NOW CLOSED Primula PODs - tester feedback thread

[KatieBMumsnet]

This thread is for the 200 Mumsnetters who have been trying the new Primula PODs with their DCs. Below are a few questions to get you started but please feel free to add any other comments you may also have.

Everyone who adds their feedback to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £150 Debenhams voucher.

The first few questions are about the Primula Cheese PODs:
Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture
• Taste
• Packaging

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them? Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not? Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks? Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?
Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

Q1 DD loved the pod and how it opened. She's a three year old cheese addict but she hated this and spat it out. I loved it as it tasted like Primula squeeze cheese!
Q2 texture a bit plastic , packaging excellent and easy for a toddler, taste was lovely
Q3 No
Q4 After nursery snack
Q5 No more than any other cheese
Q6 HeaLthy
Q7 No

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?

DD aged 6 and me. We both liked them. I am a complete Primula addict (the shrimp cheese spread is my guilty secret pleasure and I can easily eat a whole tube in one go). I liked the plain one the best but also enjoyed the chive one. DD absolutely loved the plain one and cannot be persuaded to even attempt the chive one for love nor money. I have no idea why and I don't think she does either. She is happy to eat other things with visible herbs and eats flavoured Laughing Cow on holiday very happily, even eg blue cheese, olive or goats cheese flavours.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

- Texture LOVELY. I am a big fan of processed cheese generally and this really hit the spot. Firm but not chewy and as synthetic as you like (this was a plus point for me. I really LOVE processed cheese. There wasn't a big difference between the plain and chive kinds.

- Taste LOVELY! Big primula fan here and this was very similar. Would you ever consider doing a shrimp one? I absolutely adore that stuff.

- Packaging Excellent. I have an unusually cack-handed and weedy child and she could open this no problems alone. For this reason alone it is an excellent lunch box choice. I would be prepared to give her almost anything she can open alone as I feel a bit sorry for her TA and lunchtime supervisors. Tons better than Babybel packaging (and DD liked the flavour better). However, it's not recyclable. I would buy this every week if it was. As it is, it will be an occasional treat as I will not regularly buy things where I cannot recycle the major portion of the packaging.

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?
I didn't, because that would seem a weird use of what is probably a relatively expensive cheese product. Quite honestly, I use cheap generic cheese to cook. Sainsburys Basics cheddar tastes absolutely no different in macaroni cheese than more expensive kinds.

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc
After school snack and in lunchbox.

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?
It would make me think you thought I was stupid, really. Obviously it has calcium in it. I would be v v concerned if a cheese product did not contain a reasonable helping of calcium. However, I do buy a fair amount of cheese so I would probably buy it sometimes even though you think I am an idiot.

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?
No added rubbish, low salt (within the context of what it is so obv cheese is saltier than fruit), low sugar, no sweeteners, no excess packaging, recyclable packaging, good flavour, if it contains vegetables in any format so much the better.

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
I would say I liked them but I'm afraid I would definitely have to point out that the packaging is not recyclable in the UK. This is a bit of a stumbling block for me. I just think it's responsible to make an effort. I realise the wax on Babybels isn't recyclable either but at least you can use it to make things out of (mice, holly berries, fake moustaches).

WEBSITE
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?
She liked it well enough. I don't think she'd be clamouring to go back. She played for about ten or fifteen minutes and then asked to go on Poisson Rouge which she loves. She does absolutely love the mice on the packaging. If there was a bit more of them, she might like it better. As it was, the games were sort of disconnected from the mouse characters. She couldn't be persuaded to go back and explore further once she'd got bored with the games.

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?
I'm always keen on a bit of covert education on websites. TBH, this wasn't DD's cup of tea but I can see that some children would love the games. DD would probably have liked more stories about the mice etc.

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?

The PODs arrived the day of dd's 10th birthday party. She had five friends for tea. I put the PODs on the table and all girls tried them. Out of the 6 girls three tried and loved the original flavour. One did not like the original flavour. Two girls tried the chive flavour and liked it. One tried and did not like.

I had an original flavour one. I did not like it, it tasted too much like plastic.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture - far too rubbery and plastic like. Did not look or feel like a food stuff!
• Taste. Tasted far too artificial for my liking. In terms of the girls, those that liked liked the cheesy taste. Those that did not like said it did not taste like cheese.
• Packaging. Thought the packaging was easy to open. However, dh and I are concerned about the recyclability of the packaging and thought it must be environmentally unfriendly to produce it.

