Before the taste test I asked the other reviewers: what makes a good tin of baked beans? One reviewer said they wanted the baked beans to give her the feeling of her dad making her breakfast in the morning. If your dad is making your breakfast, you’re likely either a child, in need of comfort, or both. Baked beans are the thing for that situation – uncomplicated, surprise-free and available almost instantly. The culinary equivalent of rewatching a romcom after a day you’d like to forget.
The above criteria is what I had in mind while reviewing these nine supermarket baked bean brands. I wasn’t looking for the low-salt, low-sugar restraint of the supermarket’s health brands, nor did I want the careless, overcooked glug of a hospital kitchen. I wanted the saucy, sweet and savoury childhood memories of baked beans to come to the plate.
