Company: Farmhouse Fare
Rsp: £2.99
Market size: £94m (traditional puddings)
Competition: Heinz
 

The consumer
I loved the brand's cake bars as a teenager so the green and gold retro-style packaging brought back happy memories. The pudding was delicious. It was light and moist and slipped down easily despite following a big main course unlike some of the own-brand and specialist puddings I've tried, which can be heavy and cloying. It also had just the right hit of golden syrup in the gungy topping, sweet with that distinctive Lyle's taste without being overpowering. I would definitely buy it if I saw it in the supermarket. Four and a half stars (out of five)
Isabella Bruce, promotions project manager, London


The retailer
Farmhouse Fare and Tate & Lyle are spot on with this pudding. The packaging is great and the product more than lives up to expectations. The sponge is nice and light and there is plenty of syrup. It could easily pass as a home-made pudding and is far superior to rival brands. The only downfall is the cooking instructions, which could have been clearer I burned one bit to death because I thought the cooking time was for a portion, not the pack. Four and a half stars
Nigel Ashton, business trading manager, Nisa-Today's


The Grocer
The iconic Lyle's Golden Syrup branding should ensure great stand-out on shelf and the product is mercifully lightly packaged compared with some ready-to-eat desserts. The pudding itself is everything a treacle sponge should be sticky, sweet and moist on the inside. But what really impresses is the lightness of the sponge, which elevates this offer above its peers. A sure-fire winter winner. Five stars
Nick Hughes, senior features writer