Hello!
I'd just like to mention my brief hiatus, I apologise, but I decided to take a short break due to the fact it's the busy time of year for my job and I could barely find the time to breathe let alone read or watch something to review. But I'm back, and I've decided to release the pressure on myself by not forcing myself to schedule in a post, that took the fun away, I'll do it when I feel like it, but certainly at least once a week!
So for my return, I've decided to do something a little bit different. I was given the opportunity to try some proper Scottish fudge from the Galloway Fudge Company over the weekend. Admittedly, I should have done some research as I had no idea that all of it was gluten free and on certain occasions nut free!
I did see, however, when I chose what fudge I'd like from the website, that they also specialize in some quite tasty looking marshmallows, but I'm the only one who likes them in my household so seemed a little pointless to get a selection of both fudge and marshmallows as recommended.
So Galloway Fudge Company have a huge selection of Gluten Free fudges and like in the photo above you have the option to get a selection of 4 taster packets under a letterbox taster deal which is £9.90.
They do other deals as well, such as a bumper box of fudge & marshmallow for £24, and they don't just sell fudge and mallow, they do crystalized ginger coated in chocolate, chocolate hampers, macaroons (bites), and good old fashioned Scottish Tablet!
In terms of the Tablet, that was a winner, I'd actually bought this one specifically for my dad as he loves the stuff, and it was crumbly and sugary just as you'd expect. It isn't featured above as it's unrelated to this review but I like to start out by mentioning something very good so if you like Tablet, hit them up.
Onto the fudge...
I don't know much about gluten free fudge, I don't know if the consistency is supposed to be different or if there is a different taste all I can rightly say is I don't like it. I want to give a big thumbs to GFC however, points for trying to cater to those who can't enjoy the good stuff, I really like the idea I just didn't like the final result.
We tried 8 different flavours and I'm going to rate each one and then do an overall, and this isn't a personal thing, of the 4 members of my household we each had an opinion so I will be as true as possible. I hate saying negative things and I really appreciate this little business, so this should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Peanut Butter:
I thought with this flavour, when I was ordering, that it was a choice, you could have nut free flavour for those who cannae have nuts or a normal version. I may have mis-read that as we ended up with a nut free version. I bought this specific flavour with my mum in mind. She's a peanut butter junkie.
Mum was first to taste and her first impressions were not so great. She was convinced that they'd mixed up the packaging as the first flavour to hit her mouth was coffee.
I'm quick to mention that I don't think they mixed up the flavour as the only coffee fudge they do is espresso and I think we'd notice if they had mixed them up as it's also darker in colour.
I can't say I've ever had a nut free, nut product, and as I am in a position to compare, as I am fortunate enough to be able to eat nuts, it is in no way close. Mum was right, it did taste like coffee, as far from peanut flavour as you can get! Then you just get hit with sweetness and it all fades away. My dad outright just didn't like it, he isn't a fan of peanuts in general but he agreed with the coffee and my brother just pulled a face so his opinion isn't relevant.
I'd have to give the peanut butter flavour a 2/10. The fudge itself was gritty where the sugar hadn't melted and it didn't taste anything like the desired product, if I shut my eyes and ate a piece and was asked to guess the flavour I would have said coffee. I was disappointed for sure, not to mention a little bit embarrassed as I'd mentioned the pending fudge as a little pick me up for my family and it was a let down all round.
Rum & Raisin:
This was another little gift, this time for my dad as he loves Rum & Raisin. We've got a local fudge shop called The Fudge Man, he's a dovorian and I've bought from him for years now, so unfairly I think we were all comparing the fudge to his, but Rum & Raisin is a go to flavour in our house so I tried to have high hopes.
I am not a fan of this flavour, nor is my mum, but we tried a little bit as my dad was trying to explain the taste as he thought it tasted like treacle. I thought I was being clever by picking this one as it was dark chocolate rum & raisin, ingredients that all go well together, but in this event it didn't. I wouldn't say this one was unpleasant, but it again didn't taste like it was meant to. I got a little hit of the rum, but then I got this overwhelming fruity flavour which mum thinks might be blackcurrant? My brother said it was strawberry so we shall ignore him, but it was quite a sweet fruity aftertaste.
I think because this one had a deeper flavour we can agree on a 4/10. It was a lot nicer than peanut butter, but again quite gritty and the feel in the mouth wasn't great. Tasted nice but not Rum & Raisin. Fudge should crumble but this seemed almost more like caramel in consistency. If they went into business like Werther's with their caramel they'd make a small fortune.
Vanilla:
I had to get a Vanilla as it's basically the base for all fudge and if you can't get the staple fudge right there is no hope when experimenting with other flavours. Also I am a basic b***h so take that as you will. I'm going to be really harsh here, but the best way I can explain it is this is the taste of a scented candle. No, I don't go around licking candles, my friends can verify, but you know when you go into somewhere like B&M and they've got those candles that have such a fake vanilla scent that it's just too sickly? This is the fudge. It sounds really horrible but this one and the Irish cream one honestly resembled wax in feel and look as well. Not good at all.
