Anchor Butter Feedback Thread - see what Mumsnetters created with Anchor butter PLUS chance for non testers to win £250! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the 250 Mumsnetters who have been trying out Anchor butter and the baking kits with their children. Non testers - do check out the feedback from the testers PLUS what's your favourite flavour cake? Chocolate, Victoria Sponge, Carrot, something else? Add your comment to this thread and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 voucher to spend in John Lewis (imagine all the baking kit you could get!)

Here's what Anchor says: “We're looking forward to seeing what MNers have created with our rich and creamy block butter. We know it's perfect for all types of tasty bakes, whether it's making the pastry for your homemade chicken pie, or millionaires shortbread for that weekend treat with the kids. At Anchor we've been making block butter for over 125 years, to bring bakers high quality, rich and creamy butter for their bakes."

Plenty of recipe ideas here – including delicious
ginger biscuits or does anyone fancy
Cheese Scones for a snack?

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

1. What bakes did you and your DC create? Please post a photo or two on the thread of the finished result or of the baking session!

2. What was your child’s favourite aspect of the baking process? Getting messy, licking the bowl at the end or anything in between!

3. What was your favourite aspect of baking with your DC?

4. If you don't normally use Anchor, do you think that your bakes taste different when using Anchor butter compared to your normal butter? Please explain.

5. Do you normally use butter or margarine for baking? Do you usually use unsalted or salted butter for baking? How aware were you that using unsalted butter is great for baking?

6. Were you pleased with the results of your baking?

7. Would you use Anchor butter again for your baking? Why? Were you aware Anchor was the original block butter company having made butter for over 125 years? Is this important to you?

8. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Anchor butter to friends and family? Why?

All testers who leaves their feedback on this thread and who complete the survey (emailed to testers) will be entered in to a prize draw, where one lucky Mumsnet tester will win a £300 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Closing date: Friday 8th May at 9am

Non tester. My favourite cake has to be carrot, but without too much sugar in. I hate really sickly sweet carrot cake. Otherwise I'm partial to a nice coconut cake.

Non-tester here. My favourite is definitely home-made banana cake but I'm also a fan of lemon drizzle .

I still haven't received my baking pack! Have emailed two different mnhqers and received no reply. Am a bit miffed.

1. What bakes did you and your DC create? Please post a photo or two on the thread of the finished result or of the baking session!

We made chocolate shortbread biscuits and vanilla fairy cakes. Both of these we make regularly - the fairy cakes being a particular favourite of my daughter as she gets to exercise her creativity with the decoration!

2. What was your child’s favourite aspect of the baking process? Getting messy, licking the bowl at the end or anything in between!

My daughter loves helping with baking. She particularly enjoyed having her own bowl and new spoon - rather than using Mummy's things. Her younger brother enjoyed licking the bowl.

3. What was your favourite aspect of baking with your DC?

I just love watching her look of concentration as she carefully cracks the egg and the delight on her face if she manages not to drop any shell in!

4. If you don't normally use Anchor, do you think that your bakes taste different when using Anchor butter compared to your normal butter? Please explain.

I chose to make the shortbread biscuits as well as cakes as the butter is a more prominent taste than in other bakes. There was a definite taste difference from our usual supermarket brand. This was less noticeable with the cakes but the butter was definitely easier to cream than other brands we use.

6. Do you normally use butter or margarine for baking? Do you usually use unsalted or salted butter for baking? How aware were you that using unsalted butter is great for baking?

We use both butter and margarine for baking. In little fairy cakes if we are making these spontaneously I'll use margarine so we don't have to allow butter softening time. I always use butter for special cakes and for shortbread style biscuits. When using butter I always use unsalted butter.

7. Were you pleased with the results of your baking?

Yes, I was very pleased with the results of our baking.

8. Would you use Anchor butter again for your baking? Why? Were you aware Anchor was the original block butter company having made butter for over 125 years? Is this important to you?

I would use Anchor butter again for baking as it seemed creamier to use and the taste was better on the shortbread biscuits. I would look out for it on special offers or deals as it is about 1/3 more expensive than our current supermarket block of butter. I was aware that Anchor was a well-established brand but wasn't aware that they were the original block butter company.

9. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Anchor butter to friends and family? Why? Yes, for special cakes it was easier to use and my DH and I could taste the difference in the shortbread biscuits.

