A Lidl taste of things to come

Tried and TasTed, Channel 4

WE all like to bag a bargain at the supermarket, and with the rise of budget stores like Lidl and Aldi, the war is definitely on when it comes to where to shop – and what to buy.

For a long time, consumers have debated whether the leading brands are the best, or the cheaper alternatives.

And TV programmes have conducted blind taste tests to check whether the lesser-known brands can compete when it comes to taste.

Tried And Tasted, however, brings a new slant, with pro chefs and food experts trying their tastebuds out for size.

The programme focuses on the kind of “convenience” food that many of us rely on for refuelling, and here we find it sampled and analysed by the expert palates of Michel Roux Jr, Stacey Stewart, Lucy Alexander and Fred Sireix (him off First Dates). That the samples go round on a Yo! Sushi-style conveyor belt simply adds to the appeal.

But do the big names in the business know their artisan coffee from the instant version?

Well, it seems the answer is a resounding ‘no’.

Fred refers to an artisan coffee as ‘sock juice’ and restaurant critic Jay Rayner’s favourite turns out to be Lidl’s own brand.

It’s certainly an entertaining and interesting watch – and a useful tool, especially if watched when compiling this week’s shopping list!

Jo Cox: deaTh of an MP, BBC2

The Labour politician was shot and stabbed as she made her way to a constituency surgery in June last year.

From interviews with police who caught the killer to warm tributes from Jo’s family, this tear-jerking account left me asking the exact same question that haunted me 12 months ago ... just what is the world coming to?