KP Dry Roasted Peanuts

I thought I would try probably the most well known peanut company in the UK: KP.

And what do I think? Actually, I’m wondering if I ever liked Dry Roasted Peanuts in the first place. Did I used to like them? I can’t really remember. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.

Oh, this is a fine peanutty snack, no doubt about it, but I’m going to be just as picky as I was with the last two Dry Roasted options I have tried recently. And in this case, I think there’s too much dried yeast extract. And thus these nuts are too Marmitey for me. Although I do love Marmite, the flavour of these nuts is just too marmitey.

I am not going to abandon this 250g packet of very nice nuts. I will eat them all, but slowly. And I think perhaps I will attempt a different style of nuts next time.

I must say though, I really do applaud KP’s reseal system. Quite a lot of other companies offer resealable packaging these days, and quite a lot of the resealing just doesn’t work, or hasn’t worked for me. I hope all these resealing systems will work better in the future.

Cambrook Dry Roasted Peanuts

Back in September I posted a review of some M&S Dry Roasted Peanuts, which I complained tasted too smoky for me. So here’s another packet of Dry Roasted Peanuts, this time from a company I don’t really know, Cambrook.

My beef last time was with the smoked salt. This new packet is also made with smoked salt, but rather less of it in the recipe I feel. This time I think there’s a bit too much cinnamon. Please don’t say I’m picky. I’m just telling you what I think. 

This packaging has a clear panel so you can see the product before you buy. I suppose it saves on design costs. But it doesn’t work too well when the Taste Tester (me) scoffs down all the nuts before remembering that she should have taken a photograph. Well, if you are reading this you probably have a fair idea what a peanut looks like. But sorry.

Not nasty, not at all, just not really to my taste. I’m not mad about cinnamon. But I ate them perfectly happily. The peanuts themselves are a little smaller than I would like.

Call me weird if you like, and I know you will, but every time I eat peanuts from a small packet I remember Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle, when she’s on the plane to Seattle eating a packet of airplane nuts. Not that I look anything like her. It’s just the shape your (my) hand makes when you pull another peanut out of the little bag.

I really must try a few more different varieties of Dry Roasted Peanuts to see which ones I like best. I’m quite surprised that I haven’t taste tested more of them before. 

M&S Dry Roasted Peanuts

I was in M&S recently, picking up some cold meat that I could have for supper when I came home from staying with friends. And I casually snatched up this packet of Dry Roasted Peanuts to eat on the train.

I generally love Dry Roasted Peanuts but haven’t eaten any for quite a while, so I was sure I would enjoy these. But I didn’t check the list of ingredients which I discovered later features smoked salt. This significantly altered the taste of these peanuts and created a flavour I wasn’t expecting. Not the reassuring taste of your regular Dry Roasted, but a very strong smoky flavour.

Not nasty, just unexpected. I really think the addition of smoked salt should be in the name of the snack. However, the packet seems to be designed to be difficult to read.

I finished the packet over several days, and quite enjoyed them. But I think I would have been happier without the smoked salt. Very nice quality peanuts though.