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Product tests

NOW CLOSED Chedds from Cathedral City product test - feedback thread

64 replies

AnnMumsnet · 22/07/2011 11:05

This thread is for the 50 MNers who have been trying Chedds - the new 100% real Cheddar kids snacking range from Cathedral City. "Chedds is available in three fun formats: Cheese and Toasties - mini slices of real Cheddar and melba toast, Nibbles - a mini bag of bite sized Cheddar cubes that kids will love to share and Bricks - mini blocks of Cheddar that are perfect for kids on the go."

So please tell us...

(do state the age of your child in your feedback)

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

Many thanks - remember - all testers who add their feedback here will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky winner will win a £100 SpaceNK voucher.

MNHQ

OP posts:
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Solo · 22/07/2011 11:31

Our Chedds arrived yesterday as they'd had timing problems and I had Ds in hospital for some of the week...but once it arrived, I got down to testing with Dd who is 4.6.



Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

Overall we liked the product. Very handy sized packets and in 'small child' friendly sized cheese snacks too.

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

We liked all of them, but I doubt the tiny cubes would be suitable for a child over the age of about 7 or 8 as they were very small.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

I would be inclined to buy them for packed lunches on the basis that they are small and nutritious. I found the cheese too mild for myself as the only cheese brought into our house is extra mature which is eaten by both my Dc's.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

Dd loves them and kept badgering me for more cheese even up until she was going off to bed when she had a 'cheese on toast' so I think they were a hit with her.

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

The formats are novel and Dd loved them all, though I think the cheese and toasties were her favourite. I think the taste is highly rated, judging by the mmmMMMmm ing noises!!!

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?

Dd is a big joker with her own made up 'jokes', so she loved the cheese jokes. I think the facts were not of much interest to her, though older children would probably like that part.

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

Dd found the packaging difficult to open for herself and even I had to use scissors to open the bricks. She couldn't open the toasties herself either, so on that basis alone, I wouldn't buy those for her to use at school lunch. She also complained that she couldn't get to the nibbles as the opening was too small...Maybe change the packaging and we would buy them!

I personally found the toasties made the cheese quite tasteless.

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IlanaK · 22/07/2011 11:37

My children are 3, 7 and 10 year old boys.

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

The packaging was ok. It was hard to open.


Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

I couldn't see the point of the bricks as it was no different from a hunk of cheese you cut yourself. And brick cheese is already available in many brands. However, the nibbles were great. I haven't seen those in other brands and the kids loved them. The cheese toastie things are also quick a good packaging idea.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

I would definitely buy the nibbles if the price is right. I would use them as a snack when out and about for the kids.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

They all loved them.


Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

The favourite was the nibbles and the cheese toasties. They liked the taste of all of them.


Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?

Oops! I don't think they even noticed that! They were too interested in the cheese!

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

Yes, but only if the price is right. And most likely only the nibbles.

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BeattieBow · 22/07/2011 12:09

haven't tested yet - but just to say my colleagues (the pack was delivered to my work) thought they were called cheese nipples not nibbles. Maybe something to think about in your marketing! They thought it was hilarious mind. (they are young!)

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MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 22/07/2011 12:12

DC are 7, 11 and 13.

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

Overall appearance was fine, nothing that leapt out at you but fine

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

Nibbles were an interesting idea, but a bit small and fiddly - DD liked them but she has tiny fingers. I'd quite them in a bigger packet because they'd be great sprinkled on pizza Smile

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

I'd primarily buy it to use in packed lunches, but would more than likely pinch packets for myself as the mood struck.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

They enjoyed them, partly because they were novel and partly because they taste very nice.


Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

They liked the cheese (we buy Cathedral City when it has one of its nice BOGOF offers) and they liked the formats - in order I'd say it went Cheese and Toasties, Bricks then Nibbles. DSs said the bread was stale (hard) but tasted very nice, I did point out that it was supposed to be like that and they then gave it 10/10 Grin As I said before, the Nibbles would be the lowest rated for mine, but that's because my children are fairly old and they are a bit small for them. I would have really loved them when DC were younger. Only major quibble was that opening the packaging was almost impossible without using scissors or teeth. DD (7) couldn't manage at all. They need some kind of tear strip or pre-cut area (I did look, but couldn't see anything on there)


Q6 What did your children think about the character, facts and the jokes on the packets?

They didn't really mention the character, but they all enjoyed the facts and jokes (without them being pointed out by me)

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

If the price was right and the issues with packaging was addressed, yes. They enjoyed them and they work well with packed lunches.

