Category Archives: brands I love

Radical Equality with The Other Bar

01st November 2020
The Other Bar

The Other Bar is an experiment in Radical Equality, designed to take a bite out of poverty through the simple act of buying a chocolate bar.

Powered by the UNDP and FairChain Foundation.

The first step in radical equality is to buy The Other Bar, the second is scan the token in the pack and help a farmer buy a cocoa tree. When scanned it’s equivalent to a quarter of a cocoa-producing tree. So for every four bars bought, a farmer can grow more, earn more and feed his family thanks to a fairer system.

There’s a twist. You don’t have to spend the token on a tree, you could use it to get 25p off your next purchase. Either way, it’s a win win for farmers.

At the moment farmers only get 3% of the value of the cocoa used to produce the chocolate we see in the shops, this means that the majority of farmers struggle to make a liveable income.

The system of buying for a low price and then selling for an inflated one has produced a huge imbalance in the world.
At the moment global brands spend more than £500 billion a year on advertising, and we only need £140 billion to end world poverty- imagine if we could convince manufacturers to invest some of the money they spend on advertising on having a positive impact?

Right now there is a really easy way in which we can help. All we need to do is purchase The Other Bar and we’re already making a difference.
Even better, if you use the code RADICALEQUALITY when you purchase your bar you will get a pack of 4 bars – the equivalent to 1 new cacao tree – for the price of 1 bar.
What’s stopping you getting involved and pushing for #radicalequality

(Also, having tried this chocolate myself I can confirm it’s really bloody delicious and I’ll swiftly be popping over to the online shop to do my bit!)

Right now there is a really easy way in which we can help. All we need to do is purchase The Other Bar and we’re already making a difference.
Even better, if you use the code RADICALEQUALITY when you purchase your bar you will get a pack of 4 bars – the equivalent to 1 new cacao tree – for the price of 1 bar.
What’s stopping you getting involved and pushing for #radicalequality

(Also, having tried this chocolate myself I can confirm it’s really bloody delicious and I’ll swiftly be popping over to the online shop to do my bit!)

Posted in brands I love, charity

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Podberry- my new snack addiction*

26th September 2020
*Products sent to me for blog consideration, opinions are entirely my own*

There isn’t much I love more than finding a new snack, especially a savoury snack that satisfies the need to crunch something without being crisps.

I love it even more when said new snack literally lands in my lap, introducing me to something that I might never have known about.

This is exactly what happened with Podberry, crunchy pea snacks (made from freeze dried peas).
These snacks are made with Scottish-grown peas, grown and made in the heart of Perthshire. Freeze dried on the farm before natural flavours are added, enhancing the sweet taste of the pea, the product is then packed ready to enjoy.
Available in four flavours; sea salt & balsamic vinegar, sweet chilli, ham hock and parmesan & truffle these are available n Morrison’s and Lidl across Scotland but also independent retailers across the UK or delivered straight to your door via the Podberry website.
Each pack is 20g with an RRP of £1.

They look exactly like dried out frozen peas and weigh almost nothing. I jumped straight in with the parmesan & truffle flavour as I had no idea what to expect from it and within seconds I was hooked.
I had no clue what to expect from the texture, but I really loved it- crunchy and light and the flavour was a winner. I wasn’t sure I’d like such a complicated sounding flavour combination but I wish I had more of these, I really do. I forced a few on an sceptical looking Bob, which I then regretted as he wanted more. Damn.

The other flavours were equally delicious- the sea salt & balsamic vinegar perhaps not as strong as I would have liked but yummy all the same. Oddly the flavours I was most worried about (the parmesan and also the ham hock) were my favourites as they both married so nicely with the sweetness you get from the peas.

It’s so hard to accurately describe these little packets of joy, they are unlike any other snack out there. The entire range is also completely vegan, high in protein, low in fat, gluten free and 1 of your 5 a day. Perfect for on the go and surprisingly filling for something so light.

I’ll 100% be stocking myself up on these once payday comes, and I thoroughly recommend them to anyone else who loves quirky snacks or is searching for a healthier option.
Podberry, you’ve kind of blown my mind with these. Thank you!

Posted in brands I love, food, review, snacking

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New Treats from Niederegger*

06th July 2020

Long time no post right? I’ve got no idea where the last goodness knows how long has gone, but I’m back to share some tasty new treats from German brand Niederegger.

Niederegger treats c/o Chocolates Direct

I know Marzipan isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it so long as it’s coated in chocolate. I first discovered this delight on a camping trip to Austria where I all but lived on those Mozart chocolate rounds and since then I’ve been obsessed.
By far my favourite brand for marzipan is Niederegger, described as the world’s finest marzipan made in Lubeck in Germany.
I’ve worked with chocolates direct in the past so when they offered me some new products from the brand, well, I don’t think I’ve ever replied to an email so quickly.