I feel really terrible but I think I have to give the Vanilla flavour a 2/10. I shouldn't be able to pull fudge like taffy, nor roll it into a ball. I also think the key to a good fudge is not to use artificial flavourings and there was no way this was not fake vanilla. I was beyond disappointed.
Mint Chocolate:
I work a lot with polymer clay and plasticine and I was a little bit apprehensive to eat this as it looked exactly like something I'd mold together. It felt like it too, it was quite firm and easy to cut through, and it wasn't sticky like some of the others. This one I'd ordered with my brother in mind as he loves anything minty. Now Matt seemed to enjoy this one, he compared the flavour to an After Eight chocolate mint and I am inclined to agree, although I think the mint was maybe a little harsh and there could have been more chocolate. My family agreed that out of all the fudge we tried yesterday, Mint Chocolate was the best. I don't agree. there was another which I really liked but we can get to that later. We saved this one until last because we knew it was strong, and mint has a way of infecting everything else you eat after, so the fact we could smell it through the packet we thought it safe to try it last.
The whole taste test, my mum was going on about weak flavours, you couldn't really taste some of the flavours in some of the ones we tried, she was also going on about mouth feel and how this stuff didn't equate to fudge. This one seemed different, it was a lot harder than the others and didn't have a fudgy volume, but I cannot complain about flavours as it tasted quite good, so for this I'm going to give it a 6/10. It is very green as well. Almost glowed in the dark...
Maple syrup & Pecan:
The Fudge Man from Dover does an amazing Walnut fudge. I mention this because I had high hopes that this particular fudge would parry that one. It has large chunks of nut in, the sweet vs crunchy ratio should have been amazing however the consistency mirrored more a bar of soap with nuts in than fudge. The good news is I could really taste the maple syrup, to the point it made my throat stodgy and my dad cough as the flavouring just majorly caught us. Not unpleasant, but not moreish, I wouldn't eat again. You couldn't taste the pecan either because the maple overwhelmed it, as Matt said, it's like licking a tree.
Maple Syrup and Pecan has to be a 4/10. Not the worst, but not the best.
Really Raspberry Ripple:
I'm a fruity lady, I love Raspberries and this one was purely about selfish indulgence. If they use the same flavour for their marshmallows that they do this fudge then I might have to make another order. The texture of the fudge was quite sticky and it was quite flat as well. But the pink marbled colour was hella cute and the fudge genuinely tasted of raspberry. It wasn't too much and it wasn't too fake, I actually really liked it. My family are not berry people, they did not think much of this particular flavour as it isn't something they ordinarily would have eaten, but it was a case of shrugging when asking for the verdict so it's down to me. I'm going to match the Mint Choc and say 6/10.
Irish Cream:
This was by far the worst fudge out of the 8 we tried. Even more so than the Vanilla. First impressions, this isn't food, I smelled it and it smelt like cheese. Mum refused to try any when I made this comment but eventually gave in. My dad spat his out and the dog rushed over to relieve him of it. Not only that, but I couldn't break off a piece to try as this one came in slightly bigger slabs. It just flexed every single time I tried to bend some off. Then when we tried to cut it, it just depressed against the knife. It occurred to me as eating this one that maybe this is a trick name company. They are called Galloway Fudge but the twist is they make soap, it would have been better as soap than fudge. Didn't really have a taste to it either other than musky. 1/10 as the dog enjoyed it. When putting this one in the bin it bounced back out to attack me, not impressed.
Galloway Beltie:
This is the best one we had. No one else agreed with me but I actually really liked this one. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate so it isn't something I'd usually go for, but its 2 layers of chocolate fudge sandwiched together by a vanilla fudge middle. I could really taste the chocolate and even the fake vanilla melded into the background. It was very sweet but enjoyable and if they just bin the rest of the flavours and specialise in a Beltie, Tablet, and Marshmallow company I don't think they'll have a loss. I liked this one so much I'm giving it an 7/10. It was strangely chewy and it got sticky quite quickly but it worked.
Overall, I'm going to give the Galloway Fudge Company a 6/10. It needs improvement. I really want to thank them though as it can't be easy being a little company especially during covid, and they dispatched it straight away. I mean I put my order in at around 4.28 on Friday morning (I never sleep) and around 7ish I was advised my order had been sent. Royal mail messed it up because I had a different postie on Saturday but that isn't the fault of GFC, they are really lovely and the stuff they are doing right is really good, and obviously huge props for trying to cater for those who can't have gluten, but maybe do a bit of everything? I enjoyed the experience but I'm just sad I couldn't have a sugar rush, I ended up binning everything but the Tablet which I was really upset about as it was just gritty and didn't hold up well at all.
I would recommend at least trying some of the fudge before making your own opinion. We are but 4 novices who are spoilt by our local confectioner, I'd love to try their marshmallows though, they look really spongy and soft. If anyone does plan on ordering some, please, please, please, let me know what you think and give me the heads up on the marshmallow front because they look like clouds!
DISCLAIMER: I, in no way, am a spokesperson for any company mentioned, nor am I a fudge expert. I am just a person, sharing my opinion. I do not get paid for any endorsements nor am I out to ruin any reputations, I just blog for fun.
Thanks for bearing with me on this one. I'll see ya next time!
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