Company: William Jackson Food Group
Rsp: £2.50/700g
Competition: McCain, own label
The sell: The new roasties will provide a premium festive twist to the Christmas menu

The consumer
Roast potatoes in duck fat are a festive tradition and I was intrigued to see how these would fare. I sampled them side-by-side with some roast potatoes prepared from scratch and cooked in olive oil and felt that, while the standard potatoes were more crisp, the Aunt Bessie’s potatoes had more flavour. As a bit of a ‘foodie’ I probably won’t buy them myself, but feel they are a good product. Four stars (out of five)
David Hales, Sussex

The expert
The new Aunt Bessie’s Duck Fat Roast Potatoes have a tempting aroma. Crisp and golden in appearance, they look good and when you bite into them they are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. A real treat for the family. Four stars
David Bartle, senior buyer - frozen foods, Morrisons

The Grocer
Aunt Bessie’s has been on a roll when it comes to new product development of late, with Yorkshire puds shaped to fit sausages and now these spuds in duck fat. Timed to appeal to the festive shopper, they stirred up a lot of interest in The Grocer office and are likely to do the same in stores. However, I found the product didn’t have as much flavour as I would have expected and given that they cost a lot more than the brand’s standard roast potatoes, I feel repeat purchases may suffer as a result. Three stars
Vince Bamford, food & drink editor

Topics