New Instore: Asda Jaffa Cake Ice Creams & A Hidden Surprise Easter Cake!

Asda Jaffa Cake Ice Creams: Many thanks to Ash via Twitter for this fab photo and find. These Jaffa Cake Ice Creams are described as having layers of zesty ice cream, orange jelly and soft sponge, all wrapped in a milk chocolate flavour shell. I really have to try these! £2.00p at Asda. 

Image: Asda

Asda Egg-Splat Surprise Chocolate Cake: I couldn't resist sharing this fun looking cake that I spotted on the Asda website. It's a chocolate sponge cake with a hidden surprise gooey fondant centre - basically it's a Creme Egg in cake form!

It really does look like a great cake - I'll definitely be heading to Asda to buy one for the Easter weekend! £8.00 at Asda.

As always, if you've spotted or bought any interesting new products then I'd love to hear from you too - grocerygems@gmail.com or @grocerygems.

Degustabox March: Surprise Foodie Box & Discount Code!

The latest Degustabox arrived yesterday and this month's box is full of sweet treats, perfect with Easter just around the corner. For anyone who hasn't seen my previous posts, Degustabox is a monthly foodie subscription that delivers a surprise selection of exciting products from new and established brands. Opening up the Degustabox each month is always an event to look forward to, and even though we never know what's inside, it's always a great mix of useful groceries and new goodies.

Discount Code: OWC2W

Each Degustabox costs £12.99 a month, which includes delivery. There is no fixed contract involved and you can cancel at any time. Degustabox have kindly provided my readers with the following Discount Code for £3.00 off your next Degustabox, bringing the cost to £9.99 delivered. Simply enter the code - OWC2W.

Here's a quick round up of all the products inside the March Degustabox:

Jordans Lighter Granola: A massive 550g bag of Jordans Lighter Granola - Strawberry & Blueberry flavour. Jordans Ligher Granola is made with all natural ingredients and contains 30% less fat than standard granolas and is high in fibre too. It's made with barley and wholegrain oats, alongside freezedried berries. I loved the bag of Jordans Simply Granola that was included in a Degustabox last year so I was very happy to see this new lighter version included this month.

Bassetts Jelly Babies Berry Mix: There are two bags of sweets including in the March Degustabox. The first is this bag of Jelly Babies featuring the popular berry flavours of blackcurrant, raspberry and strawberry. I must admit that the berry flavoured Jelly Babies are my favourites so this pack really appeals to me - no lemon ones to leave at the bottom of the pack!

Maynards Sour Patch Kids: I've reviewed these Maynards Sour Patch Kids before, and also the Sour Patch Kids Soda Popz version too. They're a fun combination of sweet and sour, with an initial sour coating, followed by the sweet and soft jelly of the inner sweet. 

Crabbie's Alcoholic Fruits: When signing up to Degustabox, I believe you get the choice between alcoholic or non-alcoholic boxes. The alcoholic version this month contains two bottles of Crabbie's Alcoholic Fruits in Raspberry & Rhubarb, and Black Cherry flavours.

JuiceBurst Drinks: I always enjoy trying out new brands so I couldn't wait to try these JuiceBurst drinks. These drinks are packed full of fruit and are available in 14 different flavours. The JuiceBurst Skinny Mango & Lime had a lovely, natural flavour that is very fruity but not too sweet. I also enjoyed the JuiceBurst Cranberry with it's crisp and refreshing fruity flavour.

Kent's Kitchen Posh Noodles: I was really pleased to see Kent's Kitchen included again in the Degustabox as I've really enjoyed all the products I've tried previously. This one is a little different, as it's not a Kents Kitchen Meal Kit, but an instant pot of Spicy Szechuan Posh Noodles - it just needs hot water and a quick stir! 

BBQUE Barbecue Sauce: A large (393ml) bottle of Original Bavarian barbecue sauce. The BBQUE brand is available in four flavours; Original, Grill & Beechwood, Honey & Mustard, and Chilli & Horseradish. The matte black bottle is truly unique in appearance and kind of looks like it should contain engine oil! No doubt Mr. Grocery Gems will be giving this sauce a go soon!

Natvia Sweetener: Natvia is a 100% naturally sourced alternative to artificial sweeteners and sugar. It's derived from stevia and has zero calories per serving. It can be used in tea and coffee but is also useful for cooking and baking too. 

