My family and I fell in love with Branston baked beans a few months ago now. We don’t generally eat beans that often, and I only occasionally buy them at my local supermarket when they’re on ‘special offer’ or come cheaper in a multi-pack. When my daughter (now aged fourteen) was younger, ... Read review
Advantages: Tasty, cheap, healthy Disadvantages: None I'd like to mention
...I fell in love with Branston baked beans a few months ago now. We don’t generally eat beans that often, and I only occasionally buy them at my local supermarket when they’re on ‘special offer’ or come cheaper in a multi-pack. When my daughter (now aged fourteen) was younger, she adored baked beans, and would eat them with everything, if I let her. Now she’s older, she doesn’t favour this little staple as much as she used to, hence, I tend not to ... ...that their favourite was the Branston version. This surprised me, as I thought they would have gone for the tried and tested, old favourite – Heinz!
I didn’t give beans much more thought and consideration until probably a few weeks later when I was doing my weekly shop in Tesco and I saw a promotional offer for the Branston version. The offer said they usually sold for 39p per tin, but they were on offer at just 20p. I snapped up four ... more
My family and I fell in love with Branston baked beans a few months ago now. We don’t generally eat beans that often, and I only occasionally buy them at my local supermarket when they’re on ‘special offer’ or come cheaper in a multi-pack. When my daughter (now aged fourteen) was younger, she adored baked beans, and would eat them with everything, if I let her. Now she’s older, she doesn’t favour this little staple as much as she used to, hence, I tend not to buy them that often.
In the past, I’ve bought whichever brand of bean was the cheapest at the time, such as Heinz, supermarket’s own brands (but not Asda, as these are awful) and even Weight Watchers (when I’m on my ‘diet’ and watching what I eat), but it wasn’t until fairly recently – about six months or so ago, that I even knew Crosse and Blackwell had branched out into the ‘bean world’.
They first came to my attention when I’d got home from work earlier than usual one afternoon, and I’d switched on TV and caught the latter half of Richard and Judy. I watched as someone blindfolded both Richard and Judy and then got them to stand in front of various bowls, each containing different brands of baked beans. They were asked to say how they rated each bowl of beans, based on taste, smell and texture. Both Richard and Judy were adamant that their favourite was the Branston version. This surprised me, as I thought they would have gone for the tried and tested, old favourite – Heinz!
I didn’t give beans much more thought and consideration until probably a few weeks later when I was doing my weekly shop in Tesco and I saw a promotional offer for the Branston version. The offer said they usually sold for 39p per tin, but they were on offer at just 20p. I snapped up four tins and put them in my trolley! When I got home, I put them in my cupboard and forgot about them. A couple of weeks later I was looking for something quick to make as I was going out that night and I stumbled across the tins I’d bought earlier. I made some toast whilst my beans heated for a couple of minutes in the microwave. I did notice as soon as opened the tin that the ‘bean juice’ looked a lot richer than it normally would – it also looked very red and more tomato-rich than normal. I served my beans on toast with a medium-sized dollop of tomato ketchup and settled down to eat my fast-food tea!
First impressions were that these beans tasted very ‘rich’ and had a fantastic tangy after-taste. The sauce was definitely richer in consistency and tasted of real tomatoes. The beans themselves were firm and not mushy at all and I loved the almost barbeque-like tangy after-taste. It’s hard to describe how they differ from other brands I’ve tried – all I can say is that they are more full of taste and not so bland.
Several nights later I opened another can and served these with vegetarian sausages and mashed potato – this was a meal eaten by the whole family. During the meal, my husband said ‘these taste nicer than usual’ and my daughter agreed! I told them that they were Branston baked beans and they both screwed their noses and said they thought Branston only made pickles! Next time I made sausage and mash, my daughter came in from school, asked me what was for tea (usually the first question she asks when she gets in), and when I told her, she asked if we were having those lovely beans again. I still had two tins left, so we did!
These first two tins I bought have obviously long-since gone and I can honestly say that I haven’t (and wouldn’t) bought a different brand since. The tin itself is fairly distinctive, and it’s hard to miss it on the supermarket shelf. It’s a fairly bright orange on the tin’s cover and has the usual Crosse and Blackwell logo. Underneath, it states that they are beans “in a rich and tasty tomato sauce”. On the back of the tin, it tells us what we already know, i.e. Branston is more famously known for it’s ranges of pickle and it goes on to state that the company would now like to become famous for its brand of baked beans, too! Personally, I think they are well on their way, and cannot really fail.
You can heat the beans in one of two ways, either over the hob in a small saucepan or (my preferred way, as it’s so much quicker) in the microwave. Either way, the beans taste just as tasty and really yummy to eat. They are obviously suitable for vegetarians and quite a healthy food group. Also, my husband is a vegetarian (of twenty-five years) and although he doesn’t eat beans that often, I find that they are a fairly good stand-by when I’m looking for something quick and easy. The ingredients state that they do not contain any artificial colours or flavourings, and also appear to contain no nasty E’s either. My husband also has to watch his salt-intake as he has a tendency to suffer from high blood pressure. These bans are relatively low in sodium, compared to some of the more well-known (and more expensive) brands.