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PuzzleRocks · 22/07/2011 12:22

DD1 (4) and DD2 (2) tried the product.

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

My first impression was not great. It seems a bit unnecessary when I can quite easily cut slice/chunks/grate cheese myself.
The children were delighted with the cool bag and eager to see what was inside.
The packaging is a bit dull.

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

I am still undecided.
The children found the nibbles adorable and call them their cheesy sweeties.
The cheese and toasties were very popular too. In fact were eaten in just two sittings. They loved the novelty of ?sandwich making?. Personally I thought some sort of relish would make it a bit more exciting.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it yourself or keep it for the children?

The price would determine whether I would buy these but they would possibly be a lunchbox snack. I would not buy them for myself. I can?t really see why any adult would.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

Loved them and asked for them right after breakfast. A resounding success with the children. This is unsurprising though as I already knew I was a mother of giant mice and not children.


Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

They liked them all but the nibbles were most popular with my 4 year old. She said they tasted better than the bricks and the toasts. In fact she used the word creamy.

Q6 What did your children think about the character, facts and the jokes on the packets?

They were completely overlooked. The packaging is a bit boring and the character doesn?t particularly stand out.


Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

Entirely price dependent. Plus the packaging would need changing as there is no way DD1 could open any of it by herself.


Thank so much for the opportunity; the girls were thrilled to be able to take part.

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Energumene · 22/07/2011 12:35

Age of DS: 5.2

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

Packaging very consistent with other Cathedral City products, so instantly identifiable as being from them, which is a positive - a reasonable guarantee that this isn't just going to be more over-processed crap. All products a sensible size, so I can definitely see them being included in a packed lunch, and they're small enough to fit in a handbag for a quick snack when we're out and about.

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

The cheese and toasties... DS loved making his own cheese on toast, and then insisted on us using one of the packs under the grill so it could be properly toasted with a bit of Worcester sauce. I was a bit Hmm because I appreciate this is not the intended use, but once the product leaves the shop there's no accounting for what will happen to it, so gave it a try. Worked absolutely fine, and a v happy DS. Nibbles and Bricks also good - I'd happily buy the nibbles for me as I'm something of a cheese addict and this rations it out nicely to protect the diet! Good range of formats to suit different needs.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

DS goes to after school club and has a packed tea every day in term time. Currently he gets mini-babybels in his packed tea, but he's said he prefers Chedds and that he'd like those instead come September, which counts for a lot with me. So I'd be buying them weekly in the Ocado shop - probably the Nibbles or Bricks, but occasionally the Cheese and Toasties as a treat, as he'd usually have a sandwich or some dolmas or samosas as the main part of his tea. I'd probably also buy the Nibbles and/or Bricks for me, but not the Cheese and Toasties - DH went for these in a big way (though he thought the cheese flavour drowned out rather by the toast) and they make barely a mouthful for him, which is not really cost-effective! Also fair to say that I have coeliac disease, which rules the toasties out for me, but put together a version with rice crackers and I'd be right there.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

DS loved them - the flavour, the cute little mouse, the size of the portions were all good as far as he was concerned. He's already asking me to buy them regularly because they're yummier than his red cheeses (mini-babybel). I'd agree with that.

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

He likes all of them and found it hard to choose a favourite. When I asked him which of the three he'd most like to put in his packed tea, he decided on the Cheese and Toasties as that would be more filling, but this is very closely followed by the Nibbles as they're easy to share with his friends. The Bricks he likes, flavour-wise, as much as the others, but would be more for him to eat at home when he isn't in a situation of wanting to share good things with his friends. He rates the taste as 'really totally yummily yummy', which is high praise, believe me. The only foods that get a higher rating are sushi and home-made cakes and dinners.

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?

He thinks the mouse is cute, and the facts and what have you interesting when I pointed them out to him, but his main focus is on what's inside the packet and getting it out so he can eat it. In that sense he responds better to the packaging of Bear Yoyos, where there is a card inside the packet that he likes to read and keep, again with a fact on, but it gets noticed because it's separate from the food, rather than merely a wrapper. Ditto cheese strings, which have cards in the multipacks that can be collected.

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

Purely in terms of flavour and format, I would be fairly certain of buying them again, but the packaging does need some work. He found it hard work breaking into the wrapper around the toasties, as did DH when he had some, and completely failed to get the Bricks open unassisted. He was fine with the Nibbles, which from experience are the easiest of the three to open. Given he would mostly be eating the products away from home, I'd want to be sure he could actually get them open without spilling them all over the floor, and the only one that works 100% on that front is the Nibbles, so I'd stick to those for now.