Non tester - my favourite cake is choc made with buttermilk and swiss meringue buttercream

None tester here, have been convinced by this thread to try anchor block butter in my son's cake I'm making tonight!

Although I always use anchor spreadable as butter in my butter cream Icing. It has the perfect blend of oil and salt to make it ten times easier to whip, pipe and sets just right too. I just can't make it work with block butter.

As for favourite bake I would normally say Victoria Sponge but the scones above look delicious and are swaying me!!

1. What bakes did you and your DC create? Please post a photo or two on the thread of the finished result or of the baking session!
   we made gingerbread men, his favourite

2. What was your child’s favourite aspect of the baking process? Getting messy, licking the bowl at the end or anything in between!
   emptying the ingredients into the bowl! then the end result

3. What was your favourite aspect of baking with your DC?
   seeing him getting stuck in!

4. If you don't normally use Anchor, do you think that your bakes taste different when using Anchor butter compared to your normal butter? Please explain.
   i think it was hard to tell because of the ginger

5. Do you normally use butter or margarine for baking? Do you usually use unsalted or salted butter for baking? How aware were you that using unsalted butter is great for baking?
   i always use butter, and usually salted, although I normally use spreadable for baking and save block butter for the buttercream frosting

6. Were you pleased with the results of your baking?
   I'm always pleased by the results of my baking, cakes and biscuits don't hang around for long in this house!

7. Would you use Anchor butter again for your baking? Why? Were you aware Anchor was the original block butter company having made butter for over 125 years? Is this important to you?
   I would buy it again, although I would be more likely to buy it if it was on offer. I wasn't aware of its heritage, I like to think that longer established brands know what they are doing!

8. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Anchor butter to friends and family? Why?
   i would mention it in relation to the trial and what you are doing with kits for school and say that we were pleased with the results

A bit of feedback on the kits though, love the apron and bowl, but the spoon needs to be made of slightly stronger material, we found it quite hard to work the mix together at first, maybe send out a wooden spoon instead?

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

1. What bakes did you and your DC create? Please post a photo or two on the thread of the finished result or of the baking session!
   We made chocolate cake and cheese scones

2. What was your child’s favourite aspect of the baking process? Getting messy, licking the bowl at the end or anything in between!

She enjoyed doing everything but especially licking good the bowl

3. What was your favourite aspect of baking with your DC?

I enjoyed spending time, and teaching her new things that's how they get passed on

4. If you don't normally use Anchor, do you think that your bakes taste different when using Anchor butter compared to your normal butter? Please explain.

I don't normally use anchor and yes it is definitely more creamy

6. Do you normally use butter or margarine for baking? Do you usually use unsalted or salted butter for baking? How aware were you that using unsalted butter is great for baking?

I tend to use unsalted if I can it doesn't seem to make any difference to the taste but is better for you

7. Were you pleased with the results of your baking?
   Yes great

8. Would you use Anchor butter again for your baking? Why? Were you aware Anchor was the original block butter company having made butter for over 125 years? Is this important to you?
   I would use it again but it is more expensive than my usual own brand. I wasn't aware of its heritage but the taste is the important thing

9. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Anchor butter to friends and family? Why?
   I would recommend it especially for buttercream !!!

Lemon cake in our house...but to be honest any cake!

) What bakes did you and your DC create? Please post a photo or two on the thread of the finished result or of the baking session!

My Ds wanted to do cake pops.So we decided to make and see as it was first time for me.

2. What was your child’s favourite aspect of the baking process? Getting messy, licking the bowl at the end or anything in between!

He was tempted to lick the sugar and butter mixture.

3. What was your favourite aspect of baking with your DC?

Holding hime from eating the ingredients before cooking

4. If you don't normally use Anchor, do you think that your bakes taste different when using Anchor butter compared to your normal butter? Please explain.

I normally buy countrylife or sainsburys own brand.This tasted slightly different.
6) Do you normally use butter or margarine for baking? Do you usually use unsalted or salted butter for baking? How aware were you that using unsalted butter is great for baking?

I normally use unsalted butter at home.Mostly used as clarified butter.I am well aware of using unsalted butter.

7. Were you pleased with the results of your baking?

I was really happy the way the pops came out.My son was over the moon.

8. Would you use Anchor butter again for your baking? Why? Were you aware Anchor was the original block butter company having made butter for over 125 years? Is this important to you?