The tin also states that once the can is opened it is best to pour the unused contents into a separate container and they can be stored in the fridge and treated the same as a fresh food product. I actually have never had to do this, as we normally devour the whole (420g) tin between the three of us. I believe you can buy smaller (approximately 220g) tins, but to be honest, even if I was living alone, I do think it’s more cost-effective to go for the bigger tin and just store the leftovers for a couple of days, so long as it’s kept in the fridge! Another useful little addition to the Crosse and Blackwell tin, is that they have added a ring-pull, so when opening a tin, you don’t have to use a tin-opener.
If you are a baked bean fiend, and you fancy something a little bit different, I would certainly recommend this brand. I think maybe the Branston name can be a bit off-putting to some people, especially as we are used to Branston being only associated with pickle products, but I would certainly recommend you giving them a try.
For more information on these, or any other Crosse and Blackwell product, you can contact the company on 0800 032 7111, or visit their website on www.premieryfoods.co.uk.
Advantages: Reduced sugar and salt, great tasting Disadvantages: Saccharin
...50% reduced salt and sugar Branston Baked Beans.
The new design of the Branston Baked Beans tin caught my eye this week (see picture of label below). Gone was the usual orange tin to be replaced by a mainly silver one. I find Baked Beans so versatile as a quick snack food. You can have these on toast, a filling for jacket potato, with fish & chips (if like me you don't like mushy peas), etc. I needn't go on, we all know about baked beans and how ... ...Anyway, what's so special about Branston Baked Beans?
===Nutritional Value per 100g===
Calories .... 72kcal
Protein .... 4.6g
Sugar .... 3.0g
Fat .... 0.3g
Fibre .... 5.0g
Salt .... 0.5g
_Four Main Ingredients_
Beans 50%, Tomatoes 30%, Water, Sugar 1.9%
===Interesting Facts===
* These Contain Saccharin.
* They are suitable for vegetarians.
* Branston began making pickles in 1922.
* Branston beans launched 2005.
===Packaging===
A 420g ...
bryspy 09.07.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Branston Baked Beans
Advantages: taste, price Disadvantages: not as good as heinz
Branston Baked Beans...................
I am very partial to baked beans on toast (covered in cheese) or indeed I have been known to eat them cold straight from the can either way I have always bought Heinz as they are literally the ultimate baked bean. However as Branston Baked Beans have been on special offer in Tesco's recently (buy 4 for £1) I snapped them up and was pleasantly surprised.
The Branston Baked Bean tin design is a lot different ... ...sauce was totally disgusting!
Branston Beans are certainly up there at the top of the bean chart I am not sure if I can say they are better than Heinz but they are honestly tasty. They are generally cheaper than Heinz too and can be found on special offer a lot more.
I think to conclude I would say these Branston Baked beans come a very close second to the Heinz variety. They have a lot going for them in the fact that they are cheaper and have ...
newby2 19.06.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Branston Baked Beans
Advantages: Very tasty; cheaper than Heinz beans but better in quality Disadvantages: None
...known names has to be Branston Baked Beans. Branston are part of the Crosse and Blackwell group and are perhaps more famous for pickles and sauce than for beans. As it says on the tin:
"Branston is famous for its pickle and we'd like to become famous for our beans."
To promote them, the company recently started extensive advertising on TV and the major supermarkets have also been running strong promotions on the beans. In fact, this is the main ... ...Morrisons had all tins of Branston beans reduced to half price. The offer included 220g tins and 420g tins (standard tin size), which were selling at the amazing price of just 20p! Of course, I'm not one to turn down an offer like this, so grabbed a few tins and put them in my basket. I couldn't wait to try them, although was a bit unsure as to whether I would like them or not. I'll come on to my own experience later on in the review, but let's start ...
rowei 05.02.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Branston Baked Beans
Advantages: Good value, tasty, nutritious, versatile. Disadvantages: You need to like baked beans.
...Well to my mind Branston Baked Beans are a good option and I shall try and tell you why.
At present a multi-pack of 4 large tins of Branston Baked Beans, hereafter to be called BBB, retail in Netto for a mere £1.19. That makes them slightly cheaper than Netto's traditional cheap beans which were ok for 9p a tin, but not for 29p.
Branston of course are more well known for their pickles and sauces which are consistently good.
Each tin has 420g's ... ...is lower than Heinz beans but do not quote me.
The sauce is a rich, thick tomato sauce which is a little darker than others. There is an ample amount of sauce but not too much. Sometimes you find that the lower priced baked beans are swimming in a watery tomato sauce but not these beans.
The baked beans have a nice texture, in that they are fairly soft, even if like me you enjoy eating them cold, and unheated through, occasionally. Sometimes cheap ...
grafter123 18.12.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Branston Baked Beans
Advantages: Great name BRANSTON Disadvantages: Is it a Pickle ?!!!
Branston - we all know and love this brand as a brilliant source of pickles.
Their onions and beetroot are the best in my view, but baked beans .........?!
I must admit I needed some convincing !
I would'nt have even considered buying Branston beans had they not been on offer, 4 tins for a quid, at our local village shop, but I saw them, and thought that 'they would do!'.
The bright orange tin with BAKED BEANS enblazoned across the front caught ... ...BRANSTON badge above the baked beans picture, and though that it was a joke, a quirky twist on 'normal ' baked beans, or maybe even baked beans with pickle flavouring, but the tin just stated BAKED BEANS in a rich and tasty tomato sauce!
I purchased the four tins and when i got home, put them in the cuboard, and forgot all about my initial intrigue.
T-Time came and I started to put piles of oven chips and burgers in the oven to stave off the hunger ...
robjak 31.08.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Branston Baked Beans
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