The Protein Works Whey 80 protein powder review
The Protein Works whey protein concentrate
The Protein Works opened for business with a bang in November 2012 with the release of two protein powder flavours for their Whey Protein 80 (whey protein concentrate) range; Lemon Shortcake and Cherry Bakewell. Both flavours were getting very favourable reviews online so I bought 2kg of the Lemon Shortcake to try for myself. It tasted fantastic like eating a delicious lemon meringue pie.
Having gone through the majority of my 2kg bag of Lemon Shortcake protein powder, The Protein Works introduced some new flavours into the range such as Butterscotch, Chocolate Mint Brownie and then, around a week later, Apple Cinnamon Swirl. Now in February 2019 they have gone and introduced another flavour, one of the most unique flavours in existence, Jaffa Cake protein powder!
In March 2019 The Protein Works added another new flavour to their protein range - Caramel Macchiato! As a massive coffee lover I am looking forward to trying this one.
Buy three 500g bags of protein powder and get another free
You only need to look at the two most popular bodybuilding forums in the UK, Muscletalk and UK Muscle, to read the hype that The Protein Works protein powder has been generating. Lemon Shortcake and Cherry Bakewell continue to sell very well but so do all the other flavours.
They have been rolling out offers and discount codes to use alongside the The Protein Works referral code (TC612 for ours when you register to get 250g of whey protein free with your first order) and one of these has been BUY 3 GET 1 FREE.
I took advantage of this free protein offer alongside thousands of other people to try some of the other flavours. The Protein Works currently have 12 whey protein powder concentrate flavours as well as an unflavoured one and because so many sounded so good I wanted to experience this for myself and provide you with a review of these flavours.
Features of The Protein Works Whey Protein 80
- Fast acting premium grade whey protein concentrate powder
- Over 80% protein content
- Micro filtered whey and not heat treated to maintain quality
- Very low in fat, low in carbohydrates and low in sugar
- Manufactured in house not by an external supplier so you know quality is guaranteed (they taste test every batch!)
- Suitable for vegetarians and diabetics
- Gluten free, wheat free and GM free
- The only sweetener used is sucralose (present in all flavoured protein powder). There are no nasty artificial sweeteners used such as aspartame
- Available in 500g, 1kg, 2kg, 3kg and 4kg sizes so you can try a flavour or buy in bulk
- Low prices starting at just £9.99 per kg. You can buy 4kg at the time of writing for just £51.99
Benefits of The Protein Works Whey Protein 80
- Premium micro filtered whey ensures the protein gets to your muscles quick, a necessity for post workout use
- Taste is phenomenal across all flavours with a massive range to choose from (see below for our favourites)
- You’re getting quality flavoursome whey protein at a very low price compared with other retailers on the market
- Each 25g serving contains only 100 calories, 2.2g of carbohydrates and 1.7g of fat. This means it is ideal if you are looking to maintain lean muscle or lose body fat
- Each 25g serving contains 19.8g of protein which is the perfect amount if you are looking to maintain a high protein diet and build muscle
- High in glutamine and BCAAs to help with muscle recovery
- Pick up a free blender with your order when buying 1kg or more of any flavour
The Protein Works Whey Protein 80 review of the flavours
At the time of writing this review I have tried 6 of The Protein Works protein powder flavours and my ratings for each are as follows:
| Butterscotch |  |
| Cherry Bakewell |  |
| Jaffa Cake | |
| Chocolate Mint Brownie | |
| Lemon Shortcake | |
| Apple Cinnamon Swirl |  |
I will add to this list when I try the other flavours (I really want to try the new Jaffa Cake one but it is limited edition and stock has been flying out of the warehouse).
Flavours I have yet to try are: Caramel Macchiato, Banana Smooth, Chocolate Silk, Strawberries ‘n’ Cream and Vanilla Creme.
Which is the best The Protein Works protein flavour?
