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!

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The August Degustabox- back to school and on the go*

31st August 2020

Box gifted by Degustabox
This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.

How is it even the end of August and almost back to school time? This year has flown by more than usual, I suppose because everything is just so bloody strange. My head is stuck in March, and yet here we are on the last bank holiday before Christmas.

This month’s Degustabox looked promising from the second I opened it. The products had a back to school/on the go theme and you can see what I made of them by reading on…

First up are these Great British Puds chew bars from Swizzels. I’d actually already tried these, having made my Mum track them down for me a couple of months ago. As the name suggests, these are based on some top traditional puddings- rhubarb crumble and sticky toffee pudding were my favourites. Well worth the £1 per bag and available from selected Asda, Morrisons, Co-op, One Stop, B&M, Home Bargains, McColl’s, Premier and Spar stores.

One good thing to come out of lockdown, and a habit we’ve continued is that Bob and I both take packed lunches to work with us every day. We are always looking for new ideas to try, and this Capsicana Mexican chilli and honey cooking paste was a great addition to some chicken for salads and wraps. £1.50 per sachet from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado. This did us four lunches so was well worth the money.

Pick Up! biscuits are Bob’s favourite packed lunch treat. The Choco Hazelnut and Choco & Milk were both big winners, so now I need to try and get hold of these as well as the standard Milk Chocolate ones to keep him happy! £1.69 for a pack of 5 from most major supermarkets (I often get them on offer for £1).

I wasn’t sure what to make of these Pea Powered Curls from Simpleas at first as they are unlike anything I’ve had before. It didn’t take long before I was hooked- super crunchy and full of flavour as well as being gluten free and high in protein and fibre. Amazing for 88 calories per bag, I wish they were more widely available! £1.09 per bag from WH Smiths, Skinny Food Company, Independent Farm Shops and on simpleas-snacks.co.uk.

Bob tried these Boundless nuts and seeds in Cayenne and Rosemary from Boundless as the flavour wasn’t for me. A great healthier option for on the go, and he said the flavour was great. £1.50 from Sainsbury’s (£1 there), Holland & Barrett, John Lewis as well as As Nature Intended, Revital and Independent stores.

I saw these RXBARs everywhere when we were in America and regretted not trying them. Made with the shortest ingredients list I think I’ve ever seen, these are pricey at £2.50 but the peanut butter and chocolate flavour was a hit in my eyes (this flavour combo makes anything a winner!). I’d get these again if on offer as there are a few flavours I’d like to try. Available from Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Amazon and rxbar.com.

I didn’t try the Swisse Me start me Chia smoothie as this kind of thing just isn’t my cup of tea. I’m sure it’s great though, for those who are too busy to breakfast at home and want something healthy. £1.80 from swisseme.com.
I loved the blueberry and banana sachet from The Great British Porridge Co. I’m stocking up on these for our next camping trip as you just need boiling water to make a delicious and hot breakfast. £1.50 each and I’ve seen the brand stocked in Waitrose.
Chai lovers will already be aware of Drink me Chai. I personally tend to use their powders to make a chai tea loaf- the perfect Autumnal bake.

I love the Twinings cold infuse range as a whole, although this wasn’t a flavour for me. These are perfect for livening up plain water without adding loads of sugar to get some flavour. £3/79 per pot and available in all major supermarkets in a wide range of flavours.
Bob is the cold coffee connoisseur in our house and rated this Iced Coffee from Master Cafe very highly indeed. Bonus points for the gorgeous packaging. £1.50 per can and also available in Iced Coffee Latte Mocha from Amazon, snaxemporium.com and selected convenience stores across the UK.

Another new favourite for the camping snacks stash are these salted caramel protein flapjacks from Trek. I was late to the salted caramel love, but now I’m obsessed. These are a great addition to the brand’s range, and ideal for refuelling after a long walk – be it on the beach or trying to find your way back to your tent on a dark campsite! £2.50 for three from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Tesco, Ocado and Amazon.

Sunny Fruit Mix-Ups from Whitworths might be aimed at kids but I love these as a work snack too. The strawberries are lovely with the sultanas and they squish a sugar craving really well. £2 from all major supermarket chains.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought in the comments, it’s always great to get other people’s thoughts.

If you’re new to Degustabox, it’s a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money.
On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.

If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim £3.00 off of your first box (making it just £9.99!) by entering the code XOQGC at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.

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The July Degustabox- it’s Summer time!*

31st July 2020

It’s Summer! As I write this, it’s the most glorious July day and I’m enjoying a relaxing day (yay week off!) before going camping in Dorset for the weekend. It’s the perfect day to be writing my review of the July Degustabox as this month it had a Summer theme to it. There were some awesome products inside so let’s crack on.

