It's also the sort of brand that's equally accessible to singles and couples as "naughty but nice" things to have in the freezer (I realise I've got a pack of McCain Micro Chips in mine although I've no idea why ­ I prefer Fries To Go anytime). The name Rosti? Sounds more aspirational and upmarket than we're used to from McCain. Also sounds a bit foreign and exotic. Friends were reminded of having rosti in revolving mountaintop restaurants in Switzerland (or was it Austria...?). The pack design departs from the McCain black background we're used to, and the product visual looks alluringly crispy and crunchy. But what's going on with the serving suggestion ­ grilled salmon, chicken in sauce, roasted vegetables adjacent to a picture of what looks like lamb chops? Bizarre. I suppose at least this helps position it away from kids' teatime and into more adult territory. However, would I want to say "get creative in the kitchen with new McCain Rosti"? ­ I don't think so. They're easy to cook. We grilled them and oven baked them ­ much better from the oven, crispier and less flabby. But they do produce a lot of oil, making the grilled Rosti a bit greasy. And there's about 12g of fat per Rosti. Kids liked them, apart from those who won't eat anything if it's not chip-shaped. When we cooked them at work, we thought they were surprisingly basic and unadulterated ­ they actually have proper, recognisable strips of potato and they taste of spud too. The office smelt like a chippie for ages afterwards, but most of us thought they'd be excellent for brunchy breakfasts. A more stylish version of hash browns, perhaps? You'd have to experiment with the best way to cook them, though ­ sometimes they turned out a bit flaccid, rather than crispy and crunchy. So, we thought they were fun in a piggy, chip shop sort of way. Only £1.59 for six. Bargain. I'm off to Tesco right now. {{P&P }}

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