Nairn's Gluten Free Mini Cheese Bakes, 45g

Nairn's make oat based snacks, and Mini Cheese Bakes are small, round cheese crackers baked from gluten free wholegrain oats. This is the 45g single bag, which the pack marks as new. The listing says the bakes are made in a dedicated gluten free bakery, and gives Scotland as the country of origin.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the bakes are made from gluten free wholegrain oats (41%), cheese (milk, 15%), rice flour, maize flour, sustainable palm fruit oil, tapioca starch, maize starch, potato starch, brown rice syrup, sea salt, a raising agent (ammonium carbonates) and natural flavouring.

Gluten free oats

Wholegrain oats make up 41% of the bakes, and they are gluten free oats, grown and handled so they are not contaminated with wheat, barley or rye. The pack carries the Crossed Grain symbol under an oats licence, and says the bakes are certified by Coeliac UK.

Oats and coeliac disease

Oats are highlighted on the ingredient list because they are one of the cereals named in UK allergen rules. Coeliac UK notes that a small number of people with coeliac disease also react to oats, even gluten free oats.

Baked with real cheese

The pack says baked with real cheese: cheese makes up 15% of the bakes, the second ingredient after the oats.

Rice, maize and starches

Rice flour, maize flour, tapioca starch, maize starch and potato starch bind the dough in place of wheat, and give the bakes a crisp, even snap.

Baked, not fried

The pack says baked not fried, and ammonium carbonates, a traditional baking raising agent, lighten the dough in the oven.

Palm fruit oil

The list says sustainable palm fruit oil. With the cheese, it is why saturates are 9g per 100g and 4.1g in the bag, red on the front of pack scale.

Brown rice syrup

A little brown rice syrup rounds the dough. The label gives 1.5g of sugars per 100g, green.

Numbers for the bag

The label gives 209 kcal (875 kJ), 8.5g of fat, 4.1g of saturates, 26g of carbohydrate, 0.7g of sugars, 2g of fibre, 6g of protein and 0.93g of salt for the 45g bag. That is about 10% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 12% of the fat and 16% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

Per 100g the label gives 464 kcal (1944 kJ), 18.9g of fat, 9g of saturates, 57.7g of carbohydrate, 1.5g of sugars, 4.4g of fibre, 13.4g of protein and 2.07g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 18.9g is red. Saturates at 9g are red. Sugars at 1.5g are green. Salt at 2.07g is red.

Protein

The label gives 13.4g of protein per 100g and 6g in the bag, from the oats and the cheese.

Wholegrain

Wholegrain oats keep the bran and germ, and give the bakes a nutty, toasty flavour under the cheese.

Round crackers

The bakes are small, round crackers with docking holes, crisp all the way through.

Natural flavouring

A natural flavouring, the last ingredient, rounds out the cheese.

Carbohydrate and fibre

The label gives 57.7g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 1.5g are sugars; the rest is starch from the oats, rice, maize and starches. Fibre is 4.4g per 100g and 2g in the bag.

The Crossed Grain

Coeliac UK runs the Crossed Grain symbol, which the pack carries; the licence on this pack is for a product made with gluten free oats.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight oats, in the gluten free oats, and milk, in the cheese. The listing we work from carries no may contain advice. The pack says the bakes are gluten free, suitable for coeliacs and suitable for vegetarians; they are not vegan, because of the cheese. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

No artificial colours

The pack says there are no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, no GM ingredients and no hydrogenated fat.

A single bag

At 45g, the bag is one serving, 209 kcal, sized for a lunchbox or a gluten free snack on the go.

The pack

The orange bag carries a new flash, a gluten free banner, the white Nairn's n, the words mini cheese bakes in brown, a round baked with real cheese badge, the Crossed Grain symbol, a few round crackers with cheese cubes and the 45g weight.

Who it suits

A gluten free cheese cracker suits anyone avoiding gluten who misses a cheese biscuit, and the vegetarian statement suits most tables. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding milk.

In a lunchbox

A bag goes beside a gluten free sandwich, an apple and a drink.

With soup

The bakes go well beside a bowl of tomato or leek and potato soup, crumbled on top or dunked.

A cheese board

Serve the bakes on a gluten free cheese board with chutney and grapes.

At a party

Put a bowl out for guests who avoid gluten, with its own spoon.

Storage and packaging

The listing advises a cool, dry place. The published recycling guidance says the pack can be recycled with carrier bags at large supermarkets and should not go in home recycling.

Made in Scotland

The listing gives Scotland as the country of origin.

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