NOW CLOSED Walkers Sunbites - feedback thread for testers

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

This thread is for all the MNers who have been trying Walkers Sunbites. Below are some questions to get you started but please feel free to add other comments too. Everyone who adds their feedback on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will get a £250 high street voucher.

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it?

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

Q1
Yes, DH, DD (age 4) and I all enjoyed eating them. I would consider buying all the flavours again. I liked the packaging although I think the 'lightly' part of the 'lightly salted' should be bolder as I (although I liked them) I was expecting them to be more salted as the lightly doesn't immediately catch your eye. My other criticism of the product is that I felt there was quite a lot of flavour but the sunbite itself was a bit 'thin'. I think a slightly thicker crisp may improve it.

I thought the cheddar flavour was the 'weakest' in the sense that it tasted rather cheap but marketed as cheddar and caramelised onion.

Q2

A healthier alternative to crisps in a range of flavours. Instead of potato they are wholegrain based, the flavours are similar to crisps so still pretty satisfying just not quite so bad for you.

Q3
We particularly liked the Sour Cream, Onion & Rosemary and Sweet Chilli. DH would quite like to see a meaty flavour which might compliment the wholegrain base.

Q4
30% less fat than normal crisps.

Q5
Yes I would as a healthier alternative, especially for kids who get crisps in their lunch boxes.

OK, more feedback from ds1(9) and dp:

1. ds1 and dp both liked the packaging, look and style of the packets and crisps.

1. dp says they're similar to crisps - a whole grain snack.

1. ds1 liked rosemary and onion and sweet chilli the best. Dp liked the rosemary and onion. Ds1 would also like to see salt and vinegar flavour.

1. dp says the multigrain aspect makes them different.

1. dp says yes, probably she would recommend.

Neither dp or ds1 liked the sea salted by the way - reporting them as way too plain!

Now eaten all the flavours as a family.
Sweet chilli is too sweet and could be more spicy. Otherwise flavours are good, but if possible could they drop the whey powder from most of the flavours then DS can eat them too.
I like the crispiness, but would like bigger packets as they're not at all filling as is.

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
Like the Matt finish of the packet and the flowers/butterflies etc. Packet looks nice.
They are rather nice. V crunchy, and taste good. Some of the flavours were very sweet though (particularly the cheese and chilli ones).

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?
A lighter, healthier alternaive to crisps.

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?
DD2 liked the cheddar ones. I liked the seasalt ones. The Chilli were nice but needed more chilli.

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it?
Baked. and wholegrain (both good!)

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes I would. They are nice and lower fat/salt etc thand 'normal' crisps.

I think the sugar content needs to be lowered too though. They really are a bit too sweet.

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

We (me and three teenage DD's) all thought the packaging was lovely, liked the matt finish, and thought they looked expensive. They were surprisingly good, I had expected them to be more of a ?foamy? texture, but they were really crisp and crunchy, and bigger than I expected.

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?
Quite posh, sort of healthy crisp things you could have with homous etc., in pretty packaging.

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?
The sour cream and black pepper were the overall favourites followed by the onion and rosemary, which one of the girls though tasted like chicken. Or stuffing. The sea salt were deemed not salty enough, the cheddar ok, fairly ordinary and the sweet chilli nice but needed a little more kick. Bacon or salt and vinegar were suggested as possible flavours, also gherkin .

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it?
I like the fact they are a bit lower in fat, and that they?re very light and crunchy. The only downside to them is that they?re all a little too sweet, and that sweetness stays with you. It?s a funny thing, a bit like salty chocolate or Marmite cereal bars ? I don?t think the sweet and savoury go together. It?s got to be either or. But that's just me.

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes I?d probably mention it as they?re a good alternative to normal crisps and would be a great lunchbox snack ? I?d probably buy them again depending on price. A big family bag to share would be good - you could put on the table with dips, crudités etc., and I'm sure they would be scoffulated pretty quickly.

Thanks MN and Walkers for putting inches on my hips letting us taste test them. Can we do Cadbury's next please?

