NOW CLOSED: Ella's Kitchen Dairy products review thread: Super Smooth + Creamy Fromage Frais, Raspberry Rice Pudding and Thick + Smooth Yoghurt

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the 100 MNers and their LO's who have been trying the new dairy range from Ella's Kitchen. On test are:

NEW super smooth + creamy fromage frais
~ 20% real squished fruit
~ Whole milk is a natural source of calcium
~ Organic
~ RRP £1.89

NEW stir me up raspberry rice pudding
~ real squished fruit
~ natural creamy wholemilk
~ Organic
~ RRP £1.09

NEW chilled out thick + smooth yoghurt
~ 20% real squeezed fruit
~ Whole milk is a natural source of calcium
~ Organic
~ RRP £1.79

Testers - please let us know what you and your LO thought of the foods by answering the following questions:

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
Q7 What do you think of the price?
Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?

As a thank you for taking part all testers who add feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will get a month's supply of Ella's kitchen products and an Ella's Kitchen cow print cool bag (worth £45 in total).

thanks
MNHQ

[Mandie2606]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
The packaging was colorful and well designed for children.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
yes, the size was just perfect for my daughter

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
Rice Pudding: My daughter enjoyed the rice pudding but not the raspberry sauce.

Yoghurts: Thoroughly enjoyed the yogurts she would have happily eaten two in one sitting.

Fromage Frais: Banana one was my daughters favourite, the texture, smell and taste of both were lovely

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
Banana Fromage Frais and either of the yoghurts.

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
Generally after breakfast or a mid afternoon snack

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
Rice Pudding: Shook her head and said no to the rice pudding when we included the raspberry sauce.

Yoghurts: Ate it very quickly and was upset when it was finished

Fromage Frais: As per yogurts.

Q7 What do you think of the price?
Bought them from my local Asda, unfortunately there are expensive compared to other children's yogurts, therefore even though she enjoyed them i doubt i would buy them for her in the future

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?

Would not buy the Rice Pudding as my daughter disliked the sauce, I would like to buy the fromage frais and yogurts again but only if they were on offer.

Thank you

[TitsForBrains]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

The packs are a nice design and easy to spot the Ella's kitchen branding. Not sure the cardboard sleeves are necessary though.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?

Yes - the right size for after dinner or with some fruit as a snack

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?

My DD like the banana fromage frais and all the yoghurts. She didn't like the rice pudding and the mango fromage frais. It seemed she didn't like the consistency of the rice pudding and the flavour of the mango FF.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite

Her favourites were the yoghurts

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?

Both

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?

DD said she liked all the yoghurts but she didn't like the taste of the others. She'd be happy to have the yoghurts again.

Q7 What do you think of the price?

They seem quite expensive in comparison to similar products.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?

They look nice and fresh but seem quite expensive. If DD specifically asks for the yoghurts we might get them but I wouldn't risk buying the other items and ending up wasting them.

[Getoutofmygumboot]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

The packs stood out, instantly recognised the logo, understand where people are coming from about the cardboard but I don't think the packs would have stood out as much with out.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
The fromage frais and rice pudding were the right size, the yoghurt was a bit big as my daughter is only 10mo but she still ate it all!

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?

The texture of the rice pudding was ok but the vanilla one was very bland neither me or my daughter liked them. The fromage frais and yoghurt tasted good and my daughter definately didn't complain! I like how you can really Taste the natural yoghurt.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
The fromage frais seemed to be her favourite.

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
I served the rice pudding after a meal and the yoghurt and frais as snacks

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
She doesn't say much at the moment but she definately enjoyed the yoghurt and frais.

Q7 What do you think of the price?
They were quite expensive but as all ingredients are organic I don't mind.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
We liked them all expect the vanilla rice pudding, I'm glad Ella's kitchen have started to widen their product range as the whole family like the taste of the pouches etc!
I will buy these again but probably not every week, as they are a bit pricey, but I do think its worth it as I know my daughter is eating good food
R

[DP76]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

I liked the packaging, it was clear and attractive and indicated that it was a higher end product, which looks as though it will be a healthy option.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
Yes for my 11month old baby, i thought size was just right.

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?

