... One item she brought was Robinsons apple and blackcurrant, no added sugar, squash. She was quite right because although we had the orange squash, since every one has all ways said they didn't like blackcurrant, we didn't have this at home. So she did us all a favour because we all ended ... Read review
Advantages: Refreshing and versatile Disadvantages: none
...One item she brought was Robinsons apple and blackcurrant, no added sugar, squash. She was quite right because although we had the orange squash, since every one has all ways said they didn't like blackcurrant, we didn't have this at home. So she did us all a favour because we all ended up liking it and I will probably be buying it again.
○◊○ Who are Robinsons? ○◊○
The company ... ...High Juice, Barley Water and Robinsons for Milk.
○◊○ The choices ○◊○
The flavours in this squash range are orange & pineapple, orange, summer fruits, lemon and the flavour I am reviewing here apple & blackcurrant. Apart from the lemon flavour, which only comes in the no added sugar variety, they all have the option of no added sugar or regular.
My young niece came to stay for the half term week and brought with her a supply of favourite goodies 'just in case' we didn't have them. One item she brought was Robinsons apple and blackcurrant, no added sugar, squash. She was quite right because although we had the orange squash, since every one has all ways said they didn't like blackcurrant, we didn't have this at home. So she did us all a favour because we all ended up liking it and I will probably be buying it again.
○◊○ Who are Robinsons? ○◊○
The company started as Robinson & Belville in 1823 making 'patent barley and groats'. Patent barley was sold in powder form to which boiling water was added to make into a drink. In 1862 the company merged with Keen & Son, which was a mustard business. In 1903 they were then acquired by the familiar name of Colmans. In 1995 Britvic acquired the Robinson drink part of the business where the Robinson's name remains today. As well as the fruit squash Britvics also make Fruit & Barley, High Juice, Barley Water and Robinsons for Milk.
○◊○ The choices ○◊○
The flavours in this squash range are orange & pineapple, orange, summer fruits, lemon and the flavour I am reviewing here apple & blackcurrant. Apart from the lemon flavour, which only comes in the no added sugar variety, they all have the option of no added sugar or regular.
They are available in 1litre, 1.5 litre, 2litre or 4 litre size containers. These larger containers though will be rather heavy to carry home from the shops.
○◊○ Packaging ○◊○
I am today reviewing the one litre volume size of the apple and blackcurrant flavour. This bottle is made of a clear plastic with an oval shaped paper label on the front and back. Having a clear bottle is quite helpful as it means it is possible at all times to see how much squash is left in the bottle. The sides have a vertical indentation which makes gripping the bottle easy, so it doesn't slip out your hand and disgorge the contents onto the floor; this indentation also makes it easier for young hands do it for themselves. There are also a series of horizontal grooves around the middle section of the bottle.
The front label gives a clear visual indication of what it is. It has the familiar Robinsons logo in white lettering on a green background, a picture of an apple and some blackcurrants with the words 'apple and blackcurrant' and in large lettering underneath in white letters on a blue background is 'Special R, no added sugar', in a smile shape following the curve of the base of the label. The special R logo indicates the no added sugar varieties of squash.
The burgundy coloured label on the back gives all the product details. It is by appointment to the Queen. So presumably Her Majesty sips this on warm summer days, while sitting in her deckchair, out on the back patio. Well if it is good enough for her…
It is described as a concentrated, low calorie, apple and blackcurrant soft drink with sweeteners, containing naturally occurring sugars. Also listed are the ingredients and nutritional details
A quick and easy way to differentiate between the regular and the no added sugar varieties is that the no added sugar options come with a blue plastic screw lid and the regular varieties have a green plastic screw top. This lid is easy to unfasten on first use and provides a good seal thereafter. If the bottle is tipped over no juice will seep out - yes I did test it.
○◊○ Recyclablility ○◊○
Please note that I am referring here to the bottle and not to the contents! I am an avid recycler so this is always an important consideration for me. The bottle is made of PET, which is Polyethylene Terephthalate, which can be recycled to make fibre for sleeping bags, floor coverings, or packaging. Many local Councils now have separate collection areas for plastic items, so please take the time to investigate.
○◊○ Ingredients ○◊○
The ingredients are water, fruit juices from concentrate (apple 9%, blackcurrant 2%), citric acid, colour (anthocyanins), acidity regulator (sodium citrate), sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin), preservatives (potassium sorbate, sodium metabisulphite), and flavouring.