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?
I don't thin I would ever cook with processed cheese and as I did not like the taste of the POD I won't be cooking with it.

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc
At a birthday party tea as part of a buffet of snacks and nibbles. Will add the remaining PODs to dd's lunchbox over the next few days even though she was not keen on the original flavour, she did not taste the chive one at the party.

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?
Probably not. MY dc drink a lot of milk and eat a lot of yoghurt and cheese. Neither are keen on babybells although they do like cheese strings.

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?
That they are as natural as they can be, not over processed and in minimal, environmentally friendly packaging.

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
No, I did not like the taste and the girls at the party were not unanimously in favour either.

Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?
Dd quite liked a look around the website and she enjoyed some of the games. I think she felt it was a bit baby-ish for her and she lost interest quite quickly.

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?
Perhaps a bit more educational?

Thank you for letting us try the PODs.

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?

My 4 year old son, myself and my husband. Initial impressions were good. Cheese tasted nice and were different from other cheese snacks we usually buy.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture - Nice creamy texture
• Taste - Very tasty, chive flavour not too strong
• Packaging - Nice packaging - easy to open and kept cheese well protected

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?

No did not try the recipes, don't think they are appropriate to cook with - too small!

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc

As an after school snack and in the lunchbox.

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?

Yes. I like to put a cheese snack in my son's lunchbox for this reason.

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?

Easy open so that when he takes in his lunchbox he can easily open it himself. Healthy and great tasting at not too expensive a price.

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?

Yes I would recommend to friends and relatives with children as they are a good cheese snack that are tasty and easy for children to open and eat.

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?

They thought it was OK but weren't too keen on the characters and he quickly got bored of the games. Not a website he would use very often.

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?

I think the website is fine for younger children but my son did not find it very entertaining. Perhaps more games could be added?

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
Me, DH, DS1 (8yrs), DS2 (5yrs) , Granny and Grandpa.
Liked the look of the cheeses, but no one much liked the taste.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture - a bit claggy and rubbery
• Taste - very bland, couldn't tell much difference in flavour between the 2
• Packaging - really liked the ease of opening and the pictures

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?
No - wouldn't buy these to cook with.

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc
We tried them for lunch, would buy something like this for lunchboxes.

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?
Would make no difference as I know cheese contains calcium.

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?
Something my DC will happily eat, and not to unhealthy. Less salt as I worry about the amount of salt they end up eating.

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
Would recommend other people try them as i liked the packaging and the idea of something different from cheese string/babybel.

Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?
8 year old DS had a look around and announced it was lame (sorry!). He said it was far too babyish and the games were really boring. Was also disappointed as lots of it was print out and we don't have a printer. 5 year old found the games quite fun as is less computer literate, but atttention was not grabbed enough for him to ask to come back, he prefers CBeebies as lots more to do.

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?
Can't see my 2 wanting to look again - my feeling was it was aimed at pre-schoolers and not for us. We are unlikely to go on product websites such as this unless it was to enter a competition with a prize the DCs really wanted to try and win. Otherwise we stick with Cbeebies and CBBC as I trust them not to be (covertly) selling at my child.

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
Myself, dh and dd(9). Dd said she thought she'd tried them before as the packaging was familiar. They are a good size for lunch boxes.
Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture
• Taste
• Packaging

Texture - very plasticky and synthetic. Taste - a bit artificial, left a funny aftertaste. Packaging - nice and bright . Good strong net with easy to read label. Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them? No none of them. Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc Only when they first arrived, unfortunately none of us want to eat anymore Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not? Yes calcium is vital and cheese is a good source. Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks? Great taste, healthy natural ingredients, not too processed. Easy to transport. Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not? No I'm afraid we wouldn't, we would recommend they stick to real cheese or babybels at a push. ------------------- Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?

We didn't get far on the website as it took forever to load/refresh. Games looked fun but dd got frustrated at how slow it all was.

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?

I think the website is not really our sort of thing so I don't think you could make improvements which would fit with the feel of it already. Speed would help though!

Thank you for letting us try the cheeses!

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
Me, DH and 2 DCs.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture

The children liked them, thought they were nice and soft. I thought it was like a processed cheese slice had been rolled up, DH agreed. It didn't seem like real cheese.

