All about Fry's

In this weeks main segment we look at the classic English chocolate brand Fry's and try their 4 currently sold chocolate bars.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:06

Hello everybody. Welcome to Snacks What You Get, the weekly podcast where mother and son review snacks and discuss what they've eaten this week. I'm Chris, the son, and this is Debbie.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

And Mum.

SPEAKER_03 0:21

Well, welcome back everybody for this week. Um, glad to be back again. Just uh thought I'd start it quickly by saying thank you for everyone listening. Where I think we when we looked, it was like 72 total downloads, so just shy 75 on there.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

So yeah that's amazing, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 0:38

It's very exciting, and as we see, we've got it seems like we've got some consistent listeners as well when you look at some of the places that people are listening, um, particularly uh abroad and places in America and stuff. So um, yeah, thank you everybody.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Yes, thank you.

SPEAKER_03 0:54

And I hope Tuesdays works out well, and everyone's got that in their diary. We'll be dropping Tuesday afternoons uh UK time. Um not sure what that is elsewhere, but yeah, I'm sure we'll get a notification. And uh yeah, I think we'll start this week going to our new bites.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

New bites.

SPEAKER_03 1:15

So, what have you eaten this week then? What's your new bite?

SPEAKER_01 1:18

My new bite is um bird's eye steam fresh Korean style noodles meal for one that I had in the week because obviously days on late, so I was fending for myself.

SPEAKER_03 1:30

Just rolls off the tongue that, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_01 1:32

I know, I know, what a mouthful.

SPEAKER_03 1:35

Um there's a mouthful.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

I got it from Iceland, they are £3.50 or £3 for £5. It's um like a frozen veg noodle spicy dish. You literally, literally take it out of the freezer, put it in the microwave, give it a shake, microwave it a bit more, tip it into a bowl.

SPEAKER_03 1:56

That easy.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

It's that easy, it's very easy. Um, shamed of myself really for buying that, but it was quick and easy.

SPEAKER_03 2:03

Sometimes you need something quick and easy.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

It was, to be honest, it was it was spicy, getting towards the edge of what I like, but tasty.

SPEAKER_03 2:14

And I mean I would say as well, though, it is important to remember you're not a particular spice hair.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

No, most people probably find it absolutely fine.

SPEAKER_03 2:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Um, it does say it on the bag that it contains one of your five a day, and it also contains 13 grams of protein, which you get from the egg and soya beans. So it is suitable for vegetarians, but not vegans, obviously, because it's got egg in it.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Yeah, okay, well, yeah, good point. Um, how about the egg? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Yeah, it was nice.

SPEAKER_03 2:43

And would you get it again?

SPEAKER_01 2:45

No.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

How much was it, did you say?

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Well, this is the thing. I bought uh uh three of the they do several different flavours. I bought three of them because they were on offer three for five pounds. But when that offer ends, they are £3.50 each, and I don't think it's worth that.

SPEAKER_03 3:02

Yeah, it's quite starts to get quite pricey then at £3. £3.50 at frozen ready meals or frozen quick cook meals, you often expect to be cheaper, but that's about the price of a normal non-frozen ready meal, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Yeah, and a slightly more luxury one, I would say, £3.50.

SPEAKER_03 3:20

Well, these days probably not. I think that that's getting yeah, they're getting more towards a fiver these days for the and I only know again because of the kitchen stuff to buy ready meals. We won't get into that though. Christ. But yeah, the um yeah, they're getting closer to a fiver um for that sort of thing. Um, but yeah, for for £3.50. Whereas, as you say, when it's £1. What, £65, £1.68, it it's it's a lot more palatable than Yeah, it's a bargain then, and it it to be it was fine, it was it was nice.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

I I would if I was gonna yeah, I wouldn't choose that particular flavour again. Um, it was a little bit spicy.

SPEAKER_03 4:01

But handy to have in the freezer, it was very handy.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

I was on my own, I wanted something quick and easy, and it they it fitted the bill, so yeah, that that was my new bite. What about you?

SPEAKER_03 4:12

So I had um an offering from a brand called Dots. Dots, yeah. I'm probably not probably my list, probably stopping it saying that dots. Um, they're donuts again for a second one, and these were dark dots, which were um they are a standard ring donut, like a plain one, but covered in chocolate, then all round it. Oh nice. They they're a little bit like you know, you get the mini ones that are half dipped in it. It's a bit like that, but it whole dipped, the whole thing is dipped here, and they're full size, uh, they are, and they were delicious. They were we got from Morrison's. Um Carly, one of her favourite things is those little chocolate-covered donuts. So don't not not usually, as I said last week, a big donut fan, but she normally likes those chocolate covered ones. Um, and these ones, the donuts were really nice, really light and fluffy donut uh on there, quite a nice package as well. But you got four in the pack. Now, we got them yellow sticker, end of the day. There, just try. I wish I'd got all the packs now, but um, they were they were down to one pound forty for a pack of four. Normally they're two pounds for a pack of four.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

That's still not bad, is it 50p a donut?

SPEAKER_03 5:28

Well, this is the the thing a nice donut. Well, that that's the thing, they were nice. Like normally, I'd be expecting if they were supermarket-owned ones, you're talking a pound to a pound fifty for a pack of anywhere from um four to six, and depending what style of donut and as a mixture. But these were nicer than supermarket donuts, and I like supermarket donuts, don't get me wrong. Uh, these were nicer.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

So dark dots, was that dark chocolate then?

