NOW CLOSED: MU 100% Cheddar Sticks product test - feedback thread

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the 100 MNers who are trying the new MU 100% Cheddar Sticks from MU cheese with their DC.

If you are a tester please add your feedback to this thread by answering these questions once you've bought and tried the cheese.

MU says "Our new MU Sticks are the perfect little treat to pop into your kids' lunchboxes, or even stash in the fridge as a delicious and healthy snack. Each stick is made from 100% Cheddar and contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk. What's more, they are completely natural - each yummy chunk of smooth and creamy medium cheddar is just MU Cheddar, with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives added."

Everyone who is a tester and who adds their feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one family will win £100 worth of Love2Shop vouchers.

Feedback questions:

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks? What was their verdict? If they didn't go down well, why?
When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal?
What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture
  
• Strength of the cheese
  
• Packaging
  

If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why?
As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you? Why?
~ contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why?
Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right?
Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks)

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

[Piffpaffpoff]

Hello

Here are my answers....
Kids (6&4) loved them
Ate them as part of a packed lunch - one at school, one at home
Texture was 'nice', cheese strength was ok. Packaging-wise, the 6yo liked reading the fact and the 4yo managed to open it themselves so a thumbs up there.
No improvements necessary according to both of them.
The fact that it is 100%cheddar rather than any other type of hard cheese is not that important to me.
The milk fact is not that important to me as my two drink lots of milk anyway.
I think it's hugely important that they get enough calcium.
Finally, price is one of the most important factors when I'm shopping at the moment so I tend to buy whatever is on offer. So if it was competitively priced then yes I would buy again.

[unquietmind]

Hello,

I went to Tesco near me on two occassions and I have not seen the cheese available as yet either on an offer aisle or cheese one. I havent asked the staff as yet, but I will on my next visit.

[MrsJohnDeere]

I went to my nearest store (Baldock) to get the cheese today and they didn't have it. I asked a manager and he said that they didn't stock it. They did have other MU products (grated cheese, flat circles for cheeseburgers) but I didn't want to spend real money on those.

Took me an hour to drive there and back with 2 very annoying children in tow so I was a bit

[bubby64]

Went to my nearest stockest yesterday(Ipswich) and, although they had other MU products, they didn't have the cheese fingers in, am going to Bury St Edmunds next week, so will look there, and feedback when I find some.

[AnnMumsnet]

So sorry if you've not been able to get the product - do email us to let us know (if you haven't already - please drop Katie a line) and we can see if we can find out more info. Obviously the list of stores where they are stocked was supplied to us (and to our client) in good faith and they are trying to find out more but it's not very straightforward.

[mynameis]

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks? What was their verdict? If they didn't go down well, why?

Myself, DH and teens 15 & 13 tried them. A unanimous no from our household I'm afraid. We all found the flavour too strong and my son found the texture quite sticky to swallow.

When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal?

All of us ate them as a snack


What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture
  

I personally liked the texture in that it didn't have that plasticky feel that other cheese sticks have

• Strength of the cheese
  

We all found the strength too strong

• Packaging
  

Eye catching and easy to open


If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why?

A milder version please


As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you? Why?

Yes it's appealing in that there are no additives.

~ contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why?

Yes as my teens aren't big milk drinkers

Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right?

It is important but unfortunately it won't be from MU sticks

Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks)

Price is good but won't be buying again unless there is a milder version.

[StateofConfusion]

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks?

Me, dp, 7yo, 5yo, 4yo, 3yo.

What was their verdict?
Me, dp, 7yo and 4yo liked them, 5yo wasn't sure, 3yo said yuck!

If they didn't go down well, why?
5yo said it was a bit strong and too big, 3yo said too (cheesy) strong.

When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal?

Snack.

What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture- lovely texture.
  
• Strength of the cheese- slightly too strong, but ok if eaten with grapes.
  
• Packaging- good but the black top and bottom on the outer rubs off and looks scruffy which is a bit off putting.
  

If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why?

5yo would prefer half the size.