• Taste

DCs said they were nice (although only one would try to cheese and chive), I thought they were very bland, DH couldn't taste anything but said he could detect salt.

• Packaging

Great for the children. The youngest could open it unaided (we've had problems with other lunchbox cheese snacks being difficult to open).

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?
No, none of them appealed, seemed too much faffing around and the Pods are expensive to use as an ingredient.

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc
Snacks, lunchbox.

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?
No more than any other cheese product (which are all a good source of calcium, I believe).

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?
Easy to open and eat, nutritious.

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
Possibly, because I think the packaging is easy for young children to open and they would appeal to children in general.

Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?
They really enjoyed the river rapids - mild peril is a big winner with them! They weren't interested in the mouse characters.
Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?
It's not something I would use with the children very often. It seems to be a bit pointless - Primula isn't that exciting, sorry!

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions? 10 year old DD tried them. She liked the original ones but was less keen on the cheese n chive ones. DH tried the cheese n chive ones and loved them.
Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture - Nice texture, soft and not plasticky.
• Taste - Really nice taste for original, too overpowering for cheese n chive.
• Packaging - easy to open, liked that you could re seal the package.

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them? Not tried them yet! Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc - As an after school snack. Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not? - yes, it would encourage me. Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks? - low in fat and sugar but high in taste. Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not? - yes, they seem like a tasty, healthy snack.

sorry forgot last two questions

Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?

DD liked the site but felt she was a little old for most of the activities at age 10, her little sister age 2 enjoyed the colouring in.

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?
Perhaps some activities for 9-10 year olds. It seemed like a colourful and easy to use site though.

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions? - me (31) - loved them as I used to have Primula from a tube when I was little and I love a bit of nostalgia food. ds1(7) is a giant fusspot and wouldn't try either one. ds2(5) liked the original - wouldn't touch the green one,

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture
• Taste
• Packaging

Taste good. Texture much better than harder snack cheese like Babybel or cheese strings (too rubbery), and firmer than Dairylea so easier to eat.

Packaging easy to negotiate.

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?

No - as another poster has said they are too little to cook with. I use a lump of cheddar or cheap pot of soft cheese for cooking.

I did have a cheese and chive one on toast, and a plain one in a sandwich with smoked salmon which was lovely.

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc

Part of lunch at home as I wanted to supervise to check if he liked them. The rest are now going to go in lunchbox this week.

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?

I guess so but it wouldn't be new information to me.

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?
Healthy, easy to eat and unwrap. I like that these will keep out of a fridge for one day. I put a cooler stick in his lunch box but makes me feel better to know these cheeses will keep well anyway.

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
Yes.

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?

I am a massive meany and do not encourage the kids to play on websites (because I want to keep my laptop all to myself).

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
Both DC (8 &13) tried them -mixed opinions initially

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture - 8yo DS wasn't keen on the texture
• Taste - 13yo thought that the cheddar ones tasted a bit like cheese triangles and not cheddar. She liked the Cheese and Chive ones though. DS preferred the Cheddar ones as he thought the others 'tasted funny' (typical really as they never both like the same thing!)
• Packaging - they liked the packaging, easy to open, ideal for lunchboxes

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?

Didn't try the recipes as they ate them before we had chance!

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc

In lunchboxes and as an after school snack

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?
Yes as I have osteopenia/low bone density for my age and I worry that the DC may also suffer from this at some point.

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?

Low in added salt/sugar/preservatives/artificial flavours and colours etc

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?

Possibly but, on the whole, I don't think they are earth-shatteringly different to other cheese snacks

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?

8yo DS went on the website but didn't spend long on it. He was a bit vague about why he didn't like it but said "the games were just a bit boring".

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?

Games a bit more varied and some aimed at older children? (although to be honest my DC don't tend to go on websites associated with food products/companies so probably not something they would use anyway)

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
DS and I have tried both flavours. his initial reaction was that he didn't like the blue one that much (or not as much as babybels) but he liked the herb one a little more. I'd agreee with him to be honest for my own first impressions. The herb one was oK, not that keen on the blue one, would prefer a babybel.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture
• Taste
• Packaging

Texture was OK, felt very processed though. Weirdly I'm sure babybels are processed too but they feel more like a cheese iyswim.

Taste was OK - tasted quite like primula and very much a processed taste.

Packaging was easy enough for me. DS (4) struggled a little - if he pulled each side with his hands he tended to just flick the cheese on the floor as he didn't have a hand spare to catch it. I'm sure he'd get used to it though!

