Battle of the Bikkie: Arnott's Assorted VS. Woolworths Assorted
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Battle of the Bikkie: Arnott's Assorted VS. Woolworths Assorted
Dearest members, we are thrilled to invite you to the first ever SDC product review! In our article on ‘What to expect from the ‘Seniors Discount Club in 2022’, we outlined some of the goals we wanted to reach, including the introduction of product reviews. Quite a few of you lot seemed as excited by this idea as we were and so here we are!
Now we all love a great biscuit. It seems as Aussies, we are true biscuit lovers, and Arnott's are widely considered the king of the bikkie (bickie? bicky? Honestly we have no clue how to spell this so help us out in the comments below). But how does a cheaper brand compare? Is it worth dishing out the full cost of the deluxe brand? Or are we simply missing out on some easy savings and maybe even better biscuits by not buying the home brand.
Source: Woolworths
PRICE
Now as much as we would love to just get right into taste testing these little delights, we have to start with the first reason we would buy one or the other; the price. At full price, the Arnott's is a tad more expensive at $4.70 while the Woolies brand takes the cake (or bikkie) with a price of only $3.50. When we bought these, the Arnott's packet was on sale at $4.00, still making it more economical to go for the Woolies home brand.
INITIAL OFFERING
While both packets are indeed 500 grams they do vary in a couple of ways. First off, the Woolies pack only offers 6 varieties of biscuit while the Arnott's packet offers 7. And not all of the biscuits are the same!
Woolworths offers Scotch Fingers, Milk Arrowroot, Choc Ripple, Butternut (Swirl), NICE and Choc Chip. The Arnott's packet however trades in the Choc Chip for a Milk Coffee and a Teddy Bear.
It’s worth noting that while Arnott's does offer more variety, to meet the 500g limit, there are reduced numbers of each. For example, while Woolies gives customers eight Choc Ripples to enjoy, Arnott's only provides four.
Left: Woolies, Right: Arnott’s
Now for the part that really matters. Each of us (Maddie, Jonathan and Dan) compared two biscuits each and discussed our findings. So don your lab coats and get out that notepad, it's time to get into this nitty gritty bikkie bonanza!
DAN: (Spells it as Bikkie)
Scotch Finger:
This biscuit is an absolute staple in every assorted biscuit packet. Known for its soft crumbly texture and light hazing of sugar, this porous little delight is the perfect thing to dip into your hot chocolate on a cold afternoon, letting it soak up the chocolatey goodness below.
Left: Woolies, Right: Arnott’s
Arnott's - The first thing that hits you after taking a solid crunch out of an Arnott's scotch finger is the flavour. The senses are well met with a wave of buttery richness, just before the sugar catches up. The biscuit quickly begins to melt in your mouth, slowly crumbling apart. Arnott's have undoubtedly delivered the true scotch finger experience.
Woolies - While the Woolies version of the scotch finger isn’t disgusting by any means, it’s a far cry from the standard set by Arnott's. This biscuit lacks the melty crumbly behaviour and sugary coating of its rival. However the biggest issue faced by the Woolies copycat is its flavour. For some strange reason, whether it's to do with how the packet is stored or where it's packed, there is an overwhelming banana flavour that totally annihilates the sweet butter flavour I assume is buried deep beneath. As a result, this doesn't taste much like a scotch finger, but almost like a banana flavoured cousin, and to put it plainly, it's just not as good.
Verdict: Arnott's!
There was only one real scotch finger here, and it came out of the Arnott’s packet. The inability to shake that horrible artificial banana flavour just ruined the whole experience of the Woolies biscuit. This is not a great start for Woolworths, and Arnott’s takes an early lead.
NICE:
Another absolute classic, that to me, has an almost festive flavour! Very sweet, very delicious. While I prefer to enjoy this one on its own, having one alongside your favourite cup of coffee would provide a perfect combination of sweet and subtle bitterness.