I would use again.I am aware of the anchor butter but not the history.

9. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Anchor butter to friends and family? Why?

Yes definitely.About the trial and the experience we both had and also word or two about the butter.

We made coconut cake from a Mrs beeton cookbook. It was messy and fun, and between that and the buttercream filling we used almost the entire block of butter.
Licking the bowl was a favourite activity, though they liked turning it out and slicing it up too.
We use butter or marg in recipes, depending what we're making.
Butter makes better cakes, biscuits and flapjacks, marg is better in pastry or scones. I took photos but can't post them on the app. I'll put them up when I get to the big computer.

Pff, daft question - there's no point in having cake if it isn't chocolate flavoured. Preferably with chunks of chocolate too.

Coincidentally, I happen to have some chocolate-chip sponge in the kitchen... Quick, someone distract my DC!

1. We made a batch of Millie's cookies using a recipe I found online a while back; I've made quite a few batches before. This is the first time I let my DS, who is 5, help with these.
   www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1580654/millies-cookies-recipe

2. My DS loved "everything" about the baking - from helping to weigh out the ingredients, mix the ingredients together and then tasting of course!

3. It's a good opportunity to bond with them, also get my 3 year old DD to help with some recipes though she was as nursery when we made this batch - otherwise they fight over doing things! My DS listens well to instructions, pay of the time, so it's a pleasant way to spend some time together.

4. I normally use Kerrygold butter as it's from grass fed cows, I'll get Anchor if it's on offer as I find it's usually a bit more expensive. Taste wise they both seem about the same.

5. I always use unsalted butter for baking as I find margarine tends to make things greasy. Plus it doesn't taste as nice I find.

6. Yes I was pleased, my DS liked these more than a batch I made the other day - I left them in the oven too long so they got a tad crunchy!

7. Yes, if I can stock up when it's working out cheaper. Yes I was aware of how long it's been around; I don't think it makes a difference to me.

8. I would recommend, alongside my usual brand, as the quality is good and the taste is nice for both.

Place marking to come back after the weekend and give feedback.

QuietNinjaTardis - I have had your email and we have asked the team who sent out the products what's happened. Please bear with us - cheers.

1. What bakes did you and your DC create? Please post a photo or two on the thread of the finished result or of the baking session!

We made the sausage rolls using the www.anchordairy.co.uk/recipes link.

2. What was your child’s favourite aspect of the baking process? Getting messy, licking the bowl at the end or anything in between!
   DD enjoyed grating the frozen butter into the flour to make the pastry and DS enjoyed mixing the sausagemeat with the herbs and mustard.

3. What was your favourite aspect of baking with your DC?
   I enjoy baking with my DCs anyway but we enjoyed trying a new recipe using anchor butter.

4. If you don't normally use Anchor, do you think that your bakes taste different when using Anchor butter compared to your normal butter? Please explain.
   Absolutely. I usually use supermarket own brand for baking. These sausage rolls were absolutely delicious due to my changing brand.

5. Do you normally use butter or margarine for baking? Do you usually use unsalted or salted butter for baking? How aware were you that using unsalted butter is great for baking?
   I usually use margarine or salted butter for baking. I was unaware that unsalted butter made bakes even more tasty.

6. Were you pleased with the results of your baking?
   Absolutely thrilled with the results. My family said that they have never tasted such tasty pastry!

7. Would you use Anchor butter again for your baking? Why? Were you aware Anchor was the original block butter company having made butter for over 125 years? Is this important to you?
   Yes I would because of all of the reasons above. Tasty bakes, lovely pastry, great colour sausage rolls.
   I like a company with a god history and it is important to me.

8. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Anchor butter to friends and family? Why?
   Yes, I would recommend Anchor butter. I was really impressed with the results of the pastry and the colour of the pastry and the end product.
   Obviously I would be even more tempted if the anchor butter was on special offer!

To add to my previous post.

We decided to make gluten free cookies. We made the first batch with peanut butter and then made a batch of chocolate ones with left over Easter Eggs.

My daughter enjoyed getting messy and mixing. I enjoyed eating the biscuits afterwards!!

The anchor butter has a nice flavour and we often use ie anyway. I mostly use unsalted but do sometimes use salted as it adds flavour, especially with chocolate.