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?

Didn't try any

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc

Lunchtime snack

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?

Wouldn't encourage me to buy it over actual cheese, which is also a good source of calcium and liked by both my DCs. The only reason I would buy cheese like this would be for the portability / quick snack ease and ease for lunchtime etc

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?

Tasty without being (too) unhealthy!

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?

Depends if they like that sort of cheese - wouldn't go out of my way to bring it up in conversation though.

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?

Only really looked at the games - they seemed ok. The maths one was a bit hard but ds hasn't started school and is only just 4 so wouldn't expect him to get that. The other games he could either do or would get used to. Some areas of the site seemed a bit slow to react so he'd keep clicking the mouse. As a point of reference he can use the cbeebies website quite easily without actually being able to read anything much. This wasn't so intuitive and I had to look twice to work out some of the games (even after I could read the descriptions!)

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)? The games were nice games for him - overall id be happy to let him use the website again if he asked to. Interestingly though after we'd tried all the games he wanted to put the cbeebies website on again!

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?

me and my DD10 - she thought they were ok but didn't taste of much - I thought they were ok.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?
- Texture

eww- weird claggy texture - odd

- Taste

ok - a bit bland, at least the chive one had some taste..

- Packaging
THE big plus point - the packaging was FAB!!

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?

No - too small for cooking - a bit wasteful

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc

tried as a lunchbox item and after school - right size for those..

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?

No - cheese has calcium and seems less "processed".

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?

healthy, easy to open and small size

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?

bit too bland and processed and the texture is just odd...

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?

Thought it was a bit slow, and at 10 years old it was a bit simplistic..

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?

don't really like websites linked to food - always seems to be an ulterior motive eventually - eat more/collect codes/get stuff on website etc...

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
Son (1) and myself tried both. Son wasn't too impressed with original and ate half but ate whole Cheese n Chive and asked for more so assume he was impressed. I thought they were both nice.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture, nice and creamy like cheese should be.
• Taste, quite strong for myself but I like very very mild cheese. Son enjoyed the Cheese n Chive.
• Packaging, fantastic. Small enough to put in your bag for journeys or lunchbox. Son could easily open it.

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?
Haven't tried any yet. Would probably try the cheeses in pasta.

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc
Son tried both as a snack and with his lunch.
I tried as a snack.

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?
Probably wouldn't encourage me to buy on this basis alone as my son drinks a lot of milk and eats a lot of yoghurt so isn't low on calcium.

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?
Small, not messy, healthy.

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
Yes I would probably recommend them. Nice enough product.

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?
Son got bored while waiting for it to load so I had a look at the site and it would be great for children a little older than mine.

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?
I liked the recipe section, nice to have some other options rather than just eaten as a snack.

Q1 Me - mum (37) DD1 (7) and DD2 (23mo)

DH just refused to try the last cheese & chive one...

Q2 DD1 liked the plain best and DD2 seemed to like both equally (she shoved the whole pod in her mouth each time ) I was pleasantly surprised that it tasted like a combination between hard cheese and a cheese spread, and tasted somewhat less processed than products such as cheese strings.

Q3 a) DD1 thought the texture was quite soft but nice. She enjoyed spreading it on a cracker. DD2 enjoyed being able to squish the cheese.

b) DD1 loved the taste of the plain cheese but was less keen on the cheese & chive. DD1 loved taking the pods to school in her lunch box to show to friends.

c) DD1 loved the packaging and found it really easy to open, DD1 says she quite liked the pictures on the packaging. DD2 enjoyed playing with the halves of the pod and trying to put them back together. I wondered if the packaging can be recycled or is made of recycled plastics?

Q4 Yes we would buy the plain flavour as both children really enjoyed them. We all preferred these to cheese strings.

Q5 No, we didn't try the recipe this time but would probably give the pizza recipe a go in the future.

POD Island

Q1 DD1 aged 7 played on the website. She really enjoyed the butterfly game but found the maths game (pearls) had too short a time-limit to enable her to match the answers to the right square on the grid. More time please, this is a great game for number bonds to 10 (mum's view!) She enjoyed the story but wondered what happened to Grandpa mouse!

Q2 DD1 would have liked it if the colouring sheets could be coloured in online in the same way as the dinosaur game.

Q3 DD1 would enjoy more games on the website, maybe finding Grandpa mouse.

