NOW CLOSED Rowse Honey feedback thread

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

This thread is for the MNers who have tested Rowse Honey. Everyone who adds feedback on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where 5 winners will win a picnic hamper worth £100.

Below are some questions to get you started. Please feel free to add your own comments as well.

1. Overall, how did you find the honey to use? What did you like best about it? What didn't you like, and why?

1. When did you use the honey? Was it mainly as an ingredient in cooking or as a spread?

1. Did you use the honey in any recipes? If so, please do add your recipe to the MN recipe page and link to it here - we'd love to hear about it

1. Did you get anyone else to try the honey apart from you? What did they think (including your children if they tried it)?

1. If you weren't a regular honey user before, now that you've tried it, do you think you'll buy honey on a regular basis? If yes, would you consider using honey instead of other spreads (e.g. jam, marmalade, chocolate spread etc.) or would you use it for other things? If not, why?

1. Again, if you weren't a regular honey user before, what were the reasons why you didn't buy honey very often? Has this test changed your opinion of honey at all?

1. If it came up in conversation, do you think you would recommend Rowse honey to your friends?

1. Lastly, imagine you were the marketing director for Rowse, how do you think you would go about getting more Mums to buy honey?

Thanks very much for taking part,
MNHQ

1. Overall, how did you find the honey to use? What did you like best about it? What didn't you like, and why?

Easy to use although runnier than I expected, but this wasn't a bad thing. I'm not a great fan of honey on toast usually - I tend to use it more in cooking, but this was very nice. Dh thinks it's lovely!! Took it straight off the spoon and much prefers it to the one we already had in the cupboard! Says there is no comparisson!! He did point out that he would prefer a squeezy container though.

1. When did you use the honey? Was it mainly as an ingredient in cooking or as a spread?

See above - oops!

1. Did you use the honey in any recipes? If so, please do add your recipe to the MN recipe page and link to it here - we'd love to hear about it.

Not yet, but I often use it when roasting vegetables.

1. Did you get anyone else to try the honey apart from you? What did they think (including your children if they tried it)?

Again, see above. None of our children like honey unfortunately.

1. If you weren't a regular honey user before, now that you've tried it, do you think you'll buy honey on a regular basis? If yes, would you consider using honey instead of other spreads (e.g. jam, marmalade, chocolate spread etc.) or would you use it for other things? If not, why?

I wouldn't buy it in place of other spreads - I'm more of a savoury on toast fan, but I certainly would keep it in the house as a toast option now, rather than just an ingredient.

1. Again, if you weren't a regular honey user before, what were the reasons why you didn't buy honey very often? Has this test changed your opinion of honey at all?

See above! I seem to be answering the questions before reading them!! I would say I would definitely choose honey in future though when I wouldn't have considred it before.

1. If it came up in conversation, do you think you would recommend Rowse honey to your friends?

Probably.

1. Lastly, imagine you were the marketing director for Rowse, how do you think you would go about getting more Mums to buy honey?

I would probably mention that it can be used for much more than just a spread. There's nothing like honey roast winter vegetables. Also, it's a natural product and tastes great.

1. Have recently been using Rowse Acacia honey in 600g squeezy bottle so found a traditional jar a bit of hassle, managing to end up with honey dribbled on counter top off spoon etc. Disappointed it wasn?t a UK honey.

1. Used on toast and sandwiches, on cereal to make ?honey? cheerios (which I refuse to buy :o ) and making flapjacks.

1. Don?t usually cook with honey but was tempted by recipe going and runnyhabbit mentioned so gave it a go. www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/honeyflapjacks_73203

1. Given that I was comparing it to above mentioned Acacia and a ?local? set honey (from my neighbour?s hives) I found that it was overwhelmingly sweet and lacking in flavour, unlike the other two I?m used to. DS who loves honey didn?t comment about taste but wanted to get it out the jar himself to go on breakfast cereal. DD said ?yuck? when she licked to spoon but came round to the taste of the honey flapjacks. DH said his head was telling him flapjacks tasted lovely but his mouth wasn?t sending that message ? he does have a streaming cold atm!

1. n/a

1. Do use honey but it has confirmed that I prefer specific honey rather than blended honey as I prefer a depth of flavour, if that makes sense.

1. I?d recommend the Acacia in squeezy bottle but not sample received.

1. Emphasise it is a natural product and can be used widely. Include straightforward uses ? spread on toast, as well as options in cooking ? marinade etc.

I absolutely loved this honey - it was a real, classic, summery, honeycomb flavour - an "Enid Blyton" sort of honey. I thought the glass jar was very pretty with the little bees and will reuse it. I do find squeezy bottles easier though.

I wish it had been UK or Fairtrade. I did buy a Fairtrade Rowse honey as a result of trying this sample and while it is nice the flavour is quite different. DH liked the FT one better though.

We have had it on toast as the flavour was a big hit with my children who have asked for it straight! They also like honey with porridge. Apart from that I don't cook with it much, am a bit of a honey purist

I wouldn't have bought this before I had the sample as I thought I liked darker, single variety honey. (I'm a Kiwi and a manuka fan) But this is my favourite honey of all and I will buy it again.

