IKORN Gourmet Popcorn (Online)

A few weeks ago I received an invite from British premium gourmet popcorn company IKORN to sample their new products. Given my love of the stuff (no cinema trip is complete without a bag of Propercorn's smooth peanut & almond) I didn't think twice about saying yes.

Not heard of IKORN yet? Not to worry, they're a brand spanking new company, aiming to revolutionise the popcorn market with their healthy snacks. Thought all popcorn was healthy? Well not according to IKORN who reject to use the standard canola/rapeseed oil used in most commercially available popcorn, instead opting for the superfood à la mode -coconut oil. IKORN also apparently trialled over 40 different types of corn before they were happy that they'd found the best of the best. All of this means that the company believes it has produced 'the King of Korn'. 

Currently IKORN produce three flavours: Salt, Sweet & Himalayan salted. From a shallow point of view the bags looked beautiful, and I loved the crisp, clean lines of the branding. 

I have to admit that I much prefer flavoured popcorn, and find it a little bland on it's own, so was intrigued to find out whether the premium ingredients in IKORN could change my mind. 

Unfortunately, whilst I could appreciate the light, fluffy quality of the corn (and the lack of unpopped kernels at the bottom of the bag) I couldn't really notice a huge amount of difference in the taste between this gourmet brand and the more commercial varieties. The seasoning in all three was a little inconsistent too, some popcorn was very sweet or salty whilst others were tasteless.

Seeing as IKORN had generously sent me so many bags of their products, I took some to work with me to find out what my non-blogging colleagues thought of the range. It turned out that there was a massive differing of opinions. Each flavour was favourite of roughly the same amount of people, and yet everyone found the popcorn moreish. The plain salted was too saline for one of the girls in my office (the poor thing started coughing and spluttering everywhere after one mouthful) but she loved the Himalayan salted and was convinced she could taste the backnotes of coconut -something my tastebuds had failed to pick up on. 

I'd love to see more flavours* come out in IKORN's range, and I know it's something the company is working on. If this premium gourmet popcorn made with coconut oil sounds right up your alley then please head on over to their website where you can order boxes of 12. 

Thank you IKORN for sending me the samples. 

6/10

*peanut butter if possible please! ;)

NEW! Toffee & Popcorn Galaxy Duet (Sainsbury's)

I'm a galaxy girl through and through. Give me any of their bars -the gooey salted caramel, the delicate ripple, or the delightfully crisp honeycomb to name but a few- and I'm all yours. I was extremely pleased therefore to discover that Galaxy have added a brand spankingly new bar to their duet range: Toffee & Popcorn.

I regularly buy both of the existing Duets*  because I'm very indecisive and love having two different flavours in one product. You'll have also gathered by now that I'm a big popcorn fan -in fact only yesterday I reviewed Butterkist's limited edition Hot Cross Bun Popcorn- so I was hoping for big things from Galaxy's newest creation.

The new duet bar consists of two fingers: one with toffee flavoured caramel filling, the other with popcorn & toffee pieces. Now, I guess that the idea is that you're supposed to enjoy both sides simultaneously, however I'm a bit odd and only ever eat one finger at a time, so that's how I'll review it -sorry guys!

The caramel side was exactly as expected, as oozy and soft as the standard galaxy caramel. In all honesty, I couldn't tell any difference between the two versions -but I love the original, so I was happy!

The toffee and popcorn finger contained very small pieces of popcorn, barely visible to the naked eye. The texture offered a combination of silken chocolate with crunchy pieces; some bites were more toffee than popcorn and some were the other way around. It's surprising that both components were detectable really, considering that the popcorn only accounted for 1.1% and the toffee pieces 0.7%, but they were! I loved the unexpectedness of each bite, and although both flavours were mild against the chocolate, they offered a novel twist.

I'm not sure I enjoyed this bar more than Galaxy's other bars, but it's certainly one I'll buy again and again.

