Joe & Seph's French Goats Cheese & Malabar Black Pepper

Oh dear. It would be nice to say that the reluctant taste testers and I really enjoyed this popcorn. Only we didn't.

Some of us don't like goats cheese at all. Fair enough. Some of us thought the taste was strongly goats cheese (me) and some of us didn't. I must say I was pleased that this popcorn (unlike so much of the Joe & Seph range) did not feature the caramel starter flavour with the goats cheese on top. Remember the Cheese on Toast popcorn?

But it doesn't matter what you think about goats cheese if the texture of the popcorn isn't right. And it isn't. Or we didn't think so. 

You can see this popcorn won an award in 2012. Each to their own.

Joe & Seph's Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Mozzarella, Tomato & Pepper Popcorn

The finest air popped corn coated with extra virgin oil oil, mozzarella, tomato & pepper.  Aromatic & creamy with a splendidly peppery finish says the packaging.

For once in a while this Joe & Seph's popcorn does not feature caramel. And probably a good thing too. But in my opinion it isn't nice.

The aroma is nothing but olive oil and the popcorn is all squishy.

The reluctant taste testers didn't try this. I did. And I really didn't like it.

Sorry Joe & Seph.

And another mystery. As I pondered yesterday, why didn't we like this popcorn? Because we loved the Caramel & Sea Salt. We really did.

Joe & Seph's Caramel & Orange Marmalade Popcorn

Well, in the busy run up to Christmas the reluctant taste testers and I had another go at a Joe & Seph popcorn flavour. Ever hopeful.

I guess we may be doomed to disappointment in this department.

We are assured by the packaging and the website that this product is hand made by carefully trained pastry chefs with the best quality ingredients. So why do we find some of the flavours so weird?

I really don't get why all Joe & Seph's popcorn has to be caramel first and then some other flavour on top. I don't think the reluctant taste testers get it either. There's a wonderfully sharp marmalade flavour here - which I actually like quite a lot - but somehow it really doesn't go with the caramel.

It's a bit of a mystery. Why don't we like this popcorn? Because we loved the Caramel & Sea Salt.

Joe & Seph's Crisp Gin & Tonic Popcorn

In order to celebrate the joint birthdays (same day, slightly different year) of noble friend and the tall elegant taste tester, I thought I'd provide a treat. Much anticipated by some, Joe & Seph's Gin & Tonic flavour popcorn had been sitting in my basket of crispy snacks. Waiting for a suitable opportunity.

Oh dear. What a disappointment.

Joe & Seph describe this as "the finest air popped corn coated with our classic caramel, infused with 5% gin & 5% tonic".

I am sorry to have to report that none of us liked it.

Popcorn should be light and airy. OK, I understand that caramel coated corn is chewier than your basic butter or salted popcorn, but this was soggy and soft. I checked the packaging and I'm pretty sure no air was getting in, and the sell by date is next year. So there can be no excuse for sogginess. Unless that's what you get when you add gin to the recipe.

There is a faint taste of juniper or quinine or possibly both, but really and truly the reluctant taste testers and I felt this product doesn't really work.

It smells a bit weird too; it gets right into your sinuses.

Sorry Joe & Seph; we were not impressed.

Joe & Seph's Cheese on Toast Popcorn

Another totally weird popcorn flavour from Joe & Seph (established 2010).

I bought this to try because I thought the flavour was Cheese on Toast. And I thought why not? But. It turns out that the flavour is actually caramel popcorn coated in toasted cheddar.

Really? Don't you think it is a bit odd to add toasted cheese to caramel? I do.

"The finest air popped corn coated in toasted cheddar with a sweet topping and a savoury seasoning. Deliciously tangy and crunchy like Cheese on Toast." Says the packaging.

The aroma is definitely cooked cheese. Fondu perhaps, maybe even raclette. But I'm really not sure these two flavours work well together. The reluctant taste testers and the Chef weren't madly impressed either.

The dutch taste tester ate more of these than anyone. Said she was used to fermented Norwegian cheese. At least, I think that's what she said.

