Kraft Philadelphia Splendips

.../> I had heard of Kraft Philadelphia, purely because of the outrageous 'angel adverts' they have on television. Despite seeing them goodness-knows how many times, I had never really paid much attention to the products they were displaying. On the shelf in front of me were four variety tubs that went by the name of Splendips. Alarm bells started ringing in my head, as the advert started to play in my mind. I could recall seeing these before! I remembered ...
...
In the UK, Kraft Philadelphia has a range of products on offer, including;
Varieties, Organic, Mini Tubs, Splendips, Snack Tubs, and Original.
I have only ever sampled the Splendips myself, but I think I shall be trying the Mini Tubs soon - they come in an 'Extra Light' option!



===Contact===
You should have no problems with your Splendips, but if you are unfortunate to do so, then it is ... more

When it comes to food, I am exceptionally fussy. No product enters my shopping trolley until the nutrition and dietary information has been thoroughly inspected. Adding to this, I am an incredible calorie counter, so any food too high gets shoved back on the shelf, never to be looked at again; same with those high in fat and sugar.
Inevitably, this all results in a somewhat limited variety in what I allow myself to eat, causing some problems.

When it comes to lunch time, the easy option would seem to be sticking to sandwiches, using the fillings I know best and feel comfortable with. Unfortunately though, there comes a time when you can simply stomach no more bread, and the sheer boredom with repetitive taste is enough to drive you crazy! Fortunately though, I went on a wander around Asda, and whilst I was selecting out my light cheese, I spotted something else; a product I had not thought of before.

I had heard of Kraft Philadelphia, purely because of the outrageous 'angel adverts' they have on television. Despite seeing them goodness-knows how many times, I had never really paid much attention to the products they were displaying. On the shelf in front of me were four variety tubs that went by the name of Splendips. Alarm bells started ringing in my head, as the advert started to play in my mind. I could recall seeing these before! I remembered thinking they looked quite appetizing, and decided I should give them a try! With that, I bought one of each of the four kinds on offer!

The four variety options you have to choose from are;
Chives
Sweet Thai Chilli
Nachos
Cheesecake

Over the course of a week, I indulged myself in these healthy sandwich-alternatives for my lunch, enjoying eating something different and unique! On each, my opinions somewhat differ!

Chives

This was the first one I tried. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Who knew whether I would like it or not - I'd never even tasted Philly cheese before! I looked down at the foil lid of the plastic tub. The words 'Splendips' took up the majority of it, just showing a half-covered image of the contents that could be found inside. It was outlined in green - not a very pleasant shade either! Though, I suppose, given the colour of chives, this did go well!

I ripped into the lid and peeled it completely off. I half expected everything to go flying as I struggled to peel it off, but fortunately this did not happen! I peered into the plastic tub, and examined the contents. The first thing I looked at was the crackers. I got such a shock at first; I thought they were mouldy! But then I actually used my brain, and realised the little green pieces were meant to be there to give it the chive taste. I felt like a complete plonker then! The next specimen I examined was the cheese - how exciting can cheese be? It appeared to be quite creamy at first sight, and had a lot of little chive bits in it. I wasn't sure whether I would like that or not, I'd have to wait and see. Finally, I took a closer look at the 'red stuff'. To begin with, I had no idea what this was, but after a bit of reading, I discovered it is in fact tomato chutney sauce - something I had never tasted. It looked a bit lumpy and unappealing when it sat alone in the tub.

After examining the looks of the food, it was time to give the contents a good old sniff; the aroma of food can be quite important at times! First the crackers - they smelled like cheese (how many times do we use that to compare bad smells?!) - as did the cheese dip. Both were quite mild and pleasant. As for the tomato chutney, that inevitably smelled of tomatoes, and gave off a strong scent. Not bad for a cheesy meal!If food tastes awful or has an appalling texture, then it really isn't worth eating! I hoped that this Splendips was going to pass both those tests; I was starting to get quite hungry! I sampled each in turn;

• Biscuit alone - continued to taste of cheese, with a slightly salty kick. It had a surprisingly smooth texture too!
• Biscuit and cheese - quite a mild taste, leaving a 'zingy' after taste. Cheese was smooth, with irritable chive bits.
• Biscuit and sauce - sauce was incredibly strong and tangy, definitely taste the tomato.
• All together - the strong tomato taste is toned down by the flavour from the cheese, cannot taste biscuit.

