Find out what Mumsnetters thought of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes. £300 John Lewis voucher prize draw for testers’ feedback! NOW CLOSED!

[ZaneMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the 250 Mumsnetters who tested Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes.

Here’s what Aunt Bessie’s say: “We've selected the finest potatoes to create our delicious Homestyle Roasts. Crispy on the outside, fluffy and light on the inside, they’re perfect for your family roast. Simply pop them in the oven for 35 minutes for perfect roasties every time”.

Testers, please complete the feedback questions below (and please feel free to add any other comments you may have).

Please also remember to complete the survey we sent you to be entered into the £300 John Lewis voucher prize draw.

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?
Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?
Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?

Thanks, MNHQ

When do they need to be tested by?

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?

I was not aware of these Homestyle roast potatoes before the test.

Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?

I loved them as did the rest of my family. I am very fussy when it comes to roast potatoes as many frozen ones are hard on the inside and not crispy enough on the outside but these were exactly like the ones you do yourself from scratch!
They looked great when they were done, not like normal frozen ones, they had a nice effect to the outside and were a great golden colour.

Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?

They tasted delicious, were very soft inside and crispy on the outside. I can see why they call them Homestyle as they were exactly like that.

Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?

Much better, they didnt like like cheap frozen roast potatoes that were bunged in the oven for half an hour. They looked homemade, had great sizes - not too big or too small - and smelt delicious too.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would definitely recommend them as, if other people like me, have given up on roast potatoes, they might not be bothered to try these as they might think they are as useless as the other ones already out there!

Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?

They would definitely be my first choice, no question. I will be looking out for these in the future.

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?

I was not aware of these Homestyle roast potatoes before the test.

Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?

I really liked them and so did my family. They were a nice golden colour and most importantly they tasted great

Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?

They were really nice - just like real home made roast potatoes.

Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?

They were a good shape and tasted good. They didn't need as long in the oven as some other brands and looked really appealing.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would definitely recommend them.

Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?

I will definitely be getting them again.

1. Yes.
2. Not very impressed - sorry. Nowhere near as good as home made.
3. Taste was Ok, texture was awful. Not crisp on the outside, dry and powdery inside.
4. Taste and aroma was what I expected from a frozen roast potato, nowhere near as good as home made.
5. I wouldn't recommend them, no. As outlined above, the taste and texture not as good as we're used to. The children ate them but weren't keen.
6. No, I won't be purchasing them in future. I've been converted to frozen mash but roasties are a step too far.

1 no
2 quite liked them
3 tasted v good
4 sorry I would recommend m and s roasties more but they are acceptable
5yes would buy, aunt Bessie is a trusted name

1. Yes, I had seen them before

1. Overall, I think they are great for a midweek meal or for a rushed sunday roast,

1. Tasty enough, nothing special.

1. The whole bag is full of tiny spuds, and I think thats a negative - my own homemade spuds are twice as big.

5 Yes, I like them for a quick alternative to peeling, parboiling and roasting.

1. Yes, I would buy them again.

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?

No I was not aware of this product before the test.

Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?

In frozen state they looked like a normal roast potato. We cooked them as per the directions but felt they could have done with longer as they weren't as crispy as our home made version. I used a silver anodised roasting pan and the roast potatoes did stick in parts to the pan. They weren't difficult to remove but it did seem to leave the best bits behind!

Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?

They were tastier than I expected. They were fluffy in the centre, slightly crispy on the outside but not as crispy as our normal home made ones.

We tried them 3 ways:

1. On their own - all 3 of us agreed there was a slight pithy aftertaste, although not unpleasant it was a different texture to a normal roastie and seemed to be related to the skin rather than the flesh of the potato.

1. As part of a full roast - the aftertaste wasn't evident and they blended well with our meal.
2. Cold - My teenage son adores cold roasties and in his opinion they were much better cold than hot! Perhaps not the target market!

Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?

The shape was uniform which gave them good 'plate appeal'. They certainly smelled appetising.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes. I think they are a perfect solution for busy families as they require no preparation. They are ideal those living alone, who may want roasties but don't want the hassle of making a roasting tin full. I also think they were be perfect mashed up with left over vegetables in a bubble and squeak.

Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?

I am unlikely to purchase them in the future. I do prefer a crispier potato. Next time we will cook them longer to see if that improves the crisp.

I had seen adverts in magazines about these roast potatoes, but had never considered buying them - I thought they'd taste like the horrible ones we had at school!
However, I was pleasantly surprised!
They were delicious!
So easy to cook - pop them straight onto a baking tray and into oven, then 30 - 40 minutes later they are golden and just crispy enough and inside............yummy fluffy potato.
They taste just like potatoes! My husband commented that if you didn't know they'd come out of the freezer, you'd think they were home cooked. The size of the potatoes is real - some small, large, odd shapes etc, so all good for aesthetics and all members of the family.
Normally, I par boil and roast in sunflower oil - I'd be happy to use Aunt Bessie's instead.
I'd definitely recommend these - convenience - you fancy a roast dinner, or pie and gravy dinner and the week, no potatoes in the larder, but Aunt Bessie's in the freezer - I'm convinced!
We'll be keeping a bag in our freezer from now on