SPEAKER_03 5:53

Well, we couldn't really see on the packet too much that said that. I think it was, but it was definitely on the lighter side of dark chocolate, if you see what I mean. It didn't look particularly dark on there, but it did say dark chocolate. Just I don't think it was like a 70-80% one. I think it was probably closer to 50%, if not 60% around that mark. Yeah, really nice, and it balanced with the sweetness of the donut very well. Um, and one that we would definitely, definitely get again, even at the two pounds rate. I think it was worth it.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

Yeah, I've not seen them, I'll have a lookout for them this time.

SPEAKER_03 6:26

They do a lot of other things as well, and um, the Morrison's local near us, the one um Little Moore, that doesn't do those ones, but it has other dots branded stuff. They do mini donuts and they do um like plain ones as well and stuff. So they they do a few, and I'd never seen the brand before, but I just spotted them when we were there and yeah, very nice.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 6:46

There we go. So that was New Bites for this week, and we'll move on to the tasting grounds. It's the tasting grounds. Right, the tasting grounds. This week's theme is a bit of a throwback. In the very first episode, uh Debbie's fun fact talked about cream egg being originally made by the brand Fries.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Nice.

SPEAKER_03 7:07

And we did talk a bit a bit about it in that. I think we probably got sidetracked from the cream egg itself. Yeah. But we also talked about it afterwards. Fries are, was it one of the oldest or the oldest um chocolate brand? Like chocolate, they produce the oldest chocolate bar, yes, I think it is, um ever they have in in in and so we thought it'd be interesting to maybe give them a try because they still they're still around in the in the UK anyway. And um, yeah, the production chocolate bar or something like that, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 7:38

They they made like the oldest, they made the first solid chocolate bar.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

That's it, first solid chocolate bar, yeah. On there, so yeah, we thought we'd give them a go. Now we've got the four flavours that they currently offer. Yes, that's right. What flavours are they, mum?

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Uh, there's the original, they do a mint one and an orange one, and then obviously you've got your thighs Turkish Delight.

SPEAKER_03 8:02

Exactly. So we've got four flavours there, and yeah, we're gonna give those a go this week. Interestingly, they the three flavours, the three main ones are quite similar in branding, but the Turkish Delight ones, and it's quite distinctive packaging, which we'll get into when we go to it. But yes, this week's theme is fries of chocolate.

SPEAKER_01 8:24

Looking forward to this. Yeah, I I know you say it's a bit of a throwback, I'd like to think of it as more of a classic.

SPEAKER_03 8:30

Classic, that's a very good way of looking at it, especially since they still exist, they're not yes, they're not something that just disappeared. No, they do it, they do exist.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

They have been going for well, you'll find out at the end. Yeah, we'll they've been going for years for a long time.

SPEAKER_03 8:44

So there we go. So, which one would you like to start with?

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Let's start with what I think is going to be your least favourite, the Turkish Delight.

SPEAKER_03 8:52

Turkish Delight. Okay, so the Turkish Delight in the Fry's bar, if anyone knows it, but yeah, quite a bright and deep pinky purple colour as well, isn't it? Very similar to the packaging.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

Yes, it almost, yeah, all I would say it almost matches the packaging, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 9:09

So the packaging is one is um it's very, very different to the rest of the range. That's why it's quite funny in some ways, isn't it? And I would normally say I dislike that, I like consistency of branding, but this is it it's a very different offering, I think. The others are all like a cream-based sort of like filling, whereas this is text-like. Um, so yes, the packaging, it's quite a small packet. You get it's only 51 grams and it's one there, but it's quite squat, isn't it? It's like a yeah, it's an odd shape, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 9:41

I I I'm sure these are a lot smaller than they used to be.

SPEAKER_03 9:45

Quite possibly. Now it's metallic pink, metallic pinky purple. I like that colour. Well, no, I think I think it's stands out, and everybody knows what it is. Well, maybe I'm showing my age now in the days, but but um, I think most people will know what that this is in this colour. It says fries in yellow, which I'm not the keenest on because it doesn't stand out very well, but Turkish Delight, nice big, sort of yes, nice writing, white against that metallic background. And it officially says that this is a Turkish Delight covered with milk chocolate bar.

SPEAKER_01 10:20

Decent chocolate covering on there as well.

SPEAKER_03 10:22

It does. You look at it, you can see from the cross section, you can see it's a reasonable amount all the way around. The bottom has a thin bit.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

The bottom is a lot thinner than the top and the sides, but still covered.

SPEAKER_03 10:32

Yeah, and um I think the smell is odd because I think they're using a slightly rose, the very classic rose flavoured Turkish Delight. I think now chocolate smells nice. Chocolate does smell nice. I will say, and this is the reason why we say that all it might be my least favourite. I like Turkish Delight.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

From Turkey.

SPEAKER_03 10:57

From Turkey, you've been to Turkey multiple times with yourself and and and other people, and have Turkish Delight, proper Turkish Delight is very, very tasty. It is this stuff normally is not like Turkish Delight particularly. Um on that, and I don't really know why they why how they got to that name, but I also haven't had this in a very, very long time.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

No, I haven't.

SPEAKER_03 11:22

So I might have calmed down about that.

SPEAKER_01 11:24

Good to hear. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:26

What's your thoughts on the packaging?

SPEAKER_01 11:29

Um I like the packaging, I like the colour, and I like the fact that it's always been that colour.

SPEAKER_03 11:35

It has, they've been very clear.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

It's always been that colour, so yeah, you you know what it is. I do feel they are significantly smaller than they used to be.

SPEAKER_03 11:44

And they come in a pack of three.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 11:46

So I don't like a little bit on the multi-pack, the pink and purpley colour on that. There is a fade, a little ombre, which is nice, but it's not metallic like the rest of it. No, it's it's a it's just a flat colour.

