Supermarket chain Iceland has launched its own budget-friendly alternative to the popular Domino's pizza takeaway range, sparking curiosity among shoppers. One enthusiastic food blogger decided to put the entire collection to the ultimate taste test, purchasing every single item available.
Comprehensive Taste Test of Iceland's Dough Company Range
Stuart Snowden, who operates under the social media alias Grumpy Northern Foodie, embarked on a culinary mission to evaluate Iceland's new Dough Company range. In a detailed Instagram video, he announced his plan to rate every item, including sides, pizzas, and desserts, to determine which products offer genuine value for money.
Stuart's ambitious taste test covered an impressive total of seventeen items: seven starters, eight main pizza varieties, and two dessert options. Each product was meticulously scored out of ten, providing a clear comparison to the Domino's originals they aim to replicate.
Side Orders: Mixed Results with Some Standouts
The evaluation began with the side dishes, priced between £2.50 and £2.75. The Cheese and Bacon Loaded Wedges received a middling five out of ten, with Stuart noting adequate cheesiness but insufficient bacon flavour.
BBQ Wings followed with a six out of ten rating, praised for their tangy and slightly spicy profile though criticized for needing more sauce. Chicken Kickers earned another five out of ten, described as close to Domino's but lacking sufficient kick.
Buttermilk Chicken Strips performed better with a seven out of ten score, appreciated for their crispiness and taste though deemed incomplete without garlic and herb dip. The Cheesy Dough Balls Twist emerged as a surprise favourite, scoring eight out of ten for generous garlic seasoning despite modest cheese content.
Pepperoni Mozzarella Sticks disappointed with just four out of ten, with Stuart questioning the pepperoni presence and detecting more ham and cheese flavours. Garlic Cheese Bread rounded out the sides with a five out of ten, criticized for concentrated cheese placement and minimal garlic impact.
Pizza Selection: Clear Winners and Notable Misses
Moving to the main pizza offerings, each priced at £3.75, Stuart began with the Cheese Melt variety. This received six out of ten for its decent base and sauce but was let down by what he described as cheap-tasting cheese.
The New Yorker pizza fared worse with four out of ten, criticized for insufficient toppings particularly mushrooms. In contrast, the BBQ Texan earned strong praise and eight out of ten for abundant barbecue flavour, plentiful toppings, and perfect base.
Two clear favourites emerged among the pizza selection. The Pepperoni Party scored nine out of ten, hailed as the closest match to Domino's with abundant toppings and big flavour. Similarly, the Carnivore (Meat Feast) pizza earned another nine out of ten for being packed with tasty toppings, though Stuart noted it could benefit from more sausage meat.
The Veggie Volcano disappointed with just three out of ten, criticized for cheap-tasting vegetables and insufficient spice. However, the Flaming Tandoori recovered with eight out of ten for good curry flavour and pleasant heat. The Hot and Spicy pizza concluded the mains with seven out of ten, delivering promised spice but needing more meat content.
Dessert Finale: Satisfactory but Not Exceptional
The dessert round featured Caramel Dough Balls at £2.75, which earned six out of ten for having more dough than sauce but delivering nice bites when balanced. Chocolate Cookies received seven out of ten, praised as large cookies but criticized for insufficient chocolate and needing heating with ice cream for optimal enjoyment.
Throughout his comprehensive evaluation, Stuart Snowden provided honest, detailed assessments of each product in Iceland's Dough Company range. His ratings reveal a mixed bag of results, with some items closely rivalling their Domino's counterparts while others fall noticeably short of expectations.
