Hellmann’s Tomato Ketchup Sweetened only with Honey testers feedback thread NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the MNers who are trying this new ketchup with their families - read on to find out what they think!

Hellmann’s say “Hellmann’s Ketchup sweetened only with Honey. An all-natural recipe offering Mum’s more of the ingredients they want, and less of the ingredients they don’t – 36% more tomatoes, and 30% less sugar (vs. market leader standard tomato ketchup)”

Testers, please share your thoughts on the questions below and feel free to also tweet your comments and photos to @HellmannsUK (include @mumsnetinsight!)

What did you think overall about the product?
What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)
How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?
Are you likely to buy it again? And why?
And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?

Everyone who takes part and who shares feedback on the thread and by completing the survey will be entered into a prize draw where one tester will win a £300 supermarket voucher for the store of their choice.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

What did you think overall about the product?
I liked it a lot, I'm not a massive (Heinz) ketchup fan but I liked this, it tasted more of tomatoes and I liked all the natural ingredients. I prefer this type of 'upside down' packaging also.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)

More tomatoes, less sugar and hoped it would taste less artificial.

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?

It seemed to taste more of tomatoes and perhaps a little fresher than Heinz. I couldn't specifically taste the honey but didn't feel like it tasted any less sweet. 2yo loved it and I'd prefer him to eat this stuff. Partner said he still prefers Heinz.

Are you likely to buy it again? And why?
I would be more likely to buy it alongside other ketchups, for myself and 2yo.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?
I would definitely point it out in a supermarket or mention it if talking about ketchups(!) as I know lots of friends are looking to reduce their sugar intake.

Really enjoyed this - thanks!

What did you think overall about the product? we liked it, it tasted sharper than the usual Heinz one.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader) The fact it has less sugar was what appealed most.

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste? It tasted sharper, less sweet and more tomatoey, my DCs liked it more than the original one we usually have.

Are you likely to buy it again? And why? Yes because we all preferred it but it will depend on price too

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why? Yes, we used it at a family BBQ at the weekend and recommended it to my family, they were all fans of the sharper taste.

What did you think overall about the product?

Quite liked it, the packaging looks good.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)

More tomatoes and the honey aspect - I was intrigued!

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?

It was a bit sweet and sickly, although the aftertaste was nice. DH was not a fan.

Are you likely to buy it again? And why?

Probably not tbh. Just too sweet.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?

Maybe. Only if they wanted a different type of ketchup. I didn't really like the taste enough to recommend it.

Thank you for letting us try it though 🙂

What did you think overall about the product?
It's really nice, I like it

What appealed to you about trying it?
The use of honey rather than sugar, was interested in how it would taste.

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?
I found it very sweet, to me it tastes sweeter and more tomatoey than other ketchups. My children love it!

Are you likely to buy it again? And why?
Yes, if it's on offer I will.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?
Yes I would, although I would mention that it does taste sweeter than other ketchups - for some people that's a plus but for others it isn't.

What did you think overall about the product?

It's nice, I like it but kids not mentioned a difference!

What appealed to you about trying it?

A different way of sweetening food appealed!

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?

Had a distinct tang of honey flavour but nobody disliked it. Nobody said a word!

Are you likely to buy it again? And why

If it's on offer,yes. Silly money,no. I liked the honey flavour

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?

Yes. Have discussed it with family. I would recommend ( our family like to use it in cooking)

Thank you for allowing us to take part in this trial.
We loved the the taste and couldn't taste the difference whatsoever and was very interested to see if the honey altered the taste in anyway but it was great! I was pleasantly surprised the kids didn't notice as they can be funny with ketchup.
I would definitely buy this again if on offer and I would definitely recommend to friends and family

What did you think overall about the product?
We were split by generation - grownups loved it (especially me!) but DCs preferred the usual reduced sugar and salt Heinz we have.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)
I'm a big lover of honey generally so I was intrigued to try it for that reason, but I also get low sugar / salt ketchup, beans etc for the family on principle, so anything that could introduce natural, better-for-us options into the cupboard was very welcomed.

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?
I liked the tanginess of it, the savoury flavour was lovely and it was brilliant with roast chicken thighs (don't judge me!). DD complained it was 'too tomatoey' - I think she missed the sweetness of our usual option.

Are you likely to buy it again? And why?

If it was on offer I'd buy it for me and DH, but unless I can convince the DC to get into it too maybe by putting it in the other bottle it seems a bit daft having two different ketchups in the cupboard.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?
I've already recommended it to my Dad, the only person I know as obsessed by honey as me!

What did you think overall about the product?
Loved it, and so did my two DCs. I gave it to them without mentioning it was different to the usual (household name) brand that I buy.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)

All of the above. My youngest is a fussy eater (ASD) and eats a lot of ketchup. The fewer ingredients list, use of honey, more toms & less sugar overall make it a very attractive option.

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?

Really good. Very tasty. Everyone ate it with no complaints at all.