I'd have to say, when all three of them were combined, I was not too pleased with the taste. I much preferred to have just one of the other dips with my crackers! Also, far too much cheese was provided, and nowhere near enough tomato chutney sauce!
>>>Nutrition<<<
In each 85g pack, you will find;
160 calories
23g carbohydrates (6.8g sugars)
4.4g fat
1.4g fibre

Using an online Weight Watchers points calculator, that works out at about 3 points.

The main ingredients include;
*Crackers:
Wheat Flour, vegetable Oil, Barley Malt Extract, Salt, Sugar, Chives, Yeast, Raising Agents (E500, E336).

*Cheese:
Skimmed Milk Soft Cheese, Medium Fat Soft Cheese, Water, Milk Protein, Chives (1.4%), Modified Starch, Stabilisers (E410, E407), Salt, Flavourings, Preservative (E200).

*Tomato Chutney:
Water, Tomato puree (22%), Sugar, Onion, Cauliflower, Cucumber, carrot, Sweet Red Pepper, Cabbage, Modified Starch, Salt, Acetic Acid, Mustard Seed, Lactic Acid, Garlic, Flavouring (contains wheat protein).

>>>Quick Facts<<<
Packaging; acceptable, not very attractive
Appearance; surprising, slightly unappealing
Smell; cheesy, strong tomato
Texture; smooth cracker, irritating chives
Taste; mild cheese, slightly salty biscuit, strong tomato chutney

I quite enjoyed this snack, despite my first impressions, and would definitely buy it again!

Nachos

After such a delightful Chives pot, I could not wait to sample my next variety; I opted for the Nachos this time! From the cover, I thought the nachos themselves would be quite thin and would break easily. It was to my surprise when I peeled back the foil lid, that I noticed they were actually quite thick! This made me a bit happier to realise that they were of good quality, reassuring me after I had just battled with the poorly designed foil lid, causing quite a few holes in it before ripping it completely off!

In front of me I could see all three tray sections; the cheese side much larger than the salsa dip! The cheese itself looked quite basic; it didn't seem as if it would be incredibly exciting. As for the salsa dip, it looked quite 'bitty', the salsa pieces larger than I had expected. Nevertheless, it was still worth a try!

When it came to the 'sniff' test, all three sections were unique! I smelt a nacho first, but didn't expect it to be exciting! To my surprise, it has quite a spicy scent to it, as did the salsa - but not as strong. The cheese, however, had a more sour smell, as predicted. So far, no problems!I was quite baffled by the taste of the Splendips. Again, each was sampled in turn before combining them all, so I could taste each on their own along with their texture.

• Nachos alone - it had a very bland taste, sort of like those Doritos crisps (I dislike these), quite rough too!
• Nacho and cheese - didn't taste of much, cheese was slightly creamier than I had expected, and quite thick.
• Nacho and salsa - salsa taste incredibly strong, left a rich feeling in the back of my throat.
• All together - can't really taste the cheese, but it toned down the strength of the salsa - positive combination!

I think the best way to eat this is with both the dips combined with the nacho, otherwise the taste seems boring and unmemorable. Not the nicest in the world, but still edible.

>>>Nutrition<<<
In each 85g pack, you will find;
150 calories
17g carbohydrates (4.2g sugars)
6.5g fat
0.9g fibre

Using an online Weight Watchers points calculator, that works out at about 3 points.

The main ingredients include;

*Nachos:
Corn Flour, Vegetable Oil, Flavouring, Wheat Flour, Salt, Sugar, Acidity Regulator (E262), Yeast.

