The leading supermarket chain in Spain, Mercadona, has made a strong bet on prepared food. Ready-to-eat dishes are available in 1,429 stores in the network, generate sales of 3 billion euros, and have grown by 20% in one year, according to data presented by the company in March. Its president, Juan Roig, then predicted the disappearance of home kitchens by the middle of this century, painting a near-dystopian future in which we will lose the ability to cook and end up feeding exclusively on preparations made by others.
Read more Spain faces the dilemma of what to do with the gold deposited in the US Federal Reserve
While we fight with all our might against that apocalyptic future, we have wondered whether the prepared food offered by Mercadona is really good or if it truly resembles homemade food. To evaluate its quality, we asked the chef Pablo Albuerne, better known as Gipsy Chef, and the food journalist and mater comidister Mònica Escudero to try some of the supermarket’s big hits. Their verdicts range from acceptable to terrible: if you want to see them, watch the video above.
Read more This is the Japanese company that is standing up to Russia in Ukraine with its drones
Tested dishes
- Potato and onion omelette
- Russian salad
- Bolognese macaroni
- Stuffed eggplant
- Mixed paella
- Lentils
- Meatballs with potatoes
Follow El Comidista on Youtube.