Henry Goode* is a very English butler who has come up trumps with soft eating liquorice in strawberry flavour. I hate black liquorice but adore the strawberry equivalent. When I worked at a pub I used to go to the cash and carry and buy big boxes of those huge strawberry whips you could get for 10p a whip in the newsagents. They lived under my desk at uni and lasted forever, it seemed like an on-going supply.....until I left my job for work nearer my studies and the cash and carry was no longer an option. I haven't had decent red liquorice since and that was 6 years ago.

In Asda last week I was looking for something sweet to pick at during the football and came across Henry Goode's soft eating strawberry flavour liquorice. The brown paper bag hardly jumped off the shelf at me to be honest its quite dull and their marketing manager is evidently lacking in imagination.

The front of the bag has a picture of a butler wearing a Union Jack apron holding a plate of cylindrical liquorice. They aren't tubes because they are solid, so the 'rolls' of liquorice are the same size on the packet as they are inside.

The "new improved flavour" banner covers the cover of the packet, but to be fair I have no idea whether it's an improved flavour as I have never come across them before. It also boasts just 2% fat. The back of the bag has a very English blurb written by the butler proclaiming to have produced the "finestasting liquorice ever!" All flavours and colours are natural and are they are made from authentic ingredients, here in Britain. Henry hopes to put the great back into Great Britain by producing his liquorice in
Pontefract and is award winning in his field, winning the Grocer Food and Drink award 2010.

The liquorice is blood red in colour, a vibrant redness. Each piece is thick and cylindrical and can be eaten in two sensible bites. The texture is chewy but not chewy enough to pull at any dental work you may have had.

Alternatively you can suck the liquorice and not lose the flavour. The strawberry flavour is quite intense, and unlike must shoe laces and whips etc whilst natural flavours are said to be used there always seems to be a somewhat artificial taste the aftertaste of this product is strawberry, pure and simple strawberry. No horrible tastes which leave you needing a drink which some cheaper brands can do.

An emulsifier E471 is included in the product. Now, the bag says that this product is suitable for vegetarians, but I understand that E471 is derived from Glycerine (Glycerol) which may contain animal fats. I'm not a vegetarian, so I guess it would depend on how strict a vegetarian you may be as to whether or not you discard this item as unsuitable.

Henry Goode's liquorice has a 365 day shelf life providing they are kept in a cool dry place. The paper bag is lined with a greaseproof lining which keeps them fresh and doesn't leave visible greasy marks.

They don't smell of strawberry, they don't particularly have a fragrance at all.

I wouldn't recommend eating a whole bag of these in one sitting. Each bag contains 300g of liquorice and cost me £1 in ASDA, the liquorice sits quite heavy on the stomach if eaten in one sitting, but they are handy to have throughout the day for a mini sugar rush if you wish.

I have read reports which suggest that the black liquorice can have a laxative effect on the digestive system. I can't report similar side effects with the red version but I haven't scoffed a bag full and have eaten them in moderation. My bag has lasted me 1 week so far.

I would recommend these delightful pieces of strawberry goodness if you have a sweet tooth and fancy something different. They will most certainly be on my shopping list in future.

*Henry Goode is infact the brand icon for Pontefract's Tangerine Confectionary Company, the largest independent sugar confectionary company in the UK.