*Cheese:
Skimmed Milk Soft Cheese, Medium Fat Soft Cheese, Water, Milk Protein, Modified Starch, Stabilisers (E410, E407), Salt, Preservative (E200).

*Salsa:
Tomato pieces (27%), Tomato puree (25%), Spirit Vinegar, Water, Dried Sweet Green Pepper (4.5%), Glucose syrup, Sweet Red Pepper (4.0%), Onion, Modified Starch, Salt, Flavouring, Spices, Preservatives (E202).

>>>Quick Facts<<<
Packaging; nice refreshing blue shade, poor foil lid
Appearance; uneven sized pot, plain
Smell; mild cheese, strong salsa
Texture; creamy, thick
Taste; basic on their own, spicy nacho, strong salsa, nice combined

At first, I disliked this Splendips option quite a bit, but I think by the time I finished it, the taste had grown on me. I would buy it again, but it would not be my first choice!

Thai Sweet Chili

After one very successful option, and one not-so-good, I was unsure of what to expect when it came to sampling the third Splendips a few days later. Looking down at the packaging, I was not impressed; the main outline what a shade of brown - very off-putting and unappealing. Though, I was not going to judge the meal entirely on its lousy foil lid, and tore it off, this time more easily than before.

As soon as I did this, the scent from the tray hit me almost instantly; a combination of 'sweet and sour sauce', and a mild hint of cheese. It was quite a delicious smell, but I am a fan of 'sweet and sour' dishes anyway!

Staring down at the tray, I was not too put off by what I saw. The crackers were a decent size, slightly bigger than a milk bottle cap, and looked quite sweet. There was nothing special about the cheese, it looked thick and creamy. As for the sweet chilli - it came across as quite watery and did not look to appetizing! Never mind, it was taste that counted!So was the taste satisfying? Incredibly, yes! I was most pleased with one combination in particular!

• Crackers - tasted strongly of popcorn, too sickly sweet on their own. Very dry too.
• Cracker and cheese - well, have you ever had cheesy popcorn? It's not exactly a pleasant mix!
• Cracker and chilli - it takes the popcorn taste away at least, and the Thai is tangy.
• All together - a glorious blend, tastes exactly like sweet and sour rice! Yummy!

So there is no doubt that I ate the entire thing using both dips together, and I was most delighted with it! In fact, it felt like I was eating a real Chinese sweet and sour dish!

>>>Nutrition<<<
In each 76g pack, you will find;
148 calories
28g carbohydrates (14g sugars)
1.7g fat
0.6g fibre

Using an online Weight Watchers points calculator, that works out at about 3 points.

The main ingredients include;
*Crackers:
Rice Flour, Salt, Antioxidant (Tocopherol-rich extract.

*Cheese:
Skimmed Milk Soft Cheese, Medium Fat Soft Cheese, Water, Milk Protein, Modified Starch, Stabilisers (Locust bean gum, Carageenan), Salt, Citric Acid, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate).

*Thai Chilli:
Sugar, Water, Wine Vinegar, Sweet Red Pepper (9.0%), Chilli (7.5%), Garlic, Modified Starch, Salt, Acetic Acid, Color (Paprika Extract).

>>>Quick Facts<<<
Packaging; unattractive brown
Appearance; sweet crackers, watery chilli
Smell; sweet and sour, mild cheese
Texture; dry cracker, smooth and creamy cheese
Taste; popcorn crackers, sweet and sour rice (delicious!)

This was a gorgeous Splendips option, as I adore the taste of Sweet And Sour, and Chinese dishes. All together, it was a great combination, which I will definitely be buying again!

Cheesecake

This was the final Splendips pot I tried, which surprised me, as it looks the most attractive and eye-catching! Being much the girly girl, the pink rim on the foil lid is very appealing! It's a shocking pink shade too! As I peeled back the lid, the first thing I noticed was how much smaller the coulis tray was compared to the cheese side. The biscuits were a nice size, quite larger than I had expected too!