If I had one final observation, it's on the flavour. It's nice to have a mild cheddar that actually has some flavour, as this one does, but I don't think it needs to be quite as mild as it is to appeal to children. There seems to be a temptation to make things mild and/or bland to make them appeal to children, when in fact children can handle stronger flavours quite happily. DS will happily eat full strength Cathedral City and pongy camembert, and our regular Saturday lunch would include things like a cheddar, some smoked mackerel, home-made coleslaw, potato salad in anchovy dressing, etc. He likes goat curry and chilli con carne, sushi and dim sum, even kedgeree for breakfast, but dislikes the stuff that, from a culinary perspective, has been dumbed down to 'suit' children's taste buds - like Dairylea, for example. I don't force him to eat any of the stuff I've mentioned. He's tried it, liked it and now spontaneously requests it.

So yes, I'll almost certainly be buying Chedds in the future, but would be even happier if there were at least some mature cheddar Nibbles in the range as well, because our whole family - DS, DH and I - would prefer those.

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MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 22/07/2011 12:39

Thanks to this thread I've just eaten the remainder of the bricks with a nice accompaniment of pickle. DCs are going to be cross with me... Grin

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PfftTheMagicDragonhideGloves · 22/07/2011 12:50

H and I tested these, along with DS, who is 5 - almost 6 - and DD, 2.


Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

Overall, we thought that the products were good, though with some reservations.


Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

We enjoyed the Nibbles very much. The Toasties were nice. I thought that the Bricks were the most unnecessary.


Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

The cheese is too mild for me to eat myself, I would buy them for the children though. I would buy them for snacks out and about, particularly the Nibbles. DS would like the Cheese and Toasties in his lunchbox, but I like to stay away from convenience lunchbox food.


Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

Both of the children really liked them, though DS is a total cheese monster any way. I knew that he would eat them. He did take some Nibbles in his lunch box today.


Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

Well, the Bricks and the Nibbles taste the same. I like the fact that the snacks are made of proper cheese, not plastic cheese.

The children really liked the tiny cheese cubes though! I thought that the toasts in the Toasties were tasteless, but the children liked them.

I thought that the Bricks were the worst. The packaging was ridiculous, I couldn't open them without a knife, I don't know how a child at school would manage. There were also not enough in the bag. I would expect more than that.

The Toasties were novel, and DS loved them. However, the packaging was excessive. A cardboard outer (the only recyclable bit), then the plastic outer, then a film lid, then a foil bag. I wouldn't buy something with that much packaging, that would be a deal breaker.


Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?

I thought that the mouse looked a little cheap, not very well thought out. I appreciate that Cathedral City have kept the zany stuff to a minimum, and it still looks very much like their product.


Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

I would buy the Nibbles, definitely, if the price point is right. I might buy the Toasties again, if the packaging was reduced or changed.

I would be least likely to buy the Bricks again. I liked the cheese, and it's a good sized portion, but the packaging needs to be easier to open.

ADDITION
I would like to add - these products are always sold as lunch box items. So why do they never come in multiples of 5? Why 6? Or 8? There are 5 school days in a week, so sell them in 5s or 10s.

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sickofsocalledexperts · 22/07/2011 13:04

DD age 10 and DS age 8.


Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?


V tasty but hard to open the nibbles and bricks. (DD, 10). My DS (8) is autistic so can't verbalise but he ate it happily, so it has his seal of approval!


Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

DD, 10: Cheese and toasties, nice but not enough in them a bit measly portions. Bricks and nibbles v delicious cheese. Mum : Slices might be another option you could make available, as easier for putting in sarnies - I ended up slicing up a Brick for my boy's packed lunch sandwich.


Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

I would buy it for the kids' packed lunches and am also thinking of all 3 formats for taking down to the beach when on holiday (with ice pack and nice bag you gave us.) Will be a nice alternative to cheese strings, which my kids are rapidly going off as they are "disgusting" says my 10 year old. Must admit I (mum) would eat all the formats myself and think the bricks in particular would be my diet downfall, as I loved the creamy cheese and they were very morish! Good that it's only 75 cals per portion on bricks though.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

Yum yum, says my 10 year old, but hard to open and the nibbles exploded when I opened one pack. My boy liked the cheese because, I think , it's not too strong but it's also not as "processed" as cheese strings, so is more like normal cheese. We eat a lot of cathedral city anyway, and I always get the mild one for the kids and the mature one for mum and dad.

