Rice pudding is one of the best loved desserts in the UK. Despite its simplicity, the cheap and sweet pudding evokes nostalgic memories of childhood joy for many. You would think something so simple is pretty hard to improve on, or indeed make worse. Or at least that's what I thought going into this.
After a quick browse online I found four different rice puddings from two shops at four very different price points, but I was intrigued at what it was that made one more expensive than another? Surely a 20p can of rice pudding cannot be so much worse than a branded can that it's worth paying over six times more?
These were all questions I wanted to answer so I set off to the shops, picking up a can of Tesco's own, 65p, Stockwell's, 20p and Ambrosia, £1.25. I then went even further upmarket and paid Marks and Spencer's a visit. Though I soon realised after a fruitless search they were too posh to even stock tinned rice pudding, instead selling it in little microwave pots at £2.65.
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Stockwell's
I started with Stockwell's, a brand sold exclusively at Tesco providing a great value option for just 20p a can. Though I didn't notice at the time, when pouring out the others I was struck by how much lower the rice to liquid ratio in this one was, with what seemed like a lot less rice, despite all three cans being 400g.
To me Stockwell's tasted exactly how I imagine rice pudding in my head, sweet, but not too sweet - normally I'd add some jam but to keep this fair I thought I'd keep it plain. There really was nothing significant to complain about here, I'd buy this again in a heartbeat, it's just so much cheaper.
Tesco's Own
With Tesco's Own brand version coming in at 65p, over three times more than Stockwell's I was immediately sceptical. Having checked the ingredients of the two cans I was stunned to see that the ingredients are word for word the exact same. Even down to the percentage of rice in the cans.
I felt like I'd uncovered an incredibly low level con.
The two did look quite different once I'd poured out the Tesco's Own. It was a lot thicker and more pale. But despite this I honestly couldn't tell a difference between the all important flavour of the two, and lets be honest, with a sloppy pudding like this, the taste is all that really matters.
With the 20p option just a shelf away from this one I can see absolutely no reason why anyone should ever spend the 45p extra on this can.
Ambrosia
Arguably the biggest name in custard, Ambrosia are also the dominant brand when it comes to rice pudding. You can pick up their 400g can for a hefty £1.25, but is that good value? Or are you paying over the odds for that pretty Devonshire cottage on the can?
It looked a lot like the pale colour of the Tesco pudding, though maybe with slightly larger rice chunks. After studying the cans again I realised the main difference in ingredients is a few more grams of sugar, something which no doubt adds to the cost. But when you can just stir in your choice of sugary spread, whether jam or Nutella or something similar, this doesn't seem at all worth it for over £1 more per can.
It undeniably tasted that little bit better than the others, no doubt due to the sugar boost, and was also a lot chunkier and thicker than the Stockwell's can. But I still don't think for that much more it's worth it, especially if you're looking to feed more than one person the 20p option is still king for me.
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M&S
Marks and Spencer's clotted cream rice pudding is predictably fancy, coming in two portion size pots. That extra packaging no doubt contributing to the eye-watering £2.65 price.
This would have to be something very special to be worth the money, with the total weight of 340g already giving you less bang for your buck, but I had a feeling I might be surprised. How I wrong I was.
Bizarrely this one actually tasted the worst of all three, with a bright white colour and nearly savoury in flavour. It had the chunky style rice of Ambrosia but it made little difference. For £2.65 these little pots are daylight robbery and there's really no more that needs to be said so steer well clear.
The winner
Without a doubt here the winner is Stockwell's value 20p rice pudding. Whilst a little more watery and slightly smaller rice chunks than the more expensive cans, it was delicious. The pure value and cheapness of this can in comparison to the others makes it a no brainer if you or your family just find yourselves fancying it one night.
If you're a rice pudding purist I'm sure I can't dissuade you from going for one of the pricier options. But the best I can do for you is tell you stick to Ambrosia, even if it is a con.
Nothing could be as much of a con as the M&S one. Whilst the price of £2.65 seems to promise a next level rice pudding, the result is a bizarre anaemic looking dessert lacking in flavour and volume. No thanks.
Dan Wiggins
MyLondon Trending Reporter interested in TV and film, lifestyle, human interest stories, news and more.
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If you have a story or something you think is worth looking into, get in touch at dan.wiggins@reachplc.com.
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