We were very pleased with the results from the baking and have scoffed both plates of them. We would definitely use Andhor again and recommend it to friends and family. We also liked the kit we were sent and my daughter liked wearing the apron and mixing with her special bowl and spoon. The whole testing experience was a lot of fun with the kids.

1. What bakes did you and your DC create? Please post a photo or two on the thread of the finished result or of the baking session!

We made fairy cakes with buttercream icing, big hit in this house!

2. What was your child’s favourite aspect of the baking process? Getting messy, licking the bowl at the end or anything in between!

My two get distracted as soon as the cake mix turns into something they can eat. They spend the rest of the time fighting over the bowl, spoon, whisk

3. What was your favourite aspect of baking with your DC?

I love baking with them. I love knowing what's in the food we're eating and I love the end results

4. If you don't normally use Anchor, do you think that your bakes taste different when using Anchor butter compared to your normal butter? Please explain.

I normally use margarine. These tasted better but they didn't rise as far as normal. But the improved taste more than made up for it

6. Do you normally use butter or margarine for baking? Do you usually use unsalted or salted butter for baking? How aware were you that using unsalted butter is great for baking?

I'm not sure I've considered the salt issue before

7. Were you pleased with the results of your baking?

Very, some made it to the freezer and the rest disappeared very quickly

8. Would you use Anchor butter again for your baking? Why? Were you aware Anchor was the original block butter company having made butter for over 125 years? Is this important to you?

The 125 years thing doesn't bother me but the cakes were good so I'll use it again

9. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Anchor butter to friends and family? Why?

I would, they just taste richer

My favourite cake is chocolate cake. We particularly like it with apricot jam (or cherry) in the middle and covered with Green and Black's 85% chocolate.

thank you very much for allowing us to take part in this trial.
me and my daughter made a variety of cup cakes and she loved helping weigh out the ingredients and making a mess whilst attempting to mix! I loved the fact it allowed us to spend 1 to 1 time and make use of her skills.
I normally use stork and if Im honest I couldn't really tell the difference in flavour. The cakes came out yummy and didn't last long! If anchor was on offer I would definitely purchase again and I would recommend to friends and family.

Non tester: lemon drizzle is my favourite.

1. What bakes did you and your DC create?

My 4 year old and I made chocolate brownies, recipe found on Anchor website, perfect for using up some of the Easter choc and nice and quick do could be done after school!

2. What was your child’s favourite aspect of the baking process? Getting messy, licking the bowl at the end or anything in between!

I asked him and he said 'adding the chocolate chips' he also really enjoyed bashing up the choc ahead of melting it and licking the bowl!

3. What was your favourite aspect of baking with your DC?

I love watching his enthusiasm and seeing how much he enjoys it, it's lovely doing it together too.

4. If you don't normally use Anchor, do you think that your bakes taste different when using Anchor butter compared to your normal butter? Please explain.

To be honest I don't really notice the difference in baking between butter brands but where I do notice is if I'm making butter icing, I always use a good brand such as Anchor for that.

6. Do you normally use butter or margarine for baking? Do you usually use unsalted or salted butter for baking? How aware were you that using unsalted butter is great for baking?

Always butter and always unsalted. Very aware that unsalted is best for baking

7. Were you pleased with the results of your baking?

Yes very pleased, brownies were lovely and suitably squishy in middle!

8. Would you use Anchor butter again for your baking? Why? Were you aware Anchor was the original block butter company having made butter for over 125 years? Is this important to you?

I would use it again as it's nice and good results using it, I was aware it had been around for a long time and I see it as a trusted brand so I guess in that respect it is important to me though wouldn't necessarily be primary reason for buying it, price is more of a factor, I tend to buy butter on offer so for example if it was 2 for £2 I would stock up. At £1.70 a block I wouldn't buy it for baking, I would however pay that for butter for butter dish ie to go on my toast.

9. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Anchor butter to friends and family? Why?

Yes, because it's nice and I had good results baking with it and it makes good butter icing (I've used it in past for this).

Non-tester here.

My favourite cake is lemon and poppy seed - somehow it manages to be dense yet deliciously tasty and light at the same time.

I love all cakes though, and especially those with fresh fruit as the main flavouring.

Non tester: Lemon drizzle - where the lemon has been poured through the cake, and the top is crunchy........mmmmmmm