Kev also reviewed the bar yesterday (check it out here!) and suggested that Galaxy create a duet with fruit in -I couldn't agree more. In fact, I think Galaxy should do a duet with biscuit down one side and sultanas down the other, tiffin style!

8/10

*when I'm not busy stuffing my mouth with Reese's!

NEW! Butterkist Limited Edition Hot Cross Bun Popcorn (Home Bargains)

Another boring lecture was much improved back in January by my twitter feed revealing food news. This time I was grateful to Butterkist for announcing the release of a new Easter flavour to their range, due to be released on Valentines day. Ever since February the 14th, I've been hunting for their new Hot Cross Bun Popcorn, but it's proved more evasive than the Easter Bunny!

Finally, a month after it's release date I found Butterkist's newest product -in Home Bargains of all places- for the very reasonable sum of 69p. It's a big ol' sharing bag too, containing 6 25g servings, what a steal!

"Enjoy the zesty and spicy taste of your Easter favourite, hot cross buns, in Butterkist's crisp and crunchy popcorn -it's the perfect Easter treat."

I had imagined it to be normal popcorn dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg, and hadn't really considered that it would instead be coated with a 'bun spice flavour toffee'.

The 25g serving size was surprisingly generous (more than a handful atleast!), and was coated with the same golden glaze as their Toffee popcorn. I couldn't smell any spices when I opened the bag, and feared they'd be similarly as lacking in promised flavour as Waitrose's 'Cherry Bakewell' & 'Sticky Toffee' Hot Cross Buns.

I needn't have worried; for what the popcorn failed to deliver in aroma, it more than made up for in taste. With my first bite, I was greeted by a strong, sweet citrussy tang, followed by the familiarly warming Easter spices. The popcorn was every bit as crunchy and crisp as expected, resulting in a beautifully balanced harmony of texture and flavour. The zestiness cut through the sweet coating, which meant that the popcorn was far less sickly than Butterkist's toffee flavour, and therefore much more enjoyable to eat. It was so moreish, that I imagine if I hadn't have portioned out my lot, I could've polished off the entire bag in one sitting.

I was pleasantly surprised by Butterkist's limited edition popcorn, and it seems an utter shame that it's not more widely available. If you're a lover of hot cross buns, I recommend that you hot foot it over to Home Bargains and pick yourself up a bag (or more!) of the Easter flavour before it disappears altogether!  

9/10

NEW! Coconut & Pineapple Flavour Popcorn (Boots)

Whilst picking up my meal deal from Boots, I spied this new Coconut & Pineapple flavour popcorn. I hesitated, wondering whether it would fare any better than their rather revolting Cinnamon & Vanilla flavour which I reviewed back in October, but as the bag cost just 70p I decided to take a punt on Boot's having improved their range. 

I opened it up, and saw lots of fluffy looking plain coloured kernels. I could detect a slight whiff of tropical flavour, which unfortunately wasn't as aromatic as the popcorn made my Propercorn or Portlebay. Biting into my corn, I realised that the flavour was just as lacking as the smell -there was the mildest hint of pineapple, with absolutely no coconut to be found. 

The kernels lacked the crunchiness of Portlebay's Kracklecorn, and without any flavour to back it up, I just felt like I was eating mouthful upon mouthful of polystyrene. To make things worse there was loads of unpopped corn, and at one point I actually thought I'd broken a tooth. Propercorn Peanut & Almond is an absolute taste sensation and utter joy to munch, but this popcorn from Boots just felt like a never-ending chore to eat. 

1/10

Propercorn Smooth Peanut & Almond

I've been hunting for this popcorn for what seems like eeons! I contacted Propercorn who told me that it is stocked in Tesco and Waitrose, but living in one of the most rural counties in the country meant that I havn't been able to find it. As luck would have it, I popped into the WHSmiths in Cardiff train station on the way home last week, and in amongst the crisps was the holy grail itself -Propercorn Smooth Peanut & Almond.

My lovely fellow blogging peanut-butter fanatics The Review Addict, Nibbles'n'Scribbles and Guilt Free Veggie were all lucky enough to receive some of Propercorn's new flavour a month or so back to review, and I'm sure I turned an unattractive shade of green when they unanimously agreed about the deliciousness of this product.

