AND WHAT’S THE CREME DE LA CREME OF THE HIGH STREET?

MORRISONS SAVERS 31p for 290g, 22 cals per 15g serving

AS ONE of the cheapest on the market, you have to question how much of this salad cream is water bulked out with thickeners, and how much salt makes up for the lack of substance. A faint whiff of stale cardboard means this is one cream I would not want to slosh on my salad. 1/5

ASDA ORIGINAL 55p for 420g, 46 cals per 15g serving

PLEASANTLY thick, rich and with not too harsh a taste of vinegar, this is a higher-quality sauce for the price. It tastes less salty than many, and has a nice eggy base. It’s good value for money — though heavier on calories. 3/5

HEINZ £1.50 for 285g, 50 cals per 15g serving

FULL OF vinegar and mustard, the lightly whipped, oh so smooth original tastes stronger than the competition. The recipe is unaltered from that which launched so many decades ago. A tiny amount of egg gives it a little richness, but it’s the oil and starch that give the most bulk. As this remains the version against which all others are measured, it deserves an extra half point. 4½/5

HEINZ 70% LESS FAT £1.35 for 435g, 21 cals per 15g serving

AT FIRST taste this is identical to Heinz’s original, but then you notice that it is slimier and leaves a nasty oily residue. Cruelly for slimmers, low fat often means the addition of plenty of thickeners and emulsifiers, so the flavour is there, but the texture is very unpleasant. 1/5

TESCO STOCKWELL & CO 61p for 540g, 17 cals per 15g serving

THIS is a budget salad cream — a large bottle for a low price — but boy, do you lose out on the flavour and substance. With large quantities of thickener, you may as well be eating bulked-out vinegar. Egg yolk powder is no substitute for the real thing. 2/5

TESCO FREE FROM £1.35 for 440g, 34.5 cals per 15g serving

FREE from egg and milk, this salad cream is suitable for a vegan diet. It is one that, while greatly bulked out with maize starch and xanthan gum, has a good, well-balanced flavour and lighter texture. I was impressed, though I still believe salad cream is not salad cream without a little egg. It’s also suitable for those with a gluten intolerance, as it is free from wheat. 3/5

SIMPLY M&S 90p for 440g, 45 cals per 15g serving

CLEAN and simple, this is a rich, authentically mustardy and eggy-flavoured dressing with few additives and a silky texture. I’d recommend it — but perhaps because it is quite close to a light mayonnaise. 4/5

LIDL BATTS 59p for 510g, 43 cals per 15g serving

WELL done to Lidl’s supplier for being the only salad cream to feature free-range egg yolk in the ingredients list. It’s a very light emulsion, though not without a decent oil content, and yet it is not too acidic. A very good budget dressing. 4/5