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

Favourite - nibbles, because it's easier to eat and tasty cheese. Liked it better than the bricks because there was more cheese and you can play with the bits, eg build towers. Cheese and toasties nice together.

Q6 What did your children think about the character, facts and the jokes on the packets?

Facts, interesting. Jokes - not v funny , 'cheesy'! Character - ok, was it the mouse?

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

I would definitely buy again because a) I am always in a rush in the morning, and anything that makes packed lunches easier is a bonus and b) I am extremely lazy and one of my least favourite jobs is cutting up bits of cheese for my boy's cheese sarnie. Mind you, I still had to cut the bricks up for my son's sarnie, so a sliced version for sandwichces would be nice.

Cheese strings are v expensive though; hope this product won't be as expensive. I would probably still buy it though (see earlier point re laziness!).

I also feel that it is less "processed" than cheese strings, which come over as hideouslly full of additives. Chedds come over as good , normal cheese - just in nice, kid-friendly bite-sized packs.

CAN YOU HURRY UP AND PUT THEM ON SALE SAYS MY 10 YEAR OLD, AS WE HAVE NONE LEFT IN THE FRIDGE!

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kizzy4kids · 22/07/2011 13:07

Children G6, G11, B13

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?
We all really liked them (mother included)

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks
Good variety and we had never seen anything like the nibbles and toasties before.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children? I would buy the nibbles and Toasties for the children ( and secretly eat them myself) but not the bricks. I would use them for lunchboxes and after school snacks.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?
They all loved the taste. Flavoursome without being strong. They wanted me to buy more and the nibbles were prefered by all to cheesestrings.

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?
The favourite by a long way was the nibbles. Such a great idea - small yet enough cheese to get the flavour. The tiny chunks reminded them of sweets.
Next was the Toasties (these were my favourite). All the children were suprised by the product - they thought toasties would be hot and melted but eat them very readily particularly the 6y old who enjoyed putting the toastie together.
Lastly the bricks - they all liked the cheese but they were not excited by the format.
The flavour was spot on for the children and me. A taste of real cheese (not a processed cheese flavour) but not too strong.

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?
They didn't pay much attention to them but did say that they liked that it wasn't too childish.

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?
I would particularly the nibbles and the toasties. My children don't have packed lunches at school but I am always on the lookout for after school snacks and these fit the bill. I thought that the toasties were over packaged and would have prefered a lot less packaging on those. The bricks I wouldn't buy as I would just cut some that shape at home for the children instead.
I would rather buy these products than cheesestrings as I feel they taste more like real cheese.

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AmberLeaf · 22/07/2011 13:25

Here's our verdict on Chedds

The tasters were;

Myself
DS1 [14]
DS2 [11]
DS3 [8]

General packaging

We liked the packaging, we liked the cartoon mouse he reminded me of Speedy Gonzalez! , they liked the 'facts', the younger 2 particularly liked the jokes. I liked the facts and jokes because anything that gets my youngest reading more is a good thing.

The colour of the packaging being the same as the 'grown up' cathedral city cheddar is good as its easy to identify if you were looking for it in the supermarket.

We didn't have a problem opening the packets at all, though the 'Nibbles' packets were definitely the easiest as they had an easy to see 'tear here' bit at the side.

Cheese and Toasties
I had one slice of cheese and one melba toast as there were 3 packs and I wasnt prepared to wrestle one off the kids!

The toasts were nice and crunchy, me personally would have enjoyed them more with a dollop of pickle!

DS1 said the melba toasts had a sweetness to them which he liked, he would have liked more in the pack but obviously they are not aimed at ever hungry 14 year olds!

DS2 liked them, he liked the crunchiness of the toasts particularly.

DS3 also liked them, he tends to like snacks rather than big meals anyway.

I can imagine them being nice with a few grapes to munch with them.

Bricks
These were the least popular.

DS2 said they seemed too strong.

DS3 said 'they were too much cheese'

DS1 did like them.

I quite liked them, but I like to eat foods with contrasting textures and found a chunk of cheese with nothing else a bit boring TBH.

Nibbles
These were everyones favourite.

All of the kids said they liked these the most.

I think i'd give these to DS3 with some sliced apple or grapes as an after school pre dinner snack.

DS1 said he could really taste the cheese with these small chunks.

DS2 liked them because 'they werent too much but they were still very tasty'

DS3 took them all out and made a pile, then chomped his way through them all.

There were 6 bags in the pack and the last 2 packs had to be divided up between the three of them-they were that popular.

I liked these, I think, even though I know what cathedral city tastes like I was expecting the cheese to have more of a processed taste like cheesestrings et al.

