Tyrrell's Apple Crisps: Smashingly cinnamony

Product name: Tyrrell’s Apple Crisps: Smashingly cinnamony
Purchase details: £0.15 for a 30g bag (Home Bargains)
Calories: 152 per bag
Country of origin: UK 

I don’t usually have fruit or vegetable crisps – not because I don’t like them but because they’re not as widely available as potato ones and they tend to be more expensive. I just couldn’t say ‘no’ to this absolute bargain bag of Tyrrell’s Apple Crisps: Smashingly cinnamony, though – I love cinnamon and the promise that ‘the light dusting of this thoroughly cockle-warming spice’ gave ‘the apple slices a rather, jolly apple pie-ish quality’ was just too good to refuse.

I was rather taken with the red and white gingham background used for the bag’s design since it gave the product a picnic feel. I also liked the use of the black and white photo at the top of the packaging which made it look like the man was using the big red apple as a golf ball. As with the Proper Popcorn: Sticky toffee, the information on the back was presented in a fun way. Due to using whole apples for the ‘cinnamon seasoned apple crisps’, it warned of pips and stalks, and it also suggested another alternative five a day.

The ‘delicately cooked’ crisps were presented as thin, dried slices with a ruby red skin. Their natural nature meant they were all different shapes and sizes, and they looked very rustic with their visible flecks of cinnamon. I could totally understand the connection with apple pie from the scent alone since this was one of deep cinnamon, slightly overtaken by the tangy apple.

At first, I didn’t think the crisps tasted of much – they were almost papery. However, the apple’s tang came through at the end of the first mouthful and I also became aware of the lovely cinnamon seasoning. I then found that, the more I ate, the more the flavours developed, providing a really warming experience. Even better was the way that the dry texture gave a pastry feel which, again, was reminiscent of apple pie. The crisps also had a delicious sweetness. I was hoping this was all natural but sugar was listed as a separate ingredient on the pack and I also found that some of the crisps nearer the bottoms of the bag had visible granules. Oh well...it was still fruit!

Texturally, the crisps were far crispier than I ever could have imagined when considering how juicy apples are when they’re raw. They were extremely satisfying although, combined with their thin nature, some of them did have sharp edges. There was also a slight chewiness mixed in for good measure which I think may have been provided by the rind. 

I guess the only thing left to say is that these Tyrrell’s Apple Crisps were thoroughly enjoyable and I’ll definitely buy them again!

Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 7.5/10
Taste: 8/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Overall score: 7.75/10

Mars Refuel

Product name: Mars Refuel
Purchase details: £0.39 for a 180ml carton (B&M)

Calories: 139 per carton
Country of origin: UK

I bought this carton of Mars Refuel at the same time as the Milky Way Chocolate Milk but I’ve been a bit slow to drink it!

Although I loved the idea of a Mars bar flavoured drink, I suspected it was just going to be another chocolate milk, and since its ‘chocolate milk drink’ description was identical to the Milky Way's, my suspicions weren’t allayed.

However, the Mars Refuel was marketed in a very different way to the Milky Way Chocolate Milk – it was aimed at adults rather than children and made no health claims. In comparison to the latter’s 90% milk content, this Mars drink only contained 74% of the white stuff.

The drink came, once more, in a tall and slim carton that featured Mars’ signature black background and red logo. The product type was indicated by the splash of milk at the base of the carton, which also advised to chill and shake the milk before consumption.

The liquid came in the mid-brown colour that is usual for chocolate milk. However, whilst the aroma was also standard, it was a lot milder than normal.

Containing 0.6% cocoa powder, I found that the drink tasted a bit less chocolatey than similar products, although this aspect of the flavour was still very much present. However, it tasted sweeter, and there was almost a salty aspect which, I guess, hinted at caramel. As there hadn’t been any mention of caramel or nougat in the product description or ingredients, this was a pleasant surprise – general ‘flavourings’ and cane molasses were the only listings that had given me hope!

Texturally, the milk was very smooth with the same starchy feel as the Milky Way Chocolate Milk.

As anticipated, I didn’t think the Mars Refuel tasted much different to other plain chocolate milks. However, whilst the difference in taste was minimal, it was still a little nicer.

