Rebecca was excited to try the new Heinz Beanz (Image: Rebecca Koncienzcy)
We love beans in our house. Easy to make, packed with nutrients, delicious and filling, they are a real crowd pleaser when you are tight on time and want a cheap and filling meal. So when Heinz said they were bringing three new flavours exclusively to Ocado and HeinzToHome.co.uk, initially I thought “why mess with a classic?”.
But when Heinz sent me a sample, I was informed that the new bean varieties had come directly from customers, with more than 26,000 people in the UK entering the Heinz Beanz of your Dreamz competition, they can’t be wrong, can they?. And after tasting them, I have a question for the general public: what were you thinking!? “The Beanz of your Dreamz”, more like the beans of my nightmares.
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The new Tagine Beanz, Pizza Beanz and Sweet & Sour Beanz (Image: Rebecca Koncienzcy)
I like my beans slightly stewed, so I always cook them on the hob on a low, gentle heat, stirring occasionally and adding a knob of butter.
That is exactly how I approached the new Heinz Beanz flavours: Pizza, Tagine, and Sweet and Sour.
First up, the best of the bunch, the pizza Beanz. These had a nice herby smell to them, but tasting them, the Italian herbs were not overpowering and more of a little nod, almost as if you had added a little oregano yourself to mix it up.
This was pleasant and paired nicely with my classic midweek meal of sausage, mash and beans, although I did have to make normal beans for my five-year-old, who was having none of this new twist on a classic.
Overall, I could be tempted to try these again, but I am not sure I would reach for them.
The new Pizza Beanz were a nice addition to my midweek meal (Image: Rebecca Koncienzcy)
Next up was the Tagine Beanz. Again, they smelled pleasant, like a fragrant spice, and seemed like a good fit.
Cooking again to my preference, while these were innocuous, I felt Heinz could have been bolder with the spices; the gentle Moroccan cumin flavour was just OK.
I did think it tasted like the spice had just been added, rather than cooked in with the sauce, which would have given it more depth of flavour.
Overall, you could make this flavour yourself at home, if you wanted to. And I don’t.
The new Heinz Beanz flavours ready for tasting (Image: Rebecca Koncienzcy)
Lastly, the crime that is Sweet & Sour Beanz. They didn’t sound like a good idea to me, and opening the tin confirmed this.
The smell was so sour it remined me of sick, and that is exactly how they tested. Plucking up the courage to take a bite, I held my nose and braved three beans on a spoon.
Placing them in my mouth, I bit into one, as the flavours hit my tounge I instantly knew it was a mistake and started to bork.
I managed to get to the bin and spit them out to where they belong. These Sweet & Sour Beanz are a mistake, just thinking of the sourness is making me queasy, no one can possibly have asked for these in that competition.
And if you did, I hope you are happy, you have sullied the good Heinz name in my home.
While all the new flavours have the same great bean and sauce consistency we have come to expect from Heinz, personally, I am with my five-year-old, why mess with a classic?
I will be sticking to the rich tomato, delicately sweetened standard beans in future.
But if you want to branch out, the new Pizza Beanz, Tagine Beanz and Sweet & Sour Beanz, join the other Heinz flavours, Peri Peri Beanz, Chilli Beanz, Jalfrezi Beanz, Barbecue Beanz, Tikka Beanz and Cheesy Beanz.
All available on the HeinzToHome website.
