Confirmed sighting: Subway Hot Chicken Gravy and Stuffing
Posted: 22:38 Thu 04-Dec-2008. Price: about £3.69.
Snackspot
reports: Site regular Lee Maguire didn't rate their Mediterranean Veg "Manager's Special", but Subway are at least foraging into Fuzzy's Grub territory with this tentatively-seasonal sandwich - the filling is intriguing but, in the absence of roast potatoes or peas, it's unclear which salad options or sauces go best with it, or whether you should have it toasted with cheese?
Faced with these bewildering decisions, I'd probably plump for McDonald's Chicken Fiesta, which adventurously includes "crispy nachos topped off with a salsa sauce and a sour cream and chive sauce" in its cheese-topped Focaccia bun, and is the only real innovation on McDonald's festive menu for 2008, considering they wheeled out the Big Cheese With Bacon last year.
...Other credit-crunch-friendly possibilities for your office party include: Ginsters' Mini Festive Rolls ("fresh British pork sausagemeat with cranberries, orange zest and spices"); a couple of additions to Pret A Manger's menu; or - if you're really splashing out - Starbucks' Turkey Feast Panini, which they semi-gramatically claim "Christmas is magical... so to make it even more special we have MADE FOR YOU".
Confirmed sighting: Pepsi Raw
Posted: 22:09 Thu 27-Nov-2008. Price: About 99p/300ml (3 for 2 in some branches). Location: Waitrose, Dorking. Nutritional unusualness: Contains apple extract [...], citric, tartaric and lactic acids.
Expanding on Chris Heathcote's comprehensive blog post and energy drink connoisseur Lee Maguire's comment, "Tastes like the soda-stream needs cleaning," "James Baker" reports: They were selling these in individual 330ml glass bottles at my local Waitrose in Dorking. Very tasty, but as a Cola aficionado I can tell you it tastes EXACTLY the same as Sainsbury's Regular Classic Cola. As far as I know they both contain cane sugar so I assume that's why. I haven't seen it available in Waitrose Dorking since.
...And in case you're wondering, the photo is from one of the London pubs that currently have it on the menu. That said, it hasn't been a great month for PepsiCo, who've scrapped both PJ Smoothies and Tropicana Spirit (is it just me, or does Marketing Week's photo look like this Snackspot one from April?), though at least they stuck around longer than Nestle's Boosted Smoothies. Personally, I'm not entirely convinced by the (slightly pineapple-flavoured?) alternative offered by Monster Energy Drink (around £1.03-£1.19/500ml), especially when you can now get Rockstar Juiced for less than a pound in Tesco.
Confirmed sighting: Nando's Peri Peri Chips
Posted: 22:41 Thu 20-Nov-2008. Price: £1.59. Location: Tesco. Sub-flavours: Peri Peri Chicken, Smokey BBQ Peri Peri, Hot Peri Peri.
Just before we get to the Nando's - the Lamb And Mint McCoy's Winter Warmers definitely taste of mint, but the Steak And Ale ones aren't as alcohol-flavoured as Tyrrells' new Dorothy Goodbody Ale and Mature Cheddar Cheese (themselves evocative of 2007's Kettle Chips Mature Cheddar with Adnams Broadside Beer). Anyway, I'm only slightly suspicious of "Charlotte Dewhurst" using the official Nando's Peri-Peri Chips product name, as she enthusiastically reports: "Tried these - they are amazing. I love Nando's and I love hand-cooked chips. These will be great for the Christmas party season!"
...In somewhat nuttier alternatives: KP have added a slightly disappointing Caramelised Onion, Balsamic Vinegar and Herbs Christmas-ish flavour to their previously-faultless Baked and Seasoned Nuts range (£3.49/400g), but at least they weren't as weird as Passion Shed's Modena Way "Jumbo pecan nuts drizzled with real Italian Balsamic Vinegar and seasoned with a piquant Balsamic and Oregano seasoning" (£2.79/175g in Waitrose).
And speaking of KP: "Hi, can anyone remember a snack that I think was made by KP - they were two savoury-filled wafers like a Twix packet with a creamy filling of cheese flavour and a bacon one I think like what you get in cheesy footballs?" "karen" inquires. "I can remember them being the best and this was late '80s/very early '90s. Help, it's driving me mad, oh and those crunchy crisps like hard Quavers - prawn cocktail packet was half pink and navy with the clear window and 10p, anyone remember them?"
