Discussion
FFS. Opened a new bottle today to have a thirst quenching drink. Took a sip and thought hmmm, my tastebuds must be a bit off, or the bottle's a bit off. Had a few more sips, yep summat defo not right. It tasted a bit odd but also lacked flavour. So I put a bit more concentrate in to see if that helped but no it just got worse. Wtf?
I looked at the bottle for the tell tale "new improved recipe" sticker. Nope. No mention. I must be imagining it I thought. Luckily I had an old bottle in the recycling so I went to get it. There it was: sugar reduced by more than half, no doubt other "ingredients" increased to mask this little detail.
Right then, google time. Apparently the makers decided that the upcoming sugar tax was gonna make their drink uneconomic and so they had to alter the recipe or whither and die. So they chopped the sugar and boosted sweeteners to compensate. Only trouble is it tastes totally different now. Not in a good way. I doubt if I'll keep drinking it now it's so odd. And the fekkers decided not to tell anyone just quietly alter it and bingo avaoid the tax. Idiots. They already make different types of Ribena including no added sugar (which tastes awful), so why couldn't they continue with the original recipe but then introduce a reduced sugar recipe thereby giving people choice? I'd far rather just pay more in order to keep drinking what I like. The way they've done this it's just gonna end up with people turning away from their product cos it's horrid. I'm sick to death of the food police dictating to the population, FFS some of us are grown ups with a brain. I know there are bigger problems in the world but come on, let people choose for themselves.
I looked at the bottle for the tell tale "new improved recipe" sticker. Nope. No mention. I must be imagining it I thought. Luckily I had an old bottle in the recycling so I went to get it. There it was: sugar reduced by more than half, no doubt other "ingredients" increased to mask this little detail.
Right then, google time. Apparently the makers decided that the upcoming sugar tax was gonna make their drink uneconomic and so they had to alter the recipe or whither and die. So they chopped the sugar and boosted sweeteners to compensate. Only trouble is it tastes totally different now. Not in a good way. I doubt if I'll keep drinking it now it's so odd. And the fekkers decided not to tell anyone just quietly alter it and bingo avaoid the tax. Idiots. They already make different types of Ribena including no added sugar (which tastes awful), so why couldn't they continue with the original recipe but then introduce a reduced sugar recipe thereby giving people choice? I'd far rather just pay more in order to keep drinking what I like. The way they've done this it's just gonna end up with people turning away from their product cos it's horrid. I'm sick to death of the food police dictating to the population, FFS some of us are grown ups with a brain. I know there are bigger problems in the world but come on, let people choose for themselves.
almost worth going over to france and getting some of this https://www.frenchclick.co.uk/p-225-teisseire-siro...
No sweetener in sight
No sweetener in sight
J8 SVG said:
almost worth going over to france and getting some of this https://www.frenchclick.co.uk/p-225-teisseire-siro...
No sweetener in sight
That stuff is absolutely fantastic for turning battery acid wine into a taste sensation!! Very handy on chalet ski trips.No sweetener in sight
Yipper said:
Ribena concentrate has not tasted good for years. Just overpriced syrup muck.
The premixed stuff, sold in petrol stations and alike, still tastes pretty good. But it's not cheap.
I actually prefer the sugar free ribenna in pre-mixed bottles. tastes more like it used to be. imo.The premixed stuff, sold in petrol stations and alike, still tastes pretty good. But it's not cheap.
Sheepshanks said:
We got some strawberry Ribena by mistake once.
That was a surprise when we drank it - and not in a good way. I complained to the manufacturer and they sent me a voucher.
strawberry unmixed ribena in the mid 90's was lovely . taste of my childhood. that and the immense orange and apricot (both mixed and unmixed) was the nectar of the gods. also a shout out for the rarely seen, apart from one out of the way corner shop that i wasnt allowed to go to often, fruits of the forest cartons.That was a surprise when we drank it - and not in a good way. I complained to the manufacturer and they sent me a voucher.
craigjm said:
They have done the same to Irn Bru too
start an irn bru thread then...! that only impacts the sweaties...! 
scandalous though per my ricicles thread. let those with self control/willpower eat/drink whatver we want. let those who dont get whats coming to them with no nhs treatment. it would bring back evolution sort of.
Swines! Another product ruined by the manufacturer's reaciton to the anti-sugar lobby 4rseholes. Ribena was always a fave of mine as well 
As above, try getting the Waitrose hi-juice version while you still can - I note that our local store has an increasingly depleted line-up of sugar-only cordials so it won't be long before they kill them off I reckon.
It seems the only soft drink manufacturer that has stuck by their guns is Coca-Cola, continuing to offer the Classic with the same proprtion of sugar and no sweeteners, and sticking the price up.

As above, try getting the Waitrose hi-juice version while you still can - I note that our local store has an increasingly depleted line-up of sugar-only cordials so it won't be long before they kill them off I reckon.
It seems the only soft drink manufacturer that has stuck by their guns is Coca-Cola, continuing to offer the Classic with the same proprtion of sugar and no sweeteners, and sticking the price up.
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