School lunches ain't what they used to be. I remember loading up on sweets and doughnuts from my school canteen, and it was a free for all as far as packed lunches were concerned. But now my kids are trudging through the education system, and there are rules now. Rules! Basically, the major rule is no chocolate, but it's a fairly general no junk policy. Now, I can rarely eat lunch without having at least some chocolate along the way, so it's difficult for me to provide my kids with a sweet snack that doesn't contain the good stuff. But hey, Barny bears are here to save the day.
They're small, bear shaped cakes with a creamy filling, innocent looking and somehow able to fly under the no junk radar. Maybe it's that healthy looking grain underneath the logo. Barny has been around for a while, in chocolate, milk and strawberry flavours. But I spotted these "new" forest fruits Barnys in Poundland the other week, and figured it was a good enough point to leap in and sink my teeth into a bear.
Well, they're alright. I mean, as far as sponge cakes go, these are no Mr. Kipling, but they have a soft enough texture and a sweet flavor. It is a little bit on the stodgy, sugary side, but I think its small size works in its favour as far as that's concerned. As for the filling, that's pretty standard as well, a fruity jam that has a nice berry flavouring, but that too is a little sickly, and there's not quite enough of it to complement the sponge all that well. All in all, it's a decidedly average cake, probably good enough for the kids' lunch boxes, but I wouldn't serve them at a tea party.
My rating: 3/5
