Barker's Fruit For Cheese - Pomegranate & Black Pepper product reviews

This sounded an exotic and challenging product but it was surprisingly mild and appealing to a wide range of people. I thought the black pepper would be more distinctive but realistically it was more a "touch of pepper" and didn't really come through strongly at all (which is really great in a sweet "fruit for cheese"). It was a good talking point and two of the three people I asked said they wouldn't have known the taste of pomegranate anyway so it was more a "red fruity" taste for us. There was no particular odour or texture to be challenged by either. This is a great item that I am likely to buy again for occasions as it seemed to have a wide appeal.

The presentation was a good resealable container with all the relevant information I could want - it was a treat item so I wasn't too bothered by the levels of sugar. It was a great new experiment and we will be buying again. Barkers have not been let down by this paste at all and it is a great complement to this lovely range of pastes that I will be seeking out (less sticky than a lot of the more jam-like cheese accompaniments. Well done Barkers and I liked the resealable tub that twists and it was an appropriate price.

I have always put my pastes under the cheese but this one looked great on top thanks to the bright colour. I didn't get a chance to try it with goats/sheep's cheeses but it was great with classic soft cheeses and a basic cheddar was ok too (for the kids!). This is a high-quality product with a good look and a smooth texture. I liked the bright/darker colour and it contrasted nicely on the crackers. Not sure what other uses it would have but it was great for visitors and guests who didn't know what it was.

We are supporters of New Zealand made products and Barker's rarely fails to impress us with their innovative flavours and products. Barker's Fruit for Cheese in the flavor of Pomegranate & Black Pepper was an interesting product to review. It is New Zealand made (excellent) and we entertain many different people that have various dietary requirements so this was perfect as it is gluten free, preservative free and has no artificial colours or flavours! All of those things are a bonus when I can put together a platter and have the entire tray gluten and preservative free! The container is a good size as it is a rich spread and the lid seals with a wee twist so it stays fresh in the fridge between uses.

I mixed this with fig crackers, a range of cheeses, dried apricots, and a selection of meats during the Christmas season - it was tasted by the young, the older ones, those with very specific tastes and those that like a simple beer and sausage - what I can say is that the flavor was enjoyed by almost everyone! The texture is easy to spread on a cracker or piece of cheese, it was jelly-like and didn't seem to vary once out of the fridge so consistent at the beginning or the end of an enjoyable event.

I am always keen to try new products and to share new taste sensations with those around us. I think the value is acceptable at $6.99 for a pottle as it is something special that you would serve up and would enjoy if you want it as a regular item in the fridge. I am going to consider this as an easy work lunch option with a rice cake and slice of cheese - perfect to get through the day and it feels like you've treated yourself to something nice and tasty that is above the ordinary.

I am a huge cheese fan, so seeing a different flavour of Barker's Fruit for Cheese come up for review, I requested them. I first tried pomegranate in Morocco when traveling and had never heard of it here, but not I am seeing it more and more. I was very pleased to note that in true Barker's style this is a NZ Made, not too many additives product that I have come to expect from Barker's.

Taking a look at the pot - it is nice looking container, and easy to open. I like the "locking" lid that you turn to close rather than simply push on - it seems much more secure, as long as everyone actually knows to do that!! I opened up the pot, and removing the lid, found a foil seal also - so this product can remain in the fridge sealed for quite a while. The ingredients list is really good - and it was nice to see the fruit as the major ingredient. It is reasonably high in sugar, but then, you want the sweet to compliment the cheese.

I decided to try this on its own first, to get its true flavour. It is a beautiful red colour and I can definitely taste the pomegranate. I could not taste the pepper much, and after looking on the back of the container, found it is a very small amount - to season I guess and cut some of the tartness that pomegranate can sometimes have.

Although it says it is best with goat and strong cheese, I did not have any of that - so opted for a camembert that I had in the fridge and dolloped some of the fruit on top. Tasting it, wow - it was really nice with the cheese, just as it had been on its own!!. Whilst being sweet (as you would expect) - together with the cheese it does not taste too sweet - it is a great combination that I will be honest - had never though of having the pepper as an ingredient!

All in all - this one is not my favourite of the Fruit for Cheese, but I would absolutely try it again. I also would not have this every time I had cheese, as it is a on the pricier side. In saying that, I think it is worth it, as it is a quality, well made fruit paste, with potential to use it for other things too.

This sounds like a great idea, fruit for cheese but I found that it had a jam like quality, even my youngest asked me if this was supposed to be jam and I'm just using it wrong? I did like the tub but my dad battled to open the lid (he was twisting it but has a weak hand so couldn't get a good grip on it), the information on the pot is good, New Zealand made.

