OGT Chocolate Brownlee Bars are chewy oat bars with a lick of salt. They’re a convenient size, made with natural ingredients and come without wrappers, which is both handy and environmentally friendly. If you like the taste, you’ll want to buy in bulk to bring the cost down a bit.
Shocked by the volume of plastic wrappers in the British countryside, cyclist Mike Bedford enlisted his son, Daniel, to help him create an energy bar with an edible coating. Together, they came up with One Good Thing (OGT) wrapper-free oat and protein bars, which Jo has previously tested for us.
The Chocolate Brownlee is a new flavour of oat bar, developed with triathlon legend Jonny Brownlee, that’s apparently “an indulgent blend of oats, rich chocolate and organic cacao, perfectly balanced with Himalayan pink salt.”
It’s otherwise pretty similar to the previous ones: 42% oats and containing 26g of carbs per 41g bar. They’re not huge – just two or three mouthfuls, really.
Predictably enough, the taste is rather chocolatey and a little bit salty, and probably a little less sweet than you imagine.
The texture is noticeably oaty, which has its pros and cons. I quite liked the significant chewiness. A Brownlee takes a bit of work to get through, so you really feel like you’re eating something – but that does mean it’s not one for choking down while riding at any kind of pace.
If you commit to a bar, your mouth’s going to be occupied for a little while and you’ll probably want to follow it with a good slug of water. This is all part of the experience on a longer ride, but less helpful when your breathing’s that bit heavier. Odd bits of oat can find their way into dental nooks as well, which you might find irritating if it’s late in a ride and you’re getting tired and grumpy.
The Brownlees are, otherwise, delightfully easy to live with. The absence of packaging is obviously great for environmental reasons, but I’m also a big fan of the lack of faff. You can just reach into your pocket, grab it and immediately take a bite.
Beeswax might not seem the most enticing ingredient, but it’s approved for food use and only half a millimetre thick. That doesn’t sound like much, but partly because it’s malleable – and partly because the thick, squat bar won’t easily snap – it seems to do its job as a seal.
OGT warns these bars might become slightly softer in hot weather, but claims they won’t melt. I can believe that. Temperatures didn’t get above the very low 20s during the test, but I didn’t have any issues whatsoever.
Value
It’s possible to get the price of an OGT Chocolate Brownlee Bar down to £1.33 if you commit to a subscription.
For a one-time purchase, the price ranges from a fairly reasonable £1.78 per bar (for 36 bars) to £2 per bar in a box of 12. Delivery is £3, though it’s free once you’ve spent over £55.
Rawvelo’s Organic Energy Bars with recyclable packaging are a similar size, and priced at £41.99 for a box of 20. That’s £2.10 per bar.
Clif Bar Minis are £1.25 for each 28g bar in a box of 10 They’re cheaper if you buy in bulk though, and so widely available it’s easy to find big discounts.
Overall
OGT Chocolate Brownlee Bars are a nice, satisfying option on longer rides and the fact the lack of packaging is both convenient and eco-friendly. If you get on well enough with the taste and texture to justify buying in bulk, they’re worth a place in your jersey pocket.
Test Report
What does the manufacturer say about this product?:
OGT says: “Our exclusive new flavour, developed in partnership with Olympic legend Jonny Brownlee.
“An indulgent blend of oats, rich chocolate and organic cacao, perfectly balanced with Himalayan Pink Salt for a soft, smooth taste sensation. Our Chocolate Brownlee bars offer the decadent experience of a chocolate brownie treat while providing high-performance fuel.
“Formulated with all-natural ingredients and packed with 26g of carbs, these wrapper-free bars provide the simple, effective nutrition you need to power through your next adventure. No mess, no faff, just pure performance to keep you fuelled with ease.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of this product:
Covered in a 100% natural, edible beeswax-based coating.
Oats (42%) (Contain Gluten), Brown Rice Syrup, Glucose Syrup, Honey, Date Paste, Chocolate Buttons [Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Rice Powder (Dried Rice Syrup, Rice Starch, Rice Flour), Cocoa Mass, Inulin, Shea Oil, Emulsifier (Lecithin), Sea Salt, Natural Flavourings], Sunflower Seeds, Beeswax, Organic Cacao Powder, Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil, Agave Syrup, Tapioca Starch, Emulsifier (Sunflower Lecithin), Himalayan Pink Salt, Natural Flavouring, Bamboo Fibre, Vitamin E, Citric Acid.
Typical values per 100g: Energy 1635 (Kj) /389 (kcal), Fat 11g, of which saturates 2.7g, Carbohydrates 62g, of which sugars 21g, Fibre 6.4g, Protein 7.4g, Salt 0.44g
Typical values per 41g bar: Energy 679 (Kj) / 161 (kcal), Fat 4.6g of which saturates 1.1g, Carbohydrates 26g, of which sugars 8.8g, Fibre 2.7g, Protein 3.1g, Salt 0.18g
Any further comments on performance?:
Best for longer rides rather than fast ones, as they take a bit of chewing.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested?:
Broadly on a par with similar sorts of bars.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Maybe
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
They’re very convenient and the lack of packaging is a big plus, but the taste and texture won’t be for everyone and the price for smaller volumes makes it a little hard to give them a go.
About the tester
Age: 47Height: 185cmWeight: 77kg
I usually ride: Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3My best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 yearsI ride: A few times a weekI would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: Fitness riding
1 thought on “OGT Chocolate Brownlee Bars”
Delivery’s free should you spend over £55, golly! I could spend that much on all manner of ingredients to make rice cakes, granola bars, ‘gravel’ mix enough to keep me cycling for weeks on end. Just eat real food, if you’ve got time to train, you’ve got time to make you’re own grub. Just eat real food, you’ve probably got some in the kitchen