Ice cream

Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked Twisted Ice Cream €5.99 for 0.5 litres

Highs: It's clear from both the colourful packaging and the "crazy" name that this company likes to play up its hippy ancestry. With listed ingredients which include two types of excellent ice cream, fudge and "gobs" of chocolate chip cookie dough, this is ideal for an extravagant bout of chocoholism.

Lows: The aforementioned gobs of dough are incredibly sweet and serve to counter any lightness added by the vanilla ice cream. Some people might find all the zaniness surrounding the brand irksome.

Verdict: For self-indulgence only.

Star rating: ***

Corrin Hill Saucy Chocolate Chip Ice Cream €4.29 for 1 litre

Highs: This Irish-made ice cream comes in more traditional packaging than the others and has clearly been designed for the family market. With chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips and chocolate sauce, this is incredibly chocolaty. The texture is good and creamy and the chocolate chips are rather excellent. It is also much, much cheaper than any of the other brands tried.

Lows: There is a distinct taste of cocoa powder. It comes in a plastic carton which seems a little unnecessary.

Verdict: A fine family ice cream.

Star rating: ***

M&S Extremely Creamy Double Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream €4.79 for 0.5 litres

Highs: This looks incredibly grown-up (if ice cream can be described as such) when standing alongside its rivals and the swirls of white and dark chocolate ice cream make it visually more appealing. It is less overwhelmingly sweet than the others and all the better for it.

Lows: While it does taste good, the list of artery-hardening ingredients on the packet is just a little terrifying. And at €4.79 it is not cheap. The plastic packaging is also a definite negative.

Verdict: Pretty good.

Star rating: ***

Häagen-Dazs Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream €5.59 for 0.5 litres

Highs: This is as good as you would expect from one of the most famous ice cream brands in the world. It is both very rich and exceptionally creamy and is obviously made with quality chocolate. The chocolate chips are smaller and play very much a supporting role to the ice cream which is hard to fault.

Lows: The company does knows how to charge, and this is the second priciest of the ice creams tried. And while this is definitely splitting hairs, the cardboard tub could be a little more sturdy.

Verdict: Excellent

Star rating: ****

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