As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you?
Why? Yes. 100% cheddar is more appealing that full of extras and rubbish to make it plasticy!

~ contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why? Yes, ds doesn't drink milk.

Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right? Very important.

Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks) yes I would, even more so if they introduced mini ones to please my 5yo!

[StateofConfusion]

bubby bury st edmunds have them :)

[BornToFolk]

I couldn't get any in my local big Tesco today. They had loads of other things in the Mu range. I've emailed Katie.

[BigBugs]

Hello...

#Who in your family ate the MU Sticks? What was their verdict? If they didn't go down well, why?
Myself, dh, dd aged 2.1 and dss age 13 all tried the cheese.Dh and dd were not impressed and thought it was too strong and had a funny taste.Myself and dss thought it was ok.

#When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal?
What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture
  
• Strength of the cheese
  
• Packaging
  

We ate the cheese as a snack and all agreed that the texture was nice and smooth as described. we all agreed it was quite strong and not very mild which is not to every ones taste, we all liked the packaging.

#If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why?
Dh and dss said it would be nice without the odd aftertaste,and i think i would have to agree.

#As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you? Why?
Not particularly appealing compared to other hard cheeses

#contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why?
yes this is appealing as dss does not drink much milk so is a great way to get some calcium. Not so for dd as she still has milk am/pm

#Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right?
extremely important!

#Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks)
In all honesty probably not,as they were just not very popular in this household.
lovely packaging and if they could improve the taste of the cheese and make it a little milder then we would maybe try it again.

[BehindLockNumberNine]

We manged to buy some MU sticks on Friday and as we were peckish each had one on the drive home (that's me and ds age 13, dd age 9)
Here is our feedback:

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks? What was their verdict? If they didn't go down well, why?
Me - nice cheesy smell, nice cheesy taste, funny soft texture.
Ds - very nice, would like again
Dd - I love these, they are better than cheesestrings!

When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal?
They were eaten as a snack on the way home. We will eat the remainder on a picnic or put them in dd's lunchbox for school.

What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture - the children said the texture of the cheese was fine. I thought it was a bit too soft
  
• Strength of the cheese - perfect, very nice flavour
  
• Packaging - very nice, drums home the milk element. The children also appreciated the cow facts on the wrapper.
  

If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why? - Dd would have liked them to be peelable but ds and I prefer the fact they are not.
As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you? Why? Yes, the less artificial rubbish I put into my children the better.
~ contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why? Yes, it is hard to get them to drink enough milk
Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right? I don't count their calcium as such but just make sure they either have milk on their cereal, some cheese with their lunch or a yoghurt for a snack.
Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks)
Yes, dd would like them in her lunchbox for school. The price is reasonable (would not be prepared to pay more) so I think I may buy them again.

Thank you for allowing us to take part in this product test.

[HappySunflower]

Just a quick note for all of you selected...

I found them in my local Tesco store today- which wasn't actually one of the branches listed.
They were not in the usual chilled cabinet with all the other cheese stick/string type products. In fact they weren't with the big packets of MU cheese.
They were at the end of an aisle in a separate silver fridge thing, so it's definitely worth asking and looking around a bit more.

[MimsyBorogroves]

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks? What was their verdict? If they didn't go down well, why?

All of us - DH, DS1 (4), DS2 (8mnths) and myself tried them. DS1 loved them, but did find that they were very "claggy" (made his mouth dry and sticky. DH wasn't over enamoured, but unless it's tesco mild he doesn't like cheese anyway. They were a great shape for DS2 to hold and chew, but they melted down to a sticky consistency quickly which he didn't like, so his got thrown at the cat. I enjoyed mine, but thought the flavour was quite strong.

When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal?
We had ours as a snack for the boys on a day out, and as part of a lazy deli tea one night. They were much more successful as part of tea.

What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture

This was one of the failings for us. The cheese became sticky and gungy when warm so didn't suit finger food for the baby, and was quite offputting to eat. They were lovely straight from the fridge.

• Strength of the cheese

Possibly a bit too strong.