My 11 month old enjoyed all 3 of the products.
Consistency & texture of puddings was good, particularly with fromage frais.
My baby had actually tried the rice pudding previously, just vanilla, before fruit was added. She loved it then. I can't help thinking she preferred it before the fruit was added and the consistency of the pudding was better then. It was runnier, with a smoother milky consistency, which she enjoyed.

She ate them all.

Could not get my 2 year old son to eat any of them. Partly, because he sees them as "baby yogurts" and partly because he has had petis filous and the yogurts, which he tried a whisper of, are not as sweet, i'm afraid to say, he is not interested now.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
Fromage frais.
Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
After a meal.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
She enjoyed all the products and ate them all. As she is quite fussy, if she doesn't enjoy something it doesn't go down, so i was very happy that she ate them all. She doesn't speak yet.

For my 2 year old - see above.

Q7 What do you think of the price?

They are expensive, particularly the rice pudding, seems very pricey for 2 small pots of rice.


Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?

I thought they were all good products and would be prepared to pay the price, even though it is expensive, for quality and more health conscious options. If on offer - definitely.

[Griselda]

I tested with my 4.5 yr and 2.1 yr olds. I usually buy Yeo or Rachels yoghurts. Really enjoyed the testing thank you for picking us.

Q1 First impressions of the packs - Attractive and eye catching, familiar Ella's branding. Small fingers struggled with getting foil lids off.(they don't usually) Not bothered by cardboard as council collect cardboard, in fact quite liked the extra information, particularly the fact for 6 months+ and apparently complete ingredients listing. Liked the pots- Good for arts and crafts!

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO? Not big enough, both finish a 100g pot. Both have good appetites and are not 'big boned!' Can see that a convenient size for smaller babies/toddlers but maybe 2 sizes like Petit filous do? Handy for picnics, but not a main pudding.

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? Wolfed down all 3 products. I liked the more subtle tastes, not too fruity or sugary. not sure about the flavour blends e.g. pear and ?banana (sorry have thrown the lid away!)neither one flavour or the other.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite. 4 yr old preferred the rice pudding (probably because I don't make/buy it that often), 2 yr old preferred yoghurt.

Q5 When did you serve them up? served after meal, as pudding.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate? It was yummy, mummy. Empty pots.

Q7 What do you think of the price? Bit pricey, I tend to buy whichever is on special offer, currently Yeo valley is 8 pots for £2.50 whereas the yoghurt and ff come as 4 and 6 pots for £2.

Q8 Overall: I happily fed all the products to my precious offspring as I felt they were good quality and reassuring products. They enjoyed them. The bottom line is price vs. Value for money and due to the size. of the pots I probably wouldn't buy again, unless a special offer comparable to the other products I buy. P.s. my cool bag broke the first time I used it-the strap ripped off.

[Princesspond]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
I thought they were colourful and eye catching, the yoghurt pots are a bright colour and appealing shape, even I (a junk modelling hater) thought they could be kept and used. Found all three products easily in waitrose.
Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
Yes fromage frais were the usual size and yoghurt slightly larger were ideal for 2 year old and four year old.
Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings? Yes the children like them. Good consistency/flavour. They did not like the rice pudding but they aren't really fond of those types of 'pudding'. My husband then ate the rice pudding and liked it.
Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite

• The yoghurt.
  

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
After the evening meal.
Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate? My 4 year old thought they were nicer than the usual Yoghurts/fromage frais. My two year old said yum.
Q7 What do you think of the price? The rice pudding was reasonable (72p, though labelled £1). Yoghurts and FF £2, which is expensive probably on par with other quality products but I would probably buy if on offer e.g. 2 for £3.
Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not? Yes I would definitely buy again if the price was favourable. I would also buy rice pudding as a good alternative pudding if I had younger children.

[lynniep]

Firstly, I went to my local Tesco first to buy these - its a Tesco Extra - but they had no Ellas Kitchen products. I then tried my very small local Waitrose and they had all three packs in stock.