SPEAKER_01 11:59

Bit of a cheaper option, there, isn't it? Yes. The um actual packaging around the the bar itself is the metallic.

SPEAKER_03 12:05

Isn't that and that's the one you recognize on the shots.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Yeah, that's the standard one.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

How much was it then?

SPEAKER_01 12:10

They were bear with me, caller.

SPEAKER_03 12:13

Yeah, so bear in mind this is a pack of three 51 gram bars.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

They yeah, they were £1.25 for three.

SPEAKER_03 12:22

Well, it's not I suppose this will then come down to whether we like it or not. But I was gonna say that's not too bad, but also that's it. I don't know why, that feels like a lot. I think in a day and age where you can get four Kit Kat Chunkies for a pound when they do the offer, yeah, that feels a lot.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

But these were home bargains as well.

SPEAKER_03 12:39

Home bargains, so it's probably about as cheap as you're gonna get.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

Yeah, I would imagine so.

SPEAKER_03 12:42

But I will say as well, it's a bit of a unique product, isn't it? Yes, they can't be selling, you know, millions of these a year.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

I mean, maybe they do, but I mean selling them in a multi-pack, I think, is adventurous. Well, yeah, exactly right. Because, you know, I haven't had one for years, which makes me think, I'm not sure I can't remember if I like them or not.

SPEAKER_03 13:04

No, and I think I think you're right. I just don't think there's a competitor either.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

No, yeah, I don't think there's any competition.

SPEAKER_03 13:11

I think they're not like a Turkish delight one for a little bit, Cabries, but they seem to drop that back, I think. Or something. I don't remember that. I don't know any other brand that does a chocolate-covered Turkish delight. No. So they've cornered the market.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

Even Turkey don't do a chocolate-covered Turkish delight.

SPEAKER_03 13:25

I don't remember it. Yeah, they did the two types.

SPEAKER_01 13:27

But I suppose it's too hot over there, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 13:29

Yeah, we have that milk-based one and the regular type one, and they were both delicious, but yeah, yeah, not chocolate covered like this, but no, yeah. Okay, well, should we give it a go?

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Yeah, let's get into it.

SPEAKER_03 13:43

Right, but that is as exactly as I remember, but I actually don't mind it now.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

I enjoyed it. The the the Turkish delight center is very Turkish delight, isn't it? It's got that rose flavoured, sort of almost sort of sticky jelly.

SPEAKER_03 14:00

It's very gelatin, gelatinous, very gelatin-based, it feels like I do think it's a bit thinner, as in when you bite through it, it's a bit easier to get through, and it it's almost like a combination of more gelatin, whilst also being a bit less textured, and so it feels a bit more like a jelly almost in some ways. It's not, yeah, but it's definitely that distinctive rose water, sort of rose flavoured um Turkish delight on there.

SPEAKER_01 14:29

I liked the chocolate. I liked the chocolate with it.

SPEAKER_03 14:32

It works with chocolate, I'll give them that. Yeah, definitely, definitely works with chocolate, and I I enjoyed that. I don't think I'd ever pick one up as a single bar for myself or even a multi-pack on there. But if now I know, having tried it again, if they were offered for whatever reason, I don't think I'd turn them down, if you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 14:53

No, I think if they made mini ones and put them in a tin of Piros or Celebrations, yeah, I I I would be quite happy to I would I I think I'd enjoy them.

SPEAKER_03 15:02

I uh but that's the thing, I'm not gonna buy them on their own. No, but if it comes as part of something else I'm already buying, yeah, I think then yeah, I I would enjoy them. But yeah, I think with the price and everything, it is definitely in the premium for the size of bar you're getting on there.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

But yeah, I'd enjoy it. Like you, I enjoyed it. I wouldn't go out of my way to pick one up again.

SPEAKER_03 15:25

No.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

But I did enjoy it.

SPEAKER_03 15:28

There we go. And so with that, what score would you give? Bearing in mind price and everything.

SPEAKER_01 15:33

Um bearing in mind price and everything, I'd probably be gonna go I don't know, six point five or seven. I did enjoy it, but I wouldn't want another one. It's a little bit pricey. I'm gonna go six point five.

SPEAKER_03 15:45

Okay, that's fair. That's a very fair score. It's not a bad score.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

It's not a bad bar. It's just not not my favourite.

SPEAKER_03 15:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

What about yourself?

SPEAKER_03 15:57

I'm gonna go for a six a six.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

Six?

SPEAKER_03 16:00

Six, yeah. I again it's not not a bad score, really. I just wouldn't pick one up on there. It's quite a distinctive flavour. Like if you really want I think that's the problem. If I really want Turkish delight, I'd probably go for something try and find a brand that did a bit more of a closer resemblance to Turkish Delight. It's got the flavour, but the texture I thought was very different. And it also because normal Turkish light often rolled in a small layer of icing sugar or something similar, was a different type of sweetness. But chocolate-covered Turkish light doesn't really exist outside of that. I just yeah, think that there's a market maybe for a slightly more Turkish Turkish delight covered in chocolate.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_03 16:42

At least that market is probably me.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

Um especially the milky flavoured one.

SPEAKER_03 16:47

Well, the milky flavor, the milky one, which actually they they often do a chocolate flavour of that one. Yeah. But it's not chocolate covered or anything like that, no. So um yes, but yeah, six six from me, six point five from you. Respectable score, really, for quite a unique, you know, bar.

SPEAKER_01 17:03

So there is nothing else like it out there, is there?

SPEAKER_03 17:06

No.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

So it is it it is nice, it is nice, it's just not my particular favourite.