Overall

Nibbles came out tops.
I think 'little' food is always popular with kids, mini portions of food always seem to go down well at childrens parties IME.

I think the smallness of them was just right to get a good enough taste without it being too much.

Price depending I think I would buy these.

I would possibly buy the Cheese and Toasties but would feel that they would need something else with them to cut through the dryness of the toasts.

I dont think I would buy the Bricks as they just werent popular with the boys.

That said....I have just eaten the last Brick with a pack of worcestershire sauce flavour crisps!

I was pleasantly surprised with Chedds They had the balance right with taste/strength.

I love the cool bag too!

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pengymum · 22/07/2011 13:52

My children are 10 & 13

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

The packaging was in familiar Cathedral City colours but the outer bag is a little excessive in my view: A net would be just as good similar to the Baby Bel packaging. You can then see what you are getting inside too. It was hard to open especially for younger children. Also when the large bag was opened it smelt rather chemically (nail polish?) - a bit off putting!

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

Loved the different formats:
The bricks are good for diets/portion control, stops you picking at the block! Kids not so keen as found it a bit too much cheese - think they would prefer them with a apple or something when out and about and hungry. They liked the taste though I thought it could be a bit stronger - we normally buy Cathedral City (more so when on offer) and get mature.
The nibbles were great hit with the kids, although a bit small for adults!. I haven't seen those in other brands. As previous posters have said, they would be great in larger packs for sprinkling on pizzas!
The cheese toasties were the favourite although I found them too bland and would prefer the addition of some kind of relish to complete it. The size of the toastie is ok for younger children but too small for older teens and adults. Also the packaging was hard to get into and too large for the contents (which looked a bit stingy, adding relish would pad it out).

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

I would definitely buy them for childrens lunch boxes if the price is right. I would use them myself as portion control to aid dieting and as a snack when out and about for the family. Would prefer choice stronger flavour as my children eat the mature cheddar quite happily but can see that younger children might prefer milder taste.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

They loved them. Especially the cool bag! Are currently fighting over who is going to have it for lunchbag! Maybe a good introductory offer - free coolbag with purchase, with the mouse character on??

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

Toasties, nibbles then bricks was the order of preference for the children. Liked the size and being able to assemble themselves. The bricks were least liked as they were a bit boring and a little too much cheese! They liked the taste of all of them but would happily eat stronger tasting ones.
I liked the bricks as they were a good size, not interested in the toasties and nibbles myself as too small for me. I found the taste a bit bland for toasties and nibbles but would prefer stronger tasting version with a little relish to liven it up.

Q6 What did your children think about the character, facts and the jokes on the packets?

Oldest not bothered, youngest liked the jokes and facts and cute mousie!

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

Yes, definitely as I want to have more natural food products (ie less processed) but will be dependent on the price and if the packaging is easier to get into and can be recycled.

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SpringchickenGoldBrass · 22/07/2011 15:26

My DS is 6

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?
THe packets for the Bricks were very hard to open. THe nibbles and toasties were a bit easier. The cheese is what I would call basic mousetrap, perfectly OK. To be honest they are a little bit over-packaged.

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

I liked the nibbles best as there is something very appealing about such diddy little chunks of cheese. THe Bricks, as other people said, seem a bit pointless, you might just as well cut a hunk of cheese off a bigger block. THe toasties were OK but I kept thinking of those awful Lunchables, the most unhealthy snack in the world.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

They would be good for packed lunches and quick snacks on the go. I might grab either nibbles or toasties myself from time to time.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

DS says 'the nibbles were like small chunks of cheese, very nice. the bricks were like big chocolate bars but made out of cheese. The toasties were the best.


Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

DS says they are a teeny tiny bit sweet but he liked them all.

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?

He thinks the jokes were really funny and he liked the facts.

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

Depends very much on the price.

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MandaHugNKiss · 22/07/2011 17:11

Thanks for the opportunity to take part - it's our first time as testers!

DD 16
DS1 13
DS2 16 months

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

Bricks are very similar to the cathedral city individual portions already available (which we already buy!) Nibbles would be good for a younger child in a convenience way (ie packed lunch) and I felt that, as far a snack goes, cheese alone is better than adding the processed carbs in the Cheese and Toasties.

Also, there was a very strong chemical/plastic-y smell when I opened the outer packaging of the Nibbles and Bricks which was very off putting.