Inside this month’s box was a surprise bag containing these sachets of sauces from The Skinny Food Co. I’ve seen this brand all over social media so I was curious to try their products. I don’t think I want to know how they make these zero calorie products but I admit they are pretty good- the white chocolate was a fab addition to breakfast and the others were all good too, oddly sweet, but fine. Perfect for anyone watching their weight but missing condiments- personally I’ll stick to the real deal but they were fun to try. Available from SkinnyFoodCo.com, Morrisons, Spar and COOP.

I’ve reviewed these ManiLife peanut butters before and my opinion still stands- these are great and I urge any peanut butter fan to give these a go. My favourite is the deep roast crunchy peanut butter for it’s awesome flavour. These retail at 60p and you’ll find the brand stocked in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado and ManiLife.com.

I love protein bars for on the go snacks and I’m always looking for new brands to try. Premier Protein packed their Chocolate Brownie Bar with 20g protein and only 1.3g of sugar. It tastes great and I’m excited to try their other flavours; White Chocolate Vanilla and Chocolate Peanut Butter. £1.49 each from Ocado and WHSmith Travel.

This Golden Creek Maple Syrup Blended with Sugar Syrup was the perfect excuse for a fluffy American Pancake breakfast. Whilst our preference is for pure Maple Syrup, it’s expensive and at £2.49 this is the best tasting and most reasonably priced alternative we’ve tried. Nice one Golden Creek! Available from Ocado and Home Bargains.

These Plant Pops popped lotus seeds were my product of the month. I had no idea what to expect from these and they are impossible to describe, but so delicious and addictive. The peanut butter flavour was subtle but there and worked perfectly. I think there are other flavours available too which I am desperate to try- my only grumble is that they are £1.50 per bag which means I can’t afford to make them a regular snack. They are also not yet widely available but you can find them on Amazon, plantpopsnacks.com, TheVeganKind Supermarket, Harvey Nichols, Londis and Budgens.

I’m not a big fan of Stevia so I haven’t yet used the Natvia Natural Sweetener from this month’s box, however I have used the brand before in baking with great results so it’s definitely a winner if you’re a Stevia fan or trying to cut down on your sugar. £5 a tub from Tesco, Ocado, Tree of Life and Health Food Stores.
Nesquik is much more up my alley. Bob pounced on this all natural milkshake powder immediately. Made from just 5 natural ingredients this has the taste of Nesquik that we know and love with nothing nasty added. Bonus points for the fully recyclable packaging! £1.89 from Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

I didn’t get a look in with the Bebeto party mix! Bob took these on a car journey with him and came back full of praise for the fizzy gummies. I’ve started to see this brand more and more in the UK lately and I’m excited to try them for myself. At £2 for the tub this is great for summer picnics and parties. Available at Morrisons, selected Spar stores and Bestways- I’ve also spied the brand in some of the discount stores near me so keep your eyes peeled!

The Minor Figures Nitro Cold Brew coffee scared the life out of me when I opened it! When you open it the nitrogen is released to create a silky microfoam- quite the shock if you don’t know what to expect. This is a light, dairy free drink with no added sugar. It wasn’t something I’d buy again personally but I know people love this brand so it’s down to me having a quite basic palette when it comes to drinks I think! £1.95 each from Wholefoods, Planet Organic, Sourced Markets, As Nature Intended, Ocado, WHSmiths Travel, Holland & Barrett and nationwide independents.
Next up on the drinks front we have Pravha lighter tasting pilsner. I’m not a lager fan but this went down well served chilled- more so with Bob than myself but I would drink again. £2 from major supermarket chains.
Finally we have the curiously named Wunda milk alternative. I regularly use non-dairy milk in porridge as I prefer the taste so I was quite excited, if a little apprehensive about trying this after reading it’s made from peas. This doesn’t launch until 2021 but I am very much going to be buying this when it does. It tastes great and is fabulous in porridge, on cereal and in hot drinks. It’s high protein, low sugar, low fat and fortified with vitamins A, D, B2 and B12. A real superhero product, worth it’s £1.99 RRP.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought in the comments, it’s always great to get other people’s thoughts.

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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?

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The June Degustabox- Picnic Time*

21st June 2020

Welcome back to the only regular blog post I seem to be able to write! The June 2020 Degustabox had a picnic theme to it, and was packed full of products that I couldn’t wait to try. The boxes seem to be getting better by the month at the minute, and this one was great!