SPEAKER_03 17:11

No, and that's fair. I would also say it doesn't taste overly artificial, and that sounds odd when you think of the flavours that are in it, yeah. But it does taste like as in the actual flavour itself, ignoring texture, ignoring some of the other bits. I haven't got this weird artificial flavour in the back of my throat or anything on there. It very similar to a normal texture light on there, but yes. Very nice. Right, well we'll move on. We'll move on to the original fries chocolate cream. Yes. This the packet package is a nice blue, which it always has been as far as I'm aware.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

It it's I don't think it the packaging's changed, or maybe slightly over the years, but it's always been that blue and white colour, hasn't it?

SPEAKER_03 17:54

Yeah, it's pretty plain, mostly blue. It's got a cross section of the bar with some wisps, white wisps around it, um which it's got on all of them to be fair. And that's about it.

SPEAKER_04 18:06

And it just says it just says, where has it gone? I can't find it now, it's underneath the like to hide it, don't they?

SPEAKER_03 18:21

Oh, yeah, chocolate chocolate with a fondant cream, that's all it says in terms of what it is. So yeah, chocolate with a fondant cream. Now, as we learnt in the other cream egg, I like fondant cream on there. So I should like this. What was the price when you saw it?

SPEAKER_01 18:41

They were £1.69 for three.

SPEAKER_03 18:44

Okay, and I believe you said that all three of these flavours.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

Yeah, all the flavours were one pound sixty nine for three.

SPEAKER_03 18:49

So I don't like that they do odd number packaging. Three is not I don't like that.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

That that must be a fries thing because everything is in packs of three from them, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 18:59

It is, yeah. They decided that it was too conventional to go with fours uh on there and they wanted to be different. There's no point doing a two-pack, is there? At that point, we might just buy two separate ones. But a three-pack for $169. I supp again these are quite unique. As a bar, you don't generally get a cream like a bar like that. Like if you buy roses or something, you get a strawberry dream or strawberry, which is a strawberry cream based one, and that's your closest thing. So if you like the chocolate um with a fondant cream based items, this is your year-round option because cream eggs obviously being seasonal, so yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:43

I I like a fondant filling, I'm not gonna lie. I'm I'm hoping this is gonna be very similar to I haven't had I I must admit I haven't had one of these, but I'm hoping the filling's gonna be very similar to the cream egg.

SPEAKER_03 19:56

It looks consistency-wise like a cream egg without the yellow for for obviously egg purposes.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

I mean, does the does the yellow bit have a different flavour in the cream egg? I can't say I'll notice.

SPEAKER_03 20:08

I think it's just dyed, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 20:09

It's just dyed, isn't it? To look like an egg, obviously.

SPEAKER_03 20:11

So it is, I suppose that is, yeah, it's chocolate with the fond of it. So that is that. So I wonder what this will be like. Obviously, get a lot less, a lot more chocolate uh the ratio's different, is what I'm trying to say.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:24

On there. No, it's not a bad thing. But interestingly, it looks a lot bigger than the Turkish Delight Bar. They're smaller. 49 grams versus 51 for the Turkish Delight Bar.

SPEAKER_01 20:36

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 20:37

So that Turkish delight must be very dense.

SPEAKER_01 20:39

It must be very heavy.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

Must be.

SPEAKER_01 20:42

That's different. There's a good amount of chocolate around here though.

SPEAKER_03 20:45

Yes, yeah. This is a bit more of a traditional, like a caramel style bar, if you see what I mean, where you've got the I mean it's not liquid, I suppose, the cream, but the cream is in the middle, and it's a bit more of a traditional bar scent rather than the touchdown.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

It looks like a milk chocolate as well, doesn't it? It does look like a milk chocolate, which it doesn't specifically say, but no, when you read it out, it just said chocolate, didn't it?

SPEAKER_03 21:11

It does just say chocolate, but it does have milk in it, so or milk powder as it says.

SPEAKER_04 21:17

Right. Shall we give it a go? Yes, let's tuck in. Let's tuck in.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

Well, I'm a little bit disappointed with that. Yeah, it's not what I expected. No. I I I really used to like them a long time ago when I was much younger, like in my teens and early twenties.

SPEAKER_03 21:37

I would have So back in the Stone Age.

unknown 21:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

Obviously. Funny enough, my maiden name was Stone, so it was.

SPEAKER_03 21:44

Yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

Back in those days.

SPEAKER_03 21:46

Back in those days.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

Um I don't know what to say. The chocolate was nice, but the fundam filling had a strange sort of twang to it, almost like it was trying to be fruit flavoured or something, but it didn't quite make.

SPEAKER_03 22:00

I kind of thought it was maybe a bad chocolate orange when I was like or a bad orange kind of thing in in there. Um yeah, I thought, but it it it wasn't what I expected. No. I will admit, I don't actually think I've ever had the original one before. I think I've tried a mint one before, but these are just aren't a very common you see them in places, but I don't you never see anyone eating them.

SPEAKER_01 22:24

No.

SPEAKER_03 22:25

At least I don't feel like you do.

SPEAKER_01 22:26

Um you don't you don't see them all the time, which is why when I saw them I grabbed them because I do see them often in like as a single bar, and again occasionally as that, but never all three flavours in one or four four flavours in one place. No.

SPEAKER_03 22:41

Um yeah, I'd be a bit disappointed because I think if that had been a bit closer to a standard, more like cream egg style fondant inside of cream.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

It would have been really nice, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_03 22:49

It would have been really nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:50

Yeah, it it it's definitely not the same flavour as the fondant inside of cream egg.