Our favourite as a family were the rosemary and onion flavoured Sunbites. DS said they tasted like chicken but that is because we always put fresh rosemary in the roast!!

Cheddar were lovely too as were the sour cream.

Sweet chilli was the least liked.

Got ours yesterday and ate the chilli and the salted ones today. Dh thought the salted ones were bland but we both liked the chilli ones. Will write again when we have eaten the others!

I took mine to a friend's house and had 3 guys and 5 mums trying them out with me! Here are our responses....

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
We all loved the packaging - thought the packets looked appealing. They were deemed to be a bit girly by the blokes and there was a question as to why there had to be brackets around the second flavour for each pack!

Our overall impression was pretty good. There weren't that many crisps in the packet and some of the flavours were better than others but we liked the texture, the smell, most of the flavours and the idea that they were healthier than other crisps.

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?
Tasty wholewheat crisps with some interesting flavours and 30% less fat!

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?

The general consensus was that the rosemary and onion one was the best. It wasn't actually very oniony at all but had a very nice flavour and after taste.

We thought the salted one was a bit too bland and unnecessary.

The sour cream was a good basic and the black pepper was quite nice.

The sweet chilli was definitely sweet... but didn't really have any chilli going on.

The cheese was ok but a bit blah. The packaging just makes you think these are going to be more unusual and gourmet flavours.

We thought an updated prawn cocktail would appeal... maybe crab and mayo??

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it?

They actually look a bit like those bacon crisps from our childhood but I would generally say the packaging and the wholewheat make them different.

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, especially if I was serving them to friends whilst we tucked in to a bottle of wine or two and were trying to justify eating nibbles as well as carb loading in a glass!

There are 5 of us so we all tried a few from each packet!
Q1 Yes we did enjoy eating them, we were impressed with the quality and freshness. We were disappointed by how few there were in the packets, could have eaten double the amount!!
Q2 They are new style crisps which resemble frazzles, but are much crisper.
Q3 Most of us liked the Onion and Rosemary as they were tasty and different to usual flavours. We liked them all actually, though the lightly salted ones were only liked by two of us. Not sure of other flavours, but new herby ones may be good.
Q4 They tasted less fatty/greasy than usual crisps/snacks, liked the packaging. They are far more crunchy than other snacks.
Q5 Yes we would all recommend them to friends, and appreciate them being less fatty/salty than other snacks.
Thanks for letting us take part in the taste test!

We had the sour cream and pepper today. The pepper made it taste quite spicy. They were more pleasant than frazzles and quite crispy. DS. 3, ate half the packet and wanted to start on the others. As other people have said, it is good that they have fibre in, and less fat.

Yay, mine arrived on Thurs morning. Impressions - the packaging is lovely, nice colours and pictures. The bites themselves were really tasty, satisfying and tasted "healthy" and wholegrainy without being carboardy like ryvita bites. I think you could feel elegant with a bag of them on your desk, unlike traditional walkers.

How to describe... I'd go with wheaty crisps that are lower fat. With lovely flavours.

Sour cream was my favourite flavour - also liked the rosemary and onion, followed by the cheese and onion, sweet chilli... they were all lovely except the salt ones which were a bit boring.

What's different - they were tasty and healthier but didn't taste carboardy. Nice and crunchy with lovely flavours.

Yes I would recommend sunbites because they're a tasty snack that makes you feel somewhat more virtuous than muching down a packet of crisps.

Thanks for sending me the samples!

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

I thought the packaging was very nice especially the matt finish. They looked quite different to other crisps on the market. DP commented that the packets looked quite small and wondered if this was done purposely to make them seem more of a treat type crisp. Although dp said the small size probably would put him off buying them.
I did really enjoy them. They definately felt like more of an adult type crisp. The kids tried them but weren't as keen on the stronger flavours. I certainly wouldn't buy them for children.
The texture seemed a little like squares but a bit softer ( or soggier as dp said).
I think they would be better being a bit smaller so you could eat them in one bite. I think that would tie in with the slogan better to 'tiny moments ...' As they were too big for a mouthful but not big enough for a dipping type crisp.