It didn't disappoint, and was just as good as the girls reported. The popcorn is light and fluffy with a bold nutty flavour that reaches the nooks and crannies of each and every kernel. It fulfils the characteristically sweet and salty flavour of peanut butter with a balance that's perfectly fine tuned. I thought Portlebay's Cinnamon Swirl couldn't be beaten, but this is hands down my new favourite- so much so that I'll be asking my sister to buy me as many packets as she can carry from the station when she next comes to visit. 

10/10

Coconut & Caramel Poshcorn by Tyrells

As a Herefordian, I know Tyrells pretty well. I remember getting excited as teenager when spotting our local Tyrells crisps in deli's across the UK as the company grew both in size and reputation (William Chase refused to let Tesco stock his products). However when he sold the business in 2008, the new owners made a lot of changes and I lost love for the company.It has since been sold again, and the brand has expanded into Nibbles, Tortillas and Popcorn too. 

As you may have gathered from my many reviews, I love popcorn. One of my favourite products is the Propercorn 'Sweet Coconut & Vanilla', so when I spotted Tyrells' 'Coconut & Caramel Poshcorn' in my local Co-op I decided to put my grudges aside and give it a go.  

The popcorn was very light and fluffy, and similar to both Propercorn & Portlebay's products there was a distinct lack of unpopped kernels. Biting into the corn, it was very soft. I could taste a hint of both the caramel and the coconut, but it was very subtle. Perhaps it would be a good snack to have alongside a glass of white wine?

To be honest, I was pretty underwhelmed by Tyrells attempt at popcorn. Propercorn can pride itself on the strength of its flavours, whilst Portlebay has a good depth of flavour and crunchy texture. With that in mind, I probably won't buy it again. 

5/10 

Cappuccino Popcorn Review & Portlebay Round-Up

Cappuccino Popcorn

I've made my way through the entire box now (thank you again Portlebay for the opportunity to sample your range!). The packet I saved until last was Cappuccino, a flavour I've been dying to try since I discovered the brand in September. It sounded so original, and I love coffee and coffee flavoured products -especially cake and chocolate!

I opened the bag, and was met with quite a mild coffee flavour. The corn was dusted with a dark brown powder, and as usual there were no un-popped kernels. Flavour-wise the popcorn wasn't as expected, the Crispy Bacon & Maple syrup actually has more of a sweet edge. The coffee didn't come through as strong as I'd have liked either- more latte than cappuccino.

Sorry Portlebay, I'm not as fussed on this variety- although that's probably a good thing because it's less widely available than most of the other flavours! 

6/10

Portlebay Round-Up

From left to right, I've ranked my favourite to least favourite Portlebay flavours. Overall I think their quality is astounding, and if you're after a healthy snack at a reasonable price you cant go far wrong with their products. 

Big love to Portlebay! 

Here are the links to my revews of their other flavours:
Cinnamon Swirl
Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup
Wasabi & Sweet Ginger
Lemon Sherbet
Very Berry
Sweet & Salty 
Chilli & Lime

Portlebay Cinnamon Swirl Popcorn

I'm a bit of a cinnamon fiend, so much so that I'll sprinkle it on cereal, peanut butter, and even bananas. It's my favourite spice and I'd be a bit lost without it, hence my utter disappointment at the revolting Boots Cinnamon Popcorn I reviewed last month. Portlebay popcorn also make a cinnamon variety, and I've hoarded it until almost last from that box they sent me. I prayed it wouldn't disappoint in the same way, but their other flavours are (mostly) wonderful so I wasn't overly concerned.

The popcorn was a lovely golden colour, and it was perfectly light and crunchy. The cinnamon was perfect, it was warming and festive, with the much needed sweetness to back it up. There was a strong apple flavour that came through deliciously, which meant that the popcorn tasted more like Apple Crumble- what a treat! 