SPEAKER_03 22:56

No, no, it has it does feel like it's trying to have a flavour. Yes, but we're just not sure what it is.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

Yeah, yeah, it it was a little bit strange.

SPEAKER_03 23:06

It was a bit strange, but yes, well, what score will you give it?

SPEAKER_01 23:12

Oh, this is really hard because it did used to be one of my favourite bars of chocolate, and now I don't know if if it's it could have changed, it could have changed or if I've changed. I I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 23:23

Both are both are possible.

SPEAKER_01 23:25

For old time's sake, I'm gonna go six point five. Okay. Because it used to be my favourite. Chocolate's still good. It's it's just an unusual twang in the filling, I'm sorry, but okay.

SPEAKER_03 23:38

Well, I'm gonna go five point five. Yeah. I thought it was a I I thought the texture light one was nicer, and I thought I wouldn't like that one as much. I I like like I say, I like a cream make so I like the funeral, and you can't not have the comparison because the only other one really on the market that has a fondant centre, and um yeah, I was just very disappointed. Now, again, chocolate was fine, the fondant in itself, once you understood what it was a bit more, was fine.

SPEAKER_01 24:05

I'd like them to have labelled it as a flavour so I could know what I was looking for because I felt like I was trying to work out what it was because it didn't taste like just sugar, like when you hit original, I was like, Oh, fondant, you know, like fondant icing, fondant, you know, just tastes a bit like sugar, yeah, delicious.

SPEAKER_03 24:20

So I was just thinking, I was hoping for that kind of flavour, but I didn't, it had something, and now I'm just sat here going, what did that taste like? Yeah, and the only thing I could say is like real faintness of something fruity like an orange where there's like a little bit bitterness and a bit of sweetness to it, yeah, but not much of anything on there. Price-wise, I think it definitely puts in a slightly more premium of those like packs of I'd say packs of four. It's not, it's packs of three, so it really is in that.

SPEAKER_01 24:46

I think they probably used to be a pack of four, but it's shrinkflation, there's meant they've come in.

SPEAKER_03 24:50

Yeah, I mean, quite possibly packs of three. It does feel really weird. I don't know, odd numbers don't sit right with me in that kind of thing. No, so there you go. But yeah, the disappointment 6.5 for me, 5.5 from me. Um, yeah, just odd. But anyway, we'll we'll move on to the next one.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

Which flavour are we going for next?

SPEAKER_03 25:12

We'll go with the orange cream. Go for the orange, yeah. Now, orange cream, exact same packaging, but a nice bright orange. Yeah. I quite like it. Again, I think the fries it looks traditional. They're obviously going for that. So I do like generally the fries packaging is in. It's a bit boring if you were needing something to jump out of you, and that's where the orange comes in, I think, because the blue is a bit boring, a bit bland on there. The packaging's very traditional, very nice, and and so it's okay, but it doesn't jump out. The orange, you're not in danger of missing, are you?

SPEAKER_01 25:44

No. I do like chocolate orange, so I'm hoping for better things from this one.

SPEAKER_03 25:50

And this one says rich dark chocolate with a smooth fondant centre.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

Dark chocolate.

SPEAKER_03 25:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:55

Now I've never tried this orange one, so or the peppermint one to be fair. I've only ever had the original.

SPEAKER_04 26:02

I'm trying to see.

SPEAKER_03 26:08

So on the fries chocolate cream, the original one, yeah, it does have some writing on the front that I'm struggling to read now until I can direct it towards the light. And that does say it is a rich dark chocolate.

SPEAKER_01 26:21

Dark chocolate.

SPEAKER_03 26:22

Yeah, it doesn't taste like a dark chocolate, does it?

SPEAKER_01 26:24

No, it did look like a milk chocolate, isn't it? So that was dark chocolate. And this is dark. I'm guessing they're all dark chocolate then.

SPEAKER_03 26:31

Again, the peppermint one you can barely see it on there. Yeah, rich dark chocolate on there. I'll have to see on milk chocolate on toaster light.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

Milk chocolate on toasty like chocolate on it, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:47

So yeah, so on the on the others, I only noticed it on the orange, but underneath where it says fries orange cream or chocolate cream or peppermint cream, it's got a very like thin line in gold, which really hard to read on two of them on there. But yeah, rich dark chocolate, and in this case with a smooth fondant centre. Oh no, they all say that. This one just is an orange fondant centre.

SPEAKER_01 27:11

Well, the chocolate was nice, I'm not gonna lie. So, and maybe the dark chocolate against the very sweet fondant filling is a good idea.

SPEAKER_03 27:19

Well, this is I mean, I liked the orange, but this is where my like my like goes away, which is on the these are all multi-packs.

SPEAKER_00 27:31

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 27:32

The original cream in the multi-pack, or the chocolate cream in the multi-pack, is like a normal one. It's got a barcode, it's got all the nutritional information and says, you know, what it is on there. The orange one, bizarrely, just the orange one, because the peppermint one doesn't do this, just says not for resale, multi-pack bar not for resale, and doesn't have any of that information on there. Because I was thinking, does it give it a slightly different?

SPEAKER_01 27:57

Just be on the outer wrapper then.

SPEAKER_03 27:59

It's on the outer wrapper, but they've all got it on the outer wrapper, and the others have got it on the inner wrapper as well. Consistency file.

SPEAKER_01 28:04

I don't like things being inconsistent.

SPEAKER_03 28:07

I just think it's poor branding and poor, you know, it's just poor, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 28:11

They they could what made them decide not to put it on the orange one exactly.

SPEAKER_03 28:14

So this one says chocolate with an orange flavoured fondant center, which is exactly what we thought it would be, but why can that be on the bar and everything on there? Since they print it on all the other bars.