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

The Bricks, as I said, seem redundant. Nibbles are very 'cute' (I imagine little girls findin these attractive. The Cheese and Toasties take a healthy snack (small amountof cheese) and make it unhealthier by adding the 'toastie' part.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

We already by the individual portions of catherdral city. I should imagine I'd only buy the Bricks instead (not as well as) if they were on offer. DD was very taken with how cute the Nibbles were and, to be honest, I'd buy these just to get some dairy into her regularly (typical teen girl - I worry for her future bone density!) - she's eaten two packs in the two days since they arrived and yet ignores the cathedral city portions usually in the fridge! I wouldn't buy/use the cheese&toasties.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

DS1 Complained he couldn't get the packaging open on either the bricks or the cheese and toasties. When asked if he liked them, he said 'I like the bricks, the other crunchy stuff is just ok' (he hasn't eaten any more of the crunchy stuff (Cheese & toasties) but has taken another brick since). He was also a bit scathing of the 'facts' on the packaging - shouldn't be encouraging little kids in to go karts, and why are they comparing a persons foot to a childs arm and what has that got to do with cheese? I think maybe the fun facts should be more relevant to the product and less 'vague' (all six year olds do not have the same length arms! Ditto all basketball players!).

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

The bricks and nibbles were hits (my youngest happily sucked/chomped on a Brick, I would certainly give him Nibbles when he's a little older. DD really loved the dinky little nibbles.) THe cheese and toasties didn't impress at all.

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?

The facts seem random and agree with my son that putting stuff like when a child 'can' use a go cart is misleading.

Hiding the answers to the jokes under the wrapping is cute.

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

Price dependant, I would buy the nibbles to encourage DD in eating dairy/for her calcium intake. SHe ignores the individual cheese pieces I already buy. Bricks, as I have said, are too similar to the individual pieces I already buy. I wouldnt buy the cheese and toasties as not only do I think they are making a healthy snack unhealthier, but the kids just weren't impressed with them (I would probably buy them if they kids really did like them Blush )

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KentishLass · 22/07/2011 18:02

My children are 6.5 and 3.3

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?
Pretty over-processed and over-packaged to be honest. Just chopped up bits of cheese which I can do quite easily at home! For a product that is clearly aimed at children's lunch boxes, it would be nice if they could use tearable plastic so the kids can actually open the packaging! I had problems opening the Nibbles and Bricks and my 6 yo son found it impossible on his own. "Epic Fail".

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks
I thought the nibbles were tiny! The bricks were a similar size to what's already on the market, there wasn't a lot in the cheese and toasties either. Similar but different to the Dairylea offering I suppose?

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?
Children only! And only really if the packaging was improved to the extent that my kids could get into them.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?
6 y o: "really good" 3 y o: "um, good" - Sadly they actually raved about them and were disappointed when the stash in the fridge ran out.

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?
Their favourite was Nibbles, then Bricks, then Cheese + Toasties. Mine was probably the reverse of that.

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?
"Really funny" jokes - my son thought the mouse was "cute". Facts were "cool". Felt to me like they were trying too hard with all of this though.

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?
Maybe if I see them on offer in the supermarket, BOGOF or similar, as I expect they would be pricey otherwise - for essentially not a lot of cheese! Felt a but disappointed with Cathedral City to be honest.

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blouseenthusiast · 22/07/2011 18:24

Testers were me, beyond old, two Dses, 10 and 9 and DD, 5. I was enchanted by the Cathedral City coolbag, as was the receptionist at my office..

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?
We all like cathedral city and all like novelty cheese products. Cheese could have been stronger for us - we would happily have had stronger cheddar.

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

Cheese and toasties we all loved. DD thought they would be good for a doll picnic. I thought they would be even better with a small pot of Branston and 9 y/o thoughtditto with a small pot of marmite. Nibbles were liked by all except 9 y/o who thought they were too small to taste (???). The rest of us found them moreish. Bricks were most like other available products.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?
Car trips
Packed lunches
After school snack.
I would eat them myself if I weren't trying to eat less fat.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

Huge enthusiasm. 9 y/o is desperate for the toasties to be available in shops.
Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?
Er as above. Toasties most popular, followed by Nibbles.

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?
Theye were so busy eating teh cheese they didn't ntoice the packaging.

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?
Yes, popular with children and seemed reasonably wholesome.

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MindtheGappp · 22/07/2011 18:38

(do state the age of your child in your feedback - 9

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

Good quality and good flavour/texture

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

Cheese and toasties good as they form a more balanced snack (and fun); bricks good as they form a substantial, non-messy snack. Nibbles too messy or fiddly to eat.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

Depends on the price

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

Liked having their own special food. Considered it a treat.

