Company: New Covent Garden Food Co
Rsp: £1.99
Market size: £138m (chilled soup)
The competition: Loyd Grossman, Green Giant, Baxters
The consumer
I thought the packs looked cheerful and inviting and directly consistent with what I perceive as the brand values. However, the packaging was the high point as it goes downhill from there. The soup looked unappetising in the bowl and the flavour was bland. I tried seasoning but the stuff refused all attempts at resuscitation — salt and pepper could not disguise its awful deadness. I tried the soups cold but there was no difference, it tasted the same: sub-mundane nothingness verging on unpleasant. One star (out of five)
Mike Smith, civil engineer, Suffolk
The retailer
The product had a thin consistency, which meant it was a lighter eat. It's good as a summer starter but needs to be bulked out with bread to be filling enough as a main meal. It had a strong, peppery note, which was overpowering. I expected more of the watercress flavour to come through, but at only 7%, it was on the low side. However, I prefer this option to others in the chilled soup range. Three stars
Andrea Morgan, meal solutions buyer, Asda
The Grocer
As a big fan of the range, I was disappointed by this bland fare. Its almost medicinal aroma and meadow-green colour screamed 'detox' but the lack of flavour made finishing it a chore. Clearly this Fresh For Summer variant is deliberately light and at 86 calories for half a carton perhaps it should be marketed as a diet option, but nothing on the packaging suggested that was the idea. Two stars
Charlie Wright, web editor
Rsp: £1.99
Market size: £138m (chilled soup)
The competition: Loyd Grossman, Green Giant, Baxters
The consumer
I thought the packs looked cheerful and inviting and directly consistent with what I perceive as the brand values. However, the packaging was the high point as it goes downhill from there. The soup looked unappetising in the bowl and the flavour was bland. I tried seasoning but the stuff refused all attempts at resuscitation — salt and pepper could not disguise its awful deadness. I tried the soups cold but there was no difference, it tasted the same: sub-mundane nothingness verging on unpleasant. One star (out of five)
Mike Smith, civil engineer, Suffolk
The retailer
The product had a thin consistency, which meant it was a lighter eat. It's good as a summer starter but needs to be bulked out with bread to be filling enough as a main meal. It had a strong, peppery note, which was overpowering. I expected more of the watercress flavour to come through, but at only 7%, it was on the low side. However, I prefer this option to others in the chilled soup range. Three stars
Andrea Morgan, meal solutions buyer, Asda
The Grocer
As a big fan of the range, I was disappointed by this bland fare. Its almost medicinal aroma and meadow-green colour screamed 'detox' but the lack of flavour made finishing it a chore. Clearly this Fresh For Summer variant is deliberately light and at 86 calories for half a carton perhaps it should be marketed as a diet option, but nothing on the packaging suggested that was the idea. Two stars
Charlie Wright, web editor
No comments yet