See what Mumsnet users thought of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces

[JustineBMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the Mumsnet users who have been testing Homepride Slow Cooker concentrated sauces. The sauces are available in Chilli Con Carne, Chicken Curry, Beef & Ale or Pulled Pork flavours.

Here’s what Homepride has to say: “Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces are the 1st concentrated sauces for slow cooking. Ready in 3 easy steps, our sauces have been carefully blended to create perfect slow-cooked meals every time!”

Testers, please give your feedback by answering the following questions, as well as completing the short survey we’ve emailed you.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?
2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?
3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?
4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

All testers who give the required feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

They were easy to use and I liked that the instructions/added ingredients included vegetables. I often find slow cooked food is bland and watery but the flavours were fuller and tastier than I expected.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

That you can just leave it too cook and it's ready at a meal time. Due to the cooking time some of the sauces don't cook all day which seems a shame and sort of does away with one of the benefits of slow cooking. My children normally hate slow cooker food so for them to say it was ok was very unexpected. I thought they were good.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes if they were looking for a change/ something different to cook. They would be handy to have in a store cupboard.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Chicken casserole or a fricasse

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces? It was so easy and saved time!
2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

The yummy taste!

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? Yes - we loved the taste and I loved how easy it was to use
2. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

White wine and cream?

Well I finally managed to source these in my Supermarket Search, I found the Chicken Curry and Chilli Con Carne.

What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?
The easy use of the packaging, meant to mess or fuss

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

The taste and texture and a thicker sauce than other makes

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes, the taste, it tasted like it had been homemade and not out a packet

1. Which other flavourHomepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see

Happy to try all others

I ended up buying one of these sauces to try because the vouchers couldn't be used with my online shopping (we only have a small supermarket near us and avoiding unnecessary shopping trips). -

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces? It was really easy to use. I didn't actually follow the instruction to brown the mince and soften the onions first. I wouldn't normally do that as I don't find it necessary and the point of using the slow cooker is the ease of just popping it in and switching it on.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? It tasted good.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? Yes, for a quick hassle-free dinner.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? Some vegetarian ones. Not everyone in my family eats meat, so although I bought and tried this one, it wasn't something I could serve as a family meal. I ended up cooking a separate meal for the vegetarian members of the family and freezing the other half of the chilli (which I defrosted a few days later and it was just as tasty on re-heating).

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?
2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?
3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?
4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

We tried the beef and ale sauce and the chicken curry sauce. We couldn't find any in a store, so ended up getting them in our online order: these were the only two stocked by Sainsbury's online.

1. The instructions were extremely simple, and there were minimal extra ingredients, and those were all store-cupboard staples (no need to buy herbs and spices which you are going to then struggle to use up, or which will take up loads of space). My only quibble on this point is that the chicken curry called for about 200g of chopped tinned tomatoes, whereas a tin is generally 400g, so it was slightly less “convenient” to make than the beef and ale sauce (unless you double the amount!). However, it's worth mentioning that because the amounts were relatively small, it wasn't worth using our 4.5l slow-cooker, and we used the oven instead, so you could easily promote these sauces as not requiring a slow cooker. Along with the small ingredient-list, it seems like a good and low-commitment way to slow-cook.

1. The beef and ale sauce was the best one. It smelled absolutely lovely, and I had no sense that there was any skimping in the ingredients (back to point 1: to get this sort of smell and taste with separate ingredients, it would probably cost a bomb). I ended up making the sauce with mushrooms instead of carrots, and then used the result in a pie, so this sauce in particular seems very adaptable. I also had no sense that it was over-salted. We weren't as keen on the chicken curry sauce: we tend to go for stronger curry flavours as a family and, as mentioned above, it wasn't quite as easy to get the proportions right.

1. I think this is a great thing to have in the cupboard, the more so because it can be used without a slow cooker, and the additional ingredients are easy to source and store. The relatively small portion size and the lack of over-salting mean they would be suitable from young families up to older couples/ individuals. I would advise more hearty eaters to use two packets of cauce and double the additional ingredients, though.

