shake it manically, ensuring you get to every last drop! The bottle is big, and the price is reasonable, I just can’t find fault in this fantastically saucy product.
Price: £1.15
Rating: 5
Tasco Ketchup
If your family are ketchup fanatics and you seriously want to save those precious pennies, then there may be an incentive to reach for this bottle at the supermarket. This Cypriot product is so sweet it made me wonder if I should spread it on my toast instead of my usual jam in the morning. Also, the only one of the lot to contain E numbers. This is the kind of ketchup that you wish was never produced just so you don’t have to put up with it when it suddenly appears in restaurants.
Price: 77 cents
Rating: 1
Kraft Tomato Ketchup
This claims to be made with fresh ripe tomatoes and only natural ingredients so I was quite eager to try its ‘original taste’. Original is certainly an interesting way of putting it- this is more like a bland Mexican tomato salsa than ketchup, and seriously lacks flavour. On the up side, it comes in a very big bottle proving economical, and it’s one I wouldn’t say no to if it was offered to me with my hamburger and chips.
Price: £1.15
Rating: 2
Hellmans Ketchupito
Ketchup with a funky twist! The bottle is shaped like a cartoon figure with Mr. Ketchupito playfully sticking his tongue out at you – kids will love squeezing away at this one. Apparently Ketchupito is ‘french fries best friend’, so of course I couldn’t resist dunking my chips away in this sauce. I was definitely impressed by the taste, which reminded me of sweet cherry tomatoes with a great tangy twist. This could be a serious competitor to Heinz, not only is it delicious, it’s also cheaper. Don’t be deceived by the bottle either, as it actually holds more than most of the others.
Price: £1
Rating: 5
Pleni Day
The only one in a glass bottle, which some may like as it reminds them of the good old days. Once you open the lid however, you soon realise just how much easier a squeezable cap makes your life at the dinner table. It was highly unfortunate that I splattered way too much of this all over my food, and to say I struggled to eat the rest of my meal is putting it mildly. This low in sodium sauce was not only the priciest of the lot, but the one that least resembled the taste of ketchup as I have known it. Instead, it resembled a sweetened tomato paste.
Price: £2.16
Rating: 1/2
Heinz P’tits
Another great one for the kids as it’s specially designed for tiny hands. What’s the difference between this and regular Heinz ketchup you may ask? Quite simply, the cute packaging. The small pasta design on the front suggests this is one for the children to smother on their spaghetti. If your children really love their ketchup though, you’ll need many of these bottles to keep them happy as with one squeeze the bottle is nearly ready to be thrown away.
Price: 71 cent
Rating: 4
McDonalds Tomato Ketchup
Excuse my ignorance but I had no idea that the famous golden arches had broadened their horizons to produce their very own ketchup. They certainly love to supersize everything they get their hands on – with 500ml of ketchup in this bottle, it’s definitely the biggest of the lot. This big ketchup also makes big promises – it follows the McDonalds authentic recipe, made with 24 sun ripe tomatoes (no more, no less apparently) and contains no colouring, artificial preservatives or thickening agents. It’s also suitable for a gluten free diet, and contains a natural source of Lycopin. My taste buds certainly tell me that something quite unnatural is in this bottle, or perhaps it just brings that famous McDonalds flavour to mind. If you’re a McDonalds fan, this should go down a treat.
Price: £1.25
Rating: 3