The smell given off from the snack was incredibly sweet and fresh, undoubtedly smelling of raspberry fruit! It was so appetising too, I could not wait to tuck in!

Tasting everything the same way as before, each combination was unique, and I had a completely different opinion on the ways to eat it!

• Biscuit - sweet and sugary, like a digestive.
• Biscuit and coulis - true taste of cheesecake! Raspberry is very strong
• Biscuit and cheese - sweet, creamy and lightly tangy
• All together - weird combination, sweet, raspberry taste toned down, can't really taste the cheese.

The nicest way to eat it, for me, was either biscuit and cheese, or just biscuit and coulis. It was ok all together, but I enjoyed it much more separately.

>>>Nutrition<<<
In each 85g pack, you will find;
196 calories
28.5g carbohydrates (13.5g sugars)
6.9g fat
2.4g fibre

Using an online Weight Watchers points calculator, that works out at about 4 points.

The main ingredients include;
*Biscuits:
Wheat Flour, Whole Wheat Flour (18%), Vegetable Oil, Sugar, Raising Agents (E500, E503, E450), Salt, Invert Sugar.

*Cheese:
Skimmed Milk Soft Cheese, Medium Fat Soft Cheese, Water, Sugar, Milk Protein, Modified Starch, Stabilisers (E410, E407), Salt, Flavouring, Preservative (E200).

*Raspberry Coulis:
Raspberries (51%), Water, Glucose syrup, Modified Starch, Thickeners (E415, E412), Flavouring.

>>>Quick Facts<<<
Smell: sweet, fresh and fruity
Taste: raspberry, creamy, tangy, sweet and sugary
Texture: creamy, smooth, crumbly
Appearance: digestives quite large
Packaging: pink, attractive, small coulee tray

It made a change, eating a sweeter Splendips option, compared to the savoury ones I was growing used to! As delicious as it was, the nutrition values are so much higher, so I will only be enjoying its sweet pleasures every now and then.

Philadelphia Company

An American dairyman, William Lawrence, made the first cream cheese in New York in 1872. It adopted the name 'Philadelphia' in 1880. It was launched in the UK in 1963, with its first TV advert airing in 1963. Throughout the late 1900s, lighter Philly products and snack options are produced in the UK.
In 2005, Splendips are released, in three delicious flavours; Chives, Cheesecake and Nachos. Later, the Sweet Thai Chilli option was introduced.

In the UK, Kraft Philadelphia has a range of products on offer, including;
Varieties, Organic, Mini Tubs, Splendips, Snack Tubs, and Original.
I have only ever sampled the Splendips myself, but I think I shall be trying the Mini Tubs soon - they come in an 'Extra Light' option!

Contact

You should have no problems with your Splendips, but if you are unfortunate to do so, then it is possible for Philadelphia to be contacted, either by the address below, or by visiting the link located at the bottom of this review!

Care line 0808 1000 678
Kraft Foods UK
Freepost SWC 3320
Cheltenham
GL50 3ZZ

Would I Recommend?

I would definitely recommend Splendips! With the four flavours available, there is bound to be one to suit your taste, whether it is sweet or savoury! They are incredibly cheap, at only 97p each from Asda! They are practical too; perfect sizes for lunchboxes, and a great alternative to boring sandwiches! They can be eaten as a snack if you feel a bit peckish, or as part of a main meal! These are convenient and useful!

*****
After sampling all four varieties of Splendips, I have varied opinions on the products.
The order I preferred them;
*Thai Sweet Chilli
*Chives
*Cheesecake
*Nachos

I am most definitely going to keep buying these, as I find myself eating them every alternate day for lunch now! They are not too unhealthy, with light cheese and varied dips. I cannot wait to tuck into my next one…I think I'll have Chives!

© Amy xx

*For further information, or contact details, visit www.philadelphia.co.uk 

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