1. The more ingredients and subtle tastes there are in your sauce-choices, the better, since it's a convenient way to “deliver” variation in meals (we are really bored of our usual rotation of dishes) without the commitment to buy loads of different ingredients.

Thank you for the chance to try these! I had difficulty finding them on my first few shopping trips; finally found Chicken Curry and Beef & Ale in Tesco, but only tested the Chicken Curry as we don’t like beef and ale. Hoping to find the chili con carne one to test soon.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces? I liked the ease with which it could be put together, and the fact that it only needed a handful of ingredients.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? Probably the taste. And the smell of it as it cooked!

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? I wouldn’t specifically recommend it above any other brand. The end result tasted good, but was not sufficiently better than me using a standard curry sauce in a jar (cheaper) for me to bother purchasing again.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? Sausage casserole and chicken casserole would be good to try.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Was nice to have the usual good homepride sauce in a different format.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

How quick and easy it was to use them so less time in kitchen

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes especially for cooking beginners

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

A vegetable flavoured one or something with a Chinese flavour

Thanks for the opportunity to try!

1. Easy to use, not much prep, just chuck it in the slow cooker. I liked option to do it on high or low heat too.
2. That they weren't required to help me with meal prep!
3. Yes I would recommend it because it is super easy and not too expensive.
4. I would like the sauces themselves to be vegetarian so they could be used as a veggie meal if desired. Other flavours requested by family are: sausage casserole, peri peri chicken.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces? - how easy they were to use, with no tricky jar to prise open

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? That they seemed small picked but a little went a long way which was a surprise

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? I liked the pulled pork & it was the family favourite, with plenty of flavour, however the beef & ale wasn’t any better then other sauces I have tried. For ease & convenience I would definitely recommend.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? Sweet & sour or other Chinese style sauces would be lovely

Really enjoyed the beef and ale, nice thick sauce too.
Pulled pork was nice but was sweet enough without the added sugar suggestion, especially for children.

I couldn't get hold of them in any of the shops I go to - sorry

I liked the ease of use, and that they helped me serve up richly flavoured meals that didn't taste like a packet mix. The consistency was good. At first I was a little concerned the pouch wouldn't have enough sauce to prepare the number of meals so I was pleased it was sufficient for the dishes I served but I think it would be good to also offer these in larger sized pouches too, for people with larger slow cookers, bigger families, or just for those who like to batch cook.

The overall home cooked tasting end result. The rich flavours, the texture and consistency worked for everyone. The taste of the Beef and Ale, and the Pulled Pork, which we tried were definitely family friendly. Flavourful but not too strong for moderate tastes, although we do like our spices so I'd definitely like some spicier options.

I would recommend them as the meals were delicious and so easy to achieve. The cooking instructions were clear, simple and straightforward, and having the shopping list suggestions as well as the simple recipes mean any standard of cook will get great results. I usually tweak recipes or just do my own but I adhered to the packet suggestions for these and was happy with the results (didn't need to add the brown sugar to the pulled pork as the sauce had enough rich flavour and didn't need sweetening).

I would like to see (and eat!) Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces in Jalfrezi, Rogan Josh, Peri Peri, Sweet and Sour, Provencale, Italian Tomato and Herb, Szechuan, Creole/Jambalaya, Fragrant Thai, Japanese Curry, and Cajun.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces? They were really easy to make and didn't need many extra ingredients.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? Everyone enjoyed the taste of both the chilli and curry, the curry was the favourite though.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? I have already recommended these to family and friends as they are easy, convenient meals that taste great.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? My family love curries so I would like to see different curry flavours introduced.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces? I liked the fact they were simple to make and great for tea when I'm on a late shift. My kids and partner could eat before I get home and I can have the same and not have to re Heat
2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? The curry one was so tasty and the pulled pork one was better with the added brown sugar and there was so much of it to freeze and use later.
3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? Because they are easy prep and convenient
4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? Chinese inspired dishes would be nice or a fajita mix you can just slow cook and add to wraps as needed.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces? They were easy to use and convenient.
2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? The beef and ale was a hit, pulled pork less so.
3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? Yes definitely the beef and ale. Good taste, easy to use and there aren't many good sauces for slow cookers
4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? Moroccan lamb, some sort of creamy chicken.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces

Simple to use, not many extra ingredients to add. Bung it in and go. Easy peas

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

Easy to use and everyone liked the chicken curry! Even my 5 year olds!

