What place does a quick cous cous ready meal have in a country that is increasingly health conscious, and perpetually berated by celebrity chefs for not feeding ourselves or our loved ones with the freshest, least processed of foods? More to the point, is there such a need to accelerate the cooking speed of an already speedy food?

Call me soft, but I couldn't imagine there being a manipulative nor greedy bone in Ainsley Harriot's body. So when I saw these on offer recently - to buy two for £1.00 - I thought that there must be some merit to them considering they are created/inspired by the great chef himself AH.

I was searching for a quick, filling, vaguely nutritous snack to keep me going during a busy lunch time, and had eaten well made cous cous, with all the spices and salad and vegetables mixed together, before and found it to be incredibly delicious. The cous cous seemed to soak up every flavour around it, barely able to contain itself, and would release an exotic river of jucies every time you would move your mouth.

This packet was incredulously simple to make, considering the delicate difficulties faced when recreating a similar meal, at home, yourself. You simply measure out the exact amount of boiling water, add to the contents of the packet into a bowl, and wait for five minutes.

As it to be expected with such a straightforward ready made meal, the flavours are keenly tasted but don't have that zip and explosion of fresher alternatives, and don't progressively reveal themselves like some edible striptease. The recommended serving of water always seemed that little bit too much for the bowl I was using, and could end up being a bit sloppy.

However, overall, this is a welcome alternative to a food which is tricky to perfect, and is a quick and straightforward snack which shouldn't cause and trouble to your tastebuds, your time, or your wallet.