27th September 2010, on the menu today...

Honey Monster Honey Waffles

Before I kick-off on my review of this latest offering from the Honey Monster, I want to thank the agency that sent me this cereal and refer readers, if they haven't already seen it, to my article on the brand's original product, Sugar Puffs (see here).

Packaging

 

Front: Like its predecessor, the Honey Waffles' packaging stands out well on the store shelves and looks inviting. The golden hues of the background graphics radiate warmth and set-off the blue brand name very nicely whilst a happy Honey Monster is still, quite rightfully, shown centre stage digging in to a large bowl of cereal. Moreover, there is a strong sense of depth with a distinct foreground and background drawing us into this colourful design.

Back: Let the games begin! The Honey Monster brand continues to, as they say, 'feed the fun' with a graphic of a fridge where games are featured. I know I am too old for these, but in my opinion the right-hand puzzle was a bit boring as it just involved putting in letters that corresponded to images. However, I still found myself doing it along with the wordsearch which, simple or not, is always good fun. (Being greedy!) I would have loved to see a few more games on the back but, regardless, it is great to see the manufacturer making an effort.

Sides: Very similar to Sugar Puffs, both sides sport the product logo with one side listing the nutritional information and the other devoted to the quality promise and promotion of other Honey Monster cereals. With regards to the former, the text is clear and informative without sounding too preachy about the cereal's benefits.

Bottom: Remember, he's watching you! I forgot to mention this in my Sugar Puffs review but at the bottom of the Honey Monster products is a fun pucture of the character's eyes. On most cereals this part of the packaging is usually ignored; the fact that this brand has decided to put such a graphic here is a reflection of the thought they've put in to make their products as fun as possible for the child consumer.

Overall, this design carries on the brand's tradition of visually engaging and fun packaging that shows a clear understanding of the child consumer. Moreover, wih this cereal sporting numerous health benefits, I am very impressed at the restraint shown in not plastering the packaging with health sells which, all too often, interfere with the fun and colour of the design.

Taste

Opening the packet was a mixture of emotions: on one hand, I was intrigued as I thought "those look interesting" and, on another hand, not being confronted by a steaming hot mass of honey-drenched Belgium waffles meant I had to very sadly except that Honey Waffles wasn't a literal description of the contents!

Now, before I go on, I must say that I adore honey-flavoured cereals with my beloved Honey Loops second only to Corn Flakes. So with the benchmark high, I first gave the contents a good sniff and, I have to admit, a grainy smell prevailed - Honey Loops with their much sweeter honey smell had won the first round.

Moving swiftly on, I tasted the cereal dry and this was a much better experience. The cereal had a great crunch to it and, unlike Honey Loops which give you an instant honey hit, this cereal's honey flavour seemed to develop over time allowing subtler flavours to come through first - Honey Waffles gained some points here.

Though, it was not until I poured milk on this cereal that it showed its true colours. The cereal at the bottom swelled up with liquid making it soft to the bite whilst the cereal on top retained a delightful crunch. Moreover, a beautifully rich honey flavour emerged that was neither too sweet nor too subtle - Honey Waffles gained more points on its rival.

Overall, this cereal far surpassed my expectations and, purely on tastes, I am astonished to find myself saying that their flavour is easily on a par with Honey Loops and their texture might just push them ahead...high praise indeed.

TV Advertising:

And the moral of the story kids...don't befriend big yellow monsters and try to store them in your wardrobe!

This ad has been doing the rounds for a while now and does well to capture the essence of the Honey Monster we grew up with and loved, that is, a honey-crazed, clumsy and very child-like character. Moreover, the addition of 'don't' to the classic 80's strapline "Tell 'em about the honey mummy" is a sensible one as I always thought the Honey Monster was so mad for his cereal that he wouldn't want anyone to know about it.

Website (see here)

It seems that the Honey Monster brand has changed their site a bit since I last visited it to bring it up-to-date with current promotions. Initially, you are treated to a pop-up of Honey Monster's latest ad. Closing this, you see the front page (see above) which, minus a few tabs on the left, is much as I remember it. The colour scheme is reminiscent of Sugar Puffs with the blue background, yellow graphics and red text making for a colourful and welcoming homepage.

Beyond this, there is variety of pages which include the likes of product information, answers to on-product puzzles, a newsletter sign-up option, retro ads, details on the charity Honey Monster supports and, my favourite of all, a Flash game called Munching Monster (see here) which, as the levels progress, gets pretty difficult...currently at 365th in the league table I think a lot more practice is called for! In addition, there are a few special items listed which may be of interest: firstly, some very cool-looking Honey Monster cereal boxes exclusively sold at Harrods; secondly, a charity music single 'Honey Love' available from iTunes; and, thirdly, a limited edition Honey Monster T-shirt (see truffleshuffle.co.uk). On this last matter, all I can say, other than the online pictures look good, is that I was kindly sent the following piece of Honey Monster clothing and thought it a fun piece of merchandise that made use of decent materials:

In summary, there is something for everyone here from the child (or adult!) wanting to 'feed the fun' to the parents inquisitive about products. As with the cereals, the website is fun, informative and engaging. Good stuff.

Have you considered...?

Honey Waffles are a multigrain cereal containing wholegrains which are host to a variety of vitamins and minerals in their bran and germ - removed during the refining process that produces 'white' versions of grains. Moreover, the bran in the cereal provides a healthy dose of insoluble fibre to keep you digestive system in good order. In addition, honey is used as a sweetener which nutritionally speaking is far superior to sugar. Also, the cereal is fortified with a 30g serving providing the following percentages of your recommended daily allowance: 21% thiamin (vitamin B1), 19% riboflavin (B2), 17% niacin and 17% iron. These provide a broad range of benefits, including the support of proper growth, and therefore are well suited to the child consumer. Finally, a prebiotic called inulin is thrown in to help digestion. Not bad for a cereal!

Web Links

Honey Monster