The packaging is once again of an extremely high quality. We could do with thick plastic bags that clip shut securely for some of the larger packets of crisps. Not to mention pasta, rice, dried fruits....

Joe & Seph's Strawberries & Cream Popcorn

Noble friend brought Joe & Seph's Thai Style Peanut Satay Popcorn into the office. Not everyone was a fan, but some of the reluctant taste testers loved it. And then we tried Caramel & Sea Salt which we all loved.

I checked out the website and chose a number of interesting sounding flavours. And here is the Strawberries & Cream packet.

On opening the packet you get a great big aroma of strawberry. And the popcorn, although partly popcorn coloured, is also pink. In fact, strawberry coloured.

And, sort of bizarrely, this popcorn does kind of taste of strawberries and cream. Although when extremely sceptical taste tester told me she liked the flavour - but what was it? I told her and she said (and I quote) "eugh! that really puts me off". Well, what can you do? She is picky.

Quite a lot of this popcorn was eaten by the reluctant taste testers even though, as one of them admitted, she didn't really like it that much. And I know what she meant. The taste is strawberries and cream. Hurrah! They got that right. But that doesn't necessarily make it a good flavour for popcorn.

Plus, and I've not mentioned it before but now I feel I must, this popcorn features a lot of those nasty hard shiny bits of corn-skin that a really good popcorn doesn't bother you with. Really high quality popcorn only has the lovely cloudy popped kernels. Not so good popcorn? Well, there's the un-popped kernel and then the nasty shiny bits - like beetle wings.

I have to admit we tried this popcorn on an autumn day not a summer's day but I don't think that substantially affected the way we all felt about it. It's possible that someone may have to consider which hats to eat.

But hey! Don't pay any attention to what the reluctant taste testers and I thought. The Chef finished the packet with enthusiasm. He liked this popcorn and would have eaten more.

Joe & Seph's Popcorn with Caramel & Sea Salt

Noble friend donated another packet of popcorn.

All the reluctant taste testers tried this popcorn. And all of them liked it a lot. In fact we all thought it was five star popcorn.

Wonderful rich caramel sauce slathered on this popcorn; not too chewy or hard. It doesn't get stuck in your teeth. Nice addition of salt. Great taste. And the popcorn itself was just right; not too hard, not too soft.

Yes. We liked this. We liked it very much.

Joe & Seph's Thai Style Peanut Satay Popcorn "Limited Edition"

I went to sit down at my desk this morning and at once spotted that the crispy snack fairy had made a donation. Yes, noble friend had been out and about and discovered a new kind of popcorn. She has a genius for finding new and exotic crispy snacks.

She says she went to a Japanese restaurant and was going to buy the Wasabi flavour popcorn but changed her mind and took home the Award Winning Peanut Satay flavour instead. Because it was different. And different it certainly is.

Joe & Seph's popcorn comes in a very efficient resealable 32g pouch. I was very impressed because resealable packets often don't. Don't reseal at all. The pouch is clear at the front - so you can see the popcorn - and silver at the back - I suppose so you have a proper backing to show the popcorn to its best advantage. And the label is cardboard.

I read that Joe and Seph make their popcorn in London. A team of pastry chefs make over 40 different flavours. Really? Amazing: they really do make a vast selection of flavours. Some of them even more bonkers-sounding than Thai Style Peanut Satay!

But bonkers is always fun to try, so the reluctant taste testers bravely attempted this crazy flavour, and some of them liked it rather a lot. Sadly I didn't like it much. I didn't think there was nearly enough peanut to make it properly satay, and then there was far too much coconut (which I don't like at all). But this didn't seem to bother the others, but especially the Dutch taste tester.

And noble friend said if there was a bowlful she would probably sit there happily and eat the lot.

I took a half handful home for the Chef to try and he seemed to quite like it too. But then, I know he's a fan of coconut. Enjoy the creamy nutty taste of peanuts and coconut milk, says the website, followed by a blend of oriental spices.

A very interesting introduction to a new (for us) maker of popcorn. And the promise, perhaps, of more exciting flavours to come.