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MNHQ

Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches Feedback Thread - £250 Mothercare voucher to be won for feedback NOW CLOSED

161 replies

AngelieMumsnet · 27/01/2015 10:50

This is the feedback thread for the 250 MNers who have been trying out the new Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches with their babies aged 6 months+.

Below are the questions we'd like testers to answer but please feel free to add your own comments too.

  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?
  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?
  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?
  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

All testers who give their feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 Mothercare voucher.

Thanks,
MNHQ

OP posts:
Izzy82 · 11/02/2015 17:05
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

They were all very good, nice packaging and interesting flavours

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

My son is just 6 months old so it was difficult to tell. he pulled the same face for all of them

  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

Probably, but my son is at the very early stages of weaning so likes very puréed food. Perhaps down the line I would not

  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, anyone wanted to add a bit of variety would like this

Lynnieboo · 11/02/2015 17:09

What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?
I liked the pouches visually. They were simple and eyecatching and made it very obvious what was inside

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?
My child has only been weaning for a few weeks and in have discovered that he will happily eat fruit and sweet flavours from a pouch or a jar but savoury things he seems to prefer home cooking. Saying that, He did not automatically spit out all of them and the one with sweetcorn was his favourite. I agree what was said before. The pouches did get a bit watery when heated up.
  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?
If my son was less fussy then I would buy them. Maybe my next child will eat savoury pouches. Because I do find them handy
  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
I would recommend them to a friend. I tasted each one and found them absolutely fine. They are a decent alternative to Ellas.
Casmama · 11/02/2015 18:13
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?
Good, I liked the packaging and the flavour combinations and the consistency.
  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

He loved them - scoffed the lot and seemed to eat more than he did of other branded baby foods before getting bored.

  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

Absolutely. I liked that there weren't fruits to make the food sweeter and when I tasted them myself I could identify the flavours promised in the name.

  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Absolutely.
Dannie22b · 11/02/2015 22:13

Hi thanks for selecting is to try the pouches!

What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you? Love the bright design of packaging. Thought the description of the contents of the pouches were appealing and not too far out there!

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most? No, my DD refused all 4. And she normally eats anything.
  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not? No the smell when heated didn't quite smell right, my DD didnt like them, I am not sure why. She would try a spoonful then refuse any more.
- Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not? I would advise thrm to try them, but as I statrd my DD was not interested.
Bec0mum · 12/02/2015 01:03
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

Overall impression of the pouches was positive; the packaging looked good and the purees were in flavours which would be typical of our family meals.

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

Yes, all flavours went down a treat, there was no one favourite.

  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes we would buy the pouches as my little one enjoyed them, they are convinient and represent meals/flavours not unlike those we would eat as a family.

  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would definitely recommend them to anyone starting weaning because the flavour combinations and sizes of the pouches are good.

Nuttynetta · 12/02/2015 01:06

Overall I thought the packaging represented the contents well ie bright oranges, greens and yellows which make you think of the veggies in the food. It was clear on the packaging what the food was inside. I didn't like the vegetable characters as I thought they were a bit cheesy and cheap looking. Overall I thought the contents were a bit too watery and a little bland for my liking but that these were good useful back ups to have in the cupboard when I haven't had time to make my own baby food.

My 7 month old baby enjoyed the beef and carrot pouch the most although she didn't mind the others but I wouldn't say she loved them, but I'm yet to find any pouch or jar made by any brand that I can say that about. She seemed to like them dipped/smeared on bread/pitta soldiers as she prefers finger food atm.

If I saw the pouches on offer (as I recently did for 70p) then I might choose to stock up my cupboard with a couple as reserves however I wouldn't plan to buy these regularly or as a main food source as I make most of my own baby food.

If a friend asked me about these pouches then I would probably recommend they tried them, but I would not recommend these unprompted or push anyone to buy them as I don't think they are the best on the market. I think they are a very ordinary product ie puréed veg which you can make at home.

truckingirl · 12/02/2015 09:12

My overall impression was good...
Tamzin did really enjoy her cow & gate savoury pouches.
her favourite which was a real suprise was the one with Broccoli!
I loved the pouches...very handy when travelling too.
yes I, ve already recommended these great little pouches to friends?
they are good size, good quality& come from my favourite brand name in baby food.
BUT MORE THAN ANY THING TAMZIN REALLY ENJOYED THEM
This made feeding quicker with less mess & a happy contented girl.
10/10 ??

