Review: Tart Cherry Energy Pastilles & Power Fluid Mix from FTP Endurance Fuel

I tend to train on bananas – stop smirking at the back – but, in the interests of a balanced diet, I’ve dabbled in many energy products over the years.

The latest to find a place in my jersey pocket are these Tart Cherry Energy Pastilles from FTP Endurance Fuel.

FTP Endurance Fuel are a new name on the nutrition scene, founded in Aberdeen in 2025 by Rob Lawrie. As an endurance athlete himself, Rob was motivated to launch the company after his own experience of energy products that were “inconvenient, messy, and expensive, or simply not enjoyable to use.”

Coming in the form of squishy jelly cubes, free of individual wrappers, FTP Energy Pastilles are “fast-absorbing carbohydrate energy chews designed for runners, cyclists, and endurance athletes who want reliable fuelling without the mess of traditional gels.”

Each cube packs in 15g of carbohydrates, with FTP suggesting a serving of 2x cubes per half hour of effort. That sounds roughly in line with recent research; Amaia Martioda, team nutritionist at EF Pro Cycling team, suggests 60-90g of carbs per hour will work for most amateur riders (pros these days can take up to 120g/hr during a race).

The ingredients list is pleasingly short: Sugar (Natural Disaccharide consisting of 50%, Glucose, 50% Fructose), Water, Wheat Starch, Citric Acid, Flavouring, Colouring *(<20ppm gluten). 20ppm gluten is the threshold below which a product can be labelled gluten-free, so despite the wheat starch these may be considered suitable for coeliacs. They are also, unlike jelly babies, vegan friendly.

It’s still early March so I’ve not been on any massive rides yet this year – 2-3 hours is about the limit – but impressions of the pastilles are very favourable. The flavour is extremely palatable, with a hint of tart cherry helping balance the sweetness. They have a pleasant springy texture: easy to eat, with just enough bite to be satisfying, and the ease of use compared to a gel is another real plus.

The lack of wrapping does mean you’ll need to find a way to carry them, and FTP sell a reusable pouch which is a neat solution, though you probably have something suitable at home. I used a scrap of kitchen foil. Either way, no more sticky fingers or plastic waste to cart to the nearest bin makes these a winner in my book.

A 1kg bag contains about 60 pastilles, which works out at 15 hours’ worth if you’re taking the suggested 4/hour. But if, like me, you mix the pastilles with other energy sources – for example a banana, bars and energy drink mix – you’ll easily make the packet stretch to twice that.

I’ve been trying the pastilles alongside FTP’s Power Fluids mix. Containing 27g of carbs per 30g serving (enough mix for a 750ml bottle), I find these are a great complement to the pastilles. A bottle per hour, plus two pastilles, would keep you hydrated and supply 57g carbs for example.

Again, the taste is sweet but pleasant thanks to the inclusion of tart cherry powder (10% of content). The cherry does more than just cut through the sweetness, it’s also a source of polyphenols: the antioxidant-rich micronutrients found in plant-based foods like coffee, tea, and dark chocolate. Polyphenols have numerous claimed health benefits and are used by endurance athletes to reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery.

Alongside the carbs and cherry the mix also contains all-important electrolytes: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, to help replace sweat loss.

I’ve found this a great combo on my rides this spring; I’m not saying I’ll give up on bananas, but FTP Endurance Fuel is now firmly in the mix for big rides in 2026.

As to pricing, a 1kg pack of the pastilles is currently on offer at £39.99, while a 900g bag of Power Fluid mix is £27.99. That’s at least 30 hours of fuel for £68, which sounds like pretty decent value.

And, if you sign up to Sportive Club, you’ll get 15% off in the FTP shop which makes it an even better deal. 

Overall: great taste and minimal waste means we’re happy to recommend FTP Endurance Fuel.

Tart Cherry Energy Pastilles and Power Fluid Mix – from ftpendurancefuel.com