Smooties

VALUE FOR MONEY SMOOTHIES

Fallon & Byrne Berry Buzz

€2.95 for 250ml, €11.80 per litre

We like Fallon & Byrne for many reasons - although its prices are not one of them - and many of its products are top notch so when we saw this on the shelves we felt compelled to include it. It left us sad. While it is nice and juicy and clearly freshly made, we reckoned there was too much orange juice in the mix, not enough berries and we struggled to detect the slightest hint of the yoghurt which was listed among the ingredients and would have granted it full smoothie status.

Verdict: Disappointing and dear **

Kilbeg Dairies Moodie Smoothie

€1.99 for 250ml, €7.96 per litre

This smoothie from a small Irish producer based in Kells is very good. The wonderfully sharp yoghurty flavours are complemented by the sweet summer berries. It is nice and thick without being excessively gloopy. Sugar is listed among the ingredients, although we have no idea how much, which is a bit of a concern as we'd prefer our sweetness to come from the fruit, thanks a bunch. It is also very pale in colour and looks a teeny bit anaemic.

Verdict: Splendidly tart ****

Tesco Berry Smoothie

€0.99 for 250ml, €3.96 per litre

The ingredient list is admirably pure, at least as pure as the Innocent brand although Tesco doesn't make such a big song and dance about that fact. It tastes remarkably similar to the Innocent brand but is a fair bit cheaper. It is a good value, no-nonsense smoothie that would sit well in any child or adult's lunch box.

Verdict: Great value for money *****

Innocent Smoothies for Kids

€3.97 for 720ml, €5.50 per litre

Innocent have been nothing if not resourceful when it comes to introducing revenue generating products: there are the little bottles - for adults, presumably - and these little cartons are aimed at kids. These smoothies are lovely, fruity and nicely textured without being excessively sweet or too thick. They also come in boxes of four which makes them ideal for school lunch boxes because the school week is just four days long. Oh, right.

Verdict: A little overpriced? ***

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