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
Lovely packaging, but unnecessary cardboard. I hate cardboard in the fridge- it can get damp and then sticks to shelves so it comes off straight away. I also love the shape of the pots - aesthetically pleasing but also easy for a little one to get the product out with a spoon.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?

yes, for my 3 year old its fine (although he said the rice pudding was too small - this is because he would normally get a different brand which is a lot bigger - that doesnt mean its the correct size though!)

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?

Generally, sadly, a thumbs down.
My 5 year old also got involved with this. He had the yoghurts in his packed lunch as they are a perfect size, and he ate them, and said they were 'OK' but my 3 year old said he didnt like them much. The texture is fine, it was the taste - I think he found them bland (although his response was just to leave them half eaten)
I offered them both the rice pudding, and both of them said they didnt want it, however I then offered them both a fromage frais. Both of them turned their noses up and said YUK. My 5 year old said can I have the rice pudding instead - the lesser of two evils, although he did eat it all. My 3 year old chose to eat neither although he told me the rice pudding was too small.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
The yoghurt

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
As a pudding after a meal

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
YUK

Q7 What do you think of the price?
Too pricey for me

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?

No. My kids don't like them. They are too expensive. The only person they appeal to is me.

[pebbles1234]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

• I loved the packaging, and agree they are great for play & modelling - my LO is now using little blue bowls in his kitchen and we've used others to make some interesting animals! They look high end and eye catching. Couldnt find in tesco but no problems in waitrose.
  

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?

• Ideal size for my 2.5 yr old - usually buy petit filous but he often eats 2, so one pot of EK was just right.
  

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
-Rice pudding was a no-no, but he can be funny about texture so I ate them and thought they were fab! The yoghurts were a great texture, very smooth. Fromage Frais was good too, we liked the different flavours.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite

• Strawberry and pear yoghurt.
  

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?

• After a meal - he tends to snack on fruit during the day.
  

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?

• He rejected the rice pudding very clearly, but ate up the others happily and went to the fridge to choose his own which is a good sign. He asked why the people had given us them to try!!
  

Q7 What do you think of the price?

• Personally I'm happy to pay a bit extra for quality and confidence in product so I thought it was ok.
  

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?

• Would definetly buy the yoghurts again, and possibly the fromage frais, but not the rice pudding as he just didnt enjoy it.
  

thanks for the opportuntity to try them!

[Samichuboo]

A big thanks for being choosen for the trial. Had to travel to next largest town though to get them as our nearest Tesco didnt stock them.

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
Packs were clear and easy to find and kept to the theme of the other products so we knew exactly what we wee looking for. Using one bold colour made them stand out against the others on the self.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
The fromage frais and rice pudding were just right, but the yogs were a little large, although DH siad they were perfect as there was enpough for him to have a spoon too.

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
Rice puddings were just like my homen made one, the addition of the fruit was a bonus. Went down a treat.
The yoghurts were a nice thick texture. DD enjoyed both the flovours although I wasnt do keen on the pineapple and mango but I think thats a personal choice!
Fromage fraise were a lovely consistency and DD enjoyed them so much she wanted to lick out the pot.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
It would have to be the fromage fraise, especially the banana flavour, the pot was licked so clean there was nothing in the bottom for the dogs.

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
WE tried them all of them as morning/afternoon snacks and after dinner for pudding apart form the yoghurt as this was a little large.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
at nine months, her way of saying they are good is opening her mouth as soon as she is ready for the next mouth and crying if she is not ready to stop eating, a response we got for all products.

Q7 What do you think of the price?
they were a little pricier than other brands on the shelves with them, but asd this is a brand we know and frequently buy i wont mind buying as an occasional treat.


Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
Thank you for inviting us to trail these products. Overall DD enjoyed all the textures and flavours of all of them and we will be buying them again, as treats because of the price for the you and fromage, and when I cant be bothered to make rice pudding for the other!

[Sgtsmiths]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

Yes, - good synergy with the pouch design. Would be better without the cardboard cover perhaps - bit of excess packaging.
Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
Yep, perfect - DS is 16moths
Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency?
DS seemed to enjoy (he is a yogurt / pudding fan!)
Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
Yogurt
Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
Both
Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
Seemed to enjoy! Always took every last spoonful!
Q7 What do you think of the price?
Bit too steep - esp as local w/rose pricing higher than RRP iirc
Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
If on offer (price is a factor)

[McNo]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

I like the colours and design of Ella's Kitchen so the packaging was eye catching.
Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?

