Pa Hill Raspberry Chutney product reviews

I have always substituted sauces for Chutneys. I prefer the chunky bits in a chutney and find they have way more flavour then the sauce does. Even now eating fish and chips I prefer dipping the chips into a Chutney. So when I saw this my mind started to formulate a plan of all of the dishes I could eat with it.

This summer we have been doing a lot of Poke Bowls and Turkish Iskender's. They are so simple - throw rice in a bowl and add a meat then add heaps of salads and you are done. Last night, we had left over Roast Lamb so after cooking the rice added Hummus and some Beetroot and Garlic and I thought this would go great with the lamb and the salad mixture. Not thinking of how strong it would be I heaped it on the plate along with everything else. Sitting down my plate was like a rainbow with a mixture of reds, pinks, oranges, whites and greens. Taking the first bite I was taken back by how tangy it was and honestly did not enjoy with the Avocado at all. I then tried with some lettuce and red onion and the taste did not improve. Scooping it on to the leaf I left to the side of my bowl and carried on with the rest of the meal.

Today had a craving for cheese and crackers so as I love my toppings and raspberries and cheese are always a winner decided to give it a go again. Placing on my cheese, I did not notice last night, but today could definitely make out the berry shape. Taking the first bite I was delighted with how the combination worked perfectly together, it was definitely a winner. It reminded me of my nanas home made jam that I used to eat while staying there many moons ago. It was scrummy. I am delighted that I piled the chutney on to my cheese because this flavour was amazing. It was like picking raspberries from the bush and getting the pip stuck in your teeth.

I am gad I gave this chutney another go because I am impressed with how it tasted today compared to last night. This is one that I will be having again and potentially one I will be purchasing again in future. I was the only one to have it last night so I have no other feedback unfortunately but I am sure it will be a winner with my berry mad daughters the next time we have cheese and crackers.

I love fresh raspberries so was looking forward to trying Pa Hill's Raspberry Chutney. It comes in a 250ml glass jar with a simple, yet stylishly designed label. The first thing I like to look at are the ingredients and I was happy to see that I was familiar with them all: raspberries, onion, apple, raisins, sugar, spices, white vinegar, and fresh ginger. The jar was packed to the top with a rich burgundy chutney and it smelt sweet and savoury with a hint of raspberry and vinegar. I could see raspberry seeds, onion, and raisins and I thought this would taste lovely with cheese and crackers. It didn't disappoint! The chutney was sweet yet tart and was delicious with the creamy cheese. The flavours blended well together and this would make the perfect addition to any cheese platter.

I had some cream cheese that I needed to use up so I thought I would have that on toast and add some Raspberry Chutney. Wowsers! It was delicious and I think I have found my new favourite snack. The sweet and savoury combination was perfect and the soft chutney went well with the crunchy toast.

This chutney is delicious and was a hit with the whole family. It's extremely versatile and has a great shelf life (not that it will last that long!)

My daughter grows her own raspberries so was interested to taste this chutney. She has never had enough to process her own crop; they are eaten fresh as fast as they are picked, so the idea of them being made into a new product appealed to her. We took the jar around and, as she always does, she scrutinised the label to see if the contents were healthy. She was reassured to find that the first four ingredients were all fruit or vegetables - raspberries, onions, apples and raisins. Sugars (which I assume included the fructose) were way down the list, and the product contained no fat or sodium at all.

My daughter had prepared a cold chicken and camembert salad, so we were able to test the chutney straight away. Miss Eight was given the task of putting some on each plate, but she got sidetracked by the label. She loved the kotuku graphic, and had to read the information printed below it before she could complete her task. She also licked the spoon once she had finished allocating a couple of blobs to each person, and told us it was quite nice! But then she rolled her eyes and repeated "REALLY nice!" which is her way of saying she approves.

Everyone enjoyed the chutney. Even Mr Ten, who can be fussy, gave it a grudging "ok" vote. It was similar to a beetroot chutney in taste, and went really well with the camembert. We all thought it would be good on a chicken pizza too as it brought out the flavour of the meat. My daughter thought there was a perfect balance between sweet and tart. She said she could identify the raspberries but then a raisin would pop up with a slightly different texture!

My son-in-law said it had a great flavour but he thought it would go best with plainer food - anything too spicy and the taste would be masked. He suggested it might be nice with a ploughman's lunch, accompanied by plenty of cheese and fresh crusty bread. Another idea was to have it with "mousetrap" cheese on a cracker to give the cheese more flavour! My partner added that it would be excellent with sausages or pork fillets - the latter tend to be dry so the chutney would liven them up.

I agreed with everything the others said, but there was one thing the nobody had commented on - the shelf life. I was impressed that there was an expiry date so far into the future: sometimes items are bought and then not used up quickly, and before I know it the expiry date has passed and the contents discarded. That is not going to happen with this product; I can safely buy it and know it is going to be fine for ages. Having said that, I see that the jar we have just been reviewing is almost empty already.