Panda is back! New & improved and perfect for parents.

I am old - I think we have established that - but there must be lots of you out there who can remember Panda Pops and could never choose which of the many flavours to choose at the school disco, chip shop or tuck shop. To be honest my choices were largely influenced by the bright colours which I'm fairly sure did not come from nature!

They stopped making the old Panda Pops years ago I gather but today's more health-aware parents will be delighted to learn that Panda is back with a new range of still, deliciously fruity drinks which the manufacturers assure me are completely free of any "nasties".

The lovely people at Panda sent us some of the new flavours to try, along with a lunchbox to prove it is the perfect size for packed lunches and picnics, and some outdoor toys to help us work up a thirst! They even sent a book of ideas for outdoor activities which the children could not wait to have a go at!

We decided to take our bottles along to the zoo on a particularly hot day- I refrigerated them first although you don't have to, and put them in the lunchbox with a camping ice pack.

After a stressful car journey made worse by roadworks, holiday traffic and a complicated diversion we were all thirsty before we'd even got into the zoo so I shared out the drinks shouting out flavours and handing them out to the first child to shout "me please!"

They were quite excited by the choice -Panda Still Juice drinks come in raspberry and blackcurrant flavours, and Panda Splash, a fruit flavoured water, in both orange & pineapple and blackcurrant flavours. They have no added sugar and only natural colours.  A Panda Squash is also available in two fruity flavours - tropical and summer fruits. 

We had been sent Panda Still Juice in blackcurrant and raspberry flavours, and Panda Splash in orange and pineapple flavour. The sweetest juice was predictably the blackcurrant which tasted like a fairly strong good quality blackcurrant squash.  The raspberry was a more subtle flavour, not as sweet although still sweet enough for my youngest! I really liked the Panda Splash which had a lovely taste, not too overpowering and very refreshing. I don't like flavoured fizzy waters so would definitely pick this one up for myself as well as the children.

Altogether the new Panda range gets the thumbs up from me and my children- one I will definitely consider buying for school trips without risking the wrath of the packed lunch police!



Panda Still Juice and Panda Splash are currently available in Asda, Tesco and Ocado priced at £1.99 for a six bottle multipack. Panda Squash is sold in Tesco, costing 99p for a one litre bottle. DISCLAIMER: I received a fun pack and product samples for the purposes of this honest review.