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

Taste was right balance of deep flavour and creaminess. Cheese and toasties were the favourite as it was most fun. The toasties package was difficult to open.

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?

9 year old didn't notice - just went straight for the food. 14 year old read the facts with interest, but possibly because she wasn't allowed the snack.

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

I would be open to it, but depends on the price. I'd only pay a small premium over the basic cost of cheese.

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missmuddle · 22/07/2011 19:49

(do state the age of your child in your feedback) age 7 (but the 15 year old and 3 year old also tried some)


Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?
Quite liked the product, the children found it difficult to open.


Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

cheese and toasties/ nibbles were fun but the other bricks are similar to the small cheeses in net bags - I would not buy them for me.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?
We would probably buy the toasties for lunches and the others for picnics depending on price.


Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?
The children really liked the product the 7 year old says "it was quite good" - liked the jokes/facts on the packaging


Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

Liked the cheese and toasties not as keen on the nibbles/bricks. Preferred the taste of the cheese with the toast than without

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?

enjoyed jokes and facts but not keen on the character

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

I would buy them as a special treat for the children but not weekly

Report
curlyredhair · 22/07/2011 20:00

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

V. nice, nothing special though, other similar products on the market.

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks
Nibbles too small, cheese and toasties - toasties were minging and liked the bricks.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?
Probably buy packet of bricks once a week for me and kids.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?
Enjoyed them.


Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?
They liked the nibbles, didn't like the toast, enjoyed the product.

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?
Didn't see them, I serve food in bowls.


Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?
Sure, I buy cheese each week.

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maddiemostmerry · 22/07/2011 20:32

9, 12, 15 and 18 all boys, plus me and my husband

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?

I thought the size of the packaging was a bit much. The exterior bags could have been smaller as I thought they took up quite a lot of space in the fridge.
The Bricks were very difficult to open.
I thought the quality of the products good. The cheese about the right strength for younger not so keen on cheddar children. A good introductory cheddar experience. Too mild for my husband but he isn't really the target group!


Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks

Cheese and toasties was the favourite, followed by the Nibbles. Not so keen on the bricks and felt they were too similar to products on the market.


Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?

I would buy the product for lunch boxes as an alternative to fromage frais or crisps. Also picnics or just as a snack in the fridge. I would use the nibbles the most for example as a pizza topping if the children were making them. I would eat the nibbles as a snack, with crackers on in a salad for lunch.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?

The products were most popular with my 15 year old. He thought they were delicious. He used the nibbles in a bowl of salad for his tea. My 9 year old was the least impressed and the least likely to want them in his lunch box or as a snack.

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?

The children liked the toasties the best. Bricks the least, they thought they were boring and difficult to open. They would rather cut off a hunk of cheese from a block than faff around with the bricks.
They thought the taste was about right.

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?

My 12 year old was the only one who read the jokes on the packaging and had any real interest in it. He likes information on packaging and this appealed to him.
All the boys thought the character was ok for their respective age groups and not embarrassing.

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?

I will be interested to know the retail price as I know how much I would be prepared to pay for them.
I would buy the nibbles and probably the toasties but not the bricks.
To me the nibbles were the most versatile product and I could see myself using them with the children in cooking, salad and as a snack. The boys would eat the toasties although I did find the toast made quite a few crumbs and I'm not sure if they would eat them at school for that reason.
The bricks were just too much like any mini block of cheese. It was too much for my 9 and 12 year olds and they couldn't open the packaging.

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moonbells · 22/07/2011 20:35

OK I probably have the youngest child here - many thanks for MN letting us have a go since he's only 3.9, but cheese is pretty much his only snack because of his being banned from acidic fruits and all juice-based drinks because of malformed tooth enamel.

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?
Daft name but good idea. There are too many processed cheese snacks or dips for children and it's really nice to have a proper cheese option.

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks
Cheese toasties are a nice idea but a bit small. They are great for DS at his age, but I wouldn't want to only give one to an older child. DS wanted two at once as it was!
Nibbles are again a bit fiddly. Probably great for the younger target range but again I think a bit small for older children. DS ate a whole pack after eating two toasties. (But then he is a total cheesemonster.)
Bricks are exactly the same size as the individually wrapped blocks of mature Cathedral City which we already buy for DS.

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?
I suspect I'll be getting toasties maybe once a fortnight, though perhaps more if they make them larger! Nibbles are normal cheese for people who can't be bothered don't have time to cut up blocks of cheese which is probably going to be cheaper.