sairee87 · 12/02/2015 09:15
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?
Really good impression. The packages are lovely and bright with eye catching images on them. I love the pouches compared to jars for ease of use when out and about. The food itself was good enough. A little watery compared to other brands we use but seemed to be great flavour combinations.
  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?
Yes she definitely did! She was looking for more when they were finished. She didn't seem to have a favourite, she enjoyed them all very much.
  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, I would. We buy a lot of the Ella's kitchen pouches and these seem just as good. It would be good to try some lumpier ones. I tend to make a lot of my daughter's food myself and she eats the same dinner as us so I'd buy these for going out and about with at the weekend. She is in nursery full time now so we don't need to feed her during the week!
  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes I would. Very handy for having out and about and good flavour combinations which are similar to family meals.
lilleyk · 12/02/2015 10:04

What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?
Very good. I have only ever bought organic pouches before but mainly because anything else I have tried has been bland and had a pretty 'processed' aftertaste. (Yes I try them myself first!) these actually tasted of the vegetables they claimed to contain so big tick there. They were also polished off pretty quick so clearly met and surpassed my more critical assessor too! I liked that it was easy to find the ingredients and check there was no salt etc too. Only two minor criticisms, first, the meat pouch (beef with potatoes and veg) did not have any beef taste in there. I could pick out the veggies easily but not the beef. I think this is because there was so little of it. Maybe in pouches for older babies there is more. There is also a slight processed aftertaste to all the pouches. Nothing compared to cheaper brands I have tried but still present and not something I find in the more expensive organic brands of pouches. Minor points however as I was happy to feed them to my child and would certainly buy them again.

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most? Yes, almost all were polished off entirely, the broccoli pouch was enjoyed most. I suspect because it had the most/strongest flavour.
  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not? Yes, I would buy them again. I would like to see what their next stage up tastes like and if this is enjoyed as much as the 6 months veggies.
  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not? Yes, I think they are reasonably priced for the pouch range and I trust their content and taste enough to recommend.
Quills · 12/02/2015 12:16
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

We liked the bright colours and fun characters, and pouches are my preferred pre-prepared option because of the ease of use. I like the simple recipe too, as it ties in well with meals I prepare for my daughter at home.

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

She enjoyed them all and finished them all each time, but her favourite was the one with beef in.

  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

Probably not, because it was a very smooth texture and probably only suitable for babies just starting out with weaning. My baby is 8 months old now and we've moved on to more textured food and separating out each main ingredient instead of mixing them all together.

  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, for feeding newly-weaned babies when on the go and trying out new tastes they're very useful.

hunhun007 · 12/02/2015 14:09

What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

  • Nice packaging and attractive look. They are perfect for a quick meal, especially on the go. I prefer them to jar ones.

Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

  • Baby just started on “solid” food. He loves new flavours and I would say he liked them all. We didn’t experience any unhappy faces with any of the pouches.

Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

  • Yes, we would buy it again. They offer a great solution for a quick meal and at least I know what baby is eating and how much of it.

Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

  • Yes, I think they represent a good value for money and I would have no problems whatsoever with recommending it to others.
Scarybex · 13/02/2015 17:04
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

I loved the funky characters, and the concept of easily introducing veg.

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

Yes, the pouches with cheese in went down well. I used them as a dip

  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would buy them as a quick way to get veggies on the plate.

  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would. They were a lot more palatable than other pouches.

AntoinetteCosway · 13/02/2015 17:34
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

They were fine but seemed stodgy for the stage. I don't know if that's normal for pouches as I don't usually use them.

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

Not really, unfortunately. He was quite sick shortly after tasting them on two occasions.

  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

No. They don't seem to suit my refluxy baby. I'll stick to BLW.

  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Possibly. For people going down the purée route they'd be very convenient.

fudduk · 13/02/2015 19:16
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

I liked the idea and ethos behind the product. They smelled of proper vegetables and the information in the accompanying leaflet was helpful.

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

He hugely enjoyed the cauliflower cheese pouch but didn't enjoy the others.

  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

I'd certainly give them another go. He loved the cauliflower cheese one so I'd buy that again. If he continued to not eat the others, I'd give up eventually but I'd persevere for a bit.

  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would recommend them, as the idea and ethos is good. I think that the product is a good one but my child seems to enjoy things with a stronger taste. However, as a parent, I would be happy for him to eat these if he would do so.

Becky2208 · 14/02/2015 18:06
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

I thought the packaging was ok, and the combinations of ingredients seemed fine, but the texture seemed not quite as smooth as other purees we've tried, and the purees themselves did not look particularly appealing.

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

My son refused three of them, the only one he ate was the sweetcorn one, and he didn't seem to particularly enjoy it.

  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

I wouldn't buy any of the flavours we had, as my son didn't like them, but I might try alternative flavours as the pouches are useful to take out and about.