SPEAKER_01 28:26

Are they the same weight as the original? The orange, is it of course?

SPEAKER_03 28:30

Again, the individual bar in this one doesn't have it on there. You've got to. Oh no, it it's tucked under the thing. False alarm, 49 grams, yes.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

Yeah, but they're using the same molds, just different fillings.

SPEAKER_03 28:44

Yes, I'm I'm assuming so. So with that being said, shall we try it?

SPEAKER_01 28:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 28:52

Okay. Well, that's better, wasn't it? That was lovely, very nice, way better than the original.

SPEAKER_01 29:00

Much better. Much better.

SPEAKER_03 29:02

Really suits the Fonden and uh really suited the chocolate, didn't it?

SPEAKER_01 29:07

Yeah, the orange flavour was distinctive and it was delicious.

SPEAKER_03 29:10

Very forward orange flavour, wasn't it? There was no there was no sort of second guessing what it was, like with the the original, where we're just like, I don't know what this is. Yeah. This one, definitely orange, worked well with the dark chocolate.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

Oh, it did.

SPEAKER_03 29:23

And what you want out of a fondant one, it reminded me very much of like a fondant cream that you get, an orange fondant cream, and you get in a variety of different Christmas mixes.

SPEAKER_01 29:34

Yeah, that was very nice. I thoroughly enjoyed that. Slightly sad for myself that I've not tried the orange one before.

SPEAKER_03 29:42

Well, yeah, I mean, I I will admit, as much as I don't know, I don't overly buy orange chocolate except for Christmas, okay occasionally. Um yeah, I enjoyed that. I I for me, I know we said about um when we were talking off maybe you were saying you could eat a lot of it, for me, it was on that edge where I think one bar would actually be enough for me on there, which it's hard to say it was too sickly because I don't know if that's exactly what it was, but definitely one bar would probably be enough for me. But you were saying you could eat a few more, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:14

I could, but I mean chocolate orange is one of my I love my favourite chocolate at the moment is a bag of Cadbury's chocolate orange buttons, so they are nice, yeah. Yeah, so chocolate orange is a big thing for me, and I I would I would eat a whole bar of that, and maybe two, but then it's a pack of three, so you wouldn't want to leave one on its own.

SPEAKER_03 30:36

If you need to have two to have a go, you're supposed to leave one again. Buy the three is a bad thing. Four, you've got two servings there, yeah, definitely. For three, you've only got one really. Um, so yeah, economies of scale don't work with it. Or maybe that's genius marketing, so it means you have to buy more. But either way, I agree. I think the orange was nice in the sense of it, had a nice sweetness to it, but it still had a bit of the bittery souriness that you would say.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

It did, yeah. I I I I was very impressed with that. That was delightful, and I personally would buy that again.

SPEAKER_03 31:05

Oh, there we go. And with that, what would you score it?

SPEAKER_01 31:08

I'm gonna go 8.5 because I thoroughly enjoyed that.

SPEAKER_03 31:12

Well, there we go. That is a that is a resounding endorsement now, isn't it? I'm gonna go for a seven because it's definitely a nice bar. I do think that is good, but for me, I don't know if I'd buy it again. I don't but I don't buy a lot of chocolate orange. Um at Christmas, gotta have a toe chocolate orange, and you have that that will happen, and I do like that. But yeah, this one definitely definitely punches into that category. So yeah, I enjoyed that. And I would get it again in the mood for chocolate orange. I would see that and think, right, that's an option. Yeah. Whereas before today, I just wouldn't have even considered it.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

No, I I I must admit they've been around for years. I've never never tried the orange ones or the peppermint ones. But now that I've had, I that would be my go-to over the original ones because oh, massive, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:03

I mean we both scored in the original, yeah. You significantly higher, me still a bit higher. Yeah. Um on there, yeah. I I think that was uh that's a success. And so yeah, keep making those ones for eyes.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Yes, please.

SPEAKER_03 32:16

Um, and we move on to the final flavour, which is as you alluded to, the peppermint cream.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

Peppermint in the nice green packaging.

SPEAKER_03 32:24

Nice green packaging again looks nice. The only thing I would say is the gold writing for the bit where it says rich dark chocolate with a fondant centre is very I mean, can you read that from there? I don't know. Can you even see it exists? No, no, no. Put it in your hand.

SPEAKER_01 32:41

Put it in my hand. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 32:43

Yeah, you see what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 32:45

Actually, until the light shines on it, I can't even see it's there.

SPEAKER_03 32:48

Yeah. That's why I missed it the first time when you saw it on the orange. Whereas the orange, you can see there's at least a line of text. You can see it from there.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

I think where the green's a bit darker, it probably hides it.

SPEAKER_03 32:59

So that's the same with the blue. Can you see it? It's under there.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

No, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 33:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:07

But it's your nice classic packaging in the green to signify peppermint. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:11

Now, again, you can't talk about them, these kind of things, without talking about they seem to be in a market of only one competitor. Now, the only competitor I can really think of in this is an after-eight mint. This is true. Now, I I don't know. Don't, you know, mint connoisseurs out there don't come after me. I don't know if they are peppermint or what on there, but they are a mint, a very runny fondant, but it's like a fondant-y mixture in the middle, isn't it? With dark chocolate.

SPEAKER_01 33:39

I do like after eights, but I'm always disappointed at the chocolate to fondant ratio. Very thin chocolate. Very thin chocolate, I feel, but I think it is a darker chocolate than these have.

