SMILE!!!!!!!
*** History *****
"Chips glorious Chips!!!!" ( I know your sining the song from the advert now )
The McCain business started way back in 1957 in Canada with a small work force of 30 people. There products didn't hit the British market till 1965. It was throughout the ... Read review
Advantages: Easy to cook, simple & convient Disadvantages: Slightly fatty
...)
The McCain business started way back in 1957 in Canada with a small work force of 30 people. There products didn't hit the British market till 1965. It was throughout the 1970's that the company spread itself out and set up factories in Scarborough (72), Netherland (73), Australia (75) and from then on till the present date they have expanded there factories. The McCain business also has factories for different types of foods they ... ...
At first the McCain Foods ltd produced frozen potato products and still to this day remain the foundation of McCain success. Throughout the years they now produce not only a complete line of French fries and potato specialties, but also green vegetables, desserts, pizzas, juices and beverages, oven meals, entrees, appetizers and other quality food products. Now that is what I call knowing your customers market, and they have accomplished ... more
SMILE!!!!!!!
*** History *****
"Chips glorious Chips!!!!" ( I know your sining the song from the advert now )
The McCain business started way back in 1957 in Canada with a small work force of 30 people. There products didn't hit the British market till 1965. It was throughout the 1970's that the company spread itself out and set up factories in Scarborough (72), Netherland (73), Australia (75) and from then on till the present date they have expanded there factories. The McCain business also has factories for different types of foods they produce, potato factories and Pizza factories. Today the company has more than 55 production facilities on six continents supported by more than 20,000 employees and sell food products in more than 110 countries. At first the McCain Foods ltd produced frozen potato products and still to this day remain the foundation of McCain success. Throughout the years they now produce not only a complete line of French fries and potato specialties, but also green vegetables, desserts, pizzas, juices and beverages, oven meals, entrees, appetizers and other quality food products. Now that is what I call knowing your customers market, and they have accomplished it well. I could not tell you there turn over in a year but I bet it is a lot more than any of us are making.. All originally from a small factory in Canada selling chips!
*****The Product - Smiles*****
I first came across this product when I started to look at dinners for my toddler. As people who have children they are not the easiest of things to please at meal times. Never mind getting them to try new foods, now that's always a challenge. I was going along Tesco's on my usual trip strolling along the frozen section when I was quite drawn to this product maybe it was because I knew McCain's had a great reputation on foods and also I liked the way it looked on the packaging… big smile faces which to me looked like fun. Of course this to a 2-3 year old would more than likely appeal, or would it ? So I grabbed 2 bags and placed them into the trolley without a second thought. The bag itself is red in colour with the trade mark colours of black & red with Smiles written in a fun loving font. The bag is approx 9inches x 7 inches and has a great big smilie face on the front. Upon opening the bag there is no real smell to the product and there are approximately around 20 faces inside a bag. Smiles Faces are fluffy mashed potato, shaped into happy faces and lightly prepared with sunflower oil for a tasty crunch. They are round and approximately 3 inches in diameter, although I must admit I didn't get the ruler out! They have two small round holes cut out for the eyes, and the other gap is shaped into a smile. Each smile are a slight shade of pale yellow colour when they're still frozen, but they turn a golden brown colour when they're cooked. Or if you over cook them they go a very dark brown. Tip this can be done very easy as it only takes minutes to turn from golden to brown! So keep an eye on them.
The McCain quote for this product is "They're certain to bring a smile to your face at any mealtime", mmm we shall see once tested with a toddler.
***** Price *****
I normally do my monthly shopping in Tesco's and at the moment usually this product is going for £1.09 for a 454g bag. The bonus thing is at the moment they are under an offer they are half price so that means they are now at £0.54p. Apparently this offer is on till the 25-09-2007 - so go and a grab a few bags! While at ASDA they are £1.09 for a 567g bag.
***** Taste ****
Well as I stated earlier this product I aim at my toddler but I have found if im feeling lazy I have popped a few on our plates too. I have to say though they are lovely and crispy on the outside and not tasting of fatty oil. On the inside the filling is light and full of fluffy mashed potato. I would say there is no after taste with this product either, no greasy tongue or the roof of your mouth. As for the challenge of my toddler did he Secom to eating them? Well at first he looked at them intensely and looked at me like I was poisoning him… then he took hold of the fork took a stab at one placed it into the ketchup. Ohhhh hold on he spotted something on the television. It is now in mid air awaiting its final destination - the mouth. Once he has been un-distracted he remembers the fork in his hand and places it in his mouth…. the jaws are moving ( No spitting out as yet) then a smile !!! Yes we cracked it he likes them. With that he takes another stab at another smile and devours it. He know has them as part of his dinners when I'm being lazy and he guzzles them down with no complaints. Now thinking back to the McCain's quote "They're certain to bring a smile to your face at any mealtime" Well it definitely put a smile on my little boys face and that's good enough for me.