Just noticed Q6 & Q7!

Q6 Not too processed, easy packaging, tasty, fun, nutritious

Q7 Yes I would recommend Primula PODs. I think these are a novel addition to the other cheese snacks available, and are mild enough in flavour for most children to really enjoy them.

Hmm I appear to be getting my feedback rather squiffy due to different questions on the written card we received and on this thread. Here goes with the ones I haven't answered!

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?

Didn't try the recipes this time, from the card or website. Would probably give them a go in the future.

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc

DD1 after school snack and lunchbox. DD2 with lunch.

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?

Think I'm pretty aware that cheese is a good source of calcium in general, so this statement would probably not influence my decision to buy.

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
Me (34) DD1 (10) and DD2(7) - me and DD2 were impressed, DD1 not so much

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture

DD2 like them, DD1 was put off by the texture

• Taste

DD2 liked the plain ones but didn't like the chive ones, DD1 not keen on either, think it was the texture rather than taste

• Packaging

First time DD2 managed to rip the tab off instead of freeing the cheese, but once i explained how to free the cheese she could do it.

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?
No, we just put them on crackers

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc
after school snack, lunch box treat and part of a lunch

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?
Not overly, but then we eat a lot of cheese/dairy so lack of calcium isnt a problem in our family.

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?
Healthy, preservative, additive colouring free food

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
Probably, DD2 loved them and has requested them for her lunch box, DD1 prefers cheds.

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?

Slightly annoying that it doesn't work on the ipad, also DD2's macbook is old and the latest version of flash is refusing to install on it so again wouldn't load.

It seemed a little young for my DD1, but better for DD2, like others it was slow to load.

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?

More recipes which the kids can do would be good

My two girls (5 year old who eats anything and fussy 3 year old) and me tried the pods. My 5 year old wasn't keen on the cheese and chive and seemed unconvinced by plain ones. My younger daughter are both types, although she seemed to consider them for a while, babybell's are usually gone in one bite! I tried the cheese and chive and did quite like in a strange way!
I did like the packaging, it was easy to open and didn't involve any red wax being dropped on my new carpets. I really wish I could say I would buy them again as I did find them handy as I didn't need to open them for the kids but I not convinced they like them. It's a shame as I love primula and I would chose them over babybell's on flavour.
We didn't try any of the recipes, my five year old saw the picture of the butterfly pizza and quite liked the idea. To be honest I'm to tight to use snack cheese things for anything other than bribes for the kids.
I had a look at the website, but as I only really use my phone I couldn't see most of it. I didn't show the site to my daughter as on the mobile site there was nothing that would interest her. I liked the idea of the colouring but its the kind of thing we would look at when we were away from home not on the main computer.

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
Me (27) and DD (3). Packaging great and very interesting/handy.
Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture - Odd. Not light and bouncy like a babybel, more solid and cloying
• Taste- Not at all like normal primula pastes- which we like. These had a not pleasant aftertaste
• Packaging- Was really good and quite handy

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them? We tried the butterfly pitta bread to see if they were any better heated up. Unfortunately they weren't. Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc Experimentally of an afternoon. If they had been nice then they would have made it into packed lunches/snacks etc Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not? Yes as DD doesn't drink a great deal of milk. Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks? Tasty, moderately healthy, easy to eat. Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not? No, unless they had no taste buds.

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site? It was a bit overly complicated for a 3 year old, they weren't too interested.
Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?
Maybe some video content or point and click adventure. Website content was fairly age suitable.

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions? Dds aged 5 and 8 and Dh aged 51 tried them. Dds 14 and 11 refused. Dd8 and Dd5 were impressed with the way the pod opened.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?
- Texture rubbery
- Taste I thought it was hideous as did Dd5. Dd8 liked the original one and Dh liked the cheese and chive but then he will eat. - Packaging liked the little net and the pods were fun to open

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them? didn't attempt a recipe as wouldn't get eaten

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc they were first tried just as a snack then Dd8 had the original ones in her packed lunch

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not? if I didn't already know what they tasted like I may have bought them.

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks? something healthy and edible

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not? I wouldn't recommend them because I thought they were horrible, sorry.

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site? they thought the mice were quite cute but we couldn't play the games on the ipad

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)? they would have enjoyed the colouring in and the games had we been able to print/play them. You could improve it by making an app for the iPad.