Yes. fromage frais we normally buy are very small and I often give my daughter 2 so this pack size is ideal for her.
Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?

Good taste, lovely consistency. The rice pudding wasn't as well received as the others.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
My daughter loves banana so the banana fromage frais was her favourite.

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
Both. They are ideal as a snack or a pudding after tea.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
More was my daughters response!

Q7 What do you think of the price?
The price reflects the product as I would be happy to pay the price.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
Yes I will buy the fromage frais and yoghurts again - the flavour and healthy aspect of this product makes it worth it for me.

[beautyguru]

Will be back later once I have been to Asda as my local Tesco doesn't stock them even though its a Tesco extra?! Hope Asda do or I'll be a no show I'm afraid!

[WhereAreMyShoes]

I managed to get all three products at my local ASDA.
Thanks for letting me test these.
Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
I thought the packaging was good. It keeps in with the regular appearance of the brand and I like the shape of the pots; The rounded bottoms made it easier for DS to get the last bits out
Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
They were fine. DS is 2.6 and they were fine as an after dinner pudding
Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
I think they tasted great. I thought they would be a bit bland as they promote not having all the usual sugar in but I was really impressed. You can taste the flavours they are supposed to be. I tasted a normal cheapo fromage frais afterwards and didn't realise how overly sweet they are. DS really enjoyed them. And I assume they would appeal to a newly weaning baby too.
Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
I think the rice pudding. I stuck it in the microwave to warm it up a little
Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
He had them after his dinner and lunch as a pudding
Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
He ate it and said 'empty'. Good enough
Q7 What do you think of the price?
I would not spend this money on them. Considering they are nearly £2.00 for the packs. That's way more than I can justify in our tight budget. Maybe if they were half price I might buy as a one off.
Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
I think they're great. I wouldn't buy them full price but maybe if they are on offer I would treat DD when she starts to wean in a month or so's time

[mummysmellsofsick]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

Yes, Ella's kitchen packets are all attractive and well designed. I like the strong colours and clear labelling.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?

Yes perfect for my 15 mo son.

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?

So, firstly the fromage frais which has been a big hit. I haven't given DS much sugar at all so we've avoided petit filous. It's great to know they're just sweetened with fruit.

Secondly the rice pudding. I haven't been able to get the raspberry one so got the vanilla one instead. This didn't go down as well, as DS thought he was getting yogurt and didn't like the texture. However, I finished it off and I thought it was lovely. Again, not too sweet and lovely and creamy.

Thirdly the yogurt was good and he liked them as much as the Rachel's first yogurts I normally buy him.


Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite

Fromage frais.

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?

Both, and also gave all 3 first at breakfast on different occasions.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?

He loved both the yogurts and the fromage frais and finished every pot.

Q7 What do you think of the price?

I think the yogurts and fromage frais are fine. I can understand that it's more expensive to buy an organic product and that fruit is more expensive than sugar for sweetening. I find the rice puds a bit overpriced, I'd expect to get 4 for that price.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?

Will definitely buy the yogurts and fromage frais again. More likely to make my own rice pudding, however if I can find the raspberry one I was supposed to be reviewing I'll definitely buy it and add my comments below. Thanks for the vouchers and for letting me test them

[ffnorm]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
I've always liked the Ella's packaging and these fit right in with the other products. I liked the colours - stood out on the shelf and made them easy to find.Perhaps less cardboard is neccessary though.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
I thought the yogurt would be too big for my 8 month old but she hoovered it up though I wouldn't buy that size for that age.The fromage frais could maybe be a touch bigger especially for my 3 year old.

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
I thought they were nice and creamy and thick enough not to fall off the spoon easily. Neither child liked the rice pudding but my 3 year old has never like any version of rice pudding so it wasn't a dislike of Ella's in particular

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
8month old - mango ff
3yr old strawberry yogurt
Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
Mainly after meals

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
My 3 year old was dissapointed that there was no Thomas on his yogurt. 8 month old is delighted with all yogurt type products so it was hard to tell. Both ate them well

Q7 What do you think of the price?
A bit too expensive even compared to like products like little Yeo's. Would buy if on offer.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
It was lovely to have a different flavour option from the standard strawberry etc and would definitely buy again but price would be a factor.