• Packaging

Loved it. Easy to spot, easy to open. Not too much waste.

If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why?
The texture and how quickly it melts down. I have issues with food texture and it made them unappealing to me unless straight from the fridge.

As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you? Why?
Yes. It seems healthier.

~ contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why?
It's a good thing, but both children get a lot of dairy from milk and yoghurt too, so it's not the main selling point.

Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right?
Very. It's one of the things I really keep an eye on as osteoporosis has been flagged in our family.

Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks)
I'm undecided. DS1 has already begged for them for lunch when he goes to school, but my purse is weighing up convenience and packaging appeal over cost - it would be cheaper to cut fingers off a block of cheese myself.

[beautyguru]

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks? What was their verdict? If they didn't go down well, why?

Me, DH, DD 7yo and DD 1yo+8. Oh yes and DM tried one too!! ( we are all big cheese fans!! of various types/textures)

Both DD's wolfed them down and wanted more..both DH and I thought they were disgusting, as did DM. After tasting them I was amazed DDs liked them as DH; DM and myself all found them very strong with a camembert type aftertaste. Also the texture was very claggy in comparison to other cheddars we buy.

When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal?


DD 1yo+8 ate hers whilst I was waiting to pay at Tesco!! Kept her quiet in the queue!! The rest of us ate them at home as a snack.
They are the type of thing I would put in a lunchbox though or use for picnics.

What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture-DD 7yo said it "was thicker than normal cheese but nice and creamy" DH, DM and I thought it was claggy and offputting.
  

• Strength of the cheese-DD 7yo said she liked the flavour and that it wasn't too strong for her. DH, DM and I all thought it was far too strong.
  

• Packaging- We all agreed that we liked the packaging. DD 7yo said that she "liked the black and white as cheese is made from milk which comes from cows so its good that the packet looks like a cow!" She also liked the different facts to read. She found it fairly easy to open.
  

If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why?

DDs wouldn't make any change...I would make them milder in taste and less claggy in texture.

As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you? Why?
Yes, like to know I'm giving DDs food that isn't full of chemicalsrubbish

~ contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why?
It would be if my DDs only got their calcium intake from cheese, however they both love milk, yogurts etc so not really an issue for us.

Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right?
Very important...luckily they love everything dairy so no worries for me!

Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks)

Yes I would more than likely buy them again but as budget is a huge issue for us at the moment I would still be comparing similar products and buying the best value for money.

Thank you for letting us take part in the sample survey.

[HappySunflower]

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks?
Myself, my 2 year old and my visiting 5 year old niece.

What was their verdict?
I liked them
They didn't go down so well with my daughter and my niece.

If they didn't go down well, why?
The taste was a bit too strong for them, I think!

When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal?
At home with lunch

What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture -I liked it
  
• Strength of the cheese-A bit too strong!
  
• Packaging-liked this a lot.
  

If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why?
The only things I would change are:
-strength- have a mild version
-packet size. I would like a 6 pack as perfect for lunch boxes!

As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you? Why?
It was initially appealing, yes, as I assumed there would be no hidden junk/additives, but on tasting the cheese, it is a bit too strong!

~ contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why?
Yes. Good calcium content.

Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right?
Very important
Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks)
I would, yes, but I wouldn't pay £1.35 for a 4 pack.
I buy a six pack of supermarket own cheese sticks for around that price!

[bubby64]

Thanks Stateofconfusion I have to go to Bury tomorrow or Tuseday, so will look there

[TheCunningStunt]

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks? What was their verdict? If they didn't go down well, why?

DS who is 5 and dd who is 3. They quite liked them, DS said they were easy to open at school and dd opened hers no problem either.

When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal?

DS had them in packed lunch at school. Dd had hers at home as part of her lunch.

What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture
  
• Strength of the cheese
  
• Packaging
  

The kids quite liked the texture. DS said they were rent cheesy enough, but dd seemed to love the taste. They were both drawn to the packaging which I suppose is the point.

If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why?

DS says he would make them cheesier.

As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you? Why?