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?
YUM! was the reaction to toasties, followed by "Can I have another one of those please?"
He also liked the nibbles, and the first brick vanished OK. The following day we tried the brick and he said it was too cold (having bitten into it straight from the 2C fridge) and then refused to eat more than a couple of bites. He ate another whole pack of nibbles though. Today he's gone back to eating the lot.

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?
1: toasties (because he likes the toast with the cheese)
2: nibbles (yummy cheddar -a winner)
3: bricks (bit big to bite - I suspect these will be the best for older children)
Taste was yum - he thought he wouldn't like them to be any stronger.

Q6 What did your children think about the character, facts and the jokes on the packets?
He liked the mouse. We call him our little mouse so it was quite fun! I think he's a bit small for the facts but I appreciated them!

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not?
Toasties, for convenience, though I would really like them to be bigger. I don't think I'd bother with the nibbles for DS as it would be easy to just cut up a block of cheese and pop the pieces in one of the old babycubes left from weaning. Bricks no. (At least not yet)

HOWEVER I confess to having scoffed a bag of nibbles. They are a measured portion with nutrition info, perfect for my cheese-restricted diet and will take an age to eat because of the size if I eat one nibble at a time. So they might be going in the basket for me!!!

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moonbells · 22/07/2011 20:39

And yet again I forgot to moan about the brick packaging being a nightmare to open so a non-starter really. Nibbles are easier because of the tear notch. The outer part of the toasties is easy but the toast itself is very hard to open.

Report

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janx · 22/07/2011 20:59

I tried them with dd 6 and ds 3

Q1 What your overall impressions were of the products?
They were excited to see the arrival of the cool box - but were a little disappointed with the packaging. Overall I thought they were a little dull

Q2 What did you think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks
Cheese and toasties were novel and the children liked the idea. Ds didn't like the toastie bit and only eat the cheese. The other two seems a bit unnecessary and I could just go to the fridge and cut bits of cheese myself

Q3 When do you think you'd buy or use this product? Would you eat it youself or keep it for the children?
Maybe the cheese bricks - the children found the packaging impossible to open. The cheese was a little mild for my tasted

Q4 What did your children think about Chedds?
My two love cheese anyway - dd thought the name was silly

Q5 What did they think about the formats available? eg Cheese and Toasties, Nibbles and Bricks - which did they like the best? Which was the worst and why? How would they rate the taste of the product?
They liked the bricks best - the worst was the nimbles. They liked the taste

Q6 What did your children think about the charater, facts and the jokes on the packets?
Didn't notice that

Q7 Lastly do you think you'd be likely to buy Chedds again? Why? Why not
Maybe the bricks for packed lunch - others seems not worth it. Not sure how much they cost - that would come into my deciding whether to buy or not

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gazzalw · 22/07/2011 21:01

Myself
Wife
DS (10)
DD (5)

Q1. Nice to have a range of products suitable for lunchboxes but thought the bricks of cheese weren't really different from other products available in the kids' cheese snacks part of the cheese aisle in the supermarket. Liked the fact that they are snacks made of a good quality cheese too!

Q2. All three products went down well in our household and we liked that there are three products in the range, but think that the only 'different' product which would really appeal is the cheese and toasties combination.

Q3. Lunchbox material first and foremost but useful and convenient as a quick and quick/easy snack to take on a short trip.

The grown-ups would be most likely to eat the bricks of cheddar. DS liked the cheese and toasties best and the small cubes appealed to DD!

Q4./Q5 Well DS (who is generally quite fussy) felt the cheese was too strong (but the rest of us didn't) which is probably why he preferred the cheese and toasties option. DD loved all three (but she adores even really strong farmers' market cheddar!) but particularly liked making little sandwiches with the cheese and toasties option!

Think both agreed that the cheddar bricks were very similar to other things that we have put in their lunchboxes and the cheese and toasties option was most different and therefore fun!

Would have to say that the cheddar bricks and the cheddar cubes were very difficult to open even for the grown-ups! Need to have a tear notch in them. Children do not need to be struggling to open a snack!

Q6. Afraid to say that they didn't really pay any attention to them at all!

Q7. We would probably buy all three products if the price was right but DD would particularly request the cheese and toasties option. How often - would depend on the cost... Wife tends to buy cheese products for lunchboxes if/when they are on special offer! but have to say that we only buy decent lunchbox options so these would be more likely to figure as an option than a lot of those marketed for children.

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MayDayChild · 22/07/2011 22:08

having just spent 2 hours typing out my response for mumsnet to crash... sorry you'll have to wait for my opinion
Im too tired now.
Where's the cheese

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