The new ‘Dundee roll’ has hit the shelves in shops around the city – so what do people here think of the taste?
Aberdeenshire family business Murdoch Allan recently acquired a Dundee bakery, and have now released a roll named after the city.
There was surprise – and some outcry – from the Dundee public when we published that story, with one Facebook user commenting that these were “not Dundee rolls”.
So I decided to put it to the test, and find out what folk on the streets of Dundee think of these well fired buns.
Priced at roughly 33p each, the buns can be found in Morrisons at £1.30 for a pack of four.
They are certainly “well fired” as it says on the packaging, and not all of them the “golden brown” colour described by the bakers at Murdoch Allan.
Most are significantly darker.
But there are many who enjoy a crusty, well fired roll, and this crunch adds variety in the texture of your sarnie.
You can take part in our poll at the bottom of this page to let us know your thoughts on the Dundee roll.
Dundee rolls: Well fired, smoky or burnt?
So what do folk out and about in Dundee think of them?
Amelia Morrison, 30, who’s originally from Seattle (Washington, USA), was the first volunteer to try the Dundee roll.
She tells me: “It’s very chewy. In a good way!
“I feel like it does have – I don’t want to say a burnt flavour – but it has a well-cooked flavour.
“It’s a sort of smoky flavour.
“If you want thick bread, I wouldn’t go for this. But it would go well with soup, if you’re not wanting a bread that would fill you up.
“I think it’s great that Dundee has a roll,” she adds.
Next up is Anna Lannen. She is fond of a well fired roll.
She happily takes a bite.
“It’s good,” she says. When I ask her how it tastes, she laughs and says: “It tastes like a roll!”
Anna adds: “It’s well fired, it’s not burnt.
“They’re just lovely.”
She too was happy to see Dundee have its own namesake roll.
‘It’s yummy and so good!”
Caroline and Alana Smith also have a try of the well fired roll.
Alana, 5, who tries a few bites of the Dundee roll, tells me: “It’s yummy and so good!
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” adds Caroline. “It tastes a bit like tiger bread.
“I like a crusty roll.”
“I suppose it is cool that it’s a Dundee roll,” Caroline continues.
“It’s good and I would definitely have it again.”
Anna pipes up again in agreement before I leave them to it.
I am lucky enough to come across Jim Ashwood, 79, who is clearly a well fired roll connoisseur.
He’s delighted at the thought of getting to try the Dundee roll.
Gleeful, he tells me: “I like the burnt bits!”
Then, Jim tucks into the darkest coloured part of the roll.
However, he is clearly disappointed.
“It’s chewy,” he admits. But he has another bite to double check.
“I would halve this and toast it. It would be a good roll if it was harder.
“That’s my personal preference. I know a lot of people like it chewy.
“But it has a good flavour. A lot of rolls are bland. But this has a nice something there.”
‘It’s about time there was a Dundee roll!’
I come across Carol Kane and Jack Garty next.
“I love the well fired rolls!” Carol tells me, before she takes a bite.
Delighted, she adds: “They’re great. So, so good.
“It tastes hard fired. It’s got a better crunch. I don’t like soft rolls.
“I’d have it again, definitely.”
Let us know your views on the Dundee roll in the comments section below
Carol, who has lived in Dundee all her life, adds: “It’s about time there was a Dundee roll!”
Finally, I ask Billy Barclay, 52, what his thoughts are on the roll.
“It’s not bad at all,” he tells me, after taking a bite.
“I enjoy the little bit of crispiness to the roll rather than soft.
“It’s meant to be crispy and burnt. It adds to the flavour.
“I’d have that again.”
Also selling “Britain’s best butteries by far”, bakery Murdoch Allan have dedicated this new roll to Dundee.
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