Product Review - River Bend Bakery
8.6.08
Products: Creamy Pecan Pralines, Biscotti
Who is River Bend Bakery? River Bend Bakery, located in Kenner, Louisiana (suburb of New Orleans), is a producer of upscale gourmet biscotti and New Orleans-style confections. River Bend Bakery currently sells their products to local retailers and gift shops, online at their website, and at www.iBuyGourmet.com.Packaging/Labeling: River Bend Bakery packages their products in simple, Southern-themed boxes and bags, reflecting a classy old time New Orleans look and feel.The biscotti comes packaged in a way we had never seen before - thick, high quality paper bags rolled and sealed at the top with the biscotti standing vertically. Not only is the type of packaging unique, they really pulled it off with a classy and elegant southern design.The packaging for the gift box of pralines was also unique and impressive. Each individually shrink-wrapped praline comes nicely packed standing vertically separated by the white paper-stock dividers which are part of the box they come in. Hands-down, this was the neatest way we had seen pralines packaged!
Taste/Consistency/Quality: First, let’s start with the pralines. Now keep in mind that our business was founded in New Orleans where there are undoubtedly more praline shops than anywhere in the country - so we know pralines. Before we tried River Bend’s pralines, we were a bit skeptical; who was this little company out in the ‘burbs competing with the likes of big names like Aunt Sally’s? After our first bite, we were in disbelief. How could a company we hadn’t previously heard of be making such an amazing praline right under our nose?The first thing we noticed about River Bend’s pralines is the color, which is very light compared to most commonly caramel colored pralines - which is not a bad thing, just our first observation. After taking our first bite, we were absolutely blown away. These pralines are THE creamiest pralines on the market, period. The melt-in-your-mouth consistency is plain addictive and unlike anything out there. In addition to the amazingly smooth texture, these pralines are rich and sweet - but not overly sweet - and loaded with fresh Southern pecans. We give these pralines a definite 10/10!Next came the biscotti, which we enjoyed pulling from the unique bags in which they came packaged as much as we enjoyed eating them. Although the flavors were somewhat common, we enjoyed these southern-style biscotti immensely. In addition to a great crunchy, but not-too-hard-on-the-teeth texture, these biscotti are loaded with a liberal amount of fresh ingredients and plenty of flavor. Compared to other biscotti brands (which are usually too bland), River Bends reminded us more of a yummy sweet traditional cookie. Biscotti flavor ranking: 8/10!
Summary: River Bend Bakery makes some of the best products you’ve probably never tried - and you are missing out! For quite possibly the best praline you’ll ever have, River Bend is a must-try, and if you eat biscotti on a regular basis, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with River Bend Bakery’s delectable varieties.
How to purchase: Consumers can order directly online at www.riverbendbakery.com or http://ibuygourmet.com/
