Rsp: £1.94
Competition: Liquorice Allsorts, Fruittella Liquorice
The consumer
I enjoy the rich dark taste of liquorice but found this unpleasant: it was sickly sweet, had a rubbery texture and there was no liquorice flavour. The packaging looks sophisticated, while the prominence of the 'all natural ingredients' claim suggests it is targeted at health-conscious adults.
It is also suggested that it could go in children's lunchboxes but I don't think the taste would appeal to a child. If you don't like liquorice you wouldn't think to buy this, and if you do like liquorice then you won't like the taste. One star (out of five)
Rosemary Dawes, teacher, London
The retailer
As with all Panda products, the packaging clearly communicates the brand attributes through tick lists, and the bag is resealable to keep the product fresh.
By choosing a cherry flavour, Panda has differentiated the product from the mass of strawberry and raspberry brands already available, which is good. The product itself is a good, soft liquorice with a pleasant cherry taste that also has a strong hint of almonds. Three stars
John Gill, confectionery buyer, Booths
The Grocer
The Panda brand has kept a relatively low profile in UK multiples by choosing to build a fanbase through health food stores, but its second fruit variant should see it step up a gear. The product looks and tastes premium, as the price suggests, but carries very little liquorice flavour.
This could give it broader appeal, but Panda's main challenge will be to convince liquorice and non-liquorice fans that the product does not require them to compromise. Three stars
Nick Hughes, deputy features editor
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