Are you likely to buy it again? And why?

I would definitely buy it again due to the reasons mentioned above - taste, ingredients list, percentage of tomatoes etc etc.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?

As per the above. It's not only tasty but has more tomatoes and less sugar than our usual brand. I tend to avoid buying anything with too many ingredients or with ingredients that I wouldn't be able to buy myself. So it ticks all my boxes.

So yes, I would recommend it heartily to others.

What did you think overall about the product?
Nice bottle. It was ok, tasted of tomatoes more than Heinz. But was also sweeter I think.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)
I love ketchup but always buy Heinz so was curious.

How did it taste?
Like I said, lots of tomatoes, but sweet too.

What did other members of your family think about the taste?
Noone else has ketchup so not tried.

Are you likely to buy it again?
Probably not.
And why?
I like Heinz better.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?
Yes I'd say it was nice because I didn't dislike it.

What did you think overall about the product?
I like the packaging and the look of the sauce. I also liked the taste. Tastes a bit more acidic but with a good level of sweetness.
What appealed to you about trying it? -
The fact it has less sugar and more tomatoes.
How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?
I really liked it and so did DH. DS is very set in his ways though and preferred his usual brand. I liked the flavour-not really very honey tasting but it was different in a good way.
Are you likely to buy it again? And why?
I would but again as it went really well with BBQ burgers.
And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?
I would recommend-especially for the BBQ!

What did you think overall about the product? I was impressed, suprisingly so, I thought it would be too sweet despite having less sugar

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader) having less sugar was what appealed to me.

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste? We liked it, my son very much so. It had a sort of twang (for want of a better description) to it rather than just sweetness.

Are you likely to buy it again? And why? If it was for sale at a reasonable price or on offer then I would, I think it will lovely with BBQ food, so waiting to have one.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why? Yes for something different to try and the natural ingredients of it.

What did I Think?
It's a good product which tastes pretty much the same as regular ketchup but with less refined sugar.

What appealed?
I try to reduce the volume of refined sugar we all eat and eat more natural products.

How did it taste?
Nice. Pretty much the same as regular reduced salt and sugar ketchup. I tried it at a bbq and all tasters were happy with the flavour.
Would I buy It?
Yes if easily available I would buy it.

Recommend to others?
Already have done.

What did you think overall about the product?

I thought it was a good idea. Anything less processed has to be a bonus.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)

Yes exactly this. Naturally sweetened rather than processed sugar added and extra tomatoes.

How did it taste?

Very tomatoey. Slightly different from our usual brand (which I always get lower sugar and salt version)

What did other members of your family think about the taste?

My daughter ate it when it was put on her plate but when I left it to her to add she picked our usual brand from the cupboard. I liked the taste as very tomatoey.

Are you likely to buy it again? And why?

Maybe. But it really is my daughter who mostly has ketchup in this house so not if she doesn't convert! Might be good to buy to put in recipes sometimes.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?
Maybe. Not sure it's something that would come up in conversation but if asked I'd say it was worth a try.

What did you think overall about the product?
It was a great product liked the packaging and taste very much

What appealed to you about trying it?
I am very conscious of how much sugar we consume as a household and consciously choose low sugar or no added sugar options. I liked that it was sweetened with honey

How did it taste?
It tasted really good! I couldn't tell the difference from the one I normally buy

what did other members of your family think about the taste?
My sons took this test very seriously and we conducted three blind taste tests with an option A and an option B
They picked the Hellmans ketchup every time.

Are you likely to buy it again? And why?
I would buy this again. Although honey is a form of sugar it is a more natural form.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up on conversation - and why?

I would definitely recommend this ketchup it was delicious

Thanks for sending us the Hellmann's ketchup.

What did you think overall about the product?
Overall I liked the product and thought it tasted good. The packaging was easy to use and eye-catching.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)
I was interested to see what it tasted like compared to my usual brand and I liked the fact it is all natural whilst packing in more tomatoes. I am always keen to cut down any sugar we consume as a family.

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?
Are you likely to buy it again? And why?
I definitely thought it had a stronger tomato taste and quite tangy. My DS did not like the taste very much at all and my DD thought it was ok. Therefore, I probably won't buy it again unfortunately.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?
Yes, I would definitely recommend it as I thought it tasted good and I think others would be interested in trying a natural product with less sugar.

What appealed to you about trying it?
The fact it was sweetened with honey & less sugars for my kids
How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?
We were all pleasantly surprised & liked it - perhaps a little sweeter than other brands
Are you likely to buy it again? And why?
Yes we would because we were impressed it had more tomatoes than other brands and still tasted delicious
And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?
Yes I would if someone mentions sugar free or low sugar tastes awful I would suggest they try the honey one -because it's nicer than other low sugars brands
What did you think overall about the product?
Overall I found it great ! Well made too ! Well done hellsmanns

What did you think overall about the product?