This popcorn couldn't be more different to the Boots atrocity. If you've got a penchant for apple crumble, but want something a bit healthier, then this might be the perfect snack for you!

9/10

Their other flavours I've reviewed:

Lemon Sherbet

Wasabi & Sweet Ginger

Chilli & Lime

Sweet & Salty

Very Berry

Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup

Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup Portlebay Popcorn

I'm down to my last three bags (and favourite sounding flavours) now from the sample box that Portlebay Popcorn sent: Cinnamon Swirl, Cappuccino and the cause of today's review- Crispy Bacon and Maple Syrup. I love bacon frazzles, and I imagined this popcorn to taste similiarly. As with the Wasabi popcorn, the sweet element coming from the maple syrup (which I also love in it's own right) fazed me slightly... I just can't imagine pouring syrup onto bacon like the Yanks do.

When I opened the bag, I was greeted with a dusty orange coloured popcorn. I could smell hints of bacon, but the aroma most prominent was that of the syrup. This was also reflected in the taste, and although I could detect the smoked bacon element, the sweet maple was definitely more overpowering. I didn't believe that a ratio favouring Maple Syrup over bacon would work well, but once again Portlebay have turned my preconceptions on their head- the salty bacon tang balanced the sweetness out perfectly.

I absolutely loved this Popcorn, which I'm over the moon about because it's one of two flavours that our local Boots stock, meaning I can enjoy it again and again. I'd recommend trying this product if  you're either a maple syrup fan or a sweet and salty popcorn kind of person.

9/10

Very Berry Portlebay Popcorn

Very Berry is the first of sweet popcorn flavours up for review from the box that Portlebay sent me. I've never tried a berry flavoured popcorn before, but I always like red and purple sweets best, so I was looking forward to trying this out. 

The popcorn looked very girlie because it is dusted a pretty pink colour. It is Portlebay's signature style- light and fluffy yet satisfyingly crunchy. The berry flavouring is sweet and almost fizzy, reminding me of their Lemon Sherbet Popcorn which was the product that made me fall ever-so-slightly in love with the brand in the first place. Unfortunately my palette is not developed enough to determine the individual notes of blackcurrants, cranberries and raspberries; but it is definitely a berry flavour nonetheless. 

I think that this is a lovely product, and it's a pretty healthy snack option if you're craving sweeties but don't want all of the sugar. I think I marginally prefer their Lemon Sherbet flavour, but there's not a huge gap between the two. 

7/10

Sweet & Salty Portlebay Popcorn

Just a quick entry today, because I think this post is pretty straightforward. Today I tried Portlebay's sweet and salty popcorn, a flavour that has seen a rise in popularity over the past year or so. I'm a strange one- I love the combination of sweet & salty in peanut butter but hate sweet & savoury dishes like ham & pineapple pizza and sweet & sour chicken. I haven't actually tried sweet & salty popcorn before so I'm afraid I have nothing to compare it to.

The corn have the same nice fluffy texture that I'm now used to with Portlebay. I think I expected a mixture of sweet and salty kernels, but instead they were an evenly balanced amalgamation of the two. I actually found them a little bland, but that's to be expected in a naturally plainer option than their other more exciting innovations.

5/10

P.S If you're interested you can read my reviews of the other Portlebay Popcorn flavours i've tried thus far:
Lemon Sherbet
Wasabi & Sweet Ginger
 Chilli & Lime

Chilli & Lime Portlebay Popcorn

The popcorn that sounded the second least appetising to me in the box that Portlebay sent was the Chilli & Lime Kracklecorn. Again it's just because it's a savoury product that it doesn't appeal to me, but given how much I enjoyed the Wasabi & Sweet Ginger, I wasn't entirely dreading it.

When I opened the bag I was met with quite a strong spicy aroma. The popcorn was a dusty orange colour, and I worried about whether they'd blow my head off. I like my spice, but I'm more of a Rogan Josh than a Vindaloo kind of girl. I don't understand the enjoyment of eating food that makes you sweat. I'd appreciate any insight from anybody who's a Scotch Bonnet fan! 