Confirmed sighting: Mr Kipling Exceedingly Merry Winter Warmers Lattice Tart Selection
Posted: 16:17 Fri 14-Nov-2008. Price: £1.49/6. Location: Morrisons, Hamilton, Scotland. Sub-flavours: Apple and Cranberry; Rhubarb; Plum, Pear and Cinnamon.
Zeddy reports: I'm not sure if these have come from Mrs Miggin's pie shop (oh, wait... it's Mr Kipling) but, despite their best attempts at Olde World charm (Merry Winter? What pagan festival does that signify?), I have to say they have that boiled-in-a-12-tonne-kettle-drum-style fruit filling. A lot of sauce and some fruit "bits".
The pear one does have a cinnamon flavour but it doesn't save the pack from being very much an average product.
Sorry Mr Kipling, these aren't exceedingly good at all.
...Thanks Z - at least rivals McVitie's aren't afraid to use the politically-incorrect "Christmas" word on their Black Forest Yule Logs and Jamaica Ginger with (barely noticeable) rum cake (2 for £2 in Sainsbury's - the pack says they're also producing Amaretto Bars and a Cranberry, Orange and Grand Marnier Cake, as well as bringing back last year's Mint Digestive Slices and Irish Cream Bars).
While we're on the subject, I reckon their Mini Mallows and Mini Jaffa Cakes (2 for £5 in Sainsbury's) might be worth the extra expense compared to Cadbury Choc Cake Bites (even if you were able to grab the latter for £1.49/tub in Morrisons), but - just to show I'm prepared to criticise McVitie's occasionally - Penguin Big Stix are basically a Penguin version of Twix, and Penguin Bakes (77p/6, see Big Stix picture) are a competently chocolatey variant on Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars.
Confirmed sighting: Branston Soya Beans in a Sweet Chilli Sauce
Posted: 00:18 Fri 07-Nov-2008. Price: 56p. Location: ASDA, Fosse Park, Leicester. Sub-flavours: Soya Beans in Mediterranean Tomato, Chick Peas in Masala, Chick Peas in Mediterranean Tomato. Nutritional unusualness: "Contains Soya".
KFC are welcoming in the winter with Mexican Salsa Flavour Station Boneless Bites (£2.69/5), and a Molten Chocolate Pud (£1.49, or 99p with meal), but nothing seems to be warming "Nick T's" cockles, as he reports: Friends, let us gather now to pay homage to the sublime baked bean. Staple of every student meal, premium source of protein, and cornerstone of the entire gaseous-based comedy output of Saturday morning children's television, it might seem difficult to imagine how the mighty Branston could stuff it up.
But that's exactly what's happened with their new Soya Beans in a Sweet Chilli Sauce. Anybody who has endured a dinner party at a vegetarian's house will already know that soya-derived food has zero flavour, and things haven't improved much here either. "Why not stir into your favourite sauce or casserole...?" trumpets the can in a dizzy thrill of marketing desperation. You can feel the indifference mounting.
A valiant attempt to add interest by 'enrobing' (a descriptive verb borrowed from Branstons' Premier Foods stablemate Cadbury who, perhaps not coincidentally, also habitually use it to pimp their most insipid offerings) the beans in chilli sauce is a nice touch, but sadly it's the only one. In fact the (very) mildly spiced and pleasantly textured sauce is probably the best part of the whole package. But lurking disappointingly beneath the sauce are those bland, bullet-like beans which look like they've been squeezed out of a dangerously anaemic rabbit.
It's a nice try, Branston, but adding lipstick to a pig, or Dec to Ant, doesn't make either one more attractive. Soya beans are one of the world's cheapest pulses so maybe you could try slashing the price and targeting it at people on a tight budget but for now, Heinz Curried Beans remain supreme for a tasty toast-enhanced exotic snack, and this one should have stayed in the lab.
Confirmed sighting: Lotus Caramelised Biscuits With Chocolate
Posted: 11:37 Sat 01-Nov-2008. Price: £1.29. Location: Tesco, Wishaw, Scotland. Nutritional unusualness: 124kcal per 25g.
Zeddy reports: My favourite biscuit with chocolate on top. You have tried the standard variety haven't you? They are like cinnamon snaps instead of ginger if you get my drift.
Well, strangely here the chocolate doesn't really add anything. Dare I say it (go on!), I think it detracts from the cinnamon flavour of the biscuit. Don't get me wrong, the chocolate is first class, what with it being Belgian and all. I will however stick with the originals in future until I get my hands on the "Speculoos Pasta" on Nicey and Wifey's site. Now, if I could just get the missus to let me smother her in that...
