A great accompaniment to any summer picnic, bbq or as a snack on the go. A diverse range of flavours that hit savoury and sweet notes in parallel causing a taste sensation in the mouth.
The guys over at Portlebay sent us samples of their entire range, but as there are several of them and they are in mahoosive bags, it’s taken us a while to get through them. But here’s our verdict just in time for those summer celebrations!
Portlebay is a new, handmade product from a small company in the depths of Devon. Launched just over a year ago, Portlebay is making waved in the snack market already.
Portlebay flavours are available in small packs for snacking or big bags that are perfect for sharing with friends. Portlebay’s Kracklecorn is wholegrain and naturally high in fibre.
The flavours
Kracklecorn (the crunchy classic): Slightly sweet and lightly salted. This is the classic sweet and savoury combo. Friends that are not a fan of either flavour palette appreciated this as the tastes were subtle enough in both directions. This is great for a traditional movie night, grab a bottle of wine or a few beers (try Desperados or Gallo’s summer red) and some awesome feel-good comedies.
Crispy bacon & maple syrup: I found this blend to be a super-intense version of the sweet/savoury combination. I love maple bacon and this popcorn is like a candied version of that luscious meat! If you are a meat-lover with a seriously sweet tooth then this is absolutely the one for you – great for a mid-morning snack.
Chilli & lime: I was a bit unsure about this flavour on the approach, but busted it out while we fired up the bbq last week and was pretty amazed. It was sweet yet spicy from the chilli, with an almost tomatoey salsa taste but the lime cut through it, ensuring that it wasn’t sickly. This is the ultimate summer picnic pal.
Wasabi & sweet ginger (opinion by Jay): The most tasteful and exciting popcorn I’ve tasted. Stimulating for the tastebuds by again being both savoury and sweet. The crunchy, airy texture lets the flavour resonate fully in the mouth. The ginger taste could by picked out easily and was great to taste because it’s so unusual.
Orchard wood smoked cheddar (opinion by Jay): This flavour was a little more grown up and sophisticated; more of a refined savoury taste, with just a hint of sweet. The same great texture but less layers of flavour compared to the others. These would be great with a Ploughman’s lunch or as part of a modern day cheeseboard.
Overall
Me: There are a lot of companies out there trying to bring something new to the world of popcorn but many of them don’t deliver on flavour, it gets lost as a dusting over the corn. But Portlebay is without doubt packed full of flavour. Everyone probably isn’t going to enjoy every single flavour but there will be one for everyone, you just need to find which is yours. Why not grab the little bags to try then treat yourself to a big bag of your fav flavour?
Jay: Totally and completely morish, I couldn’t stop and ate the whole bag in one go, especially the wasabi ones (they are not for sharing in my opinion) I’ve been out and bought lots more since. The texture of these is really great, some popcorns are a bit chewy and cardboard-like but these keep an awesome crunch. I love them!
Where can I get them?
Portlebay is available in selected Tesco, Booths and Budgens stores across the country, plus a network of independent stockists (a large number of village and farm shops). Check out the stockist map or contact Portlebay here to find your nearest outlet.
Find out more at: http://www.portlebaypopcorn.com/