It’s always difficult to review protein powder flavours because they are so subjective. I have read so many reviews of The Protein Works Apple Cinnamon Swirl protein powder for instance that have been 5 star and described as one of the best protein shakes someone has ever tasted.
Thinking about it, I don’t think I’ve actually seen a bad review about any of The Protein Works Whey 80 flavours which shows how difficult it is to compare and rate them.
Butterscotch flavour
Nonetheless my favourite has definitely been the Butterscotch flavour protein powder so far. Having gone through the 500g pouch I wanted to get online and order 4kg straight away. Even in water (how I drink most of my protein shakes) it tastes exactly like a flavoursome milkshake without all the e-numbers and artificial flavourings that most milkshakes contain.
The butterscotch flavour is strong, it certainly comes through as you drink it, and there is a delicious creamy undertone. Despite being butterscotch in flavour, it is not too sweet; the balance is spot on.
Cherry Bakewell flavour
Cherry Bakewell is my second favourite flavour because when you drink it, you just feel like you are tucking into a Cherry Bakewell tart. The flavour is identical to that of the food version which is unsurprising given it contains Cherry Bakewell natural flavouring. Again, like the Butterscotch flavour, it isn’t too sweet so you could easily get through 3-4kg without getting fed up of it.
This was one of the first flavours that The Protein Works introduced and one of the main flavours they have built their reputation on so far. When it came out it was getting positive reviews all over the internet and having tried it I can now see why that was.
Jaffa Cake flavour
I was a bit dubious about this flavour having read mixed reviews so ordered 500g rather than a 1kg pouch.
My fears went as soon as I had my first Jaffa Cake protein shake. I thought it might just taste like a standard chocolate orange protein shake but it actually doesn't, it really does taste like melted down jaffa cakes. It has a slightly sweet taste with a zesty orange aftertaste that tickles your throat on your final gulp. It really is delicious and I could quite easily get through 3-4kg of this one. The perfect healthy high protein treat!
Chocolate Mint Brownie flavour
Chocolate Mint Brownie isn’t your typical chocolate mint protein powder. Many on the market just taste like cocoa with a slight hint of mint but The Protein Works Chocolate Mint go one step further with their flavours. Imagine biting into a chocolate mint Aero bar. That taste is identical to the taste you get with this one. You can actually taste the mint instead of getting just a slight sensation.
With regards to the chocolate, I would say it is more of a dark chocolate brownie rather than milk chocolate brownie taste. If you're after a milk chocolate protein shake, we'd recommend the Chocolate Silk. So if you enjoy After 8 chocolates or chocolate mint Aero this is definitely the one for you.
Lemon Shortcake flavour
When I first bought Lemon Shortcake I thought it would be very hard to beat this flavour, yet it comes 4th on my ratings. It tastes just like lemon meringue and like the other flavours is strong and unique in the taste that it provides. The only reason why this falls behind the others in my opinion is that it tasted a bit sweeter than the other flavours so it may be difficult to go beyond 2kg with it.But as with Cherry Bakewell, this one got great reviews when it launched and I loved it when I tried it for the first time. So I would have no hesitation buying it again and if you like lemons, or anything lemon flavour, definitely try this one.
Apple Cinnamon Swirl flavour
The only flavour that I have tried so far which didn’t really excite me was this one, Apple Cinnamon Swirl. Now although I eat apples I don’t particularly have a craving for apple flavour products (i.e. apple juice, apple pie etc.) so it could just be for this reason why it didn’t grab me like the other flavours. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I just didn’t get much from it although I did like the creamy texture that two scoops provided with water. I could drink this flavour easily enough but with the others I got a ‘wow that tastes really good’ emotion every time which I didn't necessarily get with this one.
If you like the taste of apple then you will like the taste of this one. You do get a slightly cinnamon kick come through at the end but the cinnamon sensation isn’t too overpowering. So this is why I have rated it 3 out of 5, in my opinion it is okay but nothing more.
Funnily enough I know people that say this is their favourite! That just goes to show how delicious all The Protein Works protein powders are.