Dorset Cereals – Product Review
A few weeks ago the kind folks at Dorset Cereals sent me a huge box full of their products including:
Muesli – Super High Fibre Muesli, Really Nutty Muesli, Tasty Toasted Spelt Muesli and Super Cranberry, Cherry and Almond Muesli.
Tasty Flakes – Tasty Fruit and Fibre with exotic fruits, Tasty Low Fat Flakes with apple, cherries, raspberries and cranberries and Tasty Fruit and Fibre
I was really excited to try all of these as I was already a big fan of their Berries and Cherries Muesli and Fantastically Fruity Roasted and Toasted Muesli.
Click on the links for a full product description and ingredients lists.
Tasty Flakes
I was very surprised by these, I wasn’t expecting to like them but I loved them! My concern was that these kind of cereals often have an ingredients list as long as your arm and include all kinds of artificial nasties. All of these cereals have a fairly clean ingredients list apart from some sulphur dioxide used as a preservative for the dried fruits and added sugar used to sweeten the dried fruit. As they contain plenty of bran flakes they are an excellent source of fibre too.
I have tended to eat these with added chopped fresh fruit and non diary milk – the flakes aren’t as versatile as the muesli. I also found that the suggested serving size would not have satisfied my appetite so I often ate much larger portions.
The Low Fat Flakes really reminded me of Special K, I would far prefer to eat these instead, they taste absolutely delicious and are the one flaked cereal product I will definitely purchase again. As with all of the Dorset Cereal products they do not skimp on the dried fruit in their recipes which make these wonderfully rich and sweet.
Muesli
I’m a huge fan of muesli (I’m prone to muesli binges!) so I was a little worried about having 4 boxes in my cupboard! All of these muesli were delicious. They all contain lots of dried fruit and nuts and all of them contain a mix of lightly toasted flakes which I think makes them different from other muesli I have tried which tend to be heavier on the whole oats. Unlike the tasty flakes which I tended to eat with fruit and milk, the muesli seemed to be more versatile. I also ate it with fresh fruit and milk, sometimes with extra jumbo oats added to ‘bulk’ it out and make a small serving go further. I also served the muesli alongside Greek yoghurt with fresh fruit, Greek yoghurt with fruit compote and even in a similar way to a granola – sprinkled on top of smoothies.
The Pro’s and Con’s
Con’s:
- Cost – as with a lot of healthy products these don’t come cheap. However they are excellent high quality products full of dried fruit and nuts. I have seen them on special offer several times in Sainsbury's – I would wait until then and then buy in bulk!
- Added sugar and preservatives – some of the products do contain added sugar to sweeten the dried fruit and sulphur dioxide as a preservative.
- Suggested serving size – for me the suggested serving size was far too small!
Pro’s:
- Variety – The range of products offered is fantastic – all kinds of fruit and nut mixes to suit most tastes.
- Vegetarian Society approved – good to know for veggies like me!
- Good portion of fruit and nuts – some muesli and cereal I have tried before skimp on the fruit and nuts to say the least. These do not at all, every cup full is chock full of dried fruit and nuts
- Versatile product – the muesli can easily be used like a granola to top smoothies and with yoghurt
- Packaging and website – the packaging is attractive, practical and covered with useful information on the products. The website is also very well designed and packed with information.
Would I buy these again?
Yes! I will definitely be purchasing the low fat flakes again for whenever I get a craving for a big bowl of cereal. I’ll also buy the muesli again although due to the cost I would be looking out for special offers.
Have you tried any Dorset Cereals products before? What’s your opinion?
0 comments:
Post a Comment