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?
Yes
Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
There weren't a lot of potatoes in the bag for the price. They looked nice, before cooking but not much different to alternatives (supermarket own brands).
After cooking, they looked amazing - they were differentiated from alternatives just by the colour and smelled delicious.
They were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and didn't stick to the baking foil. There wasn't a lot of grease after baking either which is definitely an improvement on other brands.
Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
10/10 would prefer these to any other roast potatoes I've ever had _ including homemade roasties!
Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?
They were similar in shape, although seemed slightly larger than usual. The smell was divine after cooking, a savoury, slightly salty smell. They didn't taste very salty though. They looked similar to other roast potatoes, but were a different quality altogether.
Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, because the taste is superior to any other frozen varieties as well as homemade roast potatoes. I think for the ease of making these compared to making from scratch, it's not worth the effort.
Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?
I will definitely be using these again. We're having them for dinner again tonight actually!

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?
Yes I was aware of them
Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
They looked pretty good and there was a reasonable amount in a bag
Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
I thought they tasted quite bland and I really didn't like the texture, I thought they were like mash inside a shell.
Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?
Shape was good couldn't fault it, they didn't smell of much though.
Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not? I would in terms of ease of use, so for older relatives but not in terms of texture or taste.
Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?
Not that likely although I may buy them if im pushed for time or run out of potatoes.
Thank you for letting me test them though!

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?

Yes - who can forget the adverts!

Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?

Tasty. Crispy, Lovely dabbing into my tommy sauce! Morish you could say.

Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?

On a scale from 1 being horrible and 10 being yummy they would be an 8 - tasted great although I could tell they were not home made!

Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?

Fine - smelled very nice, like the real thing. Shape was just as one would expect too.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes! Liked them a lot and can't see why anybody wouldn't at the right price.

Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?

For convenience yes - but nothing beats a home made roastie now does it!

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?
Yes, I often buy AB parsnips and they are usually located together in the freezers.

Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
Good, nice even size. I was expecting some big/small roasties so I was pleasantly surprised at their uniformity.

Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
Very nice, outside was crispy and inside fluffy (a little dry though)

Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?
Great shape and sizing - impressed. The aroma was good and they were eaten quickly enough.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, I would. Easy to use and just like home-made ones!

Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?
Yes, I will definitely buy these in future.

Thanks again

Impressed at the uniform shape/size!

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?
No.

Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
One bag served three adults and two children with a handful left over for bubble and squeak. They cooked to a nice crunch on a flat tray but were slightly soggy if cooked in a high-sided tray.

Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
We all thought they were very tasty. I don't think anyone would be fooled that they were homemade if they scrutinized but they were very pleasant. I never buy roast potatoes so can't compare. My homemade ones are pretty hit and miss so not much competition but I do prefer my partner's ones.

Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?
They were very evenly sized which homemade ones tend not to be - however it made for easy, accurate cooking time.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
I would recommend for speedy alternative but not an actual replacement.

Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?
If I am cooking midweek then yes, if my partner is doing a Sunday roast then no!

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?
No.

Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
Everyone liked them, but thought they tasted like potato wedges not roast potatoes.

Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
I have never eaten a cooked from frozen roast potato before, so they were how I'd imagined. Tasted nice, but as I said before, tasted like potato wedges. The outside was not crispy enough and the inside was too ....I'm not sure! It just didn't taste like a roast potato. Dh said they were too powdery inside.

Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?
They looked like roast potatoes. Very even sizing. Didn't smell as good as proper roast potatoes.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
No. All 4 of the dc said my homemade roast potatoes were much better, so did dh. Ds2 said he thought he should be eating a burger with them, not a roast dinner.

Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?
No. I don't think I'd buy these again, partly because they don't taste like roast potatoes and partly because it's much cheaper to buy a bag of poatatoes and make them myself!

Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?
Had heard of them but never tried them.

Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
good sized bag with nice sized potatoes, good if need to get a meal prepped quickly eg mid week
Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
Not as authentic as home made ones, though better and less powdery than some I have tried. My son thought the crispy outside was delicious.

Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?
Better than some I have previously tried, I par boil my home made roasts and shake them around to give them the fluffy crispy outside, these lacked that authenticity and outside I thought was a bit 'smooth' for a roast, that said my son said he'd be more than happy to keep having them!didnt smell as good as homemade either. Uniformity of them reinforced the 'non homemade' look

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes for quickness of time

Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?
Will likely keep a bag in freezer for those nights where we are short on meal prep time!