Left: Woolies, Right: Arnott’s
Arnott's - The first thing to be noted about this biscuit is its soft snowy layer of sugar, that while clings to the fingers like velcro, is incredibly inviting and cosy. As if you were sitting in a small cabin in the snow, kept warm by a wood fire and a hot cuppa, this cosy feeling continues after the first bite. Despite the initial shock of its brittle texture, the hints of ginger and vanilla welcome you with open arms. If Arnott ever decides to rename this classic bikkie, the word ‘snug’ would be a fitting replacement.
Woolies - Oh dear, Woolies once again you seem to have missed the mark on this one. Before even picking up this disappointing display of a biscuit, the noticeable size difference and slightly sickly yellow hue scream ‘lack of quality’. Once again that banana flavour hits, eradicating any intended flavours and resulting in a flat-out disappointment. A better name for this foul little loaf of nasty would be ‘not so nice’.
Verdict: Arnott's!
Where the Arnott’s nice feels like a hug from an old friend, the Woolworths nice feels like a push into a puddle. There was no competition here. Woolies didn’t fight for the title of NICE. In fact, they didn't even show up.
MADDIE: (Spells it as Bikky)
Milk Arrowroot
Possibly the most famous and most dippable biscuit, the Milk Arrowroot is a simple yet sophisticated little treat. It has a dry crunch when enjoyed alone, but once presented with a delicious cuppa, its texture quickly evolves into a moist cake.
Left: Woolies, Right: Arnott’s
Arnott's - I’ve been a big fan of the Milk Arrowroot since I can remember. Back in the day, I used to not be able to have a cup of tea without my Milk Arrowroot! So when it came to the biscuit test, I had to choose the Milk Arrowroot. The Arnott's one was great, full of flavour and crunchy just like I remember. Then I dipped it in my tea, it went all “soggy” but the good kind of soggy, where it’s soft enough to eat but not SO soft that it falls into the tea. A winner if you ask me. It was a pleasure doing business with you, Arnott's Milk Arrowroots.
Woolies - I’m not going to lie, members. I really didn’t think the Arnott's and Woolies Milk Arrowroot biscuits could be all that different? I mean a Milk Arrowroot is a Milk Arrowroot, is it not? However, with the Woolies Milk Arrowroot, it was a hell of a lot drier, I also feel like I could taste, another biscuit flavour? I can’t quite put my finger on it. Let me take another bite. I think it’s banana? Talking to Dan and Jon they said they could also taste banana in their biscuits? Bizarre. When I dipped this Milk Arrowroot into my tea it didn’t even get “soggy” and a non-soggy tea dipped biscuit, just doesn’t hit the same. It wasn’t such a pleasure doing business with you, Woolies Milk Arrowroots.
Verdict: Arnott's!
Arnott's are the clear winner for this one. Not getting the Milk Arrowroot right means losing big points here. If there was one to nail, this would be it!
Teddy Bear V. Choc Chip
Now before you point it out for us, yes these are two dramatically different biscuits. However, it wouldn't be a thorough test if we didn't check out the unique offerings eh? The Teddy Bear is known for its adorable shape and sweet vanilla flavour, making it the perfect little thing for grandkids and adult kids alike! The Choc Chip on the other hand, is a classic ‘cookie’ no matter where you are in the world. This is arguably the most iconic cookie or biscuit on the planet, so surely it would be hard to do poorly right?
Left: Woolies, Right: Arnott’s
Arnott's - Oh yes, the beloved Teddy Bear. As I bit off the head (sorry, Teddy) the explosion of vanilla hit my mouth and the memories of my childhood came flooding right in. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, but sweet enough to fulfil that 3pm slump that makes you crave a little sugar. Another bite? Yep, the Teddy is damn good. Now let’s go for a dip in the tea, shall we? Oh goodness this is the perfect outcome. The outside is soggy, but the inside is still a little bit crunchy. Arnott's clearly know how to make a good Teddy.
