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 I liked the packaging and enjoyed eating them, especially the onion and rosemary.

Q2 They aren't really like crisps but they are tasty savoury snacks - maybe like Ryvita minis but thin

Q3 Onion and Rosemary

Q4 The lower fat and higher fibre content

Q5 Yes because they are a healthier alternative

Got mine from Post Office today. Shall begin testing tomorrow.

My overall impression of the bags themselves, was very positive. A bit more of a 'grown-up crisp'! Myself & my husband enjoyed them a lot. Children however, not so much. I wouldn't buy them for the children after testing these, but I would buy them for myself and my husband.
I loved the wholegrain taste & my favourite flavour was chilli.
The packaging was spot-on & I wouldn't think twice about recommending them to anyone.
As a whole, they were much more filling than a bag of ordinary crisps.

I tested these with 3 adults and 4 children aged 2-6. They didn't last long.

1. Our overall impression was good. At first they looked a little wholemealy but we all liked the taste. I asked my daughter if she preferred these or 'normal' crisps and she said, "BOTH these AND normal crisps", which was high praise indeed. We liked the crunch, and the strong flavours. They were a satisfying snack.

1. I would describe them as thick crunchy wholemeal corn chips.

1. I liked the caramelised onion and rosemary flavour best. My elder daughter liked the cheddar. My younger daughter liked the sour cream and onion. Best friend liked the chilli at first (but not the aftertaste). Best friend's brother liked the sea salt. So I think everything got a vote. I'd like to a buy a multipack containing one of each!

1. What makes this different is that it is quite filling for the low calories, and they are just a bit healthier than normal crisps but taste as good.

1. Yes, I would recommend if the subject came up. I'm not about to go running round the school gate yabbering about Sunbites, obviously, because that would be odd...

We've tried them all. Only flavour not so keen on was salt. Would have preferred salt and vinegar. Loved the rest. Really tasty and crunchy. Would definitely choose these as healthier alternative to usual Walkers. Would definitely recommend.

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

Overall, I liked this product. I loved the crunchiness of the crisps, and the fact that they had a real bite to them rather than being too thin, if you know what I mean. Also, they wer'nt extra salty and I could share them with DD (2.5), although I did find them a little under-flavoured.

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

Walkers new healthier, crunchier crisps with lots of new flavours!

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 cheddar and onion. DH liked the sweet chilli the most too. I cant really think of any new flavours I'd like to try off the top of my head, but I would try any new flavours that came out - the more choice the better!

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 don't think they're hugely different to many other crisps, apart from the texture of the crisps and the wholegrain factor. I wouldn't buy them for the sake of wholegrain though, I'd buy them to try them out first, and then simply buy again if I liked the taste.

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

My friend was here when the box arrived so we tried some together - she didnt like the thyme and onion flavour and I wasn't hugely fond of it either. Although she didnt try any other flavours, so I'd probably tell her that the other flavours were alot better, in case she wanted to try it! If a friend was specifically talking about looking for healthier snacks and was a crisp lover, I'd definitely reccomend them. Otherwise, probably not.

Been away but planning to collect tomorrow

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

I did enjoy eating these - I like to have something savoury as a snack, and these were different to having regular crisps or nuts. I liked that they were so crunchy and didn't feel greasy.

I had tried the salted ones before but was a bit wary of trying the other flavours. I was pleasantly surprised with the other flavours, and would buy them again.

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

They are a type of crisp but made with whole grains, and are quite low in calories, with lots of crunch!

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

I liked the rosemary and onion ones the best. I'd like to see a vinegar type flavour available.

I wasn't so keen on the sweet chilli flavour as the after taste was a bit odd. The cheese and onion flavour was a bit strong for me. But I enjoyed the other ones particularly.

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 element makes them different to other snacks.

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

I would recommend these to my friends, especially as a lower calorie option.

The packaging was appealing, and made the product appear more grown up than regular crisps.

Very impressed overall, would definitely recommend them to others, apart from the onion ones...they are VILE
The others were all lovely tho and feel less of a greedy cow than eating normal crisps

1)I really enjoyed eating them. They were surprisingly soft but crunchy as well. Some crisps hurt my gums these didnt.
2)A healthy wholewheat snack.
3) I loved the cheddar ones! I think there current flavours are sufficient.
4The wholegains
5)I would as there such a variety of flavours that there is something for everyone.

Q1 They look very nice - like the pastel colours, although seem more attractive to females than males... DH was a little put off as he thought they may look a bit too healthy for him! :)

Q2 Wholewheat crisp snack

Q3 Onion and Rosemary was nicest - not much taste of onion but the hint of rosemary was a bit different and nice. Agree with others about some flavours being a bit lacking - didn't taste any pepper in the cracked black pepper one. I think they would be quite nice without any flavour.

Q4 Probably the wholegrain element. To be honest though, I would still think of them as a crisp. (DC liked the shape the best and thought wavy squares were very cool! :))

Q5 Only if they specifically asked if I'd tried them, I would say it might be worth trying a packet but I wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend them and I think I would only buy them in the future if they happened to be on offer.

