Nature's candy or unconvincing ice lolly?
Company: Del Monte Frozen Fruit
Rsp: £1.99 for a three-pack
Market size: £413m
The competition: Solero, Calippo
The consumer
This is a lovely product, although I had to leave it a while to defrost as it was too frozen to enjoy. When it had partially melted I could identify the flavour properly and the natural colour made it look tempting. The taste was pure pineapple and I could have eaten more - I will certainly buy it for my grandchildren, especially as it is pure fruit. Four stars (out of five)
Moira Matheson, retired, Edinburgh
The retailer
The packaging is pretty good, but misleading. It's not obvious that it is a real pineapple product and I expected it to be a flavoured ice lolly. The big downside is the 20-minute thaw. We ate from frozen initially and the texture and taste were disappointing. I also thought the price was ridiculously high - around three times more than they should be compared with other ice lollies on the market. It's a nice concept - fresh fruit on a stick, but I am not sure it worked. If it is designed to be a lunchbox item that thaws through the day, why would mum not stick to fresh pineapple chunks? Two stars
Lucy Verinder, buying manager frozen desserts, Asda
The Grocer
I liked the texture - it was the standout feature. You don't expect chewiness in a product like this and the pattern was appealing. The packaging was OK, but I wasn't sure whether it was targeting kids or adults. I enjoyed the taste, which was authentically pineapple, and it was nice to know it contributed to my 5-a-day. The man from The Grocer says "yes!". Hopefully Del Monte will launch a mango version next. Four stars
Nick Hughes, senior features writer
Company: Del Monte Frozen Fruit
Rsp: £1.99 for a three-pack
Market size: £413m
The competition: Solero, Calippo
The consumer
This is a lovely product, although I had to leave it a while to defrost as it was too frozen to enjoy. When it had partially melted I could identify the flavour properly and the natural colour made it look tempting. The taste was pure pineapple and I could have eaten more - I will certainly buy it for my grandchildren, especially as it is pure fruit. Four stars (out of five)
Moira Matheson, retired, Edinburgh
The retailer
The packaging is pretty good, but misleading. It's not obvious that it is a real pineapple product and I expected it to be a flavoured ice lolly. The big downside is the 20-minute thaw. We ate from frozen initially and the texture and taste were disappointing. I also thought the price was ridiculously high - around three times more than they should be compared with other ice lollies on the market. It's a nice concept - fresh fruit on a stick, but I am not sure it worked. If it is designed to be a lunchbox item that thaws through the day, why would mum not stick to fresh pineapple chunks? Two stars
Lucy Verinder, buying manager frozen desserts, Asda
The Grocer
I liked the texture - it was the standout feature. You don't expect chewiness in a product like this and the pattern was appealing. The packaging was OK, but I wasn't sure whether it was targeting kids or adults. I enjoyed the taste, which was authentically pineapple, and it was nice to know it contributed to my 5-a-day. The man from The Grocer says "yes!". Hopefully Del Monte will launch a mango version next. Four stars
Nick Hughes, senior features writer
No comments yet