I thought quite hard about taking on this sponsored post, because it’s something I wasn’t planning to do on this blog, and I promise you that there won’t be many posts like this! However, it was for a product that not only did we already have in our cupboards but also one we had input into before it was even released.
I signed up for Bounty Word of Mum surveys some years ago, and probably earn about £20 a year for doing the surveys I’m offered. Last year there was a two-part survey on snacks where we were sent six white bags of crisps with a picture of the packet mock-up to look at whilst eating! It was quite exciting for the children to be part of, and MG sat with me answering the questions on the computer for her part of the survey. I’m fairly sure they were called Noughts and Crosses originally but I can’t find the details now.
These crisps are aimed very much for the lunchbox and after-school snack market. They’re being promoted as only 85 calories and full of wholegrain. I’m not a parent who feeds her children on carefully balanced macrobiotic meals and I believe in everything in moderation. MG and DG will eat chocolate and biscuits and crisps; but they also enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables so I don’t deny them anything on the basis that I know they eat a good variety (most of the time!)
We received a shoebox in the post containing a cute cuddly monkey (currently in MG’s bed full-time) and a packet of the Roast Beef flavour Hoops and Crosses. All the flavours are suitable for vegetarians but beef still seems an odd choice to post out! (The board book has cute monkey art, but the text isn’t of much interest to my girls: Did you know 27% of British children get no wholegrain at all? Well, now you do!)
To get a fair opinion, I decided to pit Hoops and Crosses against MG’s current favourite (Skips) and DG’s current favourite (Pom Bears) and included both the Beef packet we were sent and a Salt and Vinegar packet we’d already bought. Skips, Pom Bears, and Hoops and Crosses are all available in my local Poundland so the cost is fairly good in my opinion (£1 for a pack of six). Like most families, cost is a factor for us.
MG had one of her school friend’s over so it seemed a great time to do ‘market research’ on them. My sample size was three: two six year olds and an almost-four year old, all girls. I put the four packets of crisps into bowls on a tray for them to snack on while they were playing outside and then interrogated them! For the purposes of this blog, I’m going to refer to MG’s friend as MGF.
MG loved the beef Hoops and Crosses. I tasted them and they seem identical to beef Monster Munch so that was a winner for me and when I mentioned this to MG she agreed (leading the witness perhaps…) MGF did not like the beef Hoops and Crosses at all, but did like the Salt and Vinegar ones. DG didn’t want to try anything (it’s a Friday evening, she was tired!)
MG said of the four packets, the beef Hoops and Crosses were her favourites (even more than Skips!) MGF said of the four packets the salt and vinegar Hoops and Crosses were her favourite. DG didn’t want to answer my question!
Despite what they said, it was the Pom Bears bowl that was emptied first. DG may have had something to do with that… There was also a bowl of mini party rings and a bowl of mini brownies which gave the crisps unfair odds as the sweet things went first of course! (This is not an everyday snack sample for the Chaos house, just when there are small visitors.)
At the end of the evening, the only bowl with anything left in it was the salt and vinegar Hoops and Crosses, but when I tasted them they seemed a bit stale compared to their normal taste so maybe some air had got into the packet (it was a bit crushed from being an unused emergency snack from a daytrip!)
Taste-wise, all the girls were happy with the Hoops and Crosses (apart from MGF with the beef flavour) and the grown-up Chaoses like them too. The shapes of Hoops and Crosses are fun and appealing, without being babyish. So they’re a winner on those points. Also, you can play games with them, what’s not to like? 
Now to compare nutrition:
Hoops and Crosses (Roast Beef)
Weight: 18g
Calories per pack: 85
Contains wholegrain? yes
Any artificial flavours/colours etc? no
Fat and salt percentages: 3.8% fat; 0.3% saturated; 0.27% salt
Suitable for vegetarians? yes
Allergies: contains soya, milk; may contain wheat, rye, barley, gluten, celery, mustard
Child appeal: can play games!
Hoops and Crosses (Salt & Vinegar)
Weight: 18g
Calories per pack: 84
Contains wholegrain? yes
Any artificial flavours/colours etc? no
Fat and salt percentages: 3.7% fat; 0.4% saturated; 0.3% salt
Suitable for vegetarians? yes
Allergies: contains barley; may contain wheat, rye, barley, gluten, celery, mustard
Child appeal: hoops! crosses!
Pom Bears (Original)
Weight: 15g
Calories per pack: 77
Contains wholegrain? probably not (potato based)
Any artificial flavours/colours etc? no
Fat and salt percentages: 4.2% fat; 0.5% saturated; 0.23% salt
Suitable for vegetarians? yes
Allergies: contains soya
Child appeal: teddy bears!
Skips (Prawn Cocktail)
Weight: 14.5g
Calories per pack: 76
Contains wholegrain? doesn’t say (probably not)
Any artificial flavours/colours etc? no
Fat and salt percentages: 4.2% fat; 0.4% saturated; 4% salt (eek!!)
Suitable for vegetarians? yes
Allergies: may contain milk, egg, soya, gluten, mustard
Child appeal: melts on your tongue!
To be honest, for young children, Pom Bears have a slight edge on Hoops and Crosses. But small children grow, and eating teddy bear crisps is not cool from a certain age. Also the Hoops and Crosses bags are bigger, so more filling for older children. I find Hoops and Crosses an acceptable option to add to a lunchbox, and my test sample of young children gave them an overall thumbs up.
Oops, I forgot to say they come in three flavours: Salt and Vinegar, Roast Beef, and Prawn Cocktail. And contain 56% wholegrain.
Disclaimer: We were sent a packet of beef flavour Hoops and Crosses plus a soft toy monkey from Walkers to review and will receive payment for writing this post. All opinion is honest and unbiased regardless of any payment received.
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