The popcorn didn't taste as spicy as I feared, and actually reminded me of tikka. The heat intensified as I continued through the bag, but not to the point where I couldn't eat it. I could taste a refreshing hint of citrus coming from the lime, but it was only just distinguishable against the spice. I offered a bite to my discerning taxi driver who was surprised to discover that he enjoyed it. He compared it in similarity to Tyrell's chilli rice crackers but I can't pass comment having never tried them. 

I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to  try this flavour, and I don't think it's unpleasant, but I also don't think I'd buy it again. If you like curry rice crackers and/or crisps, this might be your cup of tea- it's just unfortunately not mine. 

2/10

Wasabi & Sweet Ginger Portlebay Popcorn

This morning was a miserable morning in my house, it was cold and drizzly outside and I faced a great wedge of economics research. All wasn't lost though because I recieved a lovely suprise which turned my day around- the guys from Portlebay kindly sent me a big box full of their different flavour popcorn. 

I fell in love with their Lemon Sherbet Popcorn when I reviewed it last month, and I've been hooked ever since. Last Monday I learnt my lesson by buying the Boots limited Edition Cinnamon & Vanilla which was awful in comparison , a faux pas I shan't make again. Portlebay have since contacted me and asked if they could send me a taster box- how could I refuse?

The box contained four sweet and four savoury bags:
Sweet & Salty
Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup
Sweet Chilli & Lime
Wasabi & Sweet Ginger
Lemon Sherbet
Very Berry
Cinnamon Swirl
Cappuccino(which I've been dying to try!) 



I've got to admit I've never been a savoury popcorn fan, ive always preferred sweet, and so I wasn't all that excited to try the savoury flavours. I met some friends this afternoon, told them about my present, and one of them got very excited as she told me how great the Wasabi one is. I trust her implicitly but I still wasn't sure my tastebuds would agree with hers. Anyway, I tend to eat food in a bit of a weird way, eating my least favourite first and saving the best until last. With my preconceptions being questioned by my friend I decided to dive in and give the Wasabi flavour a shot. 

The popcorn was dusted with a green powder which actually fits in well with the time of year (probably more so than Butterkist's 'Halloween' popcorn which is in fact their sweet popcorn dyed green). I presumed the green powder was the Wasabi flavouring but it made me all the more hesitant. I offered a piece to my other half, but he refused to touch it. 

 I couldn't have been more wrong though. My ideas of a sushi, fishy tasting popcorn were wrong, and instead  I was met with the warmth from the ginger and a little heat from the Wasabi. The popcorn was sweet too, and the odd sounding combination actually was really well balanced. The mixture of sweet, savoury and slight spice was not overwhelming, but utterly delicious. Once again, Portlebay didn't disappoint with the lack of unpopped kernels- there wasn't even one in the entire bag.

I actually kind of wished I'd waited to try this flavour until later on because I'm sure the others can't all be this good, but who knows...

9/10

New Limited Edition Cinnamon & Vanilla popcorn by Boots

Monday's tend to be a pretty rubbish day for most people, but I now have a good reason to look forward to the first day of the working week. As an o2 customer I can make use of their priority offer- a boots meal deal for £1 every Monday. Yes I know it's a bit sad, but as a student, trust me when I say that this lunch feels luxurious compared to the rest of the week. I've got into a bit of a meal deal habit: sarnie/wrap, Pepsi & Portlebay Lemon Sherbet Popcorn. Today, however, I made an exception because I spotted Boots' limited edition Cinnamon & Vanilla popcorn. 

I love cinnamon, it's my absolute favourite spice, and so Boots couldn't have really chosen better in terms of my tastes (unless they'd produced a peanut butter and/or banana popcorn.) I've heard good things about Portlebay's cinnamon popcorn but as I haven't located it anywhere yet,  I thought I'd try Boots' version.

The bags are a decent size and when I opened it up I could see the lovely tell-tale dusty cinnamon powder. I expected it to be sweet- rather like the ProperCorn Sweet Coconut & Vanilla that's also a personal favourite- but it wasn't!