...An (unsolicited) glimpse into the personal life of one of our regular contributors there, though I was also a bit surprised to see the word "Speculoos" appearing without further explanation on the lid of Haagen Dazs' Limited Edition Caramel Biscuit And Cream (itself not a million miles from Burger King's new £1.19 Millionaire's Shortbread Fusion). And, in other stuff I really should have posted yesterday but you may be able to get cheap over the weekend: McVitie's Jaffa Cakes Spooky Cake Bars (Sainsbury's, £1/5) were my pick of this year's perfunctory Halloween tie-ins, compared to the Fabulous Bakin' Boys' basically orange-flavoured Halloween Cupcakes (Tesco, £1.25/6 BOGOF), or Mr Kipling's follow-up to the summer's French Fancies Strawberries And Cream (and 2006's Frosty Fancies etc), ie Fiendish Fancies - as I'm not the first to point out, can Freedom Fancies be far behind?
Confirmed sighting: Walkers "Festive Editions" 2008
Posted: 21:45 Thu 23-Oct-2008. Price: £1.50. Location: Morrison's, Coventry. Sub-flavours: Ham and Mustard; Turkey and Stuffing; Ploughman's Lunch.
Word is that McCoy's are producing their own "Winter Warmers" limited edition (in Lamb and Mint or Steak and Ale Pie), but now it's straight over to "Nick T", who elaborates: There are few things more traditionally British at Christmas than to complain how British Christmas traditions are being commercialised. From letters to the Daily Mail whining about decorations being on sale in September to that slightly sinister man who unconvincingly claims he celebrates Christmas every day, it only takes the first sighting of that glassy twitch on the faces of the garden centre staff who know they'll have to listen to the Taiwanese dancing Santa eight hours a day for the next two months to let you know Walkers' repackaging of their hoary old "Festive Editions" can't be far away.
And, right on cue, here they are again. Ham and Mustard still smells better than it tastes and, thanks to its unfortunate plasticcy tang, remains a distant poor relation to the mighty Brannigans. Turkey and Stuffing is fairly convincing as long as you don't have a plate of real turkey and stuffing nearby, but still shares the saccharine sweetness I find in many of Walkers' recent offerings. Finally, and presumably only as a makeweight, is the bizarre addition of that fine old Yuletide favourite, the Ploughman's Lunch. Pardon? Step forward Cheese and Onion in a jaunty new packet.
Walkers will sell a ton of these to mugs like me of course but after the lipsmacking expectation of their recent Do Us A Flavour campaign, what an opportunity has been lost here when they could have come up with something truly different. For now, the company's efforts just reminds me of a forlorn panto clown on Boxing Day telly, honking a horn at the end of his career and trying to convince us we're having fun. (Note to Snackspot: might be worth keeping this one to republish this time next year, and every year, for ever.)
Confirmed sighting: Mars Skittles Confused
Posted: 23:12 Tue 21-Oct-2008. Price: £1.25-£1.49 for 180g. Location: Tesco, Glasgow; Sainsbury's, Exeter. Nutritional unusualness: 403kcal per 100g, 5.1% fruit juices.
Never confused? We're doubly confused today, with Zeddy deciding: "These are just bog-standard Skittles with the colours mismatched to the flavours. 'The green tastes like orange, the yellow like red, confused?' All the answers are on the base of the pouch. I suppose if you are 6 years old you will love this sort of thing but I think it's a lame way of producing a 'new' product."
And the photo comes courtesy of "Stu", who largely agrees that: "Although the idea of swapping the flavours and colours around is a reasonably sound one (and reminds me of an experiment we did at school with various fruit-flavoured jellies which were the 'wrong' colour), if you tend to just shovel Skittles into your mouth without looking - as I do - then the effect is lost."
...While, in other rose-hued recollections, Zeddy seems to have taken a leaf out of "Nick T's" sightings as he announces that Copella Apple and Strawberry Juice (2 for £3, Scotmid, Strathaven) is: "The best Copella drink yet. I find drinking it brings back memories of making jam in Granny's scullery when all the strawberries were lovingly picked by hand from her garden. That garden that kept an abundance of fruit in summers that seemed to go on forever. The strawbs were boiled in a pot on her old wood burning stove with sugar and lemon juice. They would be cooled and allowed to set with the odd sneaky taste to see it was 'setting right'.