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

I wasn't as happy wtf the beefcake ale but the chicken curry was good. Easy meals to prep

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

I love creamy sauces so a stroganoff would be great.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

The concept is interesting, having a meal that you can put together quickly and then forget about til dinnertime.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

We only tried the chicken curry as I couldn't find the other flaours at my nearest store. It was okay, but a bit bland.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Not really, I would far rather spend a little longer preparing a curry from scratch. For the price, a jar of curry sauce offers more flavour than this.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

I would still like to try the pulled pork sauce, but am wary of spending money on a decent piece of meat, and then not enjoying the result.

Overall, I guess I enjoy cooking and have children that are not fussy eaters, I make my curries stronger than this so this sauce is not for us, but I can see how it would suit families with busier schedules or younger children.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Quite easy to make.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? Not much prep time.
2. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? No. We didn’t like the taste of the chicken curry or pulled pork that we tried. The amount of pork required, I wasn’t able to by so had to buy a bigger version instead. Neither adults or children liked the taste much.
3. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? Don’t know if I’d try another.

1.What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces? I like the range of flavours available and how easy they are to use and that they taste great.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? How creamy and rich in taste they were
2. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? I would definitely recommend them because they are quick and easy to use and provide a great meal for all the family to eat
3. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? Lasagne or shepherds pie

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Convenient to keep in the store cupboard. Handy to have on stand by to chuck in the slow cooker in the morning on busy days and cook home to a ready made meal.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

We enjoyed the flavour of the pulled pork. The whole family cleared their plates. They were easy to use and required very few extra ingredients.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes I would, perfect for busy households.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Chicken curry or sausage casserole

I tried beef & Ale and curry. I struggled to find them at first but asked in the end on local fb if anyone had seen them and where! They only stocked those 2 flavours.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

They were easy to use and flavour was good. Before eating it I was unsure on the curry as usually I would eat a more creamy based soup. Given the amount of in the packet I was worried beef one would have very little sauce but it turned out well.,

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? They both really liked the beef but youngest wouldn't try the curry.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Mixed / in terms of flavour and ease of use yes. However on the packet is says suitable for 3.5 litre cooker. I have 5.5 and 1.5 so I had to squeeze it into small one as thought would dry out in the bigger one. I would generally batch cook large amounts in the slow cooker and top up the meat with loads of veg / tinned tomatoes and didn't feel these were as suitable for that.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? Probably a sausage casserole

Thank you got opportunity to take part in the test.

I found it difficult to find these sauces available in any supermarkets local to me. Eventually I found the Beef & Ale sauce in a large Sainsbury’s

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces? Ease of use! I often cook from scratch but on a very busy week, this sauce was a godsend. I reduced the other ingredients because I didn’t think there would be enough of the sauce otherwise - I used 350g beef instead of 500g, similarly reduced the amount of carrots and onions. This worked well and I would probably use 2 sauce packs to 750g pack of beef pieces.
2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? My husband and I both loved the sauce, but the kids weren’t keen.
3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? Yes and no... the sauce tasted good, but there definitely wasn’t enough of it in the pack for the suggested amounts of beef and veg. I also agree with PPs that the packaging needs to be more eco-friendly.
4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? White wine sauce, chasseur, beef & red wine, a tagine style sauce for lamb.

Just to add to my review, I used the sauce in my 3.5k ceramic slow cooker. I would probably use it in my sear n stew slow cooker next time, to avoid having to use a separate pan to brown the beef.

3.5 litre not 'k' 😄

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Very easy to use and simple instructions.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

Flavour particularly the beef and ale.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes definitely, they're perfect for busy people & so easy to use!

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Sausage casserole would be fab!