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?

I would describe them as a small snack to enjoy when the kids are in bed. The wholegrain is also a great point.

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?

I really liked the sweet chilli and the sour cream. I think a salt and vinegar type crisp would be good as they are big favourites in this house.

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it?

I think the packaging is very different to other crisps on the market.

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes i would certainly take them round to friends for drinks and nibbles.

Thanks very much sunbites and mnet

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

I wasn't a massive fan to be honest, preferring normal crisps, but I did eat them very gratefully as they were free (thank you Walkers!). DH liked them a bit more but he eats fewer crisps than me on the whole. A friend roped into the tasting described them as "a bit hamsters-cagey" and the "sour cream ones tasted of feet" . We all found them a bit weirdly sweet and some flavours eg. the chilli flavour tasted a bit artificial and even had an aftertaste- assume that's the mysterious "natural flavouring" named on each packet. DD liked them all but she is three and a sucker for salt!!

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?

They come in a muted pastel pack with waving foliage and butterflies on the front which for some really bizarre reason reminded me of sanitary towel packaging. They are trying to get the market in "healthy" crisps and are flat and wholegrain.

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?

Sea salted was the best, but still strangely sweet- I look at the side and there is sugar in them! Bleurgh- sugar in ready-salted crisps!!
A bacon flavour might work as they are a bit like Frazzles. Actually if you pulled that off it might be quite nice.

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it?

The packet is smaller. I thought that is a good thing.

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?

No. I'm not sure that they are all that healthier TBH than some other types of crisps, despite the advertising, though the smaller packet must help. They've only got 30% less fat than regular crisps. Eat regular crisps without sugar in one third less than usual instead.

one big disadvantage packaging isn't recyclable like normal walkers packets

q1, overall, nice, very attractive packets and most flavours good. Not oily and although you could taste the grain, I enjoyed this.

q2, a lighter, higher fibre snack

q3,I really liked the onion and rosemary flavour: it was great. The other flavours were all lovely EXCEPT the lightly sea salted. I don't eat much salt but these were too mild for me.

q4, the unusual natural flavour combinations

q5 I would recommemnd them to anyone who wants a virtuous snack that doesn't taste like one

q1 liked the packaging, if a little girly. matt pack and colours and decoratikns on package good. Did see a guy at work tucking into a green pack and he said they were lovely

q2. wholegrain healthy snack in grown up flavours.

q3. lived sour cream ones and rosemary ones. salted ok but oddly tasted sweet as well. bacon would be good and barbeque

q4. the wholemeal aspect appeals to me and like the taste of them - not greasy

q5. I would recommend friends to try them and would hkpe that you can get a mixed multipack rather than one flavour only. Would serve them as nibbles when friends round.

Thanks Walkers and MN for letting my family try these

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, nice light flavours, easy to eat and just enough in the packet so that you are not tempted to eat too many.

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?
Crisp snacks made with wheat instead of potato

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?

1)Rosemary; 2) Chilli

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it?

Less salty, although still savoury

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, good alternative to crisps, especially for children

I liked them. Nice flavour, not too much salt.

Crispy but not made with potato

I liked rosemary best.

4 not potato

I woul recoomend to friends as a snack with low fat lower salt.

Righto, all scoffed and ready to feed back.

Q1.
First impressions were good. The packaging was excellent - looked premium and a touch 'organic'. Liked the subtle colours and matt finish. Did I read somewhere upthread that they are not recyclable (sp?)? If so, bad, bad Walkers.

The flavour descriptions were suitably poncy - sun-ripened, caramelised, oven-roasted etc. I know it is all blurb, but I like my snacks pretentious

They were a little in short supply; each pack seemed quite small. But, I guess 25g (?) is about normal for a bag of crisps. Great texture, nice and crispy and light. Good amount of 'bits' - looked authentically wholemeal IYSWIM. So aesthetically, they looked appetising.

Q2.
Tortilla style crispy things. Low in fat & salt but not outrageously so (i.e. comparable to Quavers/French Fries etc.). Lots wholegrain goodness. But a bit high on the sugar content.