Woolies - Oh dear members. The first bite hasn’t been great. It’s dry, a bit too dry. Very crumbly but in an unpleasant crumbly way. I would say I am probably one of the world’s biggest chocolate fans, I don’t usually go a day without it, and I cannot even taste the chocolate in this ‘Chocolate Chip’ biscuit. Now, I know you’re waiting for the tea dip review, so here it is: Tragic. Maybe this chocolate chip biscuit wasn’t meant for tea? Too crumbly, and it’s like the flavours didn’t match which surprised me. I sure hope that was chocolate!
Verdict: Arnott's!
To even my surprise, the Choc Chip just didn't cut it. The lack of chocolate and the inability for it to adapt to the tea. I’m sorry to break it to you Woolies, but I’d take a Teddy Bear bikky over a chocolate chip Woolies biscuit any day.
JONATHAN: (Just sticks to calling em Biscuits)
Chocolate ripple
A disclaimer: When it comes to chocolate biscuits, nothing will ever displace the Tim Tam for me, so if you're not a tim tam fan, take my opinion with a grain of salt (or granule of sugar, in this case).
Left: Woolies, Right: Arnott’s
Arnott's - This biscuit had quite a crunchy texture, and a visibly uneven surface. A stronger chocolate flavour than the Woolies version, it was still a far less intense chocolate hit than a tim tam or chocolate monte.
Woolies - Visibly smaller than the Arnott's version. It had a much more uniform surface. Definitely less chocolatey, with a chewier texture (but not in a bad way). It was also noticeably crumblier than the Arnott's version.
Verdict: Woolies!
Close call, but I think I prefer the Woolies one. Note however that I typically have a preference for chewier biscuits - (texture wise, Subway Cookies are about as good as it gets for me). The chocolate flavour on the Woolies one was less intense, but I quite enjoyed the subtler flavour. The fresh food people have won this round!
Butternut vs. Butternut snap
Believe it or not, I think this was the first time I've ever had this type of biscuit. Not knowing what to expect was a bit of a pallet cleanser compared to eating a couple of the other options.
Left: Woolies, Right: Arnott’s
Arnott's - Had a sweet, creamy texture, with a nice soft consistency. Very moreish - I could easily have had several more under the guise of conducting a more thorough experiment. Excellent synergy with my tea.
Woolies - Quite a disappointing experience. Super crumbly, and not in a good way. I found the biscuit quite hard to chew and with an unpleasant grainy texture. The biscuit also combusted on my first bite, leaving me in a pile of chunky biscuit dust. Not a fan.
Verdict: Arnott’s!
Arnott's took this one by a country mile. A much more pleasant texture and flavour. I'd definitely have these again. The Butternut that Woolies offered may not have had it in the name, but the way they seemed to treat my teeth, the snap was definitely there. Not exactly a fun experience!
Milk Coffee
Now before you go pointing it out for us, the Milk Coffee has nothing to compare with. However, if Arnott’s wanted to include an extra biscuit, it would be no good if it tasted horrible, don’t you agree members?
The Milk Coffee unsurprisingly is an absolute treat to eat. Whether you like the slightly bitter flavour of coffee, this overwhelms the senses with just the right amount of sweetness, which alongside a soft texture, delivers a neat and pleasant experience. This is the kind of biscuit you could imagine the queen would have with her tea.
FINAL VERDICT
As you may have already guessed, the clear winner of our first ever product review is Arnott’s! While they offer less of each biscuit and cost an extra $1.20, every single Arnott’s biscuit (even the losing Choc Ripple) is truly delicious and would be welcome at any tea party. Woolies on the other hand seem to have packed their bikkies after swimming in a surplus of banana lollies, resulting in a flavour that just doesn't belong on a biscuit.
If you enjoyed our Battle of the Bikkies, then make sure to let us know what you would like reviewed next in the comments below! We can’t wait to hear your suggestions!
And remember to always bikkie responsibly!
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