I was a bit nervous about trying this due to not having a good experience with the other fruit for cheese flavour so I called my kids and told them to try some. Two said it was yuck and they didn't like it, my one said he would eat it but only if there was nothing else in the house. I took a taste and first thought is that it was nice as a jam but I was not liking it at all. My mum took a small taste but she said it reminded her of chutney. I still have heaps of product left.

I know that this is a personal opinion but this product is not going to be making an appearance in my shopping trolley.

After having tried the Barker's of Geraldine Fejioa and pear fruit for cheese and enjoying it I moved on to the Pomegranate and black pepper one thinking that black pepper in a fruit paste would be quite odd. I cut four slices if blue brie cheese and laid it over crackers and applied the fruit paste across the tops. I then noticed that on the front of the label it stated that it would match well with Goats or Sheeps milk cheeses which I didn't have any of since I assumed it would have been the same as the feijoa and pear fruit for cheese paste which state it was good with soft cheeses.

Again before eating the crackers, I took a small amount of the fruit paste on a teaspoon and tried it by itself and was delighted with the flavour. It has a deep red hue to the spread and a strong natural taste of pomegranate to it but the black pepper is hardly noticeable with a very subtle taste of it which I was not surprised after reading the ingredient list I saw it was stated that it only contained a mere 0.1% black pepper. This fruit for cheese paste comes in the same container with its twist to remove lid as the other flavours and is very similar to jam in consistency and looks.

I would have to say out of the two flavours I have tried I prefer the feijoa and pear one more as it suits the cheese taste better but that is just my opinion and the pomegranate and black pepper one is still quite nice. I find it quite reasonable for its price of $6.99 although I wouldn't purchase it for myself knowing now which one I prefer, but it is worthwhile trying. Also being produced in New Zealand with no preservatives, artificial colours or flavours it is a great product and having gluten-free options that are vegan-friendly keeps my partner happy.

I have heard lots about Pomegranate but have personally never tried but when I saw it was combined with Black Pepper it just sounded rather fancy and I thought the Pepper more than anything would taste great with Cheese. Receiving the container didn't automatically get my juices going as I found the picture rather bland, but I was still willing to give it a go.

I love the easy twist lid such a perfect idea. The first thing I noticed opening it up was the smell it filled the air and smelt like a damp wine. The Fruit for Cheese screamed strawberry jam and I was excited to try. Well it did not taste anything like strawberries and took me a while to settle in and enjoy. Unlike the other two varities we tried I didn't find this sweet at all. We had a combo of cheeses to try out Camembert, Brie and Edam and after looking at the container it suggests Goat or Sheeps cheeses.

We had Snax mini crackers and garlic crackers and after trying both I stuck to the plan ones. It did take me a while to enjoy and where as started off with smaller quantities at no time at all was putting heaps on. The taste quickly adapts and I found I really enjoyed. My husband had a good go of it too. I found both of my girls liked it but like me they took a while to come around. My youngest said it is 'goodish' but like my husband preferred the Fijoa and Pear. My oldest said if had option would rather just eat the cheese and wackers alone or if had to a tiny bit of this.

Honestly I don't think I would purchase this one again. It is not because of the taste at all its just out of the three we tried everyone was better suited to the other flavours. The other thing I found a tad off putting with this particular one is the aroma is really strong and you can't sit and watch tv peacefully as the smell keeps wifting around. It doesn't stop. I found I had to replace the lid as soon as used.

Pomegranate is something that I had heard a lot about in reason years, but not something which I had really tried myself up until probably a year or two ago, where I first managed to get my hands on some at a local park where there are fruit trees galore with an abundance of fresh produce to help yourself to, including pomegranate. It was here I grew a love for these tiny, but delectable little red seeds, having only eaten the seeds whole either on their own or in a salad, I was most intrigued to see how this particular flavour would go as a spread especially with the addition on black pepper.

In true Barker's style the packaging was simple yet a little bit fancy, I loved the use of the black to really set the product off and also the simple images which truly reflect the product within, the 'twist to open' note was also very handy to have and made opening the container a breeze for me, without this I would have probably been trying to pull the lid off!

First of all I had to dip my finger into the pot, I fell in love with the sweet taste of the pomegranate in such a spread, however I didn['t taste the black pepper much at all, this was fine by me as in my opinion it made this product that much more versatile than as a fruit for cheese. With some tasty cheese on hand, I decided to make myself a toasted cheese, ham, and pomegranate and black pepper sandwich, wow I was impressed the sweetness of the pomegranate went amazingly well the cheese and ham and was a hit with Miss 6 and my partner who also enjoyed these very yummy toasted sandwiches.

Next up I decided to make a bacon and egg pie. when normally making a bacon and egg pie I swirl through a bit of chutney so this time round I decided instead to swirl through some of the Pomegranate paste, wow all I can say is amazing and that this is my new go to rather than chutney, I honestly can't believe how well the sweet and savoury products go together, but they really just seem to work.