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 7.5/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Overall score: 7.25/10

Danone Danio: Honey

Product name: Danone Danio: Honey
Purchase details: £0.89 for a 150g yoghurt (Tesco)
Calories: 123 per yoghurt

I’m not usually one to eat healthier yoghurts but I couldn’t say ‘no’ to a voucher for a free pot of Danone Danio thanks to their Facebook page! I was particularly pleased to be able to opt for the Honey flavour as I think all non-dessert yoghurts I’ve ever had have been fruity.

The strained yoghurt was made for the UK and Ireland market and came in a simply-designed white pot with a clever use of amber at the base and a swirl on the lid to look like the honey within. The packaging also warned that the contents were ‘delicate’ and so it needed to be kept upright. I figured this was because the honey was included as a separate layer so I dutifully obeyed. However, when I retrieved it from the fridge, I found someone else had knocked it over – tut!

This yoghurt was high in protein and contained 0% fat which I was pleased about. It also contained no preservatives or artificial colours or flavourings. Described as ‘super thick’ due to using more milk than standard yoghurts, the ingredients stated that 10% of the product was bakers’ honey whilst 1% was sugar. There was also some natural flavouring.

I can’t pretend I wasn’t disappointed with the yoghurt’s appearance. It looked curdled and very much like cottage cheese. It also had the horrible watery layer that yoghurts sometimes get and it just didn’t look appetising at all. However, I haven’t marked it as harshly as I normally would on the basis that this may have been caused by my pot spending a bit of time on its side – apologies, Danone, if that’s the case! If you’re super-observant, you may have noticed that the ‘use by’ date on this yoghurt has already passed but I did eat it before that date – I’ve just only got around to reviewing it! As a result, I know that the appearance wasn’t caused by the yoghurt having gone bad and so I wasn’t completely put off.

The honey was a very pale yellow rather than the amber colour suggested on the packaging. It did look nice and thick, though, but there was no hint of it in the aroma. Instead, the smell was of natural yoghurt which, taste-wise, isn’t something I enjoy!

Despite my initial concerns, this Danio: Honey redeemed itself once I actually tried it. Its texture wasn’t at all lumpy – it softened nicely in the mouth and there was absolutely no denying how very thick it was.

The yoghurt itself tasted very plain but, to my relief, it didn’t have the tart taste I associate with natural yoghurt. The nice hint of honey that combined with this gave a pleasant breakfast feel (despite being an evening snack!) and I was pleased to find more at the bottom of the tub than there initially appeared to be. I had expected this to be viscous but, instead, it was thin in texture.

Unsurprisingly, the Danone Danio: Honey wasn’t as sweet as I like my snacks to be, and I must say that the honey itself wasn’t as prominent as I’d hoped, but for a product containing no fat, this was a great option!

Appearance: 5.5/10
Aroma: 5.5/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Overall score: 6.38/10

Nestlé Crunch

Product name: Nestlé Crunch
Calories: 103 per three piece serving (308 per half bar)

I was lucky enough to receive this bar of Nestlé Crunch as part of the same survey that sent me Ritter Sport White Whole Hazelnut. Although it’s a widely available product, I’d never actually had this ‘milk chocolate with crisped cereals (15%)’ bar before, although I had tried the white chocolate version.

The bar came in a really chunky 120g format and was presented in a dramatic blue, white and red wrapper containing an illustration of the chocolate that appeared to contain rice-based cereal. It was produced for the UK and Ireland and used chocolate that contained a minimum of 30% cocoa and 18% milks solids.

The chocolate block had a fun design which involved different jagged pieces fitted together in a jigsaw-like manner. The middle row consisted of larger pieces that each contained a letter of the ‘Crunch’ name. In contrast, the base of the bar was packed full of cereal.

The snack’s aroma had a strong milky cocoa scent and its flavour had milky chocolatey innocence to it. The cereal provided a hard, rough texture, and the overall impression was of a Rice Krispie cake without the mess or effort of making any! It also had the added bonus of a solid chocolate upper layer which provided a pure chocolatey element before reaching the crispiness.

Part of me was reluctant to score a product like this so highly but it really was a simple but effective pleasure. The flavour turned out to be really nice and creamy and reminded me of Divine chocolate...or at least what I remember it to be like having not eaten any for a while!

I’ve no doubt I’d buy this in future.

Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 7.5/10
Taste: 8.5/10
Texture: 8.5/10
Overall score: 8.13/10