My Desert Island Dream! (Warburtons Potato Cakes)

Member Name: cyberem78

Product:	Warburtons Potato Cakes
Date:	16/09/09 (105 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Taste great. Can be eaten hot and cold.

Disadvantages: Can dry out quite quickly.

They are perhaps not the most obvious choice but potato cakes are my favourite food. When that silly question arises between friends of what one food we'd take to a desert island to live on for the rest of our lives I always reply with "potato cakes!". Infact I'd go as far as to name the particular brand of potato cake - Warburtons. The brand call their product 'potato scones' but they are similar to farls and cakes and are always situated alongside other potato cakes in supermarkets.

The scones come as a six pack. They are wrapped in clear film and inserted into a paper insert which has all product information printed on it. An easy read guide to nutrition is printed on the front of the packet. Each scone contains 139 calories and 5.4 grams of fat. The scones are suitable for vegetarians with the ingredients comprising of: wheat flour, potatoes (17%), margarine, raising agents, preservative, citric acid and flour treatment agents.

Storage instructions state these can be frozen on day of purchase. Otherwise they should be stored in a cool, dry place like a cupboard and not in a fridge. I find that they taste best when they have NOT been frozen. The freezing process means they tend to absorb water and so the overall texture and flavour gets slightly impaired.

Warburton's potato scones are a unique product. No other 'farl' or 'cake' looks or tastes anything like these. First of all they are fairly thick (as far as potato cakes go) and circular shaped (about 3 1/2 inches across) - I've never seen another on the market that isn't square. They are also different in texture to other potato cake products. These have a light and fluffy interior texture, unlike the stodgy, heavy texture common to other cakes. When toasted these scones have a crisp and distinctive outer crust. It is so crispy that it can actually be peeled away from the inner part of the scone. Again, this is a unique feature of the Warburton's scone.

The scones have a rich buttery and bread-like flavour. The potato flavour is quite mild but they do taste slightly like a very buttery mash. The fluffy inside of the scone melts in the mouth and has a slightly moist consistency. I have found that it is better to find a packet that has the furthest away best before date and to eat the scones asap to enjoy them at their very best. Otherwise they have a tendancy to dry out and aren't as tasty.

The usual method of cooking these potato scones is to toast them. They take about the same length of time as a slice of toast in a toaster and the machine doesn't need to be set on a special 'bagel' setting or anything. These are also the only potato cakes on the market that I have been able to eat WITHOUT toasting. They taste quite different when not cooked but just as good. They have a heavier, wetter and texture and feel supernaturally cold when eaten like this. Their flavour when cold is different too - more doughy and with a hint of a vinegar flavour. Other potato cakes can't be consumed this way as most are dusted in a raw, flour powder and a sloppy texture unless heated through. These Warburtons scones are totally different.

My favourite way to enjoy these scones is to simply toast them and spread with a tiny bit of butter or margarine. They taste fabulous when dipped into tomato ketchup. They can be used as part of a big breakfast and are an excellent companion to scrambled eggs, beans or grated cheese.

As far as competition goes, I don't think Warburtons have anything to worry about. I have tasted many brands of potato cakes and would rank these as number one. I'd rank Marks and Spencer's Irish Potato Farls as the second best and chef Paul Rankin's Potato Farls as third best. Try these and love them!

Check out:

http://www.warburtons.co.uk/

for information about the company and product.

Summary: The best potato cake on the market.