The best ready-to-serve custard: tried and tasted

Winner: Tesco Fresh Custard

500g, £2.35

We liked everything about this custard – it looked perfect and tasted spot on! Thick and creamy, it had a well-balanced sweetness and delicious vanilla undertones, making it a clear winner, hot or cold.

• Rating: 9/10

Tesco Fresh Custard

Morrisons Custard

500g, £2.20

Despite the good colour, this custard had a thin consistency that was reflected in its taste, which was watery and lacking in any real depth of flavour. Sadly, it didn’t improve when heated.

• Rating: 5/10 

Morrisons Custard

Waitrose Essential Custard

500g, £2.50

The pale-yellow hue did not make this appear particularly appetising, but it tasted better than it looked.

A subtle creaminess was initially spoilt by a slightly artificial aftertaste, but this went upon heating. Many may prefer it to be thicker.

• Rating: 7/10

Waitrose Essential Custard

Sainsbury’s Fresh Custard

500g, £2.40

This was very pale, rather runny and lacking in any bold vanilla flavour or creaminess. There was some improvement in the flavour when heated, but nothing to write home about.

• Rating: 5/10

Sainsbury’s Fresh Custard

Co-op Creamy Custard

500g, £2.60

Although this had a rather ‘odd’ aftertaste when cold, which we couldn’t put our finger on, this disappeared when it was warmed through, leaving a pleasantly creamy, frothy custard – though it did lack any substantial flavour.

• Rating: 6/10

Co-op Creamy Custard

M&S Custard

500g, £2.40

The only comparable offering from M&S is a ‘low fat’ custard (though this is not evident from the labelling). It had a very good consistency and was deliciously thick and creamy, oozing with vanilla flavours.

However, the perfect sweetness when cold became very sweet upon heating, which may be too much for some.

• Rating: 7/10

M&S Custard