The founders of Perk!er, Ann Perkins and her partner, Steve Turner, set up the brand in 2012 after Ann was diagnosed with coeliac disease. Frustrated by the lack of gluten-free foods available, the pair decided to launch a brand to offer tasty alternatives and bring enjoyment back to gluten free food.
A few emails later and a selection of gluten free goodies were en route to Manchester for me to get stuck into. They certainly piqued the curiosity of my cats when they arrived!
The Porridge Pots
I popped these into my bag for work - their size makes them perfect if you're in a bit of a rush and need a quick breakfast on the go to get you set up for the day ahead. Made from gluten-free oats and skimmed milk powder, the pots come in Apple, Raisin & Cinnamon and Fruity Berry varieties containing natural sweetener, xylitol, whilst the Golden Syrup one contains sugar and natural flavourings.
They're really easy to make. Just fill them up to the marker line with boiling water, pop the lid back on and leave for 2 minutes. Any longer and unfortunately the consistency does become quite stodgy but this is an issues you'd find with other varieties in pots. I was expecting the Golden Syrup one to be very sweet but it was actually more of a subtle taste. The real winner here for me was the Apple Cinnamon & Raisin variety. It really bursts with flavour and I'll definitely be taking these with me on my travels.
Their size and sturdy design (especially the lids) mean they can get bumped around in your bag or suitcase without spilling everywhere, so you've always go a healthy, filling breakfast on the go. These would be great if you were staying somewhere that might not offer a gluten free breakfast option or wanted a decent breakfast on the train, plane or on the road.
The Porridge Range
These were my favourite products from the whole selection, especially the Gingerbread & Raisin variety - I was pinching bits of the gingerbread straight out of the box! The porridge is really quick and simple to make - simply pop 4 heaped dessert spoons into a pan or microwavable bowl, pour in approx 175ml of water or milk and cook for about 2 minutes. Simples!
I'd definitely like to see more of the Gingerbread & Raisin across the other products, particularly the little pots so I can take it everywhere with me!
The Red Berry Flakes
I'm not a huge cereal eater and if I do, it's usually Weetabix with pure sugar poured on top with full fat milk! Perkier's Red Berry Flakes are made up of wholegrain flakes made from organic brown rice flour, organic buckwheat flour, freeze dried strawberry and raspberry pieces and have half the amount of sugar as the leading brand of Red Berry cereals - uh oh!
It took me a while to get into this - the first few mouthfuls tasted very bland to me. Personally, I felt it would benefit from a slightly better ratio of fruit to flake. The flavours together were really nice but there wasn't enough burst of flavour in every mouthful for me. The Perk!er guys recommend adding extra fresh fruit to the flakes - this is definitely something I'll be trying next time.
Get Creative
There are various recipes and tips on how to jazz up the Perkier range - I'm not much of a baker but I'll definitely be having a go at making the crumble and chocolate flake cakes - they look delicious and it's a perfect way for me to indulge my sweet tooth whilst still being semi-healthy!
You can find the full recipe range HERE
The range does include a Treats section for those of you with a sweet tooth as bad as mine and all their products can be found in Sainsburys, Tescos & Asda as well as other wholesalers - see all stockists.
A must have range for coeliacs, vegans, vegetarians or anyone just trying to eat healthier without compromising on taste!
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