1. No, not aware
2. Overall, they were decent enough for a mid week meal, but not as good as my own sunday roasties and I definitely wouldn't use them for a special roast dinner.
3. Good shape and colour. Nicely fluffy on the inside. Quite pale on the outside and didn't crisp up at all. Not soggy or completely dry puffs of air like some we've tried!
4. Yes, for quickness and versus other pre made roasties.
5. Good to have in the freezer as back up, just in case! I don't think they'll make it into our weekly roast

Q1. I knew about them but hadn't tried them
Q2. There was plenty in the bag and tasted great. I find that buying them are much more convenient than making my night own.
Q3. They tasted great and cooked lovely.
Q3. They were nice and loved that they crisped up on the outside,they were fairly soft on the inside but I have recently tried another branded roast potatoes which were much fluffier.
Q4. Yes I would
Q5. I would purchase these again if they were on offer as I prefer the other roast potatoes I've purchased

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?
No. Well, I had a general idea that Aunt Bessie's make frozen roast potatoes but I wasn't aware of this particular product.
*Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
They were OK. Very uniform in size, quite small, very soft inside with a kind of grainy skin.
Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?
Again OK. I prefer home made roast potatoes for taste but these potatoes were perfectly acceptable.
Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?
They were very uniform in shape and slightly small. I prefer the variety of home made when it comes to shape. I don't really remember the aroma.
Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not? Yes, I think so.
Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes? I would consider buying them if I were pushed for time to prepare roast potatoes, otherwise I'd prefer to make my own.
Thanks for the chance to try them!

Q1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?

Yes.

Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?

They're okay for a day when you're in a rush and want a potato dish to go with meat and veg. They're a convenience food for when you can't be bothered to cook properly.

Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes?

Not great. They crisped nicely and had a nice colour but I agree that they tasted more like a large potato wedge, with a firm outside and a grainy formed centre. They weren't seasoned enough and they were so uniform and rounded in shape that there were no authentic jagged crispy edges.

Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase?

They can't compare to real ones. I parboil mine and then shake them to rough them up a bit. I then oven cook them in seasoned oil and sprinkle sea salt and rosemary all over them. You get lovely chewy crispy edges and fluffy insides.

The Aunt Bessie's brown well but don't have proper crispy edges and they aren't seasoned the same at all. I was disappointed to see they have palm oil on them and they left a greasy slick on the baking tray.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

No. I won't buy them again and didn't think they were anything special so wouldn't think to mention them.

Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes?

Very unlikely.

1. Were you aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this product test?

No, I wasn't. Q2. What were your overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes? lovely colour, taste and not greasy. Q3. In terms of taste, how would you rate Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes? Nice and fluffy, good flavour. Q3. How did you find Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes in terms of shape and aroma, compared to typical roast potatoes you make/purchase? Authentic shape mixture, good aroma. Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not? yes, thank you for the samples ! Q5. In future, how likely are you to consider purchasing Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes if you were in need of roast potatoes? Very likely, nicer than M&S !

Q1. I was aware of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes before taking part in this test.

Q2. My overall impressions of Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes were far better than I expected. Previous frozen roasties experiences have not been great but these left me pleasantly surprised.

Q3. Taste wise my husband and I thought these could just about pass for home roasted potatoes, as they didn't have the powdery/floury taste that you often find with frozen roasties. Nice balance of firm and softness inside, with a light crisp outside.

Q3. The potato shape and aroma, compared to typical frozen roast potatoes was definitely more like "real" roast potatoes, however home made from scratch potatoes still win hands down. Shape wise, a decent size, not too small or too big, so cooked evenly.

Q4. We would recommend Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen roast potatoes to friends/family due to the quality taste, felt like maybe better quality potatoes have been used to make them. Very convenient and tasty for mums who are too snowed under to make their own from scratch.

Q5. I will definitely be buying these roasties again!

My family and I really enjoyed these crispy roast potatoes. I love them when they are overcooked and really crispy so I was a little dubious as to what to expect. Although I have had Aunt Bessie's products in the past, I had no previous knowledge or experience of these. We all really enjoyed them and it is so easy to simply take them out of the freezer and cook them straight away. They were light and fluffy on the inside, and lovely and crispy on the outer edges and a lovely dark brown colour. (I admit I did cook them longer than the instructions. The packet said cook for 35 minutes but I left mine in for 45 as I like everything well done). This was purely for my personal choice. They came out looking like home made roasties, or as good as anyway. I would definitely recommend that you try these for yourselves, don't just take my word for it. I have already bought a replacement bag to keep in the freezer myself.

Q1. I'd seen them in the freezer section, but had never bought them.

Q2. Good size and shape, looked good when they came out of the oven, tasted pretty good too as a quick midweek roastie. Wouldn't serve as part of a family roast dinner, I'd still make the effort to have real roasties.

Q3. Fairly fluffy on the inside, crispish on the outside. They taste good for a frozen roast potato.

Q3. They smelled more 'chippy' than the roast potatoes I make, but still smelled good. Shapewise they were a bit larger than the size I cut them, but weren't too large.

Q4. Yes I would, as a midweek quick make. We had some tonight with leftover meat from yesterday's roast dinner, so a quick way to have another roast dinner in double-quick time.

Also, I and a few people I know are Slimming World members, and this is an easy way of measuring a portion. I had four roasties as 2.5 syns (you have 5 to 15 a day) and it was four smallish spuds. I could have doubled it and had a pretty large portion. So they're good value for the food plan.

Q5. I would defintely consider buying them for quick and easy midweek meals. I'll still continue to parboil and roast my own potatoes for Sunday and celebration roast dinners though.

Forgot to add my pic!