Neither sweet or salty, the popcorn was rather neutral- and as cinnamon can be used in both sweet and savoury cooking- It was left with a bit of a split personality. I wondered if I'd just got an un-sweetened price of corn, but it was consistentlu poor throughout  the bag. I was left feeling really confused (and a bit upset I'd chosen it in favour of the Lemon Sherbet Portlebay.)

I'm now not sure whether I'd like Portlebay's cinnamon flavour or not and so  I'd be keen to know if anyone else has tried it? 

Meanwhile, it's back to the Popcorn I know is good...

1/10

Portlebay Lemon Sherbet Popcorn

I love that Popcorn seems to be the snack of choice at the moment, with new brands being stocked in an increasing variety of stockists. I have a particularly sweet tooth and so what excites me most about this new craze is the sheer innovation in flavours- both sweet and savoury. Of course I'm naturally  more drawn towards sweet popcorn in flavours such as the 'Sweet coconut & vanilla' by Propercorn (which are absolutely delightful), and the Tesco own brand 'chocolate orange', 'strawberry toffee' and 'salted caramel' popcorn (which come in a pack of 6 single serving bags).

Whilst in Boots picking up a meal deal I spotted these 'Lemon Sherbert' bags by Portlebay. Each bag is 25g, contains 115cals and costs 80p.  I remember seeing something on the net a few months ago about Portlebay bringing out a coffee flavour popcorn which I'd have chosen above Lemon Sherbet, but never-less I was suitably intrigued by Portlebay and decided to give them a go. 

They're packaging tells me a little more about Portlebay- apparently they are a small crew from Devon who want to make great tasting, interesting food. They 'pop it by hand in small batches with a splash of rapeseed oil and a touch of raw cane sugar to give it a delicious crunch.' They 'then sprinkle it with our natural Lemon Sherbet seasoning.'

I munched on my first mouthful and was disappointed that I wasn't hit with a strong lemony flavour, just a mere citrusy tang. I thought I'd made the wrong choice in not purchasing the Propercorn 'coconut & vanilla' that I know I love, but as I continued through the bag I was rewarded in my persistence. The popcorn increased in intensity, and was reminiscent of the classic Lemon Sherbet sweeties I had as a child.

When I reached the bottom of the bag I realised that Portlebay had completely redeemed themselves and I felt satisfied both by taste and in satiety. I was also impressed that I found a lone hard kernel in my bag, notably less than you would find in a bag of Butterkist for example. I guess that's a benefit of popping it by hand, and I welcomed not having to watch out for that painful crunch when you bite down on an unpopped corn.  

I'm definitely on the hunt for their coffee popcorn now. However,  I'm far more eager to try Propercorn's newest release- a peanut and almond flavour which I absolutely cannot wait for!

8/10

Nature Valley Cranberry & Yogurt Popcorn Bar

This morning I tried one of the new Nature Valley Popcorn bars, which I bought from Morrisons for £1.50 for a box of 5. There are two flavours: 'Cranberry & Yogurt' or 'Peanut & Sunflower Seeds' but my local Morrisons only had the Cranberry Variety. 

The box describes them as 'Chewy popcorn bar with cranberry pieces and sunflower seeds dipped in a smooth yogurt flavour coating.'

 I expected them to taste like a hybrid between the yogurt Alpen bars and popcorn.. Both of which I really enjoy.

To be fair, they were exactly that! The taste of cranberries and yogurt came through strongly, combined with the familiar chewiness of popcorn. As a hybrid, however, I'm not sure I enjoyed it. I wolfed it down in only a couple of bites but was left pretty empty after. It was almost Like I'd been offered a mouthful of someone else's popcorn and now wanted my own bag. They felt more of an appetiser than a snack, and for that reason I'd stick to either a cereal bar or popcorn but not a combination of the two

Sorry Nature Valley, I think your Oat bars are fab.. But these are nowhere near as good! 

4/10