Jacob's Twiglets Mini Snack Sticks, 200g

Twiglets are Jacob's knobbly, twig shaped snack sticks, baked from wholewheat flour and coated in a savoury yeast extract flavour. Mini Twiglets come in this 200g caddy, a tube with a lid, and the caddy in our photograph is a festive edition. The ingredients and the per 100g figures are the same as the Original Twiglets, and the pack gives a freepost address for Jacob's.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the sticks are made from wholewheat flour (80%), vegetable oils (sunflower and palm), a flavouring of yeast extract (barley), salt and vegetable extract (carrot), then salt, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride and white pepper. That is the whole list: flour, oil, a savoury flavouring and seasoning.

Wholewheat flour

Wholewheat flour makes up 80% of the recipe, which is why the pack describes Twiglets as 80% wholegrain. Wholewheat flour is milled from the whole grain, bran and germ included, and it gives the sticks a nutty, wheaty depth under the seasoning.

Yeast extract

Yeast extract, made with barley, leads the flavouring and gives Twiglets their deep, savoury taste. It is naturally rich in glutamates, worth knowing for anyone who avoids them altogether; there is no added MSG on the list.

Carrot and white pepper

A vegetable extract of carrot sits in the flavouring beside the yeast extract and salt. White pepper, the last ingredient on the list, adds a gentle warmth at the finish rather than any real heat.

Three kinds of salt

Salt appears twice, in the flavouring and on its own, beside potassium chloride and magnesium chloride. Both are mineral salts with no sodium in them, and the salt figure on a UK label is worked out from sodium. The label gives 1.1g of salt per 100g.

Oven baked, not fried

The pack says Twiglets are oven baked, not fried. The label gives 13.4g of fat per 100g, amber on the front of pack scale, with 1.9g of saturates.

Palm oil

The listing says the palm oil in Twiglets is certified to come from RSPO segregated sources. Segregated means the certified palm oil is kept apart from uncertified oil all the way through the supply chain, rather than mixed with it.

The taste

The taste is deeply savoury and a little peppery, with the nutty depth of wholewheat underneath. It is a strong, distinctive flavour rather than a gentle one, and the yeast extract gives it a long, savoury finish.

The shape

Each stick is knobbly and uneven, like a twig, which is where the name comes from. The knobbles give a bumpy, crunchy bite and hold the savoury coating in their ridges.

Mini Twiglets

Mini Twiglets share the ingredients and the per 100g figures of the Original Twiglets, in a smaller stick that suits a bowl on the table.

Fibre and protein

The label gives 11.3g of fibre and 12.4g of protein per 100g, most of both from the wholewheat flour.

Carbohydrate and sugars

The label gives 57g of carbohydrate per 100g, with just 0.5g of sugars. Sugar does not appear on the ingredients list, so the rest of the carbohydrate is starch from the flour.

Numbers per 100g

The label gives 421 kcal (1766 kJ), 13.4g of fat, 1.9g of saturates, 57g of carbohydrate, 0.5g of sugars, 11.3g of fibre, 12.4g of protein and 1.1g of salt per 100g. The listing's serving is 25g, which makes eight servings in the caddy.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 13.4g is amber. Saturates at 1.9g are amber. Sugars at 0.5g are green. Salt at 1.1g is amber.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight wheat, in the wholewheat flour, and barley, in the yeast extract. The allergy advice says the sticks may contain eggs, milk and sesame. The listing says they are suitable for vegetarians; there is no vegan statement, and they are not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

No artificial colours or flavours

The listing says there are no artificial colours or flavours, and there is no colour on the list at all.

The caddy

The 200g caddy is a tube with a lid, which protects the sticks and closes between servings. The listing advises a cool, dry place, with the best before date on the base of the caddy.

The pack

The caddy in our photograph is a festive edition: dark grey, with a red lid, the Jacob's badge at the top, the words mini Twiglets on a red splash inside a large bauble, more baubles around it and a blue badge about fibre. Seasonal designs change, so the caddy you receive may look different.

Who it suits

A savoury, wholewheat snack suits anyone who likes a yeast extract taste and a crunchy stick rather than a crisp, and the vegetarian statement suits most tables. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten.

With drinks

A savoury stick goes well with a glass of beer, a dry cider or a sherry, and the salt and yeast extract stand up to a strong drink.

On a cheeseboard

Twiglets sit well beside a mature cheddar or a blue cheese, with chutney, grapes and celery.

In the kitchen

Crushed, Twiglets make a savoury, wholewheat crumb for the top of a cauliflower cheese or a bowl of tomato soup.

Other Twiglets

Twiglets also come in a 150g bag and in a six bag multipack of 23g bags of Original Twiglets.

The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.