Well yes, because the less crap they eat the better really.

~ contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why?

This is very appealing as mine don't like to drink to much milk. DS is just starting to like milk now.

Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right?

I thnk it's important. But cheese is only one source.

Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks)

This would cost me too much as I would need 3 packs a week, and I think I would be cheaper buying whatever cheddar is on offer and chopping it up for the kids.

[Vajazzler]

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks? What was their verdict? If they didn't go down well, why? They got eaten by me and the dc's, 9,8,6,5,2
When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal? They were eaten as part of a lunch at home
What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture good
  
• Strength of the cheese just right
  
• Packaging very eye catching and easy to open
  

If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why? i would make them a bit smaller
As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you? Why? yes it is, i want to give my children proper cheese not something 'peelable' or whatever
~ contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why? yes my children arent big milk drinkers
Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right? fairly important
Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks) at that price for 4 i would only buy them if on special offer

We really enjoyed trying these cheese sticks, thank you for choosing us!

[ouryve]

Got my vouchers, but yet to get to Tesceurgh with them!

[HoratiaWinwood]

Marking place. We also had the problem of making a special journey but being unable to find them (even asking one of the staff to look).

[TheOldestCat]

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks? What was their verdict? If they didn't go down well, why? We all ate them (me, DH, DD and DS). DH didn't like them, I thought they were nicer than they looked and DD and DS ate about half a stick - DD (5) said they were 'too strong' and DS (2) said something indecipherable but it seemed positive.

When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal? As part of lunch, with bread, cold sausages etc.

What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture Liked (except for DH who thought the texture was 'grim').
  
• Strength of the cheese Too strong for DD; I liked it.
  
• Packaging DD was very pleased 'ooooh, cheese for kids!' I usually refuse requests for cheese-strings etc so she was chuffed.
  

If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why? Less strong flavour.
As stated above MU sticks:
~ are 100% cheddar - is this appealing to you? Why? They appear to be les full of rubbish than other cheese products aimed at kids.
~ contain the equivalent of one 210ml glass of milk - is this appealing to you? Why? Yes for DD who doesn't drink much milk.
Overall, how important it is to you to ensure your children get their calcium intake right? Very important. Growing bones and all that.
Lastly do you think you would buy MU sticks again? Why? (RRP £1.35 for a pack of 4 sticks) Yes, possibly for DS's lunchbox. I cut up bits of cheese for them, but on working days it would be easier to bung one of these in. I think my Tesco were charging a quid though, not £1.35.

thanks for the cheese!

[mummyofcutetwo]

Who in your family ate the MU Sticks? What was their verdict? If they didn't go down well, why?

My husband and elder son (age 4). My husband liked it, son not sure.

When did they get eaten - on what type of occasion - eg did they go out on a picnic, in a lunchbox or eaten at home? As a snack or part of a meal?

My husband had one as a snack when he got in from work. My son had one in a picnic.

What did your family testers think of the:

• Texture
  
• Strength of the cheese
  
• Packaging
  

My husband liked the texture - he thought it was halfway between normal cheddar and dairylea. He liked the strength, but would have been happier to have had it stronger. He didn't comment on the packaging.
My son wasn't sure about the texture - he said it was too squidgy, not hard like normal cheddar. He liked the strength, but again would have been happy to have it stronger. He said they looked "so cool" when he first saw them in his picnic. He didn't find it easy to open though and so only ate half of one - he's usually pretty good at getting into packaging, especially if cheese is involved!

If you or your DC could make one improvement to MU sticks what would it be and why?

Improve the texture - make it harder like normal cheddar.

Overall, we like the cheddar sticks but I don't think I'd buy them again at the price - I'd rather cut a few lumps off a bigger block as it would be more economical.

[Elkieb]

Hi, thank you for the offer. Me, my husband and my 7 month old boy have tried them. I like the aspect of the sticks being actual cheese and have a measured amount of calcium to them.

As to the taste, the product is a good size and flavour though not too dissimilar to other cheeses/cheddars.

I would buy them again, especially if they were on offer.