My overall impressions is that they don't exist.....still waiting!

Q1 Overall impression was good - the colour, appearance and light crispy crunch is appealing. They were higher in fat and calories than I was expecting - comparing them to other crisps/snacks we had in the house the fat and calorie difference felt a bit marginal (e.g Walkers Sensations 26.3g fat/100g) - I probably wouldn't buy these on the grounds of being healthier but might buy them on the grounds of being tasty/enjoyable to eat - I was expecting under 20g fat/100g for a snack billed as being 30% lower in fat. Were Walkers comparing them to their highest fat snack?

Q2 I'd describle these as a wholegrain crisp type snack

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range? - We liked the rosemary and onion and the sour cream and cracked pepper the most. I wasn't that keen on the cheddar flavour, the sea salt flavour was a bit boring but allowed the "wholegrain flavour" to come through which was quite pleasant. We found the sweet chilli flavour a bit bland and thought it didn't go so well with the wholegrain (we like the Thai sweet chilli flavour of Walkers Sensations so these didn't compare well to that). My dd (4.9) said "all the flavours are my favourite" and ds (nearly 3) hoovered up as many as he could :)

Q4 Thinking about Sunbites in comparison to other snacks, can you think of one feature which makes Sunbites different? If so, what is it? Pleasant, lighter texture/mouth feel - less fatty feel in the mouth than crisps (although I wonder if that is what makes crisps so appealing)

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not? - as the poster above - only if I was asked if I'd tried them - I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend them and would probably only buy when on offer - mainly for the children for picnics/packed lunches.

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 enjoyed them. I shared them between the five of us and so there were only a couple of sunbites of each flavour as not many in a bag. We all really liked the texture.

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

Very crunchy light snack. More like a frazzle than a crisp but not as greasy as a frazzle.

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

Sweet chilli - loved by my chidlren but dh and I would have liked more heat.

Onion and rosemary - Definately my favourinte, lovely. a really unusual flavour. Yum.

Cheddar - really really nice, we all liked this one. Very good with a glass of red wine!

Salted - my children liked them but they werent salty enough for me!

Sour cream - children seemed to enjoy them but I wasnt over-keen.

I would like to see a meaty one - like a healthier frazzle!

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 that they contain fibre so should be a bit more filling and sustaining than a bag of wotsits!

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

I would recommend the Rosemay/onion ones and the cheddar ones.

Right, I've eaten them all, DH tried one but he didn't like the texture much at all. (Tbh I think they had too much of an air of "healthy" for him!)
So, here's my final feedback:

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
They look nice, each one is fairly big which automatically makes you feel they'll fill you up. The packaging is good - not too garish so gives the impression that the product is "natural", i.e. not full of false flavours/colours. The sunbites themselves, I thought, were a bit bland. The strongest flavour to come through with every type was the flavour of the sunbite itself, with a hint of whatever the flavouring was. The texture wasn't the best - takes ages to chew (compared to crisps, but then I suppose if they take longer to eat hey make you feel fuller), and got stuck in my teeth. I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy them, but I'm not raving about them either.

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were?
Grainy, crunchy snacks with a hint of flavouring.

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?
My favourite flavour was the rosemary and onion. A meat-type flavour might be nice - chicken or turkey would probably go best with the texture.

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 packaging - I've not seen any snacks with pastel coloured packaging before, and at he supermarket I've noticed they really stand out as a result.

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?
I don't think I would, because I didn't think they had much flavour to them, and I wasn't keen on the texture.

Hello, sorry for the late response, I've only just finished my last bag of Sunbites! Overall I was really pleased with them, they were a tasty, healthy (ish) snack and I was pleased to note that they were all suitable for vegetarians. The Cheddar ones were my favourite, which surprised me as I don't normally much care for cheesy crisps but these were really tasty. The Onion and Rosemary were my least favourite as they had a strange aftertaste, these were the only ones I didn't much enjoy. My only criticism would be that they could all have a slightly stronger flavour perhaps.... the sweet chilli in particular were really nice but needed a bit more "oomph". I love chilli crisps but these were a bit insipid.

I'd describe them to a friend as being a healthier, wholegrain crisp that are satisfyingly crunchy but could do with a bit more flavour (sorry!). I would recommend them to anyone searching for a healthy snack and I'd probably buy the Cheddar ones again, but not the others. I liked the texture very much though, nicely crunchy and less greasy than ordinary crisps, very satisfying.

Thanks for the free bags! :)

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

The whole family really enjoyed eating them because of the fact they are 'crispy and crunchy' and a good range of flavours to suit all.

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

A healthier snack somewhere between a crisp and a cracker.

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

The children enjoyed the sour cream, chilli and roasted onion flavours the most. The adults enjoyed the chilli as they had the most taste. We found the plain/salted ones a bit bland. We would like to see a bacon flavour and I would particulalry like prawn cocktail!

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 fact that althouth they are like a crisp they have wholegrain and natural flavours and are much tastier than other lower fat crisps.

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 think they are great for an after school snack and for occasional lunch box treats.