Thank you for the opportunity to try these products!!

[tootssweet]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
It was bright and easy to find in the fridge section of Asda - agree with others that cardboard is unecessary but at least it is recyclable

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
Pots are the right size for 22mo DS. 7yo DD liked the yoghurts and felt they were a good size for her too

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
Both loved the yoghurts and they were polished off quite quickly. DS (rice pudding lover) was grumpy when the pot was finished and would have ate both at once. Neither were that fussed about the fromage frais - DD felt they were all right but a bit tasteless. The dog enjoyed them as he was given the nearly full pots to have a lick of.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
DS - Rice Pudding (and the fruit was lovely and not too sugary tasting but did give it a good sweetness)
DD - Strawberry & Pear yoghurt but was a bit taken aback by eating cactus

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
Had yoghurts & fromage frais as part of breakfast and snack. Rice pudding was after a meal.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
Much love for the rice pudding and grumpy noises when it was finished. DD said that she would eat the yoghurts again

Q7 What do you think of the price?
Quite expensive - a lot more than I would normally spend.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
I do like that they are full of natural ingredients and not lots of artificial sugars etc. I would get the rice puddings for DS if on offer and possibly the yoghurts for DD if they were better value. I wouldn't get the fromage frais as it's a lot of money to spend on a left-over for the dog!

Thank you for the bag - going to be a fight over that! It was good to be picked for your product, on the whole we enjoyed it.

[EskSmith]

Just posting to add to my threads, we're still mid test as I struggled to find the products. We too have vanilla rice puddings as I just couldn't find the raspberry ones.

[catkate10]

So pleased to be able to get these in my local Asda :)

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

The packs weren't displayed very prominently - nice cheery design though, but I may have missed them if I hadn't been searching for them, as they were on a high shelf.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
DS 13mo will happily devour the yogurts, especially if his first course hadn?t been a huge hit :). Size of the fromage frais is also fine.

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
Lovely consistency to both the fromage frais and the yogurts. I don?t think DS is a fan of the rice pudding, perhaps that has something to do with the consistency. I have tried the vanilla one with him before, he didn?t like it though he was slightly more accepting of the raspberry one. I thought it was lovely and was only to happy to finish it for him :).

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
A close call, but probably the mango fromage frais.

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
Served as a pudding.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
DS is not speaking yet, but he happily finished all the yogurts and fromage frais.

Q7 What do you think of the price?
Yes they are fairly expensive, but you get what you pay for and I would expect to pay more. The rice puddings, I believe are over-priced.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
I?ve only given DS petit filous once and thought they were far too sugary. I normally have had to buy the Plum ones, as up till now, they have been the only ones available at my local Asda (with the occasional shop to Waitrose to stock-up on the premium ones). So I?m very happy that these are widely available and will buy them again.

Thank you!

[LeBoob]

My first product test! Thank you Ella's Kitchen & Mumsnet

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
Very bright and stood out even though it was on the top shelf. Branding was strong and I spotted what I was picking up from a few meters away

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
The yogurt size was quite large, it would be a 2 serving size for her at the minute, but I think they are all reasonably sized for what you expect of the product

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
Both the yogurts and fromage frais had a similar taste to yeo valley products. Texture was good and the fromage frais in particular had a good consistency to it ( I find petit filous get watery.) I expected there to be a higher fruit content than 20% though.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
Mango fromage frais went down particularly well

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
After a meal

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
Dd actually entertained them, which is progress, she eats very little so it was reassuring to find something she would eat. Her 1yr old friend tried a rice pudding and really enjoyed it too.

Q7 What do you think of the price?
Reasonable, if that's what my dd would eat I would pay, however in comparison to your pouches/snacks it's an expensive alternative

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
I enjoyed the yogurts myself so would absolutely buy these,as I said in q7 if my dd eats them I would buy them

[batteryhen]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

Lovely and bright, easy to spot in the fridge. I liked the fact that they say the age they are suitable from. My Son is just over 6 months so it was nice to know that they are suitable for him.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?

