Ochil Fudge Pantry Review; handmade fudge produced in the heart of Scotland in over 25 enticing flavours, but are they any good?
Delicious, full of sugar and made in Scotland. I’m not just talking about myself.
I’ll be honest, fudge has never been high on my list of priorities when it comes to sweet treats. Chocolate, cake or biscuits tend to find their way into my gob first. Plus, as a Scot, I usually see and eat tablet much more often than fudge.
We’re not talking about some average factory made stuff here though, or the vague firm sugary filling of a Cadbury’s Fudge bar. We’re talking fudge fudge.
The Ochil Fudge Pantry is producing the real fudging deal. Over 25 flavours, both weird and wonderful, of the lovingly made confection are delivered from their kitchen in Alloa. Are they any good though?
Watch the video from my YouTube channel below to find out, or keep scrolling for a detailed review!
Struggling to select just 4 flavours to make up a box from their online shop, I decided to go for a broad spectrum and ordered: Peanut Butter, Raspberry Pavlova, Mint Vienetta, and Irn Bru. I wanted flavours that were delicious yet unconventional, because we’ve all had plain fudge before.
The cost for a box of 4 came to about £8. Considering that the blocks of handmade fudge you receive are fairly generous, and would easily serve 4-6 people from each block, you’re getting decent value for your money, and you’re supporting a local business!
They arrived within a couple of days, beautifully presented in this hot pink box. Naturally, I had to try every flavour at once. Let’s talk about The Ochil Fudge Pantry’s creations.
Peanut Butter Fudge:
Mother of all things peanut, this is it. This is THE fudge.
Rich, creamy, smooth, and mega peanut buttery. This could be mistaken for an actual spoonful of blended peanuts. I’d almost compare the taste to the smooth centre of a Reese’s peanut butter cup.
This peanut butter fudge may be the first time I’ve ever tasted fudge and wanted more. Usually I find it far too cloyingly sweet, but this fudge has a gorgeous savoury note from the peanuts, meaning you just need to have another little square (or two)!
The only thing that might improve this fudge is a few crunchy bits of peanut for texture but, honestly, it doesn’t really need it.
I won’t hesitate to rank this flavour a solid 5/5 – would definitely buy again!
Raspberry Pavlova:
Essentially, the flavour of a raspberry ice cream or fast food milkshake captured in a block of creamy fudge.
This perfectly pink fudge has sweet berry flavour without being too artificial, and is punctuated nicely with crunchy pieces of meringue. This flavour to me is perhaps a bit more Eton Mess than Raspberry Pavlova, but I’m all for shunning the Eton boys anyway!
This flavour is closer to the super sweet fudge I have tasted before, in that you wouldn’t need to eat a lot of it to be satisfied. However, the berry flavour makes the sweetness much more pleasant than the straight up burnt sugar taste of traditional fudge.
I could nibble away at this flavour all day, so it’s another 5/5
Mint Vienetta:
Imagine the silky smooth interior of a crisp After Eight chocolate, or the bubbly lightness of a Peppermint Aero bar. That’s what this fudge is all about.
I love that the Ochil Fudge Pantry have named this after a retro British ice cream. Vienetta is so posh yet so trashy at the same time, I adored the vanilla flavour growing up so had high hopes for this fudge.
Sweet and rich, yet also creamy and refreshing. The texture is every bit as luxurious and indulgent as the other flavours, but the slight bitterness from the dark chocolate and the fresh mint flavour keep it light on your palate. You could easily eat more of this fudge than the other flavours as the mint stops it from being as sweet, while not being overpowering or chewing-gum-like as some minty treats can be!
No shame in giving this another 5/5
Irn Bru:
I mean technically as this isn’t connected to Barr’s classic bottle of ginger, I should call it “iron brew.” I simply can’t get over how incorrect that looks though.
Throwing it back to those chewy Irn Bru bars you got from sweet shops as a kid, this fudge is essentially a creamy version of those! Super sweet, and so strong with the scent and taste of Scotland’s favourite drink that you won’t believe Barr don’t make this themselves, this fudge is exactly what it says on the wrapper.
I must admit, Irn Bru isn’t my favourite flavour (don’t deport me) so it isn’t one I’d buy again. However, this fudge is spot on with its flavour profile and is yummy nonetheless!
I’ll give it a 4/5
In summary, the Ochil Fudge Pantry are making some fudging fantastic things. It’s opened my eyes to fudge if I’m honest, and I’d definitely look to order from them again, either for myself or as a gift.
If you’d like to pick up a box, you can do so here.
Which flavour would YOU pick?
How do we obtain it would love to try ?
[…] Ochil Fudge Pantry | This review touches on four different and interesting sounding flavours of fudge. There’s Peanut Butter, Raspberry Pavlova, Mint Vienetta and Iron Bru! Plus if you like to mix it up from reading for a while, there’s a video too. | Maverick Baking […]