Percy Pig V Eric Elephant (Marks & Spencer Percy Pigs)

Member Name: luckyarchers

Product:	Marks & Spencer Percy Pigs
Date:	09/07/09 (359 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Percy & Eric both delicious.

Disadvantages: Percy is more expensive than Eric

*** The Similarities ***

M&S make Percy Pig sweets, which became a firm favourite in my house. But I don't buy them much now, as Sainsburys has come up with a just as good, cheaper alternative.

So what is the difference between Percy Pig and Eric the Elephant sweets? Well not a lot, in my opinion.

Both are pink gummy sweets in the shape of the animal heads with glucose syrup, sugar and pork gelatine, and are a similar size.

The difference in calories is negligible. In 100 grams you get 346 calories in Eric Elephant, and 335 calories in Percy Pig. Most of this comes in the form of sugars, with just traces of fat and salt.

Of course health professionals would prefer us to get our energy from healthier forms of food, with a more diverse nutritional content, but I like this "naughty" type of sweet food as a treat.


*** The Difference ***

On the large ears of both animals is added an extra tasty layer of deeper coloured fruit concentrate.

The fruit concentrates used in Eric Elephant are apple 4%, grape, blueberry and blackcurrant.

The fruit concentrates used in Percy Pig are apple and orange 3.5%, elderberry, grape, and blackcurrant.

This slight difference in fruit mixture has a subtle taste difference, but my family like them both equally well.

The smaller individual bag size of Eric Elephant sweets means that we are likely to eat slightly less in one go.


*** Price ***

Sainsburys sell their children's sweets in bags for 38p each or 3 for £1. Shoppers can pick and mix 3 different types, or buy all the same variety.

Eric the Elephant sweets in this range come in 75 gram bags, so I get 225 grams for £1.

In M&S you can buy a 100 gram bag of Percy Pigs for 79p.

M&S capitalised on the success of the Percy Pig sweets by producing an extended range which includes Molly Moo and Lucy Lamb sweets, Percy Pig Hampers (£19.50), Bedsets (£15), Sound Cushions (£15), and Rugs (£15). My family much prefer the taste of Percy Pig to his friends Molly Moo, who tastes similar to cola bottles, and Lucy Lamb who tastes similar to milk bottles. (I am, of course, referring to the bottle shaped sweets, not glass bottles.)


*** Conclusion ***

Sainsburys provides the better value for money for those who like this type of sweet, in my opinion, but M&S provide a greater range if you want to buy a special gift purchase.

As I believe they are just as good quality as the M&S version, I prefer to buy my soft gummy sweets with fruit concentrates in Sainsburys now, in the form the Eric Elephant.

Summary: Sainsburys Eric Elephant is a great value alternative to M&S Percy Pig