There is a warning that this squash contains a source of phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is one of the main ingredients of the artificial sweetener aspartame. Aspartame, or E951, is about 200 times sweeter than sugar which is why it is often used to sweeten 'low calorie' foods. There have been several scares about the health implications of aspartame in the past, but the WHO and FDA now say it is perfectly OK to consume - you must of course make up your own mind. While phenylalanine is an important part of a healthy diet (it is an amino acid also found in milk, eggs, fish), the warning on the label is because some people are allergic to phenylalanine. This allergy is something that you are born with and cannot acquire and those affected are usually also sensitive to dairy products. EU regulations stipulate that this warning must be displayed.
○◊○ Nutritional values ○◊○
The minutiae of the nutritional values are per 100ml of concentrate which has 9 calories (or 39kJ), 0.2 g protein, 1.3g of Carbohydrate all of which is sugars, trace fats, no fibre and 0.1g of sodium.
The recommended dilution is one part squash to four parts water. Personally I think this makes the drink too strong and I would double (at least) the amount of water. I therefore guess I use about 25ml of concentrate in a 200ml glass. This is of course down to personal preference but young children usually prefer a milder flavour.
○◊○ Appearance ○◊○
The squash concentrate itself is an opaque liquid with a strong purply/blackcurranty/reddish colour which is perhaps a little surprising when the predominant fruit is actually apple. After the squash is diluted with water it is a more translucent purple colour. If you sniff the concentrated squash it is the blackcurrant bouquet that hits you first, quickly followed by a rather syrupy fragrance.
○◊○ Taste ○◊○
After the squash has been diluted with cold water the first flavour to come through is the slightly bitter blackcurrant followed by the sweetness of the apples. Apple, by rights, should be the first flavour as it is the fruit with the largest content, but this may just be my taste buds at fault. The blackcurrant is the flavour that seems to remain in the mouth. I myself would describe it as pleasant, or at least not unpleasant. Having said that, the children all seem to love it, so maybe I'm just hard to please.
In the winter, or even at bed time, this drink can be made with hot water which, when I tried it, I though there was a stronger aroma of fruit and the flavour was better. Remember to clean your teeth before going to bed though.
An alternative way to make up this squash is to use plain fizzy (or to give it its proper name - carbonated) water. This does make a slightly healthier option than most bought fizzy pops.
○◊○ Storage ○◊○
This does not need refrigerating after opening. The best before date is about 10 months ahead.
○◊○ Availability ○◊○
Although I did not need to buy this bottle myself Robinsons squash is readily available in most supermarkets and food stores and the 1 litre bottles seem to cost about 95p.
○◊○ Contact details ○◊○
Any comments of queries about the product can be addressed to the Consumer Care Department at Robinsons Soft Drinks Ltd, Chelmsford, CM1 1TU. This address can be found on the label. Alternatively the web site is www.britvic.com.
○◊○ My Conclusions ○◊○
At only about 2-3 calories per glass it is good if you are watching the calories. The low sugar content is better for the health of children's teeth. It has a pleasant flavour and you can adjust the strength according to your own taste. There is quite a varied choice of flavours in the range so there should be something for everyone. It can be a hot or ice cold drink according to the weather conditions or your preferences. It has a reasonably long shelf life so you don't end up tipping half of it away. It is simple way of drinking more water which is especially important for children running around in the hot weather, and much healthier than regular fizzy drinks marketed at children. One bottle seems to go a long way so I think it is good value for money.
perfectlypolished 03.03.2007 (03.03.2007)
Ciao members have rated this review on average:
very helpful
Review of Robinsons Special R Apple and Blackcurrant
...Please note that Robinsons Apple & Blackcurrant contains a source of Phenylalanine - one of the main ingredients in artificial sweetener. Although Phenylalanine is actually an important part of our diet (assists protein) there are people who cannot metabolise phenylalanine and as such the warnings are included on all products containing phenylalanine. Robinsons Apple and Blackcurrant's taste is actually dominated by the apple inclusion, not surprising ... ...of the added sweeteners.
Robinsons Apple & Blackcurrant squash is low calorie at only 8 calories per 100ml, and contains 1.1g of carbohydrates per 100ml. The squash also provides you with 17% of your Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamins B6 and B12 when made up to 250ml diluted as per their instructions.
Obviously my personal preferences will be different than other people's, but if you are looking for a refreshing drink that can be used as a ...
kelr101 12.03.2006
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Robinsons Special R Apple and Blackcurrant
Advantages: nice flavour, sugar free, added vitamins, no artificial flavourings or colours Disadvantages: contains artificial sweeteners
...this along with C-Vit and Robinsons as a child.
