REVIEW Josh Rogan Hartlepool

It was a member of staff from Hartlepool Social Services who pointed me to the Meals on Meals website. The food looked delicious and I decided to take a three day trial and test what was on offer. The meals arrive ready plated and boast a minimum of three vegetables to compliment the main meal plus a desert.
I started with a traditional British dish ‘bangers and mash’ in order to compare it with the frozen ready meals available at most supermarkets. The difference was immediately apparent Hartlepool Meals on Wheels meal was served on a real plate whereas the ‘ping’ meals from the supermarket was frozen and came in a box and of course needed to be cooked in the microwave, if you could read the small print instructions. I should have gone to Specsavers.

I cannot recall which chef said ‘presentation is everything’ but Meals on Wheels is presented on a white plate, carefully arranged to separate the two sausages, from the mashed potato, green beans, peas and the colourful carrots. Briefly it tasted as good as it looked, sausages cooked to perfection, with the vegetables retaining their crispness and very soon the plate cleared. So how did Meals on Wheels compare with ready meals from supermarkets or those provided by Parsley box, Oakhouse and other companies offering ‘microwave’ meals?

There is no comparison. Meals on Wheels are freshly cooked, well presented and very tasty – all others are mass produced, frozen and need cooking in microwave. Price wise? Oakhouse sausage and mash with peas is £4.55 to £5.80 with onion gravy, major supermarkets range from £1.60 (Bisto and Essential range) to £3.00 for own brand. But in truth there is no comparison and you only get what you pay for.
Meals on Wheels is streets ahead of what else is on offer.