Thanks for the tasters Mumsnet. I'm always up to try new things.

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

I liked the packaging. Very attractive and suptle. I don't know where the "sun" comes into the name (am I being thick?). The crisps themselves looked heavier than they were - lovely and crunchy - great texture, liked the base taste but I didn't think there was enough flavour on the crisps themselves.
They are marketed as the healthy alternative - and I agree they have hiher fibre content but they are still relatively high in fat.

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

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?
The chilli one was the nicest. Would like to see Salt and Vinegar and maye something with olives would suit this 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?
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?
Hmm difficult - probably not as the flavour is not strong enough for me. If it were stronger I would say they were a nice change from regular crisps.

Taste-test of the children in the house - 2x four year olds said they didn't like them. The two year old did.

Slimming World wise - I looked up Sunbites (25g) and they come in as 6 syns whereas ordinary crisps (25g) come in at 6 1/2 syns so there's really not that much diffrence as far as they are concerned. It is still a fatty snack.

Just finished my last bag so here goes.

Favourite flavour was the Rosemary and Onion. Had already been buying these and hiding from the dc after I tried some my sister had bought. Hadn't realised though that they were multigrain and lower fat but there again I don't do counting calories.

Least favourite was slightly salted, general reaction from both me and DH was pah, pah, pah, get it out of my mouth! Didn't taste nice at all and left bits in mouth.

Wouldn't recommend to a friend as they are expensive and agree that their are too few in the pack. Also think that the Baked range actually contains less fat so if its the health aspects that appeal they'd be better off with those.

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not? I like the pastel colours on the packaging. When I opened the first packet I was a bit disappointed at how many crisps were in each packet. However because they do have alot of flavour it seemed like the right amount. I like how crunchy they are. DS said it leaves bits in your mouth for ages afterwards but he liked them.

Q2 How would you describe Sunbites to a friend who didn't know what they were? They are crunchy, lots of flavour and a bit bitty!

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 sour cream. DS turned his nose up at the chilli but I liked those ones too. We both thought the salt ones were a bit bland. I would really like to see a Cream cheese and bacon flavour (like Red Sky), or adding some vinegar to the plain salt ones.

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 that the flavours dont taste like flavouring, they taste like what it would be like to eat sweet chilli for example. Also they are much more crunchy than other crisps.

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not? I think I would recommend them. I liked them more than most crisps as the flavour doesnt taste artificial.

Q1 What was your overall impression of the product? Did you enjoy eating them or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
The packets looked quite classy - although DH said he wouldn't take them to work because they looked a bit girly. We enjoyed eating them, particularly the sweet chilli flavour, because they were tasty and felt a bit more healthy than troughing a bag of crisps!

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

Q3 Which flavour did you like the most? Are there any other flavours you'd like to see in the range?
The grown ups liked sweet chilli and the children liked the salted ones. I'd like a salt and balsamic vinegar flavour, or smoky bacon type thing.

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 wholegrainness (is that even a word!?)

Q5 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Sunbites to your friends? If so, why? If not, why not?
I might do, or I'd be more likely to buy a big bag when we had people round and put it out instead of crisps. I think they'd be nice eaten with dips and they seem quite sturdy so you could scoop plenty of dip up.

Overall impression - liked the packaging, looked smart/sophisticated. Did we enjoy? Yes and no. As a nibble with drinks they were good - a crispy, light snack that wasn't particularly filling. However, they were far too sweet, apart from the Sweet Chilli of course where you'd expect sweetness. The 'lightly salted' couldn't have been any more lightly salted - lack of salt made even more noticeable by the over-riding artificial sweetness.

Would describe as a delicate wholegrain snack, a bit like a corrugated wholegrain Pringle but easier to eat elegantly.

Favourite flavour was Sweet Chilli - had just the right balance of sweet and kick. Maybe a Lemon/Thyme/Chicken flavour would work?

Square shape is good.

Might recommend to friends. Would probably buy again if wanted something a bit different for a drinks party.

Thank you for the opportunity to try them for free.

Mine have just arrived.

Q1.
I liked the packaging. It made it look like the product is full of natural goodness and made with care. I enjoyed the crunchy texture of the Sunbites but thought some flavours were too sweet.

Q2.
A wholegrain snack. Looks a bit like Frazzles. Doesn't taste as cardboardy as other alternatives to crisps.

Q3.
I enjoyed Rosemary and Onion the most. I thought the Sweet chilli flavoured ones were too sweet (I guess I was expecting more of a kick to them). I also didn't enjoy the Cheddar ones - I was expecting them to be more cheesy.
I think some more herby flavours might be nice. Meat flavours might be nice too but, as Sunbites are quite sweet, they probably wouldn't work.

Q4.
The first thing that comes to my mind is that most of the flavours are too sweet.

Q5.
I'd only recommend the Rosemary and Onion flavour out of the range tried. I think that if people go for a packet of crisps (or similar) they're expecting a savoury kick. Therefore they might be disappointed with the underlying sweetness of the Sunbites.

just tried the sweet chilli ones! yummy