SPEAKER_03 33:50

Yeah, they say dark chocolate, a rich dark chocolate. But but it's definitely not felt like I think with the orange, I I felt it a little bit because it wasn't even though I said it was a bit sickly, that half bite I had, yeah. I I do think the dark chocolate balanced it, but it didn't balance it so much that I was like, oh, I could eat more. So it definitely is it's dark, it's you can tell it's dark chocolate, but it's not that dark.

SPEAKER_01 34:14

It's it's not a like you said, it's not a 70 or 80% dark chocolate.

SPEAKER_03 34:18

I can't imagine it would be no uh on there.

SPEAKER_01 34:21

It's still a nice dark chocolate. I wouldn't mind a bar of just the chocolate on its own, to be fair.

SPEAKER_03 34:26

There you go, fries, as an option.

SPEAKER_01 34:27

Yeah, come on, fries.

SPEAKER_03 34:28

We won't give you that one for free, but we can talk numbers when uh once it gets past the development stage uh on there. But yes, um peppermint cream again, it's it's a cream by that these all look and are very, very similar. 49 grams again.

SPEAKER_00 34:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 34:48

On it. And yeah, like I said, after eight is the only thing I can think of as a competitor, and I like an after eight, but yes, the ratio is it can be a bit off. Yeah, they're quite an iconic design in the UK, anyway. They're quite iconic, particularly at Christmas again.

SPEAKER_01 35:04

You have to have a box of after eight at Christmas, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 35:07

Uh, and the whole marketing was met, I believe, around um being a bit like sort of an after dinner treat. Yes, after eight, isn't it after eight o'clock in the evening after you've finished at the dinner party? Whereas this imposes no such time restrictions. No, have this all day.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

All year round, all day.

SPEAKER_03 35:25

This is a breakfast chocolate bar if you so wish. Um as opposed to uh gosh.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

Do you know what it'd say you're having to clean your teeth, wouldn't it? Because that's new flavors, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:35

Yeah, um, we'll put some small print about not being dentists or anything, but I see no flaw in that logic. So there we go. Absolutely. I mean that could be a genius wonker bar. Chocolate bar that cleans your teeth. Anyway, amazing TM. But yeah. Shall we give it a go?

SPEAKER_01 35:52

Yes, please. I really enjoyed that.

SPEAKER_03 35:56

I really enjoyed that. I think better than an after eight.

SPEAKER_01 36:00

I think so too.

SPEAKER_03 36:01

Yeah, chocolate and fondant, and you got more of both, so that's always a win, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 36:06

The chocolate is much nicer, I think, than the after eights. I prefer to again because it's a bit thicker than the after eight. The mint was surprisingly minty on the bottom. It's very fresh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:19

I think when you could smell it as soon as we snapped the bar in half, yeah. You could smell it, and uh yeah, it definitely came through straight away, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 36:29

It worked really well with the chocolate.

SPEAKER_03 36:31

It does. I think, yeah, mint chocolate's a bit of a weird one. I do like it, but I couldn't have too much of it. And the same with this, I a bar I think would be enough for me.

SPEAKER_01 36:39

Yes, I agree on that one.

SPEAKER_03 36:40

It's not one that I would eat loads and loads, but I've still got quite a fresh you know how like mint mouthwash or anything or mint anything makes you feel cold, or the thing my mouth is still feeling cool having had it. Yeah, I like that.

SPEAKER_01 36:52

That was that was really nice, and again, a little bit sad at myself for never trying them before.

SPEAKER_03 36:58

Well, yeah, this is the thing, isn't it? Why are we doing this? You know, it's interesting to try. Now, I will say something that's been consistent across all the fries, except the texture light, because it wasn't portioned like that, is it has the segments on it, but the segment indentation is very, very shallow, yes, so it doesn't break very nicely when you're trying to do it on there. It it breaks and you end up sort of not breaking on the indent or smushing part of it. Yeah, but overall, I really enjoyed that.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

I I like that, and that that that was um very nice, and I I I wouldn't go looking for it again, but if they were there and I was fancying mint chocolate, which I do occasionally, I think I would probably pick a pack of them up.

SPEAKER_03 37:43

Yep, same. Yeah, same. I agree. Might have been my favourite out of them, but yeah, I I really enjoyed that. So, what would you score it?

SPEAKER_01 37:54

I enjoyed it. I'm gonna give it an eight because my obviously orange was my favourite, but yeah, I did enjoy it, and like you say, I do think it was rather a bit nicer than an MM after eight, so yeah, I'm giving it eight.

SPEAKER_03 38:08

Nice. I'm gonna give it a 7.5. So my highest of the I know. I I I really enjoyed that. I I I wouldn't necessarily go out and buy it again, and that's nothing to do with it, you know, how bad like how good or bad it was. It's purely because I just don't have mint chocolate that often. But now I've had that, if I do, it'll probably be one of those. I'd enjoy that.

SPEAKER_01 38:33

I'd be more inclined to buy it if I saw it as a single bar because I don't always want a three-pack.

SPEAKER_03 38:39

Three might last a while of those ones. I mean, I'm kidding myself when I say that, obviously. Yeah, obviously. I know I know it wouldn't. If I bought a three-pack, yeah, um, that that'd be gone quickly. But in my mind after eating it, I was like definitely couldn't eat one, two, then three. Yeah. If only just to get you know your mouth cool again or not cool again back to normal.

SPEAKER_01 38:59

But very nice, very flavourful, like you know, yeah, good flavour in there.

SPEAKER_03 39:04

Yeah, you've got to want mint. Yes. And if you want mint, it delivers.

SPEAKER_01 39:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:08

If you weren't sure on the mint bit, you're not gonna like it. No. And the fondant is a very good delivery system, I think, for the mint. The texture works with the with the flavour.

