I tried the 'No Waste' garlic bread from Booths - it's nice but there are some teething problems

Booths supermarket are trialling a new garlic bread initiative in a bid to crack-down on food waste.

The trial will take place in three Booths stores in Garstang, Knutsford and Ulverston stores, and will roll out to all stores after a successful trial.

The Booths Brand team have developed several garlic bread recipes to be made directly in stores that make the use of leftover bread not sold that day. Ranges will include a Garlic Baguette Twin pack, Sourdough Garlic Bread, Ciabatta Loaf Garlic Bread, White Organic Load and White Cob Garlic Bread. A similar initiative was launched by Marks and Spencer in 2020 and has been met with acclaim by shoppers.

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Eager to see what it was like, I asked to be sent a sample, and Booths duly delivered.

So...what was it like? Well, it was nice but there are some teething problems.

I was sent a twin pack of two frozen white half baguettes, with garlic butter discs wedged into slices made in them. It looked like a cute hedgehog, but I did wonder about the practicality. I envisaged all the butter coming out and making a mess of my baking tray - and I was right.

While, in fairness, there was plenty of butter for both the bread and for the tray, it will require some scrubbing to get off. This issue was compounded by the curvature of the baguette. Whether it’s gone this shape from lying around and not being sold, I don’t know, but it means the garlic bread lies on its side while cooking, which isn’t ideal.

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The No Waste garlic bread from Boothsplaceholder image
The No Waste garlic bread from Booths | NW

Then there’s the timing issue. The instructions say to take the bread out 30 mins prior to cooking. I did, it went limp, a disc fell out, and let’s face it, it’s not very practical for a busy mum to do that at tea time - you just want to shove it in the oven. When I did shove it in the oven - at the specified 170 degrees - I was expecting to leave it for 20/25 minutes. But my nose for garlic bread told me to have a look just 12 minutes in - and I’m glad I did, else it would have been burned to a cinder.

The taste itself was nice - plenty of garlicky butter, cruncy bread, and everything you’d expect in a basic side dish. And that’s another problem for me. Because not only is this saving food waste by repurposing a bread that hasn’t been sold, but it is a basic item that is sold cheaply, and this isn’t. It would have cost £2.15 for the twin pack, had I bought it.

I think that’s too dear for what it is, considering I can pick a two-pack up for less than a pound in many other supermarkets. I don’t know who is going to buy this product - it’s not different enough to warrant the price, in my opinion.

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