I would recommend it to other people, yes, but it depends so much on taste. It certainly compares well with supermarket honeys of the same type.

I would market honey based on its health properties and its aesthetic appeal. Bees are cute looking and flowers and honeycombs are pretty. It's fascinating the way that honey is made and bees are kept. It's also interesting that honey is such an ancient product and that it has such good keeping qualities. It's a lovely golden colour and it smells nice too. In fact, I suspect I like the idea of honey even better than the taste...

I don't suppose it would be cost-effective but I think it would be lovely if you had a "honey club" for children with a website with honey-themed games/activities - or a mini-mag you could send out. Mine would love it. (It seems to have worked for them eating vegetables with the Little Lunchies...)

Overall, the flavour was the best thing - delicious. The only thing we didn't like was not being able to identify which countries the honey came from. We tend to avoid buying products from Israel for example, so prefer to know the country of origin.

We used it mainly as a spread as we don't often get honey so it was a big treat to have it on toast.

My dh and I loved it, as did ds2 (1.10), but unfortunately ds1 (3.6) was not a big fan. He doesn't have that much of a sweet tooth so not surprising, but we had hoped he would like it.

We are definitely more likely to buy honey now as we had got out of the habit if eating it, and had forgotten how nice it is. I will buy it now sometimes instead of jam. I would definitely recommend Rowse honey to friends.

For marketing, I would focus on it being a natural, free from colours, free from flavourings etc - natural sweetness with no chemicals added.

1. Overall, how did you find the honey to use? What did you like best about it? What didn't you like, and why?

Easy to use, was quite runny so easy to twirl around knife, jar was a good size.

1. When did you use the honey? Was it mainly as an ingredient in cooking or as a spread?

Used the honey on toast, on porridge and in some banana muffins.

1. Did you use the honey in any recipes? If so, please do add your recipe to the MN recipe page and link to it here - we'd love to hear about it

Used the honey in Nigella's banana muffins

1. Did you get anyone else to try the honey apart from you? What did they think (including your children if they tried it)?

It was the first time my son (18 months) tried honey, although he didn't verbalise it he seemed to love it as he was licking the honey of the pieces of toast and then going back to eat the bread afterwards.

1. If you weren't a regular honey user before, now that you've tried it, do you think you'll buy honey on a regular basis? If yes, would you consider using honey instead of other spreads (e.g. jam, marmalade, chocolate spread etc.) or would you use it for other things? If not, why?

Normally use Honey

1. Again, if you weren't a regular honey user before, what were the reasons why you didn't buy honey very often? Has this test changed your opinion of honey at all?

As above

1. If it came up in conversation, do you think you would recommend Rowse honey to your friends?

Yes if it came up.

1. Lastly, imagine you were the marketing director for Rowse, how do you think you would go about getting more Mums to buy honey?

I think recipes for parents that don't like giving sugar to their children very much, especially baking ideas etc.

I found the honey fine to use. It had a nice flavour and I particularly liked the jar design - I intend to keep and reuse it for something else.

We used the honey mostly spread on toast but I also used it to make gingerbread.
I used it in Nigellas' gingerbread recipe.

Everyone liked it - particularly the children aged 5, 4 and 2. Also gave 11m old a little taste - she loved it.

I think we will definately be buying honey on a regular basis from now on now the children know it can be used on toast and not just in cooking!

I never bought it regularly before as I personally didn't like when I was younger, but I do now.

If it came up I would recommend Rowse.

I think promoting honey as a straight up sugar substitute could be an idea. Honey is a natural product.

1. Overall, how did you find the honey to use? What did you like best about it? What didn't you like, and why?

Lovely honey

1. When did you use the honey? Was it mainly as an ingredient in cooking or as a spread?

On toast

1. Did you use the honey in any recipes? If so, please do add your recipe to the MN recipe page and link to it here - we'd love to hear about it

on toast

1. Did you get anyone else to try the honey apart from you? What did they think (including your children if they tried it)?

Children only - and loved it

1. If you weren't a regular honey user before, now that you've tried it, do you think you'll buy honey on a regular basis? If yes, would you consider using honey instead of other spreads (e.g. jam, marmalade, chocolate spread etc.) or would you use it for other things? If not, why?

Open to honey in anything nice

1. Again, if you weren't a regular honey user before, what were the reasons why you didn't buy honey very often? Has this test changed your opinion of honey at all?

no change

1. If it came up in conversation, do you think you would recommend Rowse honey to your friends?

Might do

1. Lastly, imagine you were the marketing director for Rowse, how do you think you would go about getting more Mums to buy honey?

no idea

Thanks to all Rowse honey product testers who posted their feedback here. We've done the prize draw and are pleased to announce that the winners of the £100 picnic hampers are:

StarlightMcKenzie
lulalullabye
Bicnod
onadifferentplanettoday
Aero

Congratulations all! The hampers should be with you in the next couple of weeks.

Thank you so much for the beautiful picnic hamper - it arrived today

Now all I need is some warm sunshine...

Mine came whilst I was out! Gone 10 mins. Anyway back on Friday fingers crossed. Can't wait.

Thank you so much for the lovely hamper, my ds can't wait for a warm enough day for a posh picnic!