£30 for a ready meal? Is the new Charlie Bigham range worth it?

Like Tesla cars and the ending of the Sopranos, Charlie Bigham ready meals seem to be divisive.

- Tim Jonze

On the one hand, people clearly love them: about 31m dishes have been sold in the past year alone. On the other hand, they generate a heap of mockery.

The critique seems to be that only a gullible idiot would shell out up to a tenner on an oven-ready fish pie, chill con carne or - as one commentator once memorably labelled it - a tray of "Tory slop". Those critics will be sharpening their kitchen knives because Bigham, a kind of Tim Martin for centrist dads, has just announced the launch of his Brasserie range: deluxe meals with prices up to ... wait for it ... £30! Thirty whole English pounds!

With a menu of coq au vin, venison bourguignon, confit duck (all at £16.95) and wellingtons (salmon for £19.95 and beef at £29.95), these are not trying to compete with your common-or-garden Tesco's lasagne. To add to the dining out "vibe", each meal comes with bespoke wine pairings from Waitrose.

Can any pre-prepared meal be worth these prices? Time to get my foodiest friends over - including an ex-chef, no less! - to test them ...