Ribena, Ribena, Ribena, I love it! Ribena Blackcurrant, Ribena Apple and Ribena Strawberry - you name it as long as it's Ribena!

So why do I love Ribena so much?

Throughout my childhood, there were 6 children in my immediate family. My parents would never buy us Ribena as it would get drunk too quickly and well, they weren't that rich - lets face it, it is expensive stuff for a concentrated juice drink.

We were always subjected to the supermarkets own brand blackcurrant squash drinks. I grew to hate these drinks with such a passion, every day for years and years, the same smell, the same taste eurgh…. ! The smell still makes my stomach churn if I even go near a cheaper brand! The flavourings of the cheaper brands were very bland and all you could taste afterwards was the 'fake blackcurrant' juice that had been added to supposedly make it real 'blackcurrant juice!'

I believe that when it comes to a nice squash drink you have to spend a few extra pence. I am a bit of a snob when it comes to drinks. I love just about everything associated with Ribena.

My review is about a 2 litre bottle of Ribena so I will primarily review this in much detail.

Packaging:

Being sold in transparent bottles you can see exactly what you are getting - regardless if you have purchased the big 2 litre bottle or the smaller 1 litre one (also applies to the 600ml bottle). A golden coloured cap that sits on the top of the bottle shows off the quality of this brand.

Purple sticky labels run across the front of the bottle revealing in lovely red writing that word 'Ribena' The Original. Lots of beautiful blackcurrants decorate the label to enhance the marketing appeal.

The 2 litre bottle that I have at the moment has a handle on the back of it to ensure easy care and pouring of that delicious purple coloured liquid. Unlike most other branded squashes, the bottles (Of all sizes) come with a ring pull underneath the golden cap. This ensures freshness and of course, peace of mind (nobody has tampered with it) you would then go on to dispose of this golden plastic ring pull as it's not re-usable.

Texture and Taste:

Where do I start with this…..?

Full of vitamin C it is a very thick liquid, kind of syrupy - maybe this is why I love it so much. You only need such a small amount of this squash to dilute; again this is due to its thickness and rich syrupy consistency.

Of course as a juice and with the sugar etc it will be very sticky if you were to spill it. It also can stain surfaces so be careful if you ever spill any, clean it up straight away! I guess the reason it is much more prone to staining is the fact it does contain REAL blackcurrant juice. Another added joy of Ribena is also, the fact it has no artificial colourings or preservatives so you know it really is natural!

Wow, it tastes so good.

A richer taste and thicker consistency after diluting, it actually sits in your glass with a real blackcurrant colour (Purple/red for those of you who don't know) rather than a watered down appearance like other brands.

It doesn't settle at the bottom of the glass so mixes well with water. It doesn't bubble of froth on top so you always get a perfectly smooth, rich, tasty glass of Ribena Blackcurrant Squash.

It quenches thirst very well and is very refreshing on a really hot day. I am never dehydrated as long as I have my bottle in the cupboard.

Whenever I feel run down or poorly I drink even more of this perfect blackcurrant drink as its rich in vitamin C so it will help boost my immune system.

Part of the label displays the following statement: Ribena should be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle! In my opinion it's certainly better than drinking fizzy drinks all day and well, face it - will taste better than water alone so it really works well for me.

I find that from this particular bottle I get about 30-40 glasses from it, so a little goes a long way.

Directions:

Dilute 1 part (30ml) squash with at least 5 parts (150ml) water to give a 180ml serving. (You will get used to how you like yours).

I also like to drink this hot - same as the above but with warm water. I find it is quite relaxing, but believe it may not be to everyone's taste.

Ingredients (After Dilution):

Water, Sugar, Glucose Fructose Syrup (From wheat and maize). Blackcurrant juice from concentrate (4%), Citric Acid, Vitamin C, Preservatives (Sodium Benzoate), Sodium Bisulphite), Colour (Anthocyanins).

Not suitable for babies or toddlers under 36 months.

A 'Toothkind' version is available - this has lower added sugar so therefore kinder to your teeth - especially good for children.

Nutritional Information: Per 100ml

Energy, KJ/kcal: 189/45
Protein. G: Trace
Carbohydrate: 10.9 (Certainly not for anyone on the Atkins Diet).
of which sugars: 10.6
Fat. g: Nil
of which saturates: Nil
Fibre. g: Nil
Sodium. g: Nil
Vitamin C mg: 56% of recommended daily allowance

Where To Buy:

Any major supermarket sells Ribena. You can purchase it from smaller shops and some petrol stations as well.

Asda sell at a competitive price so depending where you shop you may pay a few pence more or less then that stated here, but, as long as it's a supermarket then you can use these figures below as a good guide…..

Ribena Original/Ribena Really Light - 2 Litres: £4.58 (Toothkind formula available)
Ribena Original/Ribena Really Light - 1 Litre: £2.38
Ribena Original/Ribena Really Light - 600ml: £1.66

Ribena is also available in other forms. Here are a few…..

1 Litre Carton - Ribena Original Blackcurrant
250ml Carton - Ribena Original Blackcurrant/Strawberry/Apple/Orange Tropical (Toothkind formula available).
200ml Sports Cap Bottle - blackcurrant/Orange Tropical/Berry Burst & Really Light

All sports bottles and cartons are available to buy separately or as a multi-pack.

Recommendation:

I would recommend this to any person who likes blackcurrants. It is quite expensive for a squash but is very fulfilling to drink. Obviously this is not too good if you are gluten intolerant or on a low carbohydrate eating plan but otherwise is perfect for you to quench your thirst if you can quench the price.

A great tip: it is fantastic for hangovers, I send my better half out on a Saturday morning just to get me my Ribena! Try it, it don't half re-hydrate you.

I will give it 4 S*T*A*R*S simply because of the price being on the higher end of the scale.

So sit back and enjoy!