CONOR POPEthis week reviews fish pie

Tesco Value Fisherman’s Pie, €1.49 for 300g, €4.97 per kg

Highs:This fisherman's pie is very cheap; while it is nowhere near as good as some of the other brands we tried and is certainly not something we'd be rushing back to our local Tesco for, it is not as horrible as the price and the packaging may lead you to believe.

Lows:It contains very little fish – just 9 per cent "white fish" – and has been bulked up to a ridiculous extent by (not very good) mashed potato; 60 per cent of this is, in fact the mash. Other key ingredients are water and gelling agents so it's not hard to see how they keep the price so low. At 300g, it is the smallest of the options we reviewed and we can't imagine anyone feeling remotely satisfied after having this as their main meal.

Verdict: Cheap, not cheering

Star rating: **

Douglas Hide Good Food Company Fish Pie, €5.99 for 450g,

€13.31 per kg

Highs:This handmade fish pie from Crosshaven, Co Cork is made with locally sourced smoked haddock and salmon and includes mushrooms, a splash of white wine and milk rather than cream. The ingredient list is commendably free of artificial flavours or additives. The potato is smooth and creamy and full of flavour, and the little flakes of fish are top-notch. It can be microwaved, although the makers suggest we cook it in the oven for 20 minutes if we have time.

Lows:What we don't have time for is removing the fiddly plastic film. It is very light on fish and it's hard to escape the idea that, like the Tesco option, it has been padded up with (admittedly vastly superior) mash and peas and carrots.

Verdict:Lovely tasting but short on fish

Star rating: ****

Centra Simply Cook, €4.25 for 400g, €10.62 per kg

Highs:This fresh pie is from Centra's fairly new Simply Cook range and is certainly a step up from the food that used to be found in our convenience stores; while it may not be the most wholesome product you'll ever eat, it is certainly a long way from horrible. It is made with 15 per cent fish – salmon and smoked haddock – and 50 per cent mashed potato, which is quite nice.

Lows:It was topped with what can only be called a derisory amount of breadcrumbs that added nothing to the end product and was a little saltier than the competition. It turned to mush very quickly.

Verdict:Surprisingly good

Star rating: ***

Marks Spencer seafood gratin, €9.69 for 570g, €17 per kg

Highs:This is the most upmarket option by a long shot. We are promised a "delicious combination of Lochmuir salmon, haddock, prawns and sweet scallops in a creamy lemon sauce topped with Gruyere cheese and herb crust". Coming out of the oven it looks vastly superior to the competition and tastes a lot more luxurious too, hardly surprising as it's made with 38 per cent seafood and 6 per cent cream. It has a very pure ingredient list and the fish is excellent, particularly the salmon, while the herb topping is lovely.

Lows:The prawns, on the other hand, are quite dried out. It is only a main course rather than a meal, and is not a lot when put out on two plates, so will probably need to be accompanied by a side dish. It is also, by any definition, brutally expensive.

Verdict:Good but too expensive

Star rating: ***

Weightwatchers Ocean Pie, €2.39 for 300g, €7.97 per kg

Highs:This has only 3½ Weightwatcher points, which is, we think, not too many; with only 210 calories, it might tempt a hard-core dieter. It was the only frozen fish pie we reviewed, so it comes with extra convenience factor as you can chuck in the freezer until you are stuck.

Lows:Although we'd have to be very, very stuck before we find ourselves reaching for this again. Some Weightwatcher products we have reviewed and tasted in the past have been absolutely fine. This is not one of them. The list of ingredients is long and unpalatable and we felt more dispirited with each grim forkful that passed our lips. The "potato" topping was watery, the white fish irrelevant and the sauce vile-tasting and gloopy.

Verdict:Very poor

Star rating: *