I tried Harry Kane’s knobbly sticks as England star takes on Gary Lineker with his own snack brand – here’s my verdict
SHOULD you put Harry Kane’s knobbly stick in your mouth?
SunSport’s Dan King, who knows even more about savoury treats than football, put Kane’s late surge into the crisp market to the taste test.
And although the England captain has surpassed Gary Lineker’s goal tally for the Three Lions, he won’t be beating the crisp-munching Match of the Day presenter in the supermarket aisles.
If you’re looking for a taste experience as potent as Kane is in front of goal, you will be disappointed.
But the Bayern Munich striker’s line of “healthy” snacks, is perfectly pleasant and won’t scare the kids, much like the man himself.
A PITCH OF SALT
The pale yellow colour is neither enticing nor repellent, and the same can be said of the flavour. It does what it says on the packet: a little bit of salt, not too much (although the nutritional information shows this is the most salty of the three varieties). It’s fine.
I would probably want to dunk it in a dip of some kind, but that would defeat the object of choosing something that is allegedly good for you – or at least less bad than other snacks.
Rating: 4/10
SALT & VINEGOAAL
Another pun that even Lineker might turn down, but my favourite of the lot. You have to be prepared to overlook their appearance. They are horribly beige, but without the promise of the pure filth that comes with a similarly-coloured pork scratching.
I know my salt’n’vinegar. Although this doesn’t deliver the punch of the king of all versions – McCoys, ridged for your pleasure – there is a decent tang of malt vinegar.
Rating: 7/10
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STRIKIN’ HOT
Let’s be honest here: baked knobbly sticks are basically Nik Naks by another name. So you are immediately putting them up against the supreme NN variety, Nice ’N’ Spicy. And much like Kane’s old club Tottenham, these really are a distant second best.
Again, the flavour is fine, but there’s just not enough of it. If you tell me something is going to be hot, I want to really feel that heat. A bit of spice lingers in the after-taste, but not enough to excite me.
Rating 5/10
OVERALL VERDICT
If you’re a parent looking for something to keep your kids quiet, without stuffing them full of salt and fat, then this could work (as long as you watch the portion size).
Children often don’t like strong flavours anyway and the football link might persuade them to overlook any disappointment in that aspect.
But if you’re planning a Bank Holiday weekend spread in the sunshine, there are tastier and cheaper ways to hit the back of the net.
Despite what Kane says on the back of the packets, they are not “insanely delicious”. Paying £2 per bag? That would be crazy.