First Impressions
It has arrived, and to say I was ridiculously excited by this prospect, is a massive understatement guys. I feel like I have been waiting for this my entire vegan life (about four years now) for this to happen. Vegan Ben & Jerry's. I know guys, this is life changing. This has been long anticipated in the UK, but I'm going to be honest, I didn't really know what to expect. Was the packaging going to be any different to distinguish it? Where they going to release exclusive flavours for vegans? And how much are they going to push the marketing and advertising of this?
So far there seems to have been minimal marketing, no real adverts on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, and certainly no television or print ads. Personally I find this a bit disappointing, but perhaps they are waiting to establish the initial feedback and response before they fully try to push the product? Hopefully this will be the case!
As for the packaging, it is pretty standard of Ben & Jerry's which I really love, there is nothing to make it seem strange or obviously different. I think this is a really clever idea from the brand, because it won't alienate dairy eaters or put anyone off with the sometimes dreaded 'V Word'. And as for the flavours, they have been pretty darn clever. They have done the classic chocolate brownie, brought back an old favorite in the form of Chunky Monkey, and they have created a brand new peanut butter cookie flavour!
Okay, I think that I've prattled on long enough about this, so I shall move on to the part which we have all been waiting for; the review.
On to the Review!
Chunky Monkey
This is a banana base ice cream with chocolate fudge chunks and walnut pieces mixed throughout. The banana ice cream itself is absolutely delightful. The banana flavor is undeniable, and pretty natural in overall taste. I often find anything banana to have a painfully artificial taste to it, but this seems to avoid that pitfall (thank heavens!). This is probably because of them actually having used real banana in the ingredients. The main problem that I had with this flavor was how blooming sweet this was! Which although a nuisance on those days when you feel like gorging your feelings on ice cream, it does stop you from eating a whole tub in one go...
This sweetness is somewhat combatted by the bitterness of the dark chocolate fudge pieces, and the crunchy nutty flavor of the walnuts. I also really enjoyed how these added elements created a whole new depth of textures, further enriching the whole experience.
I'm really glad that they chose to bring this flavor back, it really is a fan favorite and tastes unique and blooming delicious!
Peanut Butter and Cookies
I'm going to be honest, this was the flavor I was really excited about. Peanut butter and cookie ice cream? Three of my favorite things all combined together in one tub AND vegan? Heck yes! I'm not even going to try and pretend that I didn't crack this bad boy open as soon as I got home to try this sugary enigma. Upon opening the tub, I was greeted by this delectable looking swirl which was all but calling my name. The ice cream again, was incredibly sweet. Now, this isn't a bad thing because it was somewhat balanced by the saltiness of the peanut butter.
The swirl was well distributed and had a good amount of flavor to it. But the real star of the show here, was the cookie pieces! They were chocolatey and yummy, and simply heavenly! You honestly could not tell they were vegan.
The main problem I had with this one is the texture. It was strangely gritty. I think this must have been from the peanut butter or the cookie swirl, not a deal breaker or particularly bad thing, but possibly a point of improvement.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I'm pretty darn impressed. They did not taste like healthy ice creams, or low fat, low sugar, or even remotely boring, mainly because, it was none of those things! They were cleverly created, and well devised ice cream flavours, and they did vegan food proud! Other than the intense sweetness, these were really delicious tubs of ice cream that I look forward to having once again! But probably when they are on offer, because £5.50 is a bit steep for ice cream.Rating - 8/10
Calories Chunky Monkey - 262 calories per 100g
Calories Peanut Butter Cookies - 280 calories per 100g
Buy Again? - YES (When on offer)
