Heinz has launched three new Beanz flavours, Pizza, Tagine and Sweet & Sour and I will never allow one of these tins in my house again
We’re big fans of beans in our household. They’re easy to whip up, chock-full of nutrients, tasty and satisfying – a real winner when you’re pressed for time and need a budget-friendly, hearty meal. So when Heinz announced they were launching three new flavours exclusively on Ocado and HeinzToHome.co.uk, my initial reaction was “why tamper with a classic?”.
However, when Heinz sent over a sample, I discovered that these new bean varieties were actually inspired by customers themselves, with over 26,000 Brits entering the Heinz Beanz of your Dreamz competition. Surely, they can’t all be wrong? But after giving them a try, I’ve got one question for the British public: what on earth were you thinking!?
“The Beanz of your Dreamz”, more like the beans of my nightmares, reports the Express.
I prefer my beans slightly stewed, so I always simmer them gently on the hob, stirring now and then and adding a knob of butter.
That’s exactly how I tackled the new Heinz Beanz flavours: Pizza, Tagine, and Sweet & Sour.
First off, the best of the lot, the pizza Beanz. These had a pleasant herby aroma, but upon tasting them, the Italian herbs weren’t too strong, just a subtle hint, almost as if you’d sprinkled a bit of oregano yourself for a change.
This was quite enjoyable and complemented my typical midweek dinner of sausage, mash and beans nicely, although I did have to prepare regular beans for my five year old, who wasn’t having any of this new spin on a classic.
Overall, I might be persuaded to give these another go, but I’m not certain they’d be my first choice.
Next on the menu were the Tagine Beanz. They had a pleasant aroma, reminiscent of aromatic spices, and seemed like a promising option.
Cooked to my liking, while these were harmless enough, I felt Heinz could have been more adventurous with the spice blend; the subtle Moroccan cumin flavour was just passable.
It did seem as though the spice had merely been sprinkled in, rather than cooked into the sauce, which would have given it a richer depth of flavour.
In essence, you could whip up this flavour at home, if you were so inclined. But I’m not.
Finally, we come to the abomination that is Sweet & Sour Beanz. They didn’t strike me as a good idea from the get-go, and cracking open the tin only confirmed my suspicions.
The smell was so acidic it reminded me of vomit, and that’s exactly how they tasted. Summoning the courage to take a bite, I pinched my nose and dared to try three beans on a spoon.
As soon as they hit my tongue, I knew I’d made a grave error and began to retch.
I managed to reach the bin in time to spit them out where they rightfully belong. These Sweet & Sour Beanz are an affront to taste buds everywhere, just the thought of their sourness is making my stomach churn.
Surely no one could have requested these in that competition.
And if you did, I hope you’re satisfied, you’ve tarnished the good name of Heinz in my household.
While all the new flavours maintain the same beloved bean and sauce consistency we’ve come to expect from Heinz, personally, I’m in agreement with my five year old, why tamper with a classic?
I’ll be sticking to the rich tomato, delicately sweetened standard beans in future.
But if you’re feeling adventurous, 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.