Dorset Cereals and Total Greek Yoghurt kindly sent us a number of their fabulous products to try on our Blogger Night In. Dorset Cereals sent us a range of their delicious breakfasts: Granolas and Porridges. All ingredients are cooked in Dorset, in traditional baking trays, using kitchen cupboard ingredients, no palm oil or anything artificial in the cereals.
GRANOLA
The granolas have just been given a brand new-look facelift earlier this year! There are four varieties: two new flavours Oat and Berry Granolas, along with favourites Honey and Chocolate Granolas.
The new Oat Granola is a classic mix of oats and sunflower seeds gently baked, with golden syrup for a touch of sweetness and a hint of vanilla. They are very crunchy and tasty. We added it to Total Greek Yoghurt. The Total Greek Yoghurt has a very thick and creamy consistency. It’s a great accompaniment to the granola and the flavours complement each other very well. You could also make it extra healthier by adding fresh fruit. Granola can of course be used as a cheesecake base, or crumble over poached rhubarb after Sunday lunch etc.
The new Berry Granola is a crunchy mix of oats, baked with crushed raspberries and blackberries for that fruity summer sweetness. This is best to go with fresh milk as it helps to soften the fruits! I don’t tend to buy these berries as they can be quite tangy. Overall the flavour is great and very fruity. I love to mix it in with ice cream which helps take away the tangyness.
The Honey Granola is a mix of oats and sunflower seeds with honey, pecans and almonds, gently baked the traditional way to make it loose and tumbly while the Chocolate Granola is an indulgent mix of oats, chocolate, macadamias and almonds. My lovely friend Jenny Leonard is a huge fan of Dorset Cereals Chocolate Granola!
They all come in a 550g box and at an RRP of £3.79. I think this is a great value. Instead of those boring cereals why not opt for a healthy option. They are a great source of fibre, contains wholegrain and are suitable for vegetarians. They can be found in main supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Co-op, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Ocado.
PORRIDGE
We also received four different flavour sachets of porridge – the Raspberry, Honey, Gingerbread and Oat & Barley porridges and they come in a pack of ten sachets. Dorset Cereals also make two free flow porridge flavours: Raspberry and Honey.
Raspberry porridge is a blend of jumbo oats & creamy barley, raspberries and a handful of pumpkin seeds. Honey porridge is a blend of jumbo oats, creamy barley and sweet honey. Gingerbread porridge is a blend of jumbo oats with creamy barley and gingerbread pieces. Oat & Barley porridge is a creamy blend of jumbo porridge oats and barley.
To cook the porridge is very easy. You can either use a hob or microwave and is ready in 3 minutes! Empty the sachet into a saucepan and add 160 ml of milk using a measuring jug or use the empty sachet filling up to two thirds full. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Serve when the milk is absorbed.
My husband thinks that the porridge is much more interesting than the plain porridge he normally eats. The added textures of the barley and seeds really works for him and he has definitely been converted. My son however still prefers his porridge plain without the added bits so that he can add honey or chocolate and gulp it down! I love the convenience of the sachet as you can bring it out for camping, holiday or to work! The portion is quite small and is great for children but for an adult, you might require two sachets. There are 10 sachets in a box with an RRP of £2.49. The free flow porridge is RRP £2.59. Once again, I think this is a great value and is comparable to other leading similar products. They can be found in main supermarket like Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Co-op, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Ocado.
Total Greek Yoghurt comes in a huge range: Total Classic, Total 2%, Total 0%, Total Split Pots and Fruyo. We tried the Fruyo. They are very thick, rich and creamy yoghurts. We are very impressed with it. Do check out their recipes for more ideas. Eating yoghurt can be fun and don’t just eat them straight from the pots. You can cook or bake with it!
Disclosure: We received the samples for the purposes of writing this review, however, all thoughts and opinions remain our own.