  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I wouldn't recommend them as my son didn't like them, but I would say that the pouches are handy, and different babies might enjoy them so it may be worth other parents trying them.

BugritAndTidyup · 15/02/2015 17:15

-What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

Pretty positive. I like the idea behind it, and they didn't taste as sweet as most baby foods. I prefer the pouch types anyway, as they are more suitable for self-feeding babies.

- Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

Overall, he seemed to like them, and he seemed to like the broccoli one the most.

- Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, and in fact bought some of the 10month+ pouches this weekend. It's a shame the larger supermarkets don't seem to stock a larger range though.

- Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, I probably would.

ADTH · 16/02/2015 16:00

I like the fact they seem to be high veg content, rather than sweetened.
He ate them fine - but they were pretty messy as they are very watery. Maybe as they are high veg content, but it makes them a strange consistency. He is already weaned, so we are thickening food to move on, so I added some baby rice to thicken them which seemed better. (they were even thinner than the first food I gave him, so not sure why this is).

I was quite keen to try these and hoped they would be a good addition to the market (they are slightly different in that they are very veg, so have a place). Unfortunately, they are priced pretty much the same as the other pouches out there - but due to watery consistency seem slightly lower quality. If they were priced lower, I would definitely buy them, but competing at the same price i probably would not.

PonyMcBony · 16/02/2015 18:09
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

I liked the ingredients, the smell reminded me of what was actually in the product, they were a bit watery though

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?
She ate them but didn't really seem bothered about them, pretty much the same reaction from all food at the moment though, apart from mushed frozen banana which she loves :)
  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?
Probably not, we're doing a mix if mushed whatever we're having and blw so wouldn't really have the need
  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

yes if that's the way that their feeding was going

terianne · 16/02/2015 20:08

I never got them.

Ilovenannyplum · 17/02/2015 11:17

What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

I liked the packet, nice and bright and v clear what the flavour was. The squeezy pouches are always handy for when I'm feeding baby out and about.

Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

DS enjoyed carrot, potato and beef the best. He wasn't too fussed about the others, he prefers food that has some kind of fruit in it, clearly inherited my sweet tooth :)

Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, I would. They are handy to eat on the go. And reasonably priced.

Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would definitely recommend the beef & carrot as my DS deffo liked that one. They were on offer in Asda last week and I did tell my friends to go and buy them and I have also bought more

mollysmummy1970 · 17/02/2015 13:36

My overall impression of the pouches was good, liked the colours, the size and in general quite like a pouch as opposed to a jar.

My DS liked the beef flavour the best. And didn't like the broccoli one.

I liked the consistency of them although as mentioned before, think they were more for people with babies just starting out with food as they were very smooth.

I would reccomend them to people with babies between 6-8months.

ELISEUS · 17/02/2015 15:27

What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?
I thought they sounded like good flavour combinations and looked like a decent amount in the pouch.
Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?
Yes she loved them, especially the Pea one and the cauliflower one (she loves cauliflower cheese!)
Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?
Definately! They are quick and easy although i did find them difficult to undo and resorted to scissors!
Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes although they could definately do with making more flavours!

Flickbev · 17/02/2015 15:33

What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

They looked good- nice packaging. Organic. Healthy.

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?

Enjoyed all except the broccoli one.

  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not? Yes, esp if they were 99p- cheaper than Ella's and other brands.
  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not? No- but I don't recommend baby foods- each to their own!
2blessed · 18/02/2015 10:43

What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?

Really good, clear branding and pictures of the food.

  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?
My DD enjoyed them but really enjoyed the cauliflower cheese one the most.
  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?
I would probably keep a couple on the cupboard. They're good for when we're on the move. But at home I would probably incorporate them into a meal I am already cooking.
  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
If you like using pouches then I definitely recommend.
preschoolmum · 18/02/2015 12:35
  • What was your overall impression of the savoury pouches which Cow & Gate sent to you?
I like the packaging and the easy open twist cap. I think they are great for first tastes at the beginning of weaning.
  • Did your child enjoy the Cow & Gate Friends savoury pouches? If so, which one did they enjoy the most?
My little one is a little fussy with pre made baby food and is very hit and miss with whether he will eat them or not. They didn't really go down well with him and as they were puree's, they we not really age appropriate for him as he was passed this stage so they didn't really interest him. But I think this is more down to my little boy as he is like this with other brand pouches.
  • Would you buy the Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches again? If so, why? If not, why not?
I would if I ever have another child but not now as my little boy is passed this stage and doesn't generally like pre made baby food (much prefers to eat what we eat).
  • Would you recommend Cow & Gate Friends Savoury Pouches to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes as it's a good starting point for allowing little ones to try different flavours, particularly at the start of weaning when everything is very new to both parent and baby.