Wellness Wednesday: Bart's Bakery. Are they really "the BEST'?

So, sometimes you need a little sweetness in your day.  I was at Fresh & Easy and had seen the cardboard box from Bart's Bakery, which claims to have "THE BEST _____ COOKIES IN THE WORLD" (there are several varieties, hence the blank space) (BartsBakery.com, 2015).  Now, as a consumer, I realize the tactics that are used to market products.  Things claiming to the "the best" rarely are, and it's all subjective.  That being said, when I found them on sale, I had to try them out. 

Image courtesy of BartsBakery.com

As you can see, the box is covered in text...including the inside, which I 'll get to later.  The box mentions that they don't compromise on quality, and they do not mask the quality with a ton of sugar.  They aren't lying there!  Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself.  After opening the box, I noticed a flyer.  The flyer contained instructions on how to eat the cookies, and it is a process!  They compare them to a fine wine that has to decant.  All of the quarter-sized cookies are in a foil bag.  You open the bag, and leave it for 10 minutes, then enjoy.  The inside of the box contained some short stories and poems, so you have reading material whilst you wait.  There's also a chance your flyer will have a holographic serial number, which is like a reward and can put you in the running for a trip for two to Paris.  This program, titled "Just For Fun and Thanks" will be down until February 15, 2015 (BartsBakery.com, 2015) 

I decided that the only way to see if there was a difference would be to try one as soon as the bag was opened, then one after they had had time to "breathe".  My hopes were not high, and I was a bit surprised.  They were not "the best" by any means; company did not lie when they said they were not sweet.  Bart's Bakery also claims that they use Belgian chocolate, yet there is not mention of that in the ingredient list.  Maybe they only use it in some of them and just don't disclose that?  Anyway, the chocolate tasted more like Hershey's than Belgian.

Personally, I'm not a fan of overly sweet anything.  The cookies didn't need any added sugar (plus!), but they were incredibly chalky, both times.  My favorite thing was the crispy texture, but the cons really outweighed the pros.  I, personally, didn't notice a difference between the first and the second.  Maybe it was the batch I purchased, but they in no way, meet the expectations created by the claims on the box.

Here's everything in a nutshell:

I purchased expensive (even on sale) cookies that were marketed as "the best".  Then had to wait 10 minutes to truly enjoy them (per the company), and instead experienced an average mini cookie with a chalkiness that wouldn't quit.  If these ever go on sale again in another flavor, I may try them in the event that the batch I tried wasn't what they usually put out.  Overall, I would say to save your money and get the minis from Trader Joe's.     

Reference

BartsBakery.com. (2015). Homepage. Retrieved from http://www.bartsbakery.com/

**Please note that this is purely my opinion**  If you have one, I'd love to hear it!