Meridian Coconut and Almond Butter Review

Anyone into their nut butters know that Meridian is king. These are nut butters made purely from buts with no added salt or sugar and 100% almond/ peanut/ hazelnut etc depending on the flavour you pick. Free from palm oil, you can't knock their quality and I'm a die hard fan of their almond, peanut, hazelnut and cashew butters all of which I've enjoyed on toast, bagels, oatcakes and in smoothies.

Capitalising on the love of all things coconut, they've introduced a coconut and peanut butter and coconut and almond butter mash up to the range Like the rest of the range, the ingredients list is stunnigly simple - 67% almonds, 29% coconut and 4% honey for sweetening. I had high hopes for this and couldn't wait to get stuck in.

Because of its natural ingredients, this, like all the other Meridian products, needs a vigorous good stir to blend when you first open it as the natural almond oil seperates and rises to the top but this isn't a problem for me. I got the scent of coconut and with the high almond content, it looked deliciously creamy and thick

Spreading some onto some oatcakes for a little energy boost, the texture is fairly thick with a slight runniness - maybe a little looser than their peanut butter but thicker than the hazelnut butter. It's rich and creamy in the mouth and whilst the coconut is obvious and fragrant, you do still get the almond richness as well so you get the best of both blends.

I'll admit I expected these to be the most luxurious nut butter I've ever had but whilst very nice it's no better than the rest of the range (not that that's a bad thing). It's not as sweet as I would have maybe liked so doesn't feel super indulgent or naughty but then again it's really a healthy product - albeit one that tastes divine.

Definitely one worth seeking out but perhaps not as treaty as some of the nut butters that contain maple syrup or cinnamon or blended with chocolate.

Price: £3.99
Bought at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per 100g: 647 calories, 56.1g fat, 19.9g sat fat, 7.6 sugars, 11.6g fibre, 19.1g protein, 0g salt

Score: 7.5/10

Meridian Cashew Bar Review

Meridian are the kings of nut butter - they're my staple brand as I love they are made with just 100% of any given nut with no added palm oil, salt or sugar and if it's almond or cashew butter for example, it is properly almonds and cashews and not bulked out with cheaper nuts. They also have a bar range and again a high nut content is the key focus. In this cashew bar for example it is 55% cashew nut so considerably more than mainstream brands that promise nut flavour and then are like 3% nuts.

This 40g bar contains 6g protein and there is no added refined sugar with the sweetness coming from brown rice malt, agave and some fruit juices. This ingredients is short and clean and its made with Meridian's cashew butter, which I love anyway so it all looked pretty promising.

It's a fairly decent sized bar and at around the 200 calorie mark, a more substantial snack as well. Opening it up it smelt like a nut butter and has a greasy film to it which was a good sign in my work suggesting the natural oils from the nuts. This bar has a soft, chewy texture with a reasonable density but it's pretty easy to eat and feels pretty energising.

The taste is pretty much cashew butter. It's really not a sweet bar in anyway and the cashew butter is very prominent. There is a little vanilla flavouring in there but it doesn't come through and overall lacks a little excitement. It's a very tasty bar, it's healthy and I would buy it again but it's not one I would go out of my way to search for as the taste is pretty one dimensional and they're pretty pricey. However, it is satisfying with a nice texture and filled me up nicely in a natural way so is perfect for an energy boost.

Price: £1.59
Bought at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per bar: 201 calories, 12.1g fat,2.4g sat fat, 8.7g sugars,2g fibre, 6.2g protein

Score: 7/10

Meridian Smooth Peanut Butter

After absolutely loving the hazelnut spread from Meridian that I regently tried, I stocked up on the peanut variant when I saw these 455g jars for a mere £2.

I went for the smooth version just to try a different texture to the hazelnut spread. Like the other Meridian nut spreads, this had a refreshingly simple ingredient list of just pure peanuts. No oil, no sugar, no salt, which is always a good thing in my opinion.

This had a lovely sticky texture that coats your lips, your tongue and every taste bud. It's quite loose and you will need to stir it before use as the natural oils seperate and is quite tricky to get from jar to bread cleanly. But it's totally worth the stickiness.

It has a very different taste to normal peanut butter. You can really taste natural peanuts and it is this distinct roasted nut taste you get rather than salt. This also makes a wonderful snack, breakfast or for post gym sessions. It's also high in protein and really satisfies me when I feel a bit peckish. I haven't tried using it in cooking yet but I imagine it would also be really good used for chicken satay or in stir fries as well.

Score: 8.5/10

Meridian Crunchy Hazelnut Butter

As I've started going to the gym lot recently, I've been looking out for high energy and high protein snacks to keep me going and this hazelnut butter from Meridian hits the mark perfectly.

Everything about this paste is right for me. It's a nice small 170g jar so you know you'll get through it okay and means it's easy to carry around as I often take this to work.

This product is also absolutely pure and natural. There is literally one ingredient: hazelnuts. 100% hazelnuts and nothing else. No oil, no salt, no sugar like most spreads on the market. As a result, I feel great snacking on this. The fact nuts are full of healthy fats and pack a protein punch makes this perfect for satisfying hunger pangs as it keeps you going for longer. I've been having it a lot for breakfast recently too as it really keeps me going until lunch on a bagel or toast.

Taste wise, it is absolutely delicious. I was taken aback when I first ate it by how strongly it reminded me of Ferrero Rocher (minus the chocolate obviously). It feels really, really indulgent with a thick, creamy, melting mouthfeel and a gorgeous roasted nutty taste. And yet it really is just hazelnuts!

This will be a regular purchase for me from now on as it seems very versatile. I use it for breakfasts and pre gym boosts but I imagine this would be lovely in baking and if you mixed some melted chocolate into it, it would probably taste like a natural version of nutella.

Price: £2.99
Available: I picked mine up in a Whole Foods market but Waitrose and Holland and Baratt stock it too

Pros: Utterly delicious, natural, no sugar, no salt, nice small pack size
Cons: Sometimes the nut oil naturally separates but just give it a stir to mix everything again (it is a natural product after all!)

Score: 9/10