I took my Ribena to work the next day and was disappointed to say the least. The flavour was a very strong blackcurrant flavour which when I added extra water to became insipid like. I took this as a good excuse to go back to drinking my diet coke. The next week I decide that I will try C-Vit with the same results. I can remember liking this as a child but found the taste very strong again now.
The ... ...available when I see that Robinsons have an apple and blackcurrant version. They had a non added sugar version which I chose simply because it had less calories. In my trolley it went. I didn’t drink this for a few days as I kept forgetting to take it to work. When I did I was pleasantly surprised.
The apple flavour is not really obvious in this drink but it does make the blackcurrant flavour less obvious making it for me a very pleasant drink. ...
helen201274 03.07.2003
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Robinsons Special R Apple and Blackcurrant
Advantages: lots of flavours, good price, nice appearance Disadvantages: too much water makes it horrible
I have always loved Robinson's juice it has been with me my whole life and they have widened their range of drinks to appeal more to younger children but still the older among us love it. I loved it when Robinson's used to do offers with the drinks and you could save up tokens and get something free or they would do competitions it increases sales but also makes drinking more fun or maybe I am on my own with that thought. The Robinson's bottles of ... ...sure on the exact price, it depends where you buy it. They have many different flavours, I like the apple and blackcurrant flavour but there also other like orange, orange and pineapple, summerfruits which all taste very nice. They have drinks with sugar or with no added sugar which is more diabetic friendly. This flavour is really nice the blackcurrant tastes really strong but there is a light taste of apple in the background. The juice is a red ...
ms19 25.05.2003
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Robinsons Special R Apple and Blackcurrant
Advantages: Great taste without using half the bottle Disadvantages: It gets used to quickly
...- not just orange. Robinsons Apple and Blackcurrant has become a real favourite. I must confess to trying cheaper supermarket brands but they just don't make the grade, no taste and very weak.
The taste of Robinsons Apple and Blackcurrant is excellent. It really does taste of apple and blackcurrant, more blackcurrant than apple I think.. Also you don't need to use half the bottle to get a good taste. Only a little in the bottom of a tumbler gives ... ...if you make it too weak. It has a good pleasant smell - of apple and blackcurrants. It does not have a sickly smell which some drinks do.
I buy the special R variety as it has no added sugar, a bonus in this day and age of incresed sugar input. It is low in calories and does actually contain some Apple juice (9%) and some blackcurrant jiuce (2%). The only down side really is that it contains artificial sweetners - I suppose the lack of sugar has ...
numberthree 28.08.2003
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Robinsons Special R Apple and Blackcurrant
Advantages: Contains vitamins and real fruit juice Disadvantages: Slightly bitter taste, and needs to be made strone.
Robinsons Special R Apple and Blackcurrant fruit squash is a concentrated soft drink, which has to be diluted with water to drink.
It is somewhat dissapointing compared to the other flavours in the Robinsons range, which include orange, lemon, summer fruits, cherry and so on. The blackcurrant taste is very distinctive, yet something has gone wrong with the blending of the apple flavouring.
When you drink it you kind of get a distorted blackcurrant ... ...due to the 9% apple juice content compared to only 2% blackcurrant, so the acid from the apple juice makes the blackcurrant taste bitter.
This bitter taste stops the drink from being refreshing, along with the fact that you need a relatively large amount of juice diluted with water, compared to other juices where you need very little concentrate.
Anyway, regardless of my opinion I think you should try it for yourself, as we are not all the same. ...
lynsey82 27.06.2003
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Robinsons Special R Apple and Blackcurrant
Similar products and search queries by other users »
Robinsons Blackcurrant, Robinsons Special Blackcurrant, Robinsons R Blackcurrant, Robinsons Apple Blackcurrant, Robinsons and Blackcurrant, Robinsons Special R Blackcurrant, Robinsons Special Apple Blackcurrant, Robinsons Special and Blackcurrant, Robinsons R Apple Blackcurrant, Robinsons R and Blackcurrant, Robinsons Apple and Blackcurrant, Robinsons Special R Apple Blackcurrant, Robinsons Special R and Blackcurrant, Robinsons Special Apple and Blackcurrant, Robinsons R Apple and Blackcurrant
Are you the manufacturer / provider of Robinsons Special R Apple and Blackcurrant? Click here