Thank you for letting us try them

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
DS1 (5yo) and DS2 (3yo) tried the plain ones and liked them. They both refused to try the chive one as it had bits in ("It's mouldy!" exclaimed the 3yo) so I tried it instead and quite liked it.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture

Fine for a snack cheese, a bit less dry than Babybel (usually eaten in our household).

• Taste

Perfectly acceptable.

• Packaging

I liked the packaging, less faffy than Babybel and no annoying bits of wax stuck to the insides of my pockets! But DS2, who can unwrap a Babybel in about ten seconds, really struggled to get the Pods open.

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?
No we didn't try them, I think it's a bit odd to cook with processed cheese tbh.

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc
DS1 had one in his lunchbox, DS2 after school.

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?
Not specifically, mine eat cheese by the bucketload and drink plenty of milk so calcium intake not a concern!

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?
Healthy, not too much salt, convenient to carry around, not too much packaging and reasonably priced.

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
I would as an alternative to Babybel but only if it was the same price or cheaper; I wouldn't pay more for it than I do for Babybel.

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?
They enjoyed the games although I'm not sure they would be bothered about repeat visits to the site, it was a bit basic compared to the sites they normally go on (CBeebies, Redfish and Bin Weevils).

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?
A wider range of games, more interactivity, faster loading.

Pods

Q1. Me (37), husband (42), son (5) and daughter (1). Initial impression good - kids liked the packaging esp the different pictures .

Q2.
Texture: daughter was not keen but son liked it.

Taste: daughter didn't like either flavour. Son liked the cheese but hated the cheese and chive - he was also put off by the appearance but I made him try it anyway!

Packaging: Great. Easy to open and fun.

Q3. I don't like to cook with processed cheese. They're also a bit too small and fiddly for recipes.

Q4. As part of a lunch, as a mid-morning snack or as supper before bed with a cup of milk.

Q5. Isn't all cheese a good source of calcium?!

Q6. Healthy, tasty, not too sugary or fatty, not too filling inbetween meals, portable.

Q7. The packaging is great but there isn't really anything unique about them other than this. I liked the cheese and chive flavour but the kids hated it. Don't think I would recommend... sorry.

Website

Q1. The colouring pages were my son's fave part. The story isn't animated and unless you're a fluent reader it's boring and time consuming. The pages took too long to load.

Q2. How does this fit in with the product?! I struggle to see its purpose. The music was also a bit too monotonous. We had to turn it off. The mice are simply drawn and look friendly, which is why my son liked the colouring pages.

Q1. Who in your family tried the Primula PODs? What were your/their initial impressions?
Me, dh and dd1 tried them - dd2 refused. I liked them the most because it reminded me of the Primula and Chive spread I used to have at my Nan's house when I was kid! Dh and dd tried the plain ones and thought they were 'OK'.

Q2. In particular what did you and your family think of the following in relation to both the original PODs and the Cheese N Chive PODs?

• Texture
• Taste
• Packaging

The texture was OK but very processed. The taste was exactly like Primula which is a bit spooky in a solid cheese, not sure how such a uniform taste is achieved. The packaging was good in that it was easy to open but such a lot of a tiny amount of cheese.

Q3. Did you try any of the Primula PODs recipes from the Primula website? If so which one(s) and what did you think of them?
No, the bits of cheese were too small to cook with.

Q4. When were the PODs eaten? As an after school snack? As part of a lunchbox? As a treat? etc
They were eaten as a 'Mumsnet sent us these to try' exercise!

Q5. "Primula PODs are a good source of calcium", would this statement encourage you to buy this product or not? If so, why? If not why not?
Not really, as it's a bit obvious and no different to any other sort of cheese.

Q6. What features do you ideally want to see from children's snacks?
Healthy, natural products.

Q7. If it came up in conversation would you recommend Primula PODs to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
Personally I liked them so would recommend. I'd like a slightly larger portion though.

Now just a couple of questions about the POD Island website www.primulapods.co.uk
Q1. What did your DC think of the website? Were there any aspects they particularly liked or disliked? Did they have a favourite area of the site?
I really struggled to get the children interested. dd1 is 8 and thought it was a bit young for her, she wasn't impressed with the games and these days expects to be able to play online with her friends. Dd2 (5) just wasn't interested.

Q2. Is there anything else you'd like to see on the website? Any areas for improvements? What did you like most about the website for your child(ren)?
As above.