Popchips Barbeque

Product name: Popchips Barbeque
Purchase details: Boots
Calories: 96 per bag
Country of origin: UK 

Since winning a picnic prize from Higgidy at the start of the Summer, I’ve been looking for a packet of Popchips in order to use my voucher, and Boots finally came through for me recently. Whilst I was able to claim my bag for free, they were priced at £0.80 for a 23g bag.

If my memory serves me right, this is the first savoury review I’ve ever done. It’s not that I don’t like savoury snacks – I just prefer to have sweet things in the evenings. I do love crisps and similar products, though (I enjoy a packet of Space Raiders with my lunch most days and I love pre-dinner nibbles too!), so I was looking forward to trying Popchips for the first time.

Popchips, to my knowledge, are a unique concept in that, like crisps, they are made of potato rather than things like corn but, instead of being fried or baked, they are popped. The brand claims that this provides ‘all the flavour’ but ‘half the fat’ of ‘regular fried potato crisps’, and that consumers won’t notice that they’re a healthy option. In addition, they contain no artificial ingredients, and even the seasoning is natural. So far, so good!

I decided to try the Barbeque flavour since it’s one I don’t normally have and I thought it sounded more interesting than the original and sour cream & onion alternatives. They came in quite a large, good quality bag, although this didn’t feel full, and the packet stated that the average contents were 18 Popchips. The image of the Popchips looked quite appealing and, thankfully, the real things did too. I actually thought they looked a little bit like mini rice cakes as they had a slightly bubbly texture, presumably down to the ‘potato ingredients’ being flakes and starch rather than actual slices of potato. Each Popchip was round and concave and looked very neat. Whilst the red powder from the barbeque seasoning was not evenly distributed, I did think that it looked attractive.

The Popchips had a decent smell which was familiar from the barbeque crisps I’ve eaten in the past. Somewhat surprisingly, I found this made my mouth water and, thankfully, my tastebuds were not disappointed. Each lightweight Popchip delivered a sweet barbeque taste which was similar to spare ribs but with a slight kick afterwards. In fact, they had so much flavour that I’d be happy to serve them to guests – the packet was right to say they didn’t feel like diet food! Texturally, the Popchips were thicker than normal crisps and had a bumpy and crunchy texture.

I was really impressed by this packet of Popchips and would agree that they were ‘naturally delicious’ and they were also very moreish. Whilst the bag was not full to the top, I was also pleased that the packet felt like a good serving size.

Maybe I should have savoury treats in the evening more often!

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

Vita Coco

Product name: Vita Coco
Purchase details: Sainsbury’s Local
Calories: 59 per 330ml container
Country of origin: Brazil

I picked up this bottle of Vita Coco for free from Sainsbury’s Local with a voucher I won as part of my Higgidy picnic.

This drink is simply described as ‘natural coconut water’ so, at this point, I shall make a confession: I don’t actually like water. However, I do love coconut (although, granted, I never have it in its natural form), so I hoped this would be enough to make this beverage enjoyable.
I was slightly miffed that this bottle contained 59 calories but, on the plus side, the drink contained no fat or cholesterol and boasts more potassium than is found in a banana – good for hydration, apparently!

The container this Vita Coco came in was attractive and fresh-looking, with a handy screw cap which is why I can’t quite decide whether to class it as a bottle or a carton! The liquid inside, understandably, was more boring in appearance – it was basically cloudy water.

One of my favourite things about coconut is the smell but it soon became apparent that the smell I’ve come to know and love is not the pure variety! This drink did have a scent which I could identify as coconut (although it wasn’t quite as special as what I’m used to) and there was also a slight juicy element to it.

Texturally, this chilled Vita Coca was a simple, smooth liquid which was slightly thicker than water. On hitting the tastebuds, it was extremely sweet, but it did then make way for a more nutty flavour which was more coconut-like. However, again, it just didn’t compare to other foodstuffs that contain coconut, and quite frankly, I just didn’t like it.

Although I was unaware of a ‘normal’ water flavour, I did wonder if there was an element of this somewhere which caused me to dislike this product. I tried to persevere with the drink but, ultimately, only managed to drink half of it. However, I wanted to know if it was just me who had issues with it so offered the remainder to two of my relatives. They each took a sip, pulled faces and declared it to be ‘not very nice’.

I can see that this is a natural product and, for that reason, I feel bad about criticising it. However, this just wasn’t for me (or my relatives). If I was desperate for hydration, I’d definitely reach for tap water over this.  

Appearance: 7/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 3/10
Texture: 6/10
Overall score: 5.75/10

Green & Black's Organic: Creamy milk

Product name: Green & Black’s Organic: Creamy milk

Purchase details: Higgidy
Calories: 196 per 35g bar
Country of origin: UK

I was sent this 35g bar of Green & Black’s Organic: Creamy milk as part of my Higgidy picnic prize (see here). I have to admit that I’ve not eaten much Green & Black’s chocolate in my life so I was intrigued to see how it compared to my usual confectionery choices.

I thought, whilst fairly simple, the wrapper made the product look attractive, with the embossed gold text adding some class. Inside, the chocolate continued the theme of simple elegance, with each square containing an imprint of the Green & Black’s logo, and emitting a cocoa aroma.