If we were lucky we might get a piece of freshly baked bread with a scrape of butter and some home-made jam later on for all our hard work."
"The trouble is, I never actually met my grans so I guess I have started becoming delusional or I stole memories from TV. Great juice, mind you."
Confirmed sighting: McDonald's M Burger
Posted: 00:07 Fri 17-Oct-2008. Price: £3.39. Location: Bristol. Nutritional unusualness: "It's all about the beef. Succulent, juicy beef".
Lots to get through today, so it's straight over to what is presumably the same "Ross Keen-haudin", who reports: It was with great anticipation that I looked forward to sampling the new 'M Burger' from McDonald's. Hopefully they would now have a burger to the rival the mighty Whopper from Burger King. The plan is obviously to position this burger as an upper-class addition to the McDonald's menu that uses better, fresher ingredients than the regular burgers.
On paper the 'M Burger' sounds lovely with crisp Batavia lettuce, juicy tomato, and emmental cheese in a stone-baked ciabatta roll all served with 100% beef. (It is worth noting that this is very similar to the discontinued Beef McPremier.) The reality for me was unfortunately anything but. Unfortunately the servers in my local McDonald's must have been on an off day (or true to form depending on how you see it) as instead of the new much vaunted Batavia lettuce I had 2 day old soggy iceberg and instead of the emmental cheese I had a normal slice of McDonald's oh-so-salty addictive orange slab. I immediately returned the burger to the hatch to voice my complaint. I was told they had no more of these proper ingredients left. However they had still tried to palm me off with this second-rate Big M burger and I made sure they knew about it. A less vigilant snack fan would probably have let this slide but not me. I accepted my refund and kept the burger.
As far as I am aware all of Ronald's burgers are already 100% beef making this one no different and just a marketing ploy to fool the masses. Masses I am not. It is however now in a rectangular shape. Whoopee Do. It still manages to maintain that leathery bland taste that all McDonald's burgers are famed for, however. The new mayo sauce is very bland and adds nothing to the Big M. There is no tomato sauce which is definitely needed to balance the burger's flavour. The only saving grace is the stone-baked ciabatta which was very soft and tasty, this was not enough to fend off my disappointment though. Even if the burger had been constructed as pointed out on the menu it would still be a poor choice and definitely not worth the extra money this costs over more economically savvy snacks. This burger is worse than the regular 79p hamburger than McDonald's sell in my opinion and is not even in the same league as the mighty Whopper. They may call it the Big M, but in reality it is more like the Big F and bottom of its class. Overall: 2/10.
Confirmed sighting: McCoy's Limited Edition Extreme
Posted: 22:03 Thu 09-Oct-2008. Price: £1.54/multipack. Location: Asda. Sub-flavours: Chicken Madras, Spicy Paprika, Red Hot Chilli.
"Taras" reports: A very bland offering from McCoy's. You'd think, based on their standard chilli flavour, that these would be a flavourful kick up the backside, but no dice. The packets warn "Extremely hot and spicy", but to be honest they're about 1/3 the spiciness of Flamin' Hot Monster Munch. I'd try to assess these on the chilli hotness scale but I'd imagine it wouldn't rate enough to be significant. Chicken Madras is the best of the three flavours. Stick with standard McCoy's.
..."Taras" returns after a near two-year absence to expand on a previous passing mention - but, in my defence, I have at least marvelled at the unusual plate and rotary pizza-cutter that accompanies the Pizza Express Theo Randall pizzas submitted by "Belinda", who declares herself: "Very excited, have had RSS feed for ages but FINALLY found something to submit - new pizzas at Pizza Express! (see below - copied and pasted from their website.) Bit disappointing to be honest so I just ordered my usual American Hot because you can get two-for-one on any main course (not just Theo Randall pizzas) with their online voucher."
"Theo's Piemontese - Yellow and red peppers with fresh oregano, garlic, red onions and mild, nutty fontal cheese. Seasoned with anchovies, tiny lilliput capers, and bursting with flavour. Theo's Tonnara - Named after the traditional Italian method of tuna fishing, this rustic pizza has a tomato and creme fraiche sauce, yellowfin tuna, nicoise olives, anchovies, garlic and lilliput capers.
Theo's Gamberettini - A delicate marriage of brown shrimps and grated zucchini, with a [That's enough Theo Whoever-He-Is - Snackspot]."
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