Table of Plenty Hot or Cold Muesli

Disclaimer: I was sent the Table of Plenty Hot or Cold Muesli to review.

I live in a household where our shopping list doesn’t pander to individual tastes. We buy one type of toothpaste, one type of milk and, naturally, one type of cereal.

Once upon a time, I actually used to make my own cereal (much less hassle than you think – although ironically I find these days the problem is sourcing the ingredients, rather than finding the time), but at the moment our cereal choice is dictated by a toddler who eats, in terms of body weight, a good 4-5 times more than I do.

So in many ways I am perhaps not the best person to review a muesli, but then, with no preconceptions or current favourites, perhaps I can be a unbiased.

Table of Plenty is an Australian owned and made product (and we all know how important it is to buy Australian!) and the story behind the brand is both passionate and a little bit heartbreaking. Table of Plenty makes products other than breakfast cereal, and I’ve certainly seen the dukkah on sale at local supermarkets. The new Hot and Cold Muesli is available at Woolworths and has the added bonus (if your diet is that way inclined) both being dairy free and wheat free.

A box contains 8 45g packets of the muesli. My first thought that this was somewhat wasteful in the packaging department, closely followed by “just 45g? who are these people who eat so little?!”. However, I did actually experiment with this and it turns out that left to my own devices I’d eat far too much, as that 45g packet was easily enough to get me through to lunch time. Lesson learned.

Table of Plenty Hot or Cold Muesli

For my first try, I went the hot option. The muesli, plus half a cup of milk, plus a burst in the microwave. Hmmm. As someone who won’t buy multiple products, I see the appeal in a dual purpose cereal and, as someone who loves porridge, I certainly understand the appeal of a hot breakfast. But hot this just didn’t work for me at all: I found it a bit heavy and a bit cloying, not so much through sweetness but through the cinnamon.

I was pretty relieved that served “cold and crunchy” I genuinely enjoyed it. The cinnamon which had seemed overpowering when hot was much less pronounced and the muesli was not particularly sweet at all, with just bursts of sweetness from the sultanas, with some extra crunch from pepitas. As sweetness is my main complaint about commercial cereals, this is an absolute plus point for me.

I also liked that it wasn’t loaded up with tons of different dried fruits and bits and bobs: the cereal is relatively simple and straightforward, which leaves you plenty of scope for adding to it yourself.

If you’re a muesli eater – give it a go.  And if not – keep an eye out for Table of Plenty’s other products and support an Australian business.

Sonas, Dublin

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date of visit: Thursday 25 October 2012

Sonas is now closed.

Er, yes, I’m still catching up on all the eating we did abroad, even though we’ve been back almost a month. Still, it’s a good thing we did visit quite a few places because we’re yet to get back into the swing of dining out in Adelaide again!

Our last morning in Dublin and I had made the mistake of munching on some cereal so while Jenn and Andy were starving, all I was interested in was a coffee. As we’d been staying on Lower Liffey Street, we’d walked past Sonas several times and its bright, cheery exterior had caught our attention.

This little café is bright and cheery on the inside too, with friendly staff and an interesting array of sweet and savoury snacks to choose from. Quesadillas and crêpes might sound like an odd combination, but it’s the type of menu from which everyone will be able to find something they like. The cooking is done on hot plates at the counter, so it’s perfect entertainment for nosy toddlers.

Andy chose the Sevillana quesadilla and Jenn the apple and cinnamon pancake. As you can see, this was no measly portion and it was beautifully presented. At the time, I thought it was a bit excessive for breakfast, but in hindsight, I think it shows a lovely concern for detail. There’s no reason why breakfast food should not be beautiful.

The quesadilla came with corn chips and a dip, and between the two plates of food, I felt most left out nursing my long black. From all reports, the food was good.

If you’re looking for a breakfast/brunch/afternoon tea and you happen to be in that area of Dublin, I suggest ducking in and checking out the food. Sonas definitely has the feel of somewhere that’s catering just as much for locals as it is for tourists. Tasty, friendly and won’t break the bank!

Sonas on Urbanspoon

Bona Fides, Sydney

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date of visit: Saturday 13 October 2012

Barely 24 hours in Sydney saw us attend a wedding before heading to the UK, as well as find an hour or two to cram in brunch with an old friend.

We needed to eat somewhere close to our hotel and while I’d done a little research in advance we ended up stopping at an unknown quantity while on our way to somwhere else. We were wandering down Druitt Street when I spotted Bona Fides and suggested we stop there (yep, I was hungry). A small outdoor seating area down a lane by the side of the cafe meant we could park up the pram without causing too much havoc (and take the opportunity to enjoy a last little bit of sun).

This is no greasy spoon when it comes to breakfasts. I enjoyed a HUGE plate of gluten free muesli, served with yoghurt, honey and strawberries and Andy chose scrambled eggs with chorizo – rather scarily called the Brazilian Breakfast! We ordered raisin toast for the Toddler but of course he preferred the chorizo. Our friend ordered the eggs benedict.

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The food was all beautifully presented – even the fruit toast was artfully arranged and finished with a dusting of icing sugar. And it did taste good. I really enjoyed the muesli – not something I’d typically order but on this occasion it absolutely hit the spot, and Bona Fides scores big points with me for serving it with plain yoghurt.

Service did the job: friendly and efficient although it did tail off a bit once we had received all our food.

My gripe is the cost. Now, I have no benchmark for breakfast/brunch in Sydney so it’s possible that this is standard but … $64 for 3 people for brunch, no booze involved?! The fruit toast alone was $5.90, while my muesli was $11.90. The two cooked breakfasts were $16 and $18. Coffees were all around the $4 mark.

A lovely breakfast but too pricey. If these are usual Sydney CBD prices I daresay the locals are more likely to head to the suburbs …

BonaFides cafe on Urbanspoon