SPEAKER_02 39:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:20

Yeah. So there we go. Well, that was the tasting grounds today. All four fries chocolate um done. And that moves us on to our final segment, which is Debbie's Fun Fact. Debbie's Fun Facts.

SPEAKER_01 39:36

Oh, thank you. Um, fun fact today, obviously, about fries, because we're all all about fries today.

SPEAKER_03 39:42

Yep, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 39:43

Um, fries chocolate cream, so the original one that we had, yeah, was launched in 1866. Wow. 1866, and it does hold the title of the World's Oldest Mass Produced Chocolate Bar. So that's pretty good, isn't it? It's still being sold and still being eaten.

SPEAKER_03 40:02

1866. Only 800 years after the Battle of Hastings. Yeah, only. So William the Conqueror missed it by just a smedge.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

Oh, what a shame.

SPEAKER_03 40:13

Hello.

SPEAKER_01 40:14

So in 1919, the JS Fry brand merged with Cadbury's. Okay. The peppermint cream and the orange cream that we've tried, they were introduced in 1934. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 40:27

So they're they're almost 100 years old. They're 92 years old.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

Still going strong. Also in 1934, Fry's introduced the multi-flavoured five centre bar, which had five different fruit-flavoured font fondant centres. Okay. Um, the strange thing about this is that, well, first of all, the core flavours for this bar were orange, lime, raspberry, pineapple, and the fifth flavour varied over the years. But interestingly, the bar the bar has seven segments, which we still have. Yes, still has seven segments. It had seven segments, but only five flavours. Yeah, that is odd. It is odd because some of the segments had mixed fillings in them. I can't imagine how that worked.

SPEAKER_03 41:14

Yeah, I I just I wish they hadn't done that. Yeah. If they're gonna go with the seven segments, do seven flavours.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_03 41:21

Yeah, yeah. Sadly, the um or do uneven amounts of them do like two. It's random. Some of them get two raspberry, one orange, and two.

SPEAKER_01 41:30

Exactly. Yeah, sadly, the um multi-flavoured bar was discontinued in 1992. When I was born, the year you were born. So obviously, there was Chrissy was here, there's no need for a multi-flavoured bar.

SPEAKER_03 41:43

Yeah, they thought, well, they maybe they didn't think I'd like it, so possibly not.

SPEAKER_01 41:47

So these are the standard flavours, and over the years they have introduced other flavors. There's been raspberry. I think I'd like a raspberry.

SPEAKER_03 41:57

I would like a raspberry.

SPEAKER_01 41:58

I think bring bring that back fries, pineapple.

SPEAKER_03 42:02

I think that would be interesting to try. I'm not sure I'd buy it more than once, but raspberry I definitely would.

SPEAKER_01 42:07

I think and these last two, you would love coffee.

SPEAKER_03 42:11

Yeah, I'd love that. I think that's perfect for coffee as right.

SPEAKER_01 42:14

That would go very well, I think. And strawberry. Again, we I love a strawberry cream. We both love it.

SPEAKER_03 42:20

Yeah, so that would be perfect. So, yeah, fries, coffee and strawberry, bring them back.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

Bring them back and raspberry.

SPEAKER_03 42:25

I told Andrew, just bring all the flavours back. You've got to do more in the branding in the world to get out there. These you've been doing three flavours for over a hundred years or so, and the Turkish delight one, which uh do you have a date on that one?

SPEAKER_01 42:39

Uh no, I don't.

SPEAKER_03 42:41

So, but it's been around forever, isn't it? When you're looking at uh everyone knows it. Uh yeah, you've got to do some more, push something out there, get some partnerships out there, get get coffee back. That's really what I'm going for. That's what you're pushing. Can you can you please fries? Everyone hit quiet, quiet, quiet in the room. Fries, please bring the coffee one back. I'd love to try it. That's my appeal. That's your appeal to fries.

SPEAKER_01 43:05

See, I'm now envisioning a tub at Christmas with all those flavours in, individually wrapped.

SPEAKER_03 43:13

Exactly. Again, fries, we'll talk numbers afterwards, but these ideas I would be buying that. Yeah, the equivalent of an individual segment, yeah, wrapped obviously in the colours, and then you do all of those flavors in there. I'd buy it.

SPEAKER_01 43:27

I would buy it.

SPEAKER_03 43:28

Yeah, exactly. That sounds pretty good. That does sound very come on, fries. Yep, fries. You've heard um all of our uh 75 downloads uh behind us, or 72 downloads are behind us in saying that's what everyone wants. Yes I'm I I know I speak for all of them as well, so so we'll go for it like that. But yes, well, that was fun. Thank you for that. Um that fact was that was interesting to learn about fries as well. And yes, I said they are old, traditional, and they are an English brand. Yes, and um, yeah, well, thank you everybody for listening and joining us on that on that journey. Um, I had a fun week. Hope you had a fun week.

SPEAKER_01 44:09

Yeah, I did, and I've enjoyed today, I must admit, I have enjoyed the fries chocolate today.

SPEAKER_03 44:14

Yes, we have enjoyed it. So again, thank you everyone for listening. And this will be out, this should be on our regular schedule. So Tuesday, uh this all this will be launched, and yeah, we'll see you next week.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

Yes, and if you've got any ideas or suggestions, please drop us a line. Our email is there, and you can contact us through the podcast site as well.

SPEAKER_03 44:35

Yep, it says yeah, at the top of every description, it should say send us fan mail. And uh yeah, when we get that directly to our inbox. Brilliant. Thank you, everybody.

SPEAKER_01 44:44

Thank you. Bye.