Smartprice, thick spread! (Asda Smart Price Hazelnut Chocolate Spread)

Member Name: kaitlinsmummy

Product:	Asda Smart Price Hazelnut Chocolate Spread
Date:	06/02/09 (129 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Kids enjoy it and is cheaper.

Disadvantages: Doesn't really taste as it should.

My kids love there chocolate spreads, but after a recent shopping trip I was horrified on how much the Nutella branded one actually costs, I know I should check before buying it, but I tend to throw in what I need without much thought.
After discovering the extortionate cost I decided I would have to have a little shop around or even try another brand.

Now I have no qualms about using Asda's cheaper and no frills brand "smart price", so was surprised and happy that they also now do a chocolate spread as well, the fact their branded spread is also £2.00 cheaper than Nutella was a draw.

The spread comes in a decent sized glass jar with a plain white screw lid, the label is white with a green stripe around the bottom, this is the bog standard smart price colour scheme, differentiating them from all other brands.
There is the briefest of information on the label, there is the brand name, product name and a couple of food facts, these being the fact that this product contains no artificial colours or flavours or hydrogenated fats.
The glass jar is clear showing a nice and full jar containing a dark brown chocolate spread.

When the lid is unscrewed there is a foil and paper inner seal across the top, once removed you will be faced with the spread in all it's glory...or maybe not!

There is a scent to this spread, but chocolate it ain't! There is a sweet sickly smell to the spread, not unappetising by any means, as this spread also states that it is a chocolate and hazelnut spread I was hoping for a nutty smell, again I was disappointed.

Deciding that the proof of the pudding is of course in the eating I decide to spread some onto a nice fresh piece of Kingsmill bread.

I don't know whether it was due to the fact that I had only just unpacked from the car, or whether it is always the same with the first spread, but the spread was not in the slightest spread able.
For the first try I had to practically slice the spread onto the bread, in this state it made it quite fudgy in consistency.

After giving it a couple of hours and spreading it on toast, which is the way my kids normally eat it, it was much better.
The spread went on nice and smoothly and looked much more appetising than the first time around.

The taste is a hard one, there is a distinct taste of sweetness but none of the creaminess that I had expected.
There is also a slight greasiness as an after taste, seemingly coating the tongue. There is no real taste of chocolate or hazelnut, though my kids do seem to enjoy it anyway.
After checking the ingredients list it I hardly surprising that there is no real taste of chocolate or hazelnuts, there is 5% fat reduced cocoa powder and 0.5% hazelnuts, pointless putting them in really!

The nutritional information is as follows -
Per ¼ of a jar,
572 kcal
1.6g protein
59.6g carbohydrate
51.6g sugars
36.3g fat
14.7g of which saturates

This product states that it contains milk, nuts and soya, and there is also a chance that it could contain other extracts of nuts and/or seeds.

This product cost me around 60p a jar, which for 400g is a good buy, well it is for my kids, in my opinion it is a false saving, forgoing quality for price.

For more information visit - www.asda.co.uk

Thanks for reading x

Summary: See review.