PRODUCT REVIEW: The Collective live gourmet yoghurt

I love yoghurt. Which is just as well as I had the full range from The Collective dairy dropped off at my door this week. This is a great looking brand and I had passed it on the shelves before as I purchased my low fat, joyless, saccharine tasting pots (why do I buy low fat yoghurt, it tastes RUBBISH).



So faced with really interesting flavours like Raspberry & Amaretto, Coconut & Lime and Russian Fudge rippled through their gorgeously full fat live yogurt, I was pretty much a kid in a sweet shop. Yet I suppose with live cultures and no freaky ingredients, a er, healthier kid in the um, dairy.

What makes The Collective a bit different is that it started in New Zealand by a couple of chefs, so no surprise that taste is at the forefront here. They teamed up with some peeps in the UK to bring it over here too. And apart from the "Suckies" pouches for kids which are made in France, the milk comes from Somerset daily from reputable farms.

The brand reminds me of the early days of Innocent or the fantastic Lick frozen yoghurt. It's very approachable, fun, slightly edgy and steers away from the corporate consumer world, giving it great shelf appeal, particularly in the manilla aisle of yoghurt. But definitely a brand for the food conscious as well as the younger market.

So, calcium featured pretty heavily in my diet this week and I really enjoyed pretty much all of the flavours. If you haven't tried this brand then definitely pick up one when you can. They are available in large 500g pots or single serve 150g pots (with spoons). I didn't get the suckies for kids in the squeezable pouches (kids LOVE this format), but I'd be happier feeding my kids these as they don't have added sugars and artificial additions.

So out of the lot, here are my favourites...

The base yogurt (available as Straight Up plain), is thick, rich and decadent. I also love the tartness too. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so this is up my street and proves to be a good contrast to their flavours that ripple through the yoghurt base.  I found it to be a really useful kitchen standby for finishing savoury dishes.



While you get the chance, do try and grab the limited edition Raspberry and Amaretto flavour. This was very unusual and grown-up delicious (there should be more alcohol in yoghurt I say!). Pretty much a dessert substitute too.



The Rhubarb, Vanilla and Lemongrass edition was a collaboration with Anna Hansen from the great Modern Pantry. I loved the tartness of the rhubarb and the sauce was flecked with plenty of vanilla seeds. The hint of lemongrass was very subtle - I could barely detect it, but still, lovely and 5p per tub goes to Action Against Hunger.

The Scottish Raspberry version really packed a punch and was the family favourite. The vivid ruby sauce looked beautiful too.

And I loved my bespoke passion friut pack too. Which I ate ALL myself, obviously. The passion fruit seeds which dotted the sauce gave a gorgeous toothsome crunch. The Mighty Mango version is similar without any seeds if you prefer a smoother texture.

The whole family adored all of them really. Even my husband who never eats the stuff. As for my three year old, he kept asking me for more "swirly yoghurt". I don't blame the little fella.

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I was sent these products for review. Words, as always, are my own.

Posted in: Mixed