Marzipan loaves are one of the most iconic products that Niederegger make and I was excited to try this year’s flavour of the year- Hazelnut and Toffee. This is such a class combination, paired with another classic combination- marzipan and dark chocolate. I don’t usually like pieces of nut in my chocolate but the range of textures here works really well. A little bit of this goes a long way as it’s very rich, but totally delicious.
I took a pass on the rum variety is I do dislike alcohol in chocolate so I can’t comment on this (but I’m pretty sure it’s delicious if you like that kind of thing) but I am a VERY big fan of the black and white loaf; chocolate marzipan coated in semi-sweet chocolate and studded with chunks of dark and white chocolate. If you’re a fan of chocolate then you’re going to love this!

This is one of the prettiest packaged boxes of chocolate I have seen. The mini bakery desserts praline range is designed to replicate a trip to a New York coffee shop. The flavours here work really well, I’d say my favourite was toffee but I’d happily eat any of them again. Small but perfectly formed, this would make a lovely gift, or indulgent treat.

These banana and chocolate mini loaves were the product I was most excited for- this is the mini loaves flavour of the year and I hope it is made a permanent fixture. I strongly believe there aren’t enough banana flavoured products in the world, it’s one of my favourites. These loaves lived up to all of my expectations and more- the balance of bitter chocolate and sweet banana is spot on, the texture is amazing and well, I just can’t say enough good things about these.

I’m really excited to see what else Niederegger bring out, their flavours are intriguing and delicious. I’d love to see a giant banana loaf in the near future!
What are some of your favourite flavour combinations? And are you a marzipan lover or a hater?

Posted in brands I love, food, review

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Loungewear Life with Femme Luxe*

30th April 2020
Tracksuit c/o Femme Luxe*

Undoubtedly the biggest trend in fashion right now is loungewear, it might not be the most flattering of ensembles but it sure is comfortable, and very forgiving- perfect for accommodating all of those lockdown snacks!
I might be going to work each day, but trust me, the second I get home I am straight in to my comfy clothes, and this tracksuit that I was kindly sent by Femme Luxe is my new favourite thing to chill out in.

Tee c/o Femme Luxe*

Along with the tracksuit I was sent this t-shirt which is THE perfect oversized tee, ideal for wearing with the jogging bottoms for some hard work in our poor, neglected little garden, or for slinging on with jeans. This is literally my dream fit for a t-shirt (and yet I failed to get a decent photo of it) and I’ll definitely be picking up a few more for every day wear.

Lockdown life is strange, I’m not one of those people who can sit around the house doing not a lot. I like to be busy, I like to have missions and I think I’d be going stir-crazy if I didn’t have to leave the house each day for work.
But at the same time I am enjoying the enforced staying at home on the weekends, and on my birthday. Bob and I are working our way through Vikings on Amazon prime, we’ve finally started to overhaul our garden after neglecting it last year, and I’ve done more baking in the last few weeks than I have in the last few years.
I think this can teach us all some valuable lessons about how to relax, how to take pleasure in being at home. It’s hard not to see family or friends, especially when they all live so near by, but I know, personally that I’ll enjoy every second I get to spend with them once this ends.

See the full loungewear collection

One thing I will miss when things start to go back to normal is the wearing of pyjamas or loungewear all weekend long. Tracksuits for the weekend, a day in leggings and a giant blanket for my birthday… there’s nothing better after a manic day at work than changing in to a fresh set of comfies and collapsing on the sofa with a g&t in one hand and some snacks in the other!

Posted in brands I love, fashion, lifestyle, outfits, personal style

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A Girl Can Never Have Too Many Watches*

13th April 2020
Watch gifted by Nordgreen.com

Happy Easter Monday everyone! What a strange long weekend it has been, but a welcome break, and such glorious weather! Although it’s been sad not to spend the holiday with family, Bob and I made the best of it and cracked on sorting our garden out (well, he did most of the work), as well as spending some quality time in the sunshine on my beloved deckchair.

That’s not the point of this post though, the point is my new watch…
I do own quite a lot of watches, more than one for every day of the week, but that doesn’t stop me falling in love with new ones; I just can’t resist them. I was the same once with earrings, and then tights, and then shoes…now my collection of all of these things is lacking, but my time-telling wrist-wear stash is still growing, and growing strong.

The most recent addition to my collection comes from a brand called Nordgreen, who kindly gifted me their “Native” style watch in a gorgeous gunmetal colour.
I love the tough vibes this watch gives off, it goes so perfectly with my current dress style. The biggest win for the watch is how easy it is to adjust the strap size; often with this style I have to take it to the local watch repair shop to get it adjusted, but Bob managed make this the perfect fit for my oddly small wrists in seconds.
The other big win is that the straps on Nordgreen watches are interchangeable, meaning you can create a custom piece super easily (and you get a discount when you add one or two additional straps to your order.

You can also choose the watch diameter and strap width- I went for the smallest in each to create a more feminine looking piece. This watch is a unisex piece- and I’d be tempted to create a mid-range size one for Bob and I to share.

The ethics of the Nordgreen brand are admirable. For each watch purchased you can choose from one of three causes to give back to. The brand ethos is quality, sustainability and putting others first and I think they nail it. A danish brand created by lifelong friends- there is an unmistakable Scandi minimalism about their products, yet the attention to detail and craftsmanship is second to none.

What are your little clothes or accessory obsessions? And what have you been up to over the long weekend?




Posted in accessories, brands I love, watches

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