Whiz up or wing it? Dips worth doing yourself and the ones to buy

Is it always better to make your own dips, or can I just buy them?

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Dips are a great unifier, whether they’re married to a big bowl of crisps or a companion for a picnic spread. If there’s hummus, cacik or borani in the picture, then it’s a party. Happily, says David Carter, founder of Smokestak, Manteca and Oma in London, “you can get a lot of good stuff in stores these days”. That said, he adds, anything involving vegetables is “always going to be best when made fresh”.

If your dip needs lead you to the shops, the trick is to create contrast. “If you put some shop-bought hummus in a pan with a bit of hot water and maybe some lemon juice, then whisk, the hummus will loosen, turn creamy and completely change from the usual fridge-cold stodge,” say Carter.