**** How to cook ******
Smiles can be cooked in 3 different ways - under the grill, in the oven or deep fried. I personally oven bake all my foods if possible. To cook in the oven: preheat it to 200C/425F/Gas mark 7. Arrange the smiles on a baking tray, and place in the top half of the oven for 12-15 min turning occasionally. This method is very easy to cook and easy to keep an eye on. To grill them: you should preheat the grill on a medium high heat for 5 minutes, place them evenly in the grill pan and grill for approx 10min, turning occasionally until they are golden brown on each side. I find this methos also quite easy to cook but as we all know what horrors toddlers are and a grill handle is too much temptation for them. It only takes a minute guys! To deep fry, you should place the smiles in hot oil or fat at 180C/350F and fry for 2-3 min, then drain and serve. - I have never used this method as it is very high in fat plus it also stinks your house out for days after use.
***** Storage ****
It states on the bag that The McCain smiles should be kept in the freezer @-18 degrees below
**** Ingredients ****
Potatoes, Dehydrated Potato (contains Turmeric), Sunflower Oil, Potato Starch, Salt, Stabiliser (E464), Pepper Extract The packet also states that the product may contain traces of egg and milk.
**** Contact Details for McCain *****
write to :
McCain foods (GB) ltd Scarborough North Yorkshire YO11 3BS
...thing he does love is McCain Smiles. ==Packaging ==
On the front of the red plastic packaging is a picture of a sunflower, when you look closely you can see that it is actually sunflower petals and in the middle is a smile which I think is very clever! When I took the smiles out of the bag they looked very pale in colour, they are round with of course a smiley face, there are holes for the eyes and a big smiley mouth. ==Cooking Instructions==
You ... ...the oven at gas mark 7 and they usually take 12- 15 minutes to cook. Once the smiles come out of the oven they will look golden in colour and look very inviting to eat! ==Ingredients== Potatoes, Dehydrated Potato (contains Turmeric), Sunflower Oil, Potato Starch, Salt, Stabiliser (E464), Pepper Extract Allergens - None Each smile contains mashed potato, I can always taste a very light hint of seasoning. The coating of the smile is prepared with sunflower ...
lazytowner 24.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of McCain Smiles
Advantages: Fun and exciting potatoes, quick to cook Disadvantages: May be a little to childish for grown ups although I don't care!
One of every child's favourite potatoes have to be McCain's Smiles. The smiley faces were always my favourites to accompany any meal and, even though I don't eat them very often now I'm all grown up, I do occasionally get pulled back to my youth and chuck a pack in my shopping trolley. Smiles come in a red plastic 454g bag packaging with a picture of one of the smiles on the front looking rather happy surrounded by sunflower petals. A bag usually ... ...offer in Asda and Iceland for only £1. Smiles are a frozen potato product made from fluffy mashed potato and lightly prepared with sunflower oil to give a bit of crunch to the outside. They are made in the shape of a smiley face with a circular shape and holes going through the potatoes for two round eyes and a happy smiling mouth. They don't take long at all to cook, taking 12-15 minutes in the oven at 200 degrees C, and around 10 minutes when grilled. ...
frankiefromings13 08.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of McCain Smiles
Advantages: taste nice, good for kids Disadvantages: a bit expensive
What are they?
McCain smiles are a frozen potato product aimed at children. They are basically mashed poato made into the shape of a smiley face, and I think they are meant to be a fun alternative to chips. The description the packet gives is as follows 'McCain smiles are bite sized fun faces made from fresh mashed poato. You're guaranteed smiles all round!'
Price
These cost £1.09 for a 454g bag at my local Bell's store. Personally I think that's ... ...serve.
Storage
The McCain smiles should be kept in the freezer.
Nutrition
100g of oven baked poato smiles provides :
952KJ energy 228 Calories
3.8g protein
35.9g Carbohydrate
9.3g fat
Ingredients
The ingredients are : potatoes, vegetable oil, salt, stabiliser E646, and pepper. The packet also states that the product may contain traces of egg and milk.
Packaging
They come in a red bag with a large picture of one of the McCain smiles and ...
pink_champagne 05.07.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of McCain Smiles
Advantages: Soft on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, delicious potato taste Disadvantages: Requires fairly careful grilling
McCain have been producing chips and potato products for a long time now and have become extremely popular. Smiles are simply potato made into smiley faces :o) I love these because sometimes usual chips can lie a bit heavily in my stomach and these are quite light and fluffy, and cheer you up when you look at them smiling back at you on your plate. The new 'bigger' bag of smiles is 600g and costs £1.56 in Tesco. A portion is roughly 75g/6 smiles, ... ...go they're not too bad. McCain have tried to developed their products to be healthier, especially as these are aimed at children. Therefore these are now made with 100% sunflower oil, one of the healthiest cooking oils, which is low in saturated fat but high in the heart-healthy ones. You know you're getting quality with McCains British potatoes, so if you're opting for a potato/chip product these are a good option. You can grill or oven cook these. ...
gothic_moon 13.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of McCain Smiles
Product Quality
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