Let's talk MASH! Do you ever buy it pre-prepared?

Having been surprised at the cost of prepared mashed potato in the supermarket - see this article I thought I'd really test the cost of home made mash v supermarket mash, which costs, from Tesco, a whopping £4.17 / kg (whereas spuds are £0.78 / kg).

Here are the ingredients in Tesco's 'core fresh mash' - Potato, Milk (14%) [70ml), Butter (3%) [15g], Salt, White Pepper.

Method & timing: Take 550g unpeeled potatoes (I used some 'roosters' & some veg box valor spuds as they were all I had, Maris Piper would probably be best). Peeling time 5 minutes, putting on to boil 30 secs, waiting time to cook 25 mins. Getting butter & milk, mashing potato with these, salt & pepper 3 mins. Washing up & getting rid of peelings 60 secs.

Total time = 9 mins 30 secs.

Costs were;

Potatoes - whites 78p / kg = 43p (for rooster = 69p)

Milk 78p / litre (2 pint carton) so 70ml (as per Tesco quantities) = 6p

Butter £4.76 / kg so 15g = 7p

Cost of gas, 20 mins boil = say 3p

Therefore standard homemade mash (with Tesco spuds) total cost was 59p for 500g finished quantity, or £1.18 / kg. Tesco 'core fresh mash' costs 353% more at £4.17 / kg. This equates to £2.99 extra for nine and a half minutes work, ie. the equivalent to £18.88 per hour (NB excludes waiting time for boiling potatoes)

If I'd used spuds from a 25kg bag from S K Fruits the price would be 40p per kg, or 21p cheaper for the 500g, giving the final mash price of £0.76 per kg, or five and a half times cheaper than Tesco's - £3.41 more expensive = £21.54 per hour.

See Felicity's article for tips on the best way to make mash & here is Jamie on mash.