A Guardian taste test of eight supermarket roast chickens has compared products from Woolworths, Coles and other major brands, with price, seasoning and texture among the factors considered.
The test involved 12 reviewers who judged the chickens blind on appearance, aroma, skin, meat and stuffing. The chickens were bought from Sydney supermarkets and served at roughly the same temperature and within two hours of purchase to improve fairness and food safety.
The review did not produce a single overall numerical ranking. Instead, the results included separate average scores for skin, meat and stuffing because each chicken performed differently across those categories.
Macro Free Range Hot Roast Chicken from Woolworths, priced at $14, was described as the strongest overall entry in the test, receiving 6/10 for skin and 6/10 for meat. It had no stuffing score.
Woolworths Smokey BBQ Roast Chicken, also $14, scored 6.5/10 for skin, 6.5/10 for meat and 5/10 for stuffing. Its smoky, ham-like flavour divided the reviewers.
Coles Hot Roast Chicken Butter Chicken, priced at $14, scored 5.5/10 for skin, 6/10 for meat and 6/10 for stuffing. The test noted its curry-style flavour and impact on how the meat could be used for leftovers.
Coles Classic Homestyle Roast Chicken cost $13 and scored 5.5/10 for skin, 4.5/10 for meat and 5.5/10 for stuffing. Lilydale Hot Roast Chicken with Sage and Onion Stuffing, priced at $14, scored 5.5/10 for skin, 4.5/10 for meat and 4.5/10 for stuffing.
Woolworths Country Style Roast Chicken cost $13 and scored 6/10 for skin, 4/10 for meat and 4/10 for stuffing. Steggles Seasoned Hot Roast Chicken, priced at $11.99, recorded 4.5/10 for skin, 4.5/10 for meat and 3.5/10 for stuffing.
The test also included Hazeldenes Free Range Sourdough BBQ Chicken as a comparison. It received the highest score but was also the most divisive, largely because reviewers found it considerably saltier than the other chickens.
The Guardian noted that most of the tested chickens needed more seasoning and that the appeal of supermarket roast chicken is largely its convenience and relatively low cost rather than restaurant-level cooking.
