Explore the seedy side of the bakery (Tesco Finest Multigrain Farmhouse Batch)

Member Name: Chelle1969

Product:	Tesco Finest Multigrain Farmhouse Batch
Date:	05/11/09 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of seeds on top

Disadvantages: Thick slices, price

Having been a staunch supporter of white bread for as long as I can remember, I was surprised to find myself picking up a loaf of Tesco Finest multigrain seeded the other day. Okay, I admit it was reduced to just 69p as it was to be used by the next day, but as I always put my bread in the freezer anyway and just defrost slices as I need them, that didn't bother me. Something about the look of the loaf appealed, it reminded me of something in my childhood, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. And what the hell, they say a change is as good as a rest!

Packaging
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The loaf is from Tesco's finest range, ready sliced in a mostly clear plastic bag, with the information on the bottom. It says it's 'a crunchy loaf made from seven different grains and seeds' and 'batch baked for extra softness' (whatever that means?)
The bottom contains the usual information: ingredient list, freezing and storage guidelines, allergy advice and nutritional information.

What's in It?
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Per slice contains:

120 calories (6% GDA)
1.5g sugar (2% GDA)
1.6g fat (2% GDA)
0.2g saturates (1% GDA)
0.5g salt (8% GDA)

Ingredients include:
Wheat flour, stoneground wholemeal wheat flour, malted wheat flakes, wheat bran, wheat gluten, fermented wheat flour - are you sensing a theme developing here?!

The Look - The Taste - The Verdict
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Although it doesn't say it anywhere on the packaging the loaf is thick sliced as there are only 16 slices, which includes two very thick ends. The top looks quite a dark brown colour and is covered in lots of seeds, which is where the crunchy-ness come in I guess.

On trying a slice I found it have a slightly burnt taste and was not as nutty as I was expecting. There were some 'bits' in it, seeds etc, but not enough for my liking and it was pretty much like a bog standard brown loaf. It didn't really have any distinct flavour, which I would have expected from something with seven grains and seeds in it.
The crust was where the interesting stuff was and the seedy topping was indeed crunchy made up of poppy seeds, linseed and millet - so that's the memory I couldn't put my finger on...the bird food my Budgie used to have when I was a kid! The bread was nice and soft, unfortunately so was the crust, which was another disappointment. I like a crust to be, well, crusty.

I toasted a slice to see how it held up, and although it browned nicely the slice remained very soft and quite moist. Actually I found that toasting it brought out more flavour and much improved the bread. Perhaps if I'd added a couple of slices of bacon and some tomato ketchup it could have become the perfect bread!

I never usually buy anything from the Tesco Finest range, I've always assumed it's too expensive, so I was surprised to see that this 800g loaf, when not reduced in price, sells for £1.00 which is same as I pay for my usual split tin white loaf. (I later found out that this is an offer price and normal full price for this loaf is £1.15) However price is not everything, I had high hopes for this bread, I expected it to be full of nutty grains and seeds, and to be honest it wasn't. There was plenty on the crust and plenty more rattling around in the bag, but the main 'body' of the loaf was bland.
As somebody who wouldn't really know a grain from a seed or a germ from an oat, I have no idea if this sort of multigrain bread is good for you or not. They tell me that brown bread is better than white, but the salt content of this seems pretty high to me, I assume because it's thickly sliced.

They call this bread a farmhouse loaf, but I wouldn't mind betting that it's never even come close to a farmhouse.

Summary: Not bad but I'll stick to my usual bread in future