Q3.
My favourite flavour was the Cheddar. I also liked the Salted. Chilli was okay, but could have been more chilli-ish. In fact, all of the flavours could do with being a tad stronger. The Sour Cream were a bit 'meh'. And although I had high hopes for the Rosemary, they were a bit wierd tasting and over sweet. In fact, although initially each taste was good, there was a distinct sweet aftertaste which spoilt the crisps overall. I like my snacks savoury and salty, and these were far too sweet and not nearly savoury enough.

I love Salt & Vinegar, so I'd like to see a Balsamic Vinegar & Rock Salt flavour (or somesuch nonsense...). Also, a tomatoey/paprika one would be good.

Q4.
I guess the only different feature is the wholegrain. The salt and fat are comparable to Quavers (I'm guessing). However, I would be concerned about the excess sugar - almost 3x the amount than in comparable snacks. That is not good - nor is the resulting sweet taste.

Q5.
I think I'd mention that they were okay. Good on the wholegrain, fat and salt. But too sweet for me personally - both in ingredients and taste.

Overall, they were perfectly nice but nothing out of the ordinary. I'd buy them if they were on special at the supermarket (I don't tend to be brand loyal any way - just buy whatever is the best deal) and I would probaby give them to DD (3) as an occasional treat. Would stick to the Cheddar and Salted flavours I think.

Thanks for letting me try them though. Thoroughly enjoyed scoffing and waffling. And, I'd be more than happy to blag more freebies take part in further taste tests

Yay, we got ours today and we've eaten them all already

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
I really liked the packaging but dh thought it was a bit feminine. I was pleasantly surprised by the crisps, they were much lighter than I expected and nice and crunchy. We enjoyed some flavours but not others. Overall I would say I liked them and so did dh & our 4 year old. I'm not sure the 2 year old realised she was supposed to eat them . I loved that they were square (though rippled) as they reminded me of Squares which I loved when I was younger.

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?
A wholegrain crisp.

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?
We all liked the cheddar & onion flavour. I think that was our favourite. We were pleasantly surprised by the onion & rosemary, we weren't sure about the rosemary but they tasted lovely. We liked the lightly sea salted ones but I would have liked them a bit more salty. None of us were convinced by the sweet chilli ones, they didn't seem to have a lot of flavour and had a bit of an aftertaste. We all hated the sour cream ones but then I wouldn't buy that flavour as I know I don't usually like it.

I would love to see a spring onion crisp, used to love those when I was younger.

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it?
The wholegrain.

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes I would recommend them but I would mention which flavours I found nicest.

rosemary and onion good; sweet chilli tasted perfect to me. Not too hot, but nicely flavoured; Cheese was a bit bleugh. Salt o.k. Sour cream a bit bland. Texture made up for lack of taste though.

Other flavours...I'd like to see a barbecue beef type flavour, but I would add, I was always a fan of the monster munch, so I'm not an afficienado of good taste...

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

We loved the packaging. Dh was initially a bit taken aback and declared it a bit too feminine but changed his mind later in the day (when we had our third packet)
The snacks themselves look nice although we both felt that for 120kcal there was not a lot in the packet, making them quite fattening...

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?

A wholegrain thin crispy snack

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?

We all loved the cheese and the sour cream flavours. We were pleasantly surprised by the onion and rosemary flavour. My personal favourite was the salted variety.
I would love to see a beef flavour variety

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it?

The wholegrain. and thin, slightly 'rough' texture.

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes I would recommend them, but not as a 'healthier' alternative as at 120kcal per bag they definately are not.

Overall, we like them and I think we will buy them again. THANK YOU for letting us test them.

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
loved the packaging, matt texture made it subliminially more 'eco'
nice and cripsy not fatty like normal or other premium crisps, would like more in pack!!

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?
wheaty bubbly crispy natural feel flavours, bit like grown up frazzles texture without the aftertaste

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?
cheddar, would like bacony one

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it? subtler flavours, less threatening than a bag of normal crisps in a kids lunch box!

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommed Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, if price is right, they feel a bit healthier!