As we have not been weaning very long, the pots were too big, so quite wasteful. They would be better being in smaller pots for babies, and bigger ones for toddlers.

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?

I like the consistency for my son, but my husband tried the yoghurts, and said although it was creamy and nice, the flavours were a bit tame. Such as not enough pear in the strawberry and pear flavour. The rice pudding is for 7 months on so I didn't try it, but the fromage frais went down a treat.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite

Strawberry and pear yoghurt

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?

As a snack, he is generally full after a meal so I didn't try it then.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?

There was plenty of squealing and arm flapping which I took to be a good thing. Also a lot of grabbing the spoon and ending up wearing some of the food!

Q7 What do you think of the price?

I think the price would be fair for older children, but as my baby is only 6.5 months he is not eating a great deal yet, so the big pots would be too much and I would end up throwing too much away.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not

I would buy them again when DS is older, as he did enjoy them.

[beatofthedrum]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

When my 2 yr old son picked the yoghurts off the supermarket shelf he burst into tears as he wanted to eat them immediately. He had a meltdown handing them over to be scanned lol! So yes, the packaging appealed to him!! I thought they looked great, brighty and classy! I agree get rid of outer packaging, unnecessary.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?

Yes. He ate 2 yoghurts in quick succession for a snack (he doesn't eat much but practically lives off yoghurt). Both my ds and my 5 yr old dd enjoyed a fromage frais as a small pudding.


Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?

Great approval! Shouts of MORE! they both loved both products (I purchased the yoghurts and the fromage frais as they're not keen on rice pudding in general). I thought the consistency was fab, looked rich and delicious. I tried it and personally thought the flavour was very mild, a bit too mild imo, but absolutely no complaints from the kids, they love them.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite

Strawberry and pear yoghurt. Probably just because they were bigger!!

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?

Both. Perfect for either.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?

2 year old clapped hands. Shouted MORE. Pushed chair over to fridge to help himself. Hilariously approving. 5 yr old thought very nice in a calm manner.

Q7 What do you think of the price?

Quite expensive. I'll look out for offers. But will definitely buy the yoghurts as a treat as he was so excessively pleased with them!

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?

Thought they were lovely products, albeit very mild-flavoured. Looked great. Was impressed with consistency. Will not buy them weekly but will def buy if going on a nice picnic/ for a little treat. Think they look and taste high quality.

[RueDeWakening]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
The labelling was good, the pack was clearly identifiable as part of the Ella's Kitchen range, which made finding it on the shelf pretty easy. Also the typeface/colour of the pack stands out well against the other options on offer.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
They were about right - the yogurt was slightly large I thought but the others were fine.

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
The verdict was not good! DS (3) didn't like any of the products - he has tried the banana & mango fromage frais, and strawberry yogurt. He won't go near the pot of rice pudding, but he doesn't eat any sort of rice anyway so I wasn't surprised by this. He actively said he didn't like the banana flavour (and nobody else in the family liked it either, it tastes too artificial for me). He didn't like the strawberry yogurt either, I think it tasted too sour for him but he doesn't usually eat yogurt anyway. The mango fromage frais was probably the best of a baddish bunch.
DD (5) tried the vanilla rice pudding with some jam stirred into the pot, and managed to eat about half of it before giving up. She tried a bit of both fromage frais flavours, but didn't like either of them much and definitely wouldn't eat the banana one again. She hasn't tried the yogurt.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
None of them, sorry!

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
I tried both.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
As above - DS said he didn't like them, DD ate half a pot of rice pudding then claimed she was full (yet had room for an alternative snack when it was offered ). DD said the banana fromage frais was "too banana-y".

Q7 What do you think of the price?
I think they're expensive compared to what we normally buy, and since neither of my children like them I won't be buying them again (at least until weaning DC3, anyway). I'd only buy them when on offer I think.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
I think they will work better as a weaning food, as they're definitely less sweet than the alternatives available. I suspect that my kids are just too used to the sweetness on offer in other brands of fromage frais and that's the main reason they didn't like them.

I gave a couple to a friend who is weaning her DD currently, she said they went down well but were a bit big for the quantity that her DD would normally eat so some got wasted. She would prefer smaller pot sizes.

