Aldi time favourite..

Byline: RUKI SAYID

SO what was it about discount chain Aldi that attracted telly's Michelinstarred chef Phil Vickery to be its public face?

Phil looks incredulous before regaining his composure to splutter: "Quality."

He is such a fan of the chain that when he read our report last week revealing the big four supermarkets' budget fare was cheaper than bills at discounters, it so peeved Phil that he invited us to Aldi HQ for the ultimate cost-versus-content test...

And This Morning's celebrity chef - and hubby of the show's presenter Fern Britton - cooked a feast of gourmet classics and children's favourites to show the difference between a leading supermarket label, a big brand and Aldi's version of the same dish.

"Aldi's fresh food and deli range is so good and affordable," says Phil.

"I know chefs who use it in their restaurants. It's top-notch quality at an amazing price. You can't compare it with budget labels because while they may beat it on price by a few pence, their product is inferior.

"A proper price and quality test would be to compare like for like, which means pitting the standard range from a supermarket against Aldi." And that's what we did...

In a blind test, Phil served up a selection of chicken dippers - and Aldi's plate won, beating Birds Eye's and Tesco's offerings..

A blind test with potato wedges yielded similar results, with Aldi easily beating Tesco on colour, appearance, texture and taste, yet matching Tesco on price at 69p for 1kg. But does Phil shop there?

TROLLEY

"I shop at my local Aldi in Aylesbury whenever I can," he tells me.

"And other shoppers are fascinated by what's in my trolley. They're always sneaking a peek and then they go and get what I've got - which is great because it means they're trying something they may not usually buy.

"I also get sent new Aldi products all the time which I test with the family and I send back pages of notes with my honest opinions.

"I got sent some lamb shanks which I felt needed a bit more of an edge, so the recipe was tweaked and balsamic vinegar added. It made all the difference. I'm not a chef who just puts their name to a supermarket - I am totally involved in every aspect.

If I don't think a product is up to scratch I say so and the recipe is altered so the dish looks and tastes good."

Phil, 48, travels from his Bucks home to Aldi's HQ in Atherstone, Warwicks, at least four times a year for cook-ins with the catering team to create new recipes.

At the moment he is working on an upsidedown pudding and a cheat's paella cooked with frozen Aldi seafood.

"I had to think long and hard about Aldi because it wasn't a brand I was familiar with.

"I wanted to try a range of products before committing and I was taken aback by the quality of items such as two-year-old parmesan cheese, their range of hams, their frozen Peking duck and bison burgers."

Children, he says, are the best judges, like his kids 15-year-old twins Jack and Harry, Grace, 12, and Winnie, seven.

"For instance, when I served up Aldi baked beans and Aldi ketchup at home, the kids didn't bat an eyelid and said they both tasted good - so I was sold.

"If you get the basics like beans and ketchup right when the market leader is Heinz, you know you're on to a winner."

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TASTE TEST: Ruki with chef Phil