Brands that jumped the shark

[TTCat39]

Is there a brand that you love, but they brought out a 'New exciting flavour!!' or seasonal variety and it just didn't work at all?

I'll go first - I love an After Eight, but the Gin & Tonic flavour is vile! Unfortunately we do like a gin & tonic, so have been gifted not one but two packs.

Another one - Walkers' cheese mix ups. Big fan of all the snacks individually, but shoving them all in one bag just doesn't work - they're somehow more bland and a bit soggy.

And no, I don't live on junk food, but brocolli and rice seems fairly consistent!

Tell me your brands that went off the rails...

@TTCat39, I remember trying white chocolate edition After Eights and it didn't work at all. The strong mint flavour totally overwhelmed the white chocolate to the extent that it might as well not have been there at all.

@ChickenGotLegs

Irn Bru. Totally changed the recipe and it's disgusting.

Yes! Sweeteners. Used to be my go to for hangovers and dicky tummy. Haven't bought it since they took the fucking sugar out.

@TomHardyAndMe

Not big brands, but local well known gastropub have decided that all vegetarians want to eat vegan. Erm, nope. Some of us like/want actual cheese and don’t want carby seitan, thanks very much.

Works canteen has made everything low fat. Can’t eat there now.

Yes. I hate that too. Stick one vegan thing on the menu and everyone is happy. No. I don’t want fake cheese.

When I was little Lucozade was a real treat if we were feeling poorly now it would make me feel worse! I can’t stand artificial sweetener and actually think I may be allergic to them. If I have one mouthful I can’t get rid of the taste . I am sure all the additives can’t be good for you either .

I am glad there are so many of us who hate artificial sweeteners.

As a gin and tonic lover it used to really annoy me that pubs always used to give me Schweppes diet tonic water by default. I had to specify when ordering that I didn't want the diet version.

Now that everywhere sells Fevertree it is much easier to get nice tonic water. To the PP who said the higher sugar version isn't available any more - our local Tesco stocks it.

I hate this whole business of making vegetarian options vegan too. I like loads of vegan food. I've been cooking it and buying it for years as part of a varied diet. But I'm sick of dairy ingredients being removed from previously vegetarian food to supposedly cater for everyone who doesn't eat meat. It seems to be ok to assume that a vegetarian is ok with vegan food, but not ok to assume that meat eaters will eat the vegetarian option.

Orange Bourneville. I love Bourneville chocolate and chocolate orange, so my husband bought me a chocolate Bourneville Easter Egg. Absolutely vile taste.

If you want real sugar vimto and Ribena go to a shop aimed at Muslims (ideally around now as it’s Ramadhan) and the stuff that’s imported from the middle east

Erm, nope. Some of us like/want actual cheese and don’t want carby seitan, thanks very much.

@TomHardyAndMe Side note, but I thought seitan was very low carb because it's just gluten (the protein) and no starch.

We ordered hot cross buns and didn't and didn't specify a substitution because surely they are all the same? Then salted caramel ones were substituted, they were rank, cinnamon and caramel, yuk.
I notice they did a chilly flavour for Easter too, why?

I also came on to say San Pellegrino. I used to love it when on holiday or hungover. It's just horrendous now.

Though a fairly decent substitute is innocent bubbles lemon and lime...

@MostExcellentHoneychurch

Erm, nope. Some of us like/want actual cheese and don’t want carby seitan, thanks very much.

@TomHardyAndMe Side note, but I thought seitan was very low carb because it's just gluten (the protein) and no starch.

Depends what they do to it. Tends to be battered/as a burger/with some sort of sticky sweet chilly sauce.

@FunnyWonder

I hate this whole business of making vegetarian options vegan too. I like loads of vegan food. I've been cooking it and buying it for years as part of a varied diet. But I'm sick of dairy ingredients being removed from previously vegetarian food to supposedly cater for everyone who doesn't eat meat. It seems to be ok to assume that a vegetarian is ok with vegan food, but not ok to assume that meat eaters will eat the vegetarian option.

Indeed! And because the veggie option in lots of places is a token gesture (Sunday lunches around here rarely have anything and if they do it’s quorn/Glamorgan sausages which is hard to get excited about) it leaves even less choice.

(I’m allergic to tomatoes and opt for a lower carb diet so it’s hard enough already. :-/)

@TabooNCoke
RE hot crossed bun flavours - I have to say I do like the M&S Marmite ones!

@Starborn

Marmite is now Vegan Friendly - I don't know if they've changed the recipe, but it's very difficult to spread now, really determined to remain on the knife!

And I would really like half an hour alone with a baseball bat and the person who first said, "Caramel is too deliciously sweet - why not add SALT?"

I have the same problem with the Marmite, so i put a smidgen of flavourless oil on the knife and the Marmite just slides off. 👍

@GrumpyHoonMain

If you want real sugar vimto and Ribena go to a shop aimed at Muslims (ideally around now as it’s Ramadhan) and the stuff that’s imported from the middle east

Do they not use artificial sweeteners so much in the middle and far East, and is it a cultural thing to avoid them?

@isseys4xmastinselcats

the red velvet magnums that came out last year bought some and they taste of absolutely nothing very disapointed as i love magnums icelands versions of magnums are much tastier and half the price

I think red velvet is a complete con anyway - red velvet cake is chocolate sponge with a shedload of red food colouring in it - there is no specific red velvet flavour.

Yes, red velvet cake is a bit emperor's new clothes, isn't it.

Real red velvet includes buttermilk and vinegar which gives it a distinctive tangy flavour (and doesn't include food colouring - the red colour comes from non-dutched cocoa). But yes, most "red velvet" cakes sold commercially are pointlessly dyed chocolate cakes.

[quote TTCat39]@TabooNCoke
RE hot crossed bun flavours - I have to say I do like the M&S Marmite ones! [/quote]

That sounds so wrong !

@Starborn Sainsburys do a ‘low sodium’ yeast extract that is far, far nicer than ‘real’ marmite. I can’t stand it now either!

*Yes, red velvet cake is a bit emperor's new clothes, isn't it.
*
Exactly. I saw Bailey's Red Velvet cupcake flavour and I just thought well, that's just Baileys with a shed load of red food dye in it. What's the point?

All that happens is, you end up with a red tongue.

@dayswithaY

*Yes, red velvet cake is a bit emperor's new clothes, isn't it. * Exactly. I saw Bailey's Red Velvet cupcake flavour and I just thought well, that's just Baileys with a shed load of red food dye in it. What's the point?

All that happens is, you end up with a red tongue.

Not just a red tongue

Iron bru
And whatever the holy hell they did to um bongo