[LoobyLooGB]

Only managed to try the Fromage Frais as the local stores did not sell the rice pudding or yoghurt.

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
I thought the cardboard was unnecessary and although very colourful (as in bright), they are in the expected Ella?s Kitchen colours, but look bland as they are only one colour, rather than multi-coloured.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
Yes the pot size is good for a 3yo

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
Consistency and texture of the Fromage Frais was as expected, however very bland, DD didn?t really like the taste and only had a spoonful of each flavour.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
We were not able to try the other puddings but think DD will be sticking to the puddings she already eats.

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?
These were served as a snack but DD does get them after a meal if not had one earlier.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
First taste was okay but did not want to finish the pudding.

Q7 What do you think of the price?
It is a bit pricey for a pudding. I usually only pay £1.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
I don?t think we would purchase the Fromage Frais or Yoghurts but will try the Rice Pudding if we ever find them. There is quite a choice nowadays of puddings available at a cheaper price and better taste.

Thank you for letting us try them.

[LittleMachine]

Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?

The packaging was immediately recognisable as the Ella's Kitchen brand, with the colours, labelling and the wording of the information being typical of the other products. With Ella's Kitchen being a brand I use frequently, this did appeal to me.

Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?

The size was suitable for DS (14 months) after a meal, although he had 2 yogurts/fromage frais as a snack.

Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?

The yogurt and the mango fromage frais were a big hit. I tried them myself first and thought the mango fromage frais in particular was lovely. They both had a nice, light texture and didn't have that watery layer that some yogurts and fromage frais have.
I was hopeful for the rice pudding, as DS has not previously liked rice pudding, although he will happily eat basmati rice with his meals. Unfortanately, although the taste appealed to him, he wasn't keen on the texture and tried to push the rice out of his mouth.

Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite

The mango fromage frais.

Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal?

A mixture of both, as I would with our usual brands of pudding.

Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?

DS indicates when he wants more of something by opening and closing his hand - he did this quite frantically for the fromage frais, and this was accompanied by much 'Mmymmymm' and lip smacking, so I think that was a positive response!

Q7 What do you think of the price?

It was more than I usually pay for similar products, but I noticed a difference in quality. The price was in-keeping with other Ella's Kitchen products, which I see as a premium brand as they tend to be more expensive than similar products.

Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?

I would buy the fromage frais again as they received such a positive reaction from DS.
I might buy the yogurts if they were on special offer.
I wouldn't buy the rice pudding again, not for DS anyway, as he didn't like them. That doesn't mean I would rule them out for future children who may be more keen on rice pudding!

[florencebabyjo]

Hi, we have at last tested our samples as our vouchers seemed to have gone amiss in the post.
Q1 First impressions of the packs - how was the labelling? Did the pack design appeal to you?
I really liked the simple pack design and bold colours, especially the blue rice pudding pots which are an unusual colour for that type of product, and were really eye catching.
Q2 Did you think the size of the pots was right for your LO?
The yogurt was the perfect size, I found the fromage frais too large as it is very rich, and the rice pudding too small! This is much lighter than the fromage frais and I felt the pack sizes could have been switched round.
Q3 Taste test: what was the verdict? How was the consistency/ texture of the puddings?
The rice pudding was great as the texture was just right, with the right size of rice pieces. It was also not too gloopy. The fromage frais was very rich and creamy and the yogurt was a good texture with no big lumps.
Q4 Which product was your LO's favourite
The rice pudding was definitely the favourite. I think she found the banana fromage frais too tart as she made a face when she ate it and only finished half the pot. The yogurt went down very well too.
Q5 When did you serve them up? As a snack or after a meal? I served them both as a mid morning snack and as a dessert.
Q6 Child's view point: what did your LO say/ indicate?
My LO said yummy when she ate the rice pudding, and this is yucky after the fromage frais(sorry!) She didn't make a comment on the yogurt.
Q7 What do you think of the price?
I think that they are very expensive compared to others on the market.
Q8 Overall: your overall view? Will you buy them again? Why/ why not?
The price would stop me buying them regularly. I may buy the rice pudding as a treat but the others not.