We really liked it. My son is the big ketchup fan. He wasn't so happy for some reason. I am surprised about this though as he has any Ketchup. He's only five though and he read the bottle and so maybe he was just generally put off by the honey aspect. I don't like ketchup and to be honest I would probably have this. I didn't actually mind it at all.
It was almost like tomato soup. Richer in taste and definitely tastes more tomatoey.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)

It appealed to me because I like honey and like trying new things.
It was less sweet than other brands but not too much that made it more chutney than ketchup.

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?
As above. My husband likes it. He agrees with me on the richer and more tomato in taste.

Are you likely to buy it again? And why?
Yes, price not too bad. I would buy again and even more so if on offer.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?
I am likely to yes and already have to a family member. I also work in a supermarket and I can definitely see this selling. it's also marketed at a reasonable price too to what else is on the shelves currently. Ketchup and sauces that have something extra and a bit different.

Thank for letting us try it.
I added some into a pizza sauce today too which went down well.

Why does ketchup have to be sweetened with anything? It's a savoury product!

What did you think overall about the product?
I was pleasantly surprised. I actually hate honey, and was expecting to be able to taste that, but I couldn't. It just tasted like tomato ketchup!

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader).
Definitely the fact it has less sugar and is more natural than other offerings. My kids love ketchup, so I would like to be able to give them something a bit healthier

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?
Everyone liked it. Kids didn't notice any difference

Are you likely to buy it again? And why?
And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?
Yes I would buy it. It was lovely and I was very surprised. I would recommend. I would be interested to see the syns in this compared to normal tomato ketchup as I follow SW. If it was low I would definitely recommend to my classes!

What did you think overall about the product? It was tasty, and seemed like a good quality ketchup.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader) I was intrigued to know how it would taste with honey! But I'm always trying to reduce the children's sugar intake, so that was appealing too.

How did it taste? Like ketchup, really! I couldn't really taste honey.

What did other members of your family think about the taste? My two children who like ketchup, enjoyed it. My dd who doesn't like ketchup, didn't enjoy it unfortunately,

Are you likely to buy it again? And why? Yes I would, because of the reduced sugar without losing taste (I find other brands who have reduced sugar haven't achieved this).

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why? Yes I would, and I have already, to my mum who has diabetes and said she doesn't buy many sauces anymore due to the added sugar. She tried it at my house and enjoyed it.

Thank you!

What did you think overall about the product?
What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)

The all natural recipe and 36% more tomatoes - but I was intrigued by the addition of honey.

How did it taste? What did other members of your family think about the taste?

We all thought it tasted great. I had thought it might be too sweet for me but the extra tomatoes made it nice and tangy.

Are you likely to buy it again? And why?

Yes, if it's a similar price to other brands or on offer. Everyone liked it.

And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?

Yes, I would - for the great taste.

Thanks for letting us test it.

What did you think overall?
I eat a lot of ketchup with my meals, so was looking forward to trying the product. I thought the 'only sweetened with honey' promise was a bit of a gimmick to be fair, as honey still contains a pretty hefty sack of sugar. I initially liked the taste. Far more tangy compared to other brands, and I am definitely a fan of extra flavour. But when used with mayo (as in, standard mayo and ketchup dip for chips) I found it really disappointing! It's almost like the flavours cancelled each other out.

What appealed? Let's be honest - I eat a lot of ketchup and it was a free product test! I was intrigued to try because of the different ingredients, but mainly I wanted to see what it would taste like!

Am I likely to buy again? On balance, probably not. Not because there was anything reallly wrong with it - I just can't see switching from my normal brand (Aldi's own) to pay more for something I don't feel is justified. If the taste was good enough, I would do.

Other members of the family - my husband tried it and was pretty ambivalent towards it. He certainly wouldn't be suggesting we buy again.

Am I likely to recommend if it came up in conversation? Probably not. I would say I liked the flavour, and that it was tangy, but that I don't feel it warrants the extra cost.

We had a bbq & lots of us got to try this.
& we all enjoyed it.
It was the ketchup with a twist that appealed to me . The fact it was made with less sugar & more tomatoes is fantastic esp because my 3 are sugar fiends.
It tasted really nice. Not to sweet at all
just a good quality ketchup
I would buy this again as long as price is right. & yes I would recommend it to others.

What did you think overall about the product?
Really nice consistency and taste.

What appealed to you about trying it? - was it the all natural recipe, only being sweetened by honey, 36% more tomatoes + 30% less sugar (vs. market leader)
It was the reduction in sugar. I worry about all the 'hidden' sugar in the things my children eat.

How did it taste?
Lovely, less sweet than our usual ketchup and great in a burger.
What did other members of your family think about the taste?
The children werent that keen, we thought it may be down to something as simple as them being used to the bottle shape and size of Heinz, which they usually have.
Are you likely to buy it again? And why?
Yes, but for adults. We had a BBQ at the weekend and the grown ups loved it!
And are you likely to recommend it to someone else - if it came up in conversation - and why?

Yes, again, because as an adult it was a scrummy in a burger 👍