Since the wrapper describes how this chocolate ‘melts in the mouth effortlessly’, I decided to try this method of consumption first. It’s certainly true that it did melt on the tongue, but I noted that it did so with quite a thick, stiff texture – it wasn’t the silky experience I’d been expecting. I also found that, despite only containing 32% cocoa, the chocolate had a slight bitterness to it when left to melt. In fact, it almost tasted like it had been infused with alcohol. Whilst this was not unpleasant, I didn’t feel that it matched the name of its variety: Creamy milk.

I proceeded to try chewing some of the squares and discovered that this resulted in far more milk chocolatey flavour which was no longer bitter. I much preferred consuming the bar in this way to the extent that, the more I ate, the more I wanted!

I would describe this bar as good quality chocolate, but I can’t say it’s the best I’ve tasted. However, I did it enjoy it as a change from my usual brands, and would happily have eaten a bigger bar as it was so addictive. Due to the attractive presentation of the bar, I’d also happily give a larger version to somebody as a gift. 

Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 7/10
Overall score: 7.25/10

Shaken Udder Vanillalicious!

Product name: Shaken Udder Vanillalicious!
Purchase details: Tesco Superstore
Calories: 221 per bottle
Country of origin: Britain

Time for another review that’s resulted from my lovely Higgidy picnic prize (see here). This Shaken Udder Vanillalicious! bottle is usually £1.29 in Tesco but I used my voucher to claim a very welcome free bottle.

Usually, I try to avoid drinking calories as I am such a big food lover. However, I was willing to make an exception for this delicious looking ‘milk drink with vanilla beans’. The liquid was an attractive creamy colour with very visible vanilla beans which is a feature I love to see in vanilla products.

I know people often criticise vanilla for being bland and boring, but it’s a flavour I’ve always loved. I’m particularly obsessed with its aroma – give me a vanilla scented candle and I’m happy!  Imagine my delight, then, when I unscrewed the cap of this bottle to release an incredible scent which was just like the candles but with the added bonus of being able to taste the product once I was bored of sniffing it. I should add, there was also a milky element to the smell, and so this aroma was not an artificial one.

Before trying this product, I gave the bottle a good shake, and the result was a texture that was slightly thicker than milk in its natural form. However, this difference was only slight, and the drink certainly wasn’t as thick as some milkshakes I’ve tried (presumably due to the absence of ice cream). Personally, I would have preferred the liquid to be slightly thicker, but I did enjoy the silkiness that came with the thinner version.

As for the flavour, I could taste both the milk and the sweet vanilla and, overall, felt that the drink tasted pleasantly like custard. The only down-side of this was that the thin texture made the experience slightly unusual as it was neither one thing or the other.

I really enjoyed how refreshing this bottle of Shaken Udder was, and I was also relieved that it made me feel full, despite being a drink rather than food. However, I did find it slightly sickly so would only drink it occasionally in future.

Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 9.5/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Overall score: 8/10

Bear Yo Yos: Mango

Product name: Bear Yo Yos: Mango
Purchase details: Higgidy
Calories: 27 per Yo Yo (54 per pack)
Country of origin: England

This is an unusual review for me since, whilst I always count the number of calories I consume, my evening treats are very rarely healthy in their own right. Recently, though, I was lucky enough to win a picnic prize from Higgidy (see here), and this included a dear little snack called Bear Yo Yos.

I received the mango flavour of this product and was interested to see that it only contained fruit (mango, apple and pear, to be precise) and, therefore, counts as one of your five a day. These fruits are baked and formed into long strips that are rolled up into tight coils.

The brightly coloured paper packet contained two Yo Yos which released a strong and pleasant fruity smell as soon as it was opened.

I was quite surprised by how dark in colour the Yo Yos were. I was initially slightly put off by their almost brown appearance but I did then see it as a positive thing as it reinforced the naturalness of the product. They were also slightly sticky to the touch which was another reminder that they were made of real fruit.

Taste-wise, this product was definitely fruity, and it was nice that I got to enjoy a mango one on a hot Summer’s day (well, evening!), but I did find the flavour didn’t seem to linger, even before each bite had been swallowed.

Texturally, each Yo Yo was easy to bite through, although there was a slight bit of resistance. They also felt strange on the tongue as they seemed to be equally smooth and rough! I can’t say I’ve ever eaten anything quite like them so the nearest comparison I can make is to the bits of dried fruit that can often be found in breakfast cereals.

I did feel like a lot of love and care had gone into the production of these Yo Yos, and a glance at their website (see here), along with the little card included in the packet, further emphasised the attention to detail that I would argue is only possible when there’s a passionate team behind a brand.

I think Yo Yos are a great way to get kids to eat more fruit but I can’t say I have a need for this kind of product in my day-to-day life. For my healthy snacks, I’m more likely to eat a piece of ordinary fruit and, as much as I’d love to say I’d choose this kind of a product over something chocolatey in the evenings, in reality, that’s never going to happen!

Appearance: 6/10
Aroma: 8/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 6/10
Overall score: 6.75/10