Review: PF 30 Watermelon Chews from Precision Fuel

What would happen if you squeezed all the juice out of a watermelon, added a bit of sugar and corn starch, then squished it into a bite-size cube?

Precision Fuel & Hydration have been busy in the kitchen doing just that, and the result is the PF 30 Watermelon Chew: a new flavour in the brand’s range of sports nutrition. The chews come individually wrapped in 30g servings: each pack contains two chews in a convenient little easy-to-open wrapper.

Judged purely as an energy-delivery system, these have so much to commend them. The problem is in my head: I associate watermelon with juiciness. Is it really too much to ask a small cube of jelly to deliver a refreshing taste tsunami that will both quench my thirst and add 300w to my legs in one hit?

Apparently, yes. And maybe that shouldn’t come as a surprise. No offence, watermelon, but you didn’t get to where you are today on the basis of your taste; you are a fruit whose rep rests more on your, well, wateriness. That, and your cute colours. Oh, and your secondment to certain political causes (which I can fully endorse).

I suspect that, somewhere between the lab and the product launch, the team at Precision Fuel realised this fact about watermelon. This might explain why they now, quite wisely, attempt to manage expectations by describing the flavour as “subtle” as well as refreshing.

My personal opinion on these is that they are reasonably tasty and very handy, just don’t expect refreshing or watermelon. But a second opinion is always helpful, so when our gourmand-in-residence, Peter, dropped by Sportive HQ I gave him a couple to try out. I then stepped back a few paces and watched his face.

After chewing thoughtfully for a tension-filled moment in the style of Paul Hollywood, he pronounced the verdict: notes of guava. Which confirms that it is indeed a subtle taste – or, just maybe, that watermelon really is not a flavour.

I sent him off with a pocketful of the chews, and have since been munching through the rest myself. Each mini pack contains two 15g servings totalling 30g of carbs, so you can expect to eat between 1-3 packs per hour depending on the length and intensity of the ride.

The main advantage of chews is really the convenience: they’re so handy to chuck into a pocket or bag, the dosage is easy to work out and the packaging simple to tear open while riding. Both the wrapper and the cardboard tray inside are recyclable too, so no need to feel too guilty on that score.

You also avoid the sticky mess of gels: a big plus point, and the texture has just enough bite to get your teeth into. Precision Fuel’s chews contain no artificial ingredients: the full ingredients list reads Sugar, Corn Starch, Water, Citric Acid, Natural Flavour, Natural Colour. They’re also vegan and gluten-free. 

On the other hand, there’s no caffeine, and no electrolytes either – so if you want your fix of salt or caffeine you’ll need to dive into the Precision Hydration range, and/or duck into the nearest espresso bar.

Vegan, natural, recyclable – Precision Fuel are doing almost everything right. Everything but the choice of flavour is spot on. Guys, keep going: you’re so close! 

PF 30 Chews – Pack of 30, £59.99 from www.precisionhydration.com