Tesco have developed a knack for cost cutting. One of the product lines to emerge from them over the past year is the Oak Lane brand, and while the standard is as hit and miss as their own Value branding, some of the products are real bargain finds.

This Oak Lane jam is, on first appearance, a good value buy. A deep, rich red jam that costs 85p or so for 454g, a big jar. The branding gives you a pleasant enough look, and although there is nothing that attracts specifically to this one as opposed to others in terms of presentation, the price is the main draw.

In terms of taste and consistency, the jam initially holds up as a jelly-like jam, with a bit of substance to it. The smell is pleasantly sweet, and not overbearing, and the first couple of times you use it, it tastes lovely and spreads nicely.

It is only after a few uses that things start to slide. The jam loses its consistency, the sweetness starts to increase, and the experience lessens in terms of quality. The jam gets a bit runny, spreading is harder and you don't feel like you're getting real jam on your bread or toast or whatever you may use it for. However, despite it getting runnier, the sweetness intensifies, and starts to get almost a bit too sickly, and this makes eating it not such an attractive option after a short while.

The taste, despite the sweetness, is still quite nice, and there is definitely a fruity aftertaste mixed in with the overbearing sugary nature. It's certainly not a jam I would eat on a regular basis, but it is okay to have every now and then. If you were going to have a pot of jam for something, then this is probably not going to be the best option, but for the occasional slice of toast on your way out of the door in need of a sugar rush to wake you up (for example!!), then this kind of does the job.

Overall, it's an average jam. There are a lot of brands that are over sweet, and a lot that don't maintain their consistency, and ultimately, the taste is as important as anything, for me. If you're not too fussed about the oversweetness of this one, then it's worth giving it a go. The price is decent for the amount you get, and it's readily available in Tesco.