Over all this is an amazing product and one with so many uses far beyond cheese, I can imagine it going great as a dipping sauce for meat, and as a spread over a pizza bae, it could quietly easily replace jam in any recipe, I could go on and on about the many different uses this product could have! A great product which shall be added to my shopping list very soon.

I have never eaten fresh pomegranate but I do like the flavour of it and whilst I'm not a big fan of pepper, I figured it was worth a try and to see how the combo might work. However, I mentioned the flavour combination to my mother who's response was 'ooooh, yummmmm' so I figured at least one person in the house would enjoy it. It comes in a good, solid, plastic container and this has already been tested by my nine year old dropping it on the floor and whilst other similar sized containers have broken upon contact with the ground, this one didn't, so a plus when one has children who like to carry excessive amounts in one go. It was a little hard to initially get it open but the plus to this is that it closes really well, so we weren't at risk of picking it up and having the lid fall off on us.

I tried some of this on its own and instantly liked it, I knew this was made to go with cheese but it would also work really well on a sandwich if you had run out of jam, which gives it an added albeit expensive, use. We decided to put out about a dozen different cheeses and to see how it would go with options other than the suggested cheeses. I found that it worked really well with a plain, slightly salted feta and a cracked pepper gouda. My eight year old loved it on its own and with cheese. My nine year old decided to fill a black olive with this and top it off with a small bit of feta and declared it simply delicious. My mother enjoyed it with all the cheeses that we sampled.

This was a big hit and it's versatile enough that it could go on pancakes and muffins just as readily as cheese.

This instantly appealed to me as soon as I read the words pomegranate and black pepper! I love a pomegranate and while it is a different texture eating the rather large seeds once you get past that the taste is fantastic add to that the heat and explosion of a cracked black pepper and feta and I knew I would be in foodie heaven. Having the pomegranate made into a fruit spread like this so you get the amazing flavour without that raw fruit texture just made me love pomegranate even more.

I can certainly agree with the rich, creamy, saltiness of feta type cheeses this fruit spread is perfect, has just the right amount of sweetness and that hit from the pepper to break through the strong flavour and texture of the feta. Having had pomegranate and feta salads in the past using fresh pomegranate I really wanted to try it as a salad dressing, so I used an amount of the spread mixed with some olive oil to loosen it up over a feta salad and realised just how versatile this fruit spread for cheese is beyond being used with cheese on a platter.

I had some filo wrappers in the freezer to make spinach and feta filos so used some of the fruit spread when I made these and think this may have to be something I always do when I make spinach and feta parcels in future it was an absolutely divine pairing with everyone in the family agreeing it made the parcels we often have even better.

I often make cheese and fruit platters for the family or for when we are entertaining so finding new products for something we have often is exciting and we will definitely get this in future. I loved it with cheese and crackers and so many other ways.

Pomegranate and black pepper is a combination none of us would have thought of - it seemed odd, but once we had tasted it, everyone agreed that it did work and was surprisingly effective. I have eaten raw pomegranates many times in the past - they are like passionfruit; you eat the whole lot, seeds and all, using a spoon! I have also had pomegranate juice. But it would never have occurred to me to process the fruit in this way to make a spread. As for the pepper, you could not taste it, but I assume it was there as a flavour enhancer. For all of us, the dominant flavours were balsamic vinegar and the fruit itself.

We served it on crackers with goats' milk feta, as suggested on the packet, and found this to be a tasty match. It counteracted the sweetness of the feta and the resulting flavour was "fabulous", to quote one of my friends. She said she would not have thought of buying it because the name would not immediately draw her attention, so she was glad that she had had the opportunity to try it. The children were not quite so keen, but I think this was due to the acidity of the vinegar coming through rather than the sweetness of the fruit. However, they managed to eat a couple of biscuits apiece, so I don't think their initial reluctance was sustained!

I thought it would go well with fatty meat as it would cut through the richness, so we used a little to glaze a belly pork roast - adding it a few minutes before the end of the cooking time. I have added marmalade like this in the past, so that is what prompted the idea. We did like the result; the spread had melted but not burned, and it gave an incredible flavour to the meat. As I had suspected, it made the meal less rich and added an intriguing aftertaste.

One of the family was going out for a day's fishing so he packed sandwiches made from tinned corned beef with an added smear of the pomegranate and black pepper spread. Corned beef is notoriously rich, so we were keen to find out how he had got on. He arrived home with an empty lunch box, but when questioned as to how he had enjoyed it, he just gave us the thumbs up. But as he is a man of few words this is high praise! I have not tried that combination myself yet, but plan to do so when I get the chance.