Fruity Memories (Soreen Fruity Malt Loaf)

Member Name: shewhosmiles

Product:	Soreen Fruity Malt Loaf
Date:	09/04/03 (1791 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious, Filling, Inexpensive

Disadvantages: Chewy, Squashes when slicing

Eeee when I were a lass. I used to come home to the gorgeous smell of freshly baked cakes, buns and biscuits that mum used to bake. Home made jam and bread, nothing can compare to those simple wholesome treats from my childhood.

Cakes, buns and biscuits were for after meals, never for in between snacks. One of the few pre made afters that mum bought occasionally for Sunday tea was Soreen Malt Loaf. She used to carefully slice it making sure that we all had the same amount, and then liberally butter each slice with Adams best butter.

All five of us kids would greedily eye the plateful in the centre of the table while eating sandwiches made from the leftovers of the Sunday dinner roast. The first to finish grabbed the one with the most butter on. If mum was in an especially good mood there were slices of Cheddar cheese on a plate at the side for us to top our malt loaf slices with.

Although those days are long gone Soreen Malt Loaf hasn't. Those distinctive yellow packs still grace the food shelves with nothing to compete for my affections.

I've been on funny shifts at work this week and bored with sandwiches decided to try something different - or revert back to my childhood you might say. I bought a non-sliced malt loaf for 89p at the corner shop but being good spread my slices with low fat spread rather than best butter. That was a few days ago and I enjoyed it so much that I bought a Soreen Sliced and Easy malt loaf today for £1.09. As I had some of the non-sliced left I decided to do a comparison test with both versions and my memories.

When opened both versions are squarish edged loaves and a rich brown colour. At a guess I would say that they are about 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. You can forget centimetres in my house - I have anyway. There isn't a weight on either pack but I think that the original loaves are smaller than the sliced. I can't compare them properly because I've just eaten the

last of the non-sliced, but when I tried to fit a piece from the ready sliced into the empty wrapper it was too big and tore it.

What I did notice when I opened both packs was that there didn't seem to be as much fruit as there used to be when I was a lass and the colour a touch lighter than my memories.

I don't normally smell malt loaves but for you I will. Rather unpleasant and difficult to describe, the closest I can think of is a mixture of sweaty socks and stale beer when they’ve lost the power to make your head jerk back.

The original Malt loaf is very squashy and difficult to cut and retain it's shape. The Sliced and Easy is of course pre sliced, probably larger to make it easier for the manufacturers. I didn't think that it was sliced at first because I had to peel away the stuck together half inch thick slices.

Both loaves taste the same, malty obviously and when you get one of those rarer than there used to be pieces of fruit the juicy raisins are lovely. Malt loaves taste moister than they look but they are very chewy and tend to stick to your teeth. I’ve still got my own but I’d imagine that somebody with false teeth might struggle a bit. Another thing to expect is very sticky fingers as my keyboard can testify.

Looking at the packets we are told that the product is 97% fat free, though the Sliced and Easy highlights that more. Soreen are marketing their malt loaves as energy boosters and nutritious but I guess that would depend what you eat with them.

Calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat content are given but by the 100g, so unless you actually weigh portions out it’s pretty pointless having the tables there. I’ve done a bit of Internet detective work and found that the smaller original malt loaf weighs 215g. That would make the fat content of the original loaf 4.00g and the calories approximately 670. The larger pre sliced loaf will be more so no
t exa
ctly good for dieting and especially if you pile butter and cheese on.

Both versions are suitable for vegetarians and for home freezing. The original version warns that it is manufactured in a bakery that also makes products containing walnuts. You are advised to store in a dry cool place and eat within 2 days of opening. It took me 4 days to eat the original and the last piece was still moist so that’s pretty good going.

Apart from butter and cheese topping another serving suggestion is cream cheese and banana. If you want to be more creative www.soreen.com is worth a visit. There I found recipes for summer fruits pudding, malt loaf with caramelised apples and frozen yoghurt, malty cinnamon ice cream, lime and coconut crème brulee twist and sticky malt loaf pudding. I never realised that malt loafs could be so versatile.

Soreen also make a Rich Fruit Loaf, a Banana Fruit Loaf and a Plum Fruit Loaf. Packs of 2 slices of the original ready spread with butter are also available now and called Snack Malt Loaf.

I still like Soreen Malt Loaf despite it seeming less fruity. I much prefer it to fruitcakes and especially Christmas cakes with yukky peel and marzipan icing. Come Christmas day I’d rather sit under the fairy lights with a slice of Soreen and a little bit of butter. If I feel adventurous I might just make the lime and coconut crème brulee twist and really treat myself.

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