Willy Chase's Fit Corn Cacao & Coconut

I'm fairly sure I saw this air popped popcorn at the Gloucester Services on the M5 and I didn't buy it because I thought this flavour sounded suspiciously nasty (I'm not a fan of coconut). However, Noble Friend went to Fortnum & Mason yesterday and bought this packet.

So instead of simply suspecting it might be nasty... we were able to test my theory.

Well, the packet is made of something that feels like a posh version of grease proof paper. No idea what it is, but it has a lovely matte texture and looks very smart. And the unusual chocolate brown of this packet was very carefully chosen for this particular popcorn.

The popcorn itself has a very unusual look. It's as though someone has sifted coco powder over it but obviously something more complex has gone on.

I have to admit the overpowering aroma of coconut (remember I really don't like it) put me off completely. In a cowardly fashion I couldn't bring myself to try. Tall taste tester tried one puffed kernel and flinched away. Most of the reluctant taste testers really didn't like this popcorn. However, Slightly Red Haired Bristolian taste tester said she thought it wasn't as nasty as she had been expecting.

I put some of the popcorn back in the bag for the Chef to try. He is a fan of coconut. And he ate about a handful, but even he was not that fetched. He remarked on the very strong aroma, and also pointed out that the popcorn isn't right.

All the reluctant taste testers have said, about all three of the Fit Corn flavours we have tried, that the corn is not properly popped. It isn't light and fluffy with a light quick bite. The Chef said he would have liked it better if the texture was better.

Sadly I don't think that air popping works for us. What a shame.

Willy Chase's Fit Corn Goats Cheese, Red Onion & Thyme

Oh dear. I don't think this popcorn was a success with the reluctant taste testers.

Put it like this: Noble Friend refused to try (she doesn't like goats cheese), Tall Elegant taste tester spat hers out (she doesn't like goats cheese either), and Giraffe Fan (who loves goats cheese) did not go back for more. I confess I wasn't mad keen myself.

The problem is that the popcorn itself isn't nice. The texture is all wrong. It should be light and fluffy with a light quick crunch. And it isn't.

And the flavour... to be frank I don't think the flavour is goats cheese. Some sort of cheese maybe, yes, some sort of cheese with herbs. Dutch taste tester said she felt it could be a good flavour for a crisp. But not for popcorn. I think perhaps she's right.

This is a real shame. I wanted to like this popcorn. It seems to be doing all the right things. Or is it?

The packet tells me this product of free from gluten, frying, wheat, peanuts, MSG, GM/Frankenstein, twee stories, and guilt.

Honestly I would not normally expect gluten, wheat, peanuts or MSG with my popcorn. This is air popped so I see how you can eliminate any suspicion of frying. Getting rid of twee stories is easy, and I don't fee guilt when I try a crispy snack. So basically I am pleased to know there is no GM corn in this packet. But come on, don't congratulate yourself for not adding ingredients that shouldn't be there in the first place. It's like saying this popcorn contains no fish. Of course it doesn't; and fish popcorn sounds horrible. Oh dear. I hope no-one invents that!

Is this me being grumpy and difficult? Probably. But I feel disappointed that this obviously carefully made product is not as good as it should be.

M&S Eat Well Thai Red Curry Air Popped Corn

This is another of the new season Eat Well range from Marks & Spencer. Eat Well seems to be a selection of deliciously healthy food. Best enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle and a balanced varied diet.

Weirdly this popcorn smells very strongly of coconut. Well, to me it does. And I say weirdly because there isn't any coconut in the list of ingredients. It's most odd how some crispy snacks smell quite different to how they taste, and this is a particularly strong example.

And the popcorn (pretty good popcorn) has a surprisingly buttery taste. With a nice gentle curry flavour on the top.

In a strange way it reminds me of the curries we used to have at school. Plain white rice was dull so we stuck in a large lump of butter before adding the curry. And somehow this is a little bit like that.

The Dutch taste tester wasn't mad keen but History Graduate quite liked this popcorn.

And the packet is the reddest red packet you could possibly imagine.

Walkers Pops Original

I tried Walkers Pops Melted Cheese & Crispy Bacon back in March. I thought they were very nasty. I even put them on my list of crispy snacks I really didn't like. It's hard to say from what I've written exactly what I disliked so much. But obviously it wasn't a good taste.

But recently (yes, you've guessed: at a motorway service station) I found a little packet of "Original" flavour Pops. And they are extremely tasty.

A nice crunch (a little hard but not too much), and a lovely salty, cheesy flavour. Not too strong but just about right on the taste front. The reluctant taste testers and I liked these a lot. I wonder why the Melted Cheese and Crispy Bacon version is so nasty.

Pops are air popped with a full on taste and 50% less fat. Or so the packet tells me. They're not fried, they're air popped! Which means you get all the great Walkers taste with 50% less fat (than standard potato crisps on average).

And as I said, we liked them a lot.

You can see the little guy throwing his rubbish away responsibly if you click the link to the Melted Cheese & Crispy Bacon flavour.