I was asked by Udi’s (launched in the UK in 2013 from the US) if I would sample some of their products and in return write something here. Never one to refuse food, I of course said yes. I had a friend coming to stay who had recently been diagnosed as coeliac so I was delighted to be able to offer something other than my usual repertoire. I also have a good friend with a 15 month old on a gluten and dairy free diet and I hoped there would be treats for her to sample too.
I opened the beautiful hamper to find a huge array of goodies. There were bread type things - white rolls and bagels - packets of granola, breakfast bars, tortilla chips, bagel chips as well as some delicious looking muffins. My daughters (who don’t require a special diet) were already eying up the muffins and breakfast bars and I was trying not to open the cinnamon bagel chips!
I organised a tea party and planned the menu. We started with the rolls which looked like any decent white roll with an even bake (thanks Mary Berry!), soft crust and light texture. They tasted fresh and were delicious filled. Next we tried the chocolate chip bagels toasted with some dairy free margarine. Well, they didn’t last long and I had to be quick to grab a piece! They toasted beautifully and had a really good chocolate flavour yet were not too sweet. These would be great as an after school snack topped with some sliced banana.
We then went on to try the cinnamon bagel chips and they did not disappoint. Their texture was similar to a good crisp bread and provided much hilarity with their ‘crunch’. They went down a storm with the kids and their subtle cinnamon flavour was delightfully moreish. Fortunately knowing I had more taste-testers lined up I managed to restrain my urge to finish the packet!
We were all starting to feel a little full by this point so the final box we opened were the strawberry flavoured breakfast bars. I am not usually one for these type of things but joined the girls in tasting. They loved opening the individually wrapped bars followed by a loud ‘yum’ as they got the moist sweet filling. I found them a little too sweet and would find the flavour difficult to identify in a blind challenge but they were tasty enough and the kids certainly had no complaints!
My good friend with coeliac disease arrived and we cracked open some wine and opened the crisps. I had been given two flavours - aged cheddar and jalapeño cheddar. The aged cheddar had a good balance of cheese and was well seasoned and the jalapeño cheddar had a good amount of of heat. They worked well with the Sauvignon Blanc and we munched and crunched far too many before dinner!
The following day at breakfast I opened the two flavours of granola - au natural and almond vanilla. They both had a delicious roasted flavour and were not too sweet. The au natural simply has three ingredients which gives it the rustic taste I love. They worked well with some fruit salad and yoghurt and the kids have subsequently enjoyed it as a snack, happy to eat straight out of the packet!
The last item in our box - the chocolate chip and toffee flavoured muffins. The muffin was dotted with chocolate chips, light and had a delicious toffee flavour. The two we had been given had to be divided between the 5 of us which proved a mathematical challenge especially as I was keen to save some to try with custard!
I have been really impressed with Udi’s products and I was delighted to see them on the supermarket shelves as a useful addition to the gluten free range, giving something a little bit special to the ever increasing population requiring a gluten free diet.