Brioche Pasquier Baked Bread Bites: This is such a cute idea - each bag contains Bacon flavour Baked Bread Bites, made with French bread, and has less than 90 calories. They're described as an alternative to potato crisps and are lower in saturated fat than crisps, and are also free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. I haven't had a chance to give these a try yet but I like the idea of bacon flavoured bread!

Lindt Lindor Assorted Mini Eggs: Without a doubt my favourite product in this months Degustabox are the two bags (yes TWO!!) of Lindt Lindor Assorted Mini Eggs. This is such a perfect treat for Easter! Each bag has an assortment of milk, white and dark chocolates in delightful gold packaging with a spring inspired design.

Overall I was delighted with the selection I received from Degustabox and it's up there with my favourite boxes so far. This month, I was especially pleased with the Jordans Lighter Granola, BBQUE sauce, Brioche Pasquier, and, of course, the Lindt Lindor selection. If you're a subscriber then I'd love to hear your thoughts on this months Degustabox selection in the comments below.

For more details:
Degustabox website: www.degustabox.com

Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DegustaboxUK
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DegustaboxUK

I received a Degustabox in order to provide an honest review.

Review: Lidl Bellarom Milk Chocolate with Neo

Lidl always has a very tempting selection of chocolates, with many interesting flavours compared to other supermarkets, but it was the Bellarom Milk Chocolate with Neo that caught my eye on my last visit. If you've never heard of Neo biscuits before, they're basically the Lidl equivalent of Oreo cookies. It's a fun idea for Lidl to offer a chocolate bar with their own brand of cookies inside.

The packaging has a fantastic appearance, with a classic foil and paper wrapping, within a cardboard sleeve. The chocolate bar itself is very thick and chunky and weighs in at a hefty 200g - all great considering it only costs £0.99p.

Everything about the flavour is exactly as I had hoped. The chocolate has a great cocoa flavour with a creamy, smooth melt. There are plenty of large cookie pieces in each segment, providing lots of extra sweetness and crunch. It's nice to have the cookie pieces within the chocolate itself rather than within a "creme" or softer centre. Of course the Bellarom Milk Chocolate with Neo is quite a sweet bar overall, and a few pieces go a long way to satisfying a chocolate craving, but it's definitely one I would buy again. 

Grocery Gems Review: Lidl Bellarom Milk Chocolate with Neo

RATING: 8 out of 10.

Buy it again?: Yes.
Purchased: Lidl.
Price: £0.99p (200g bar).

New Instore at Tesco: Disney Frozen Pizza, Vegan Ice Cream Cones & More!

A selection of new items spotted at Tesco this week:

Goodfellas Little Fella's Disney Frozen Enchanted Chicken Pizza: Giving a whole new meaning to the words "frozen pizza". The packaging looks good with the Disney Frozen but the theming doesn't seem to go beyond the box... enchanted chicken flavour?? The pizza is made with low fat mozarella and wholemeal flour for added fibre. £1.50p at Tesco.

Goodfellas Little Fella's Cheese & Tomato Pizza: There is also a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse version available. It's a shame it isn't a Mickey shaped pizza - I'm sure Tesco used to sell those a few years back. £1.50p at Tesco.

Tesco Salted Caramel Dairy Ice Creams: I've already heard that these are really good so I can't wait to give them a try! They're dairy ice creams coated with Belgian chocolate with a salted caramel filling. £2.00p at Tesco.

Walkers MixUps Popcorn Mix Sweet & Spicy: I've already reviewed most of the Walkers MixUps range but I haven't tried this Popcorn Sweet & Spicy mix. £1.00p at Tesco.

Robinsons Fruit Shoot Limited Edition Peach & Mango: I don't buy this range for my kids so I'm not entirely sure if there have been limited editions in the past or not. £1.89p at Tesco.

Tesco Sweet Potato, Paneer & Spinach Bakes: I often buy vegetarian burgers as they make a quick dinner with some salad or cous cous on the side. I'll have a review of these soon. £1.75p at Tesco.

Tesco Free From Strawberry & Vanilla Cones: These are free from dairy, wheat and gluten, and suitable for vegans. That's right - an "ice cream" cone that is suitable for vegans! This is really exciting and I'm sure they will be very popular. £2.00p at Tesco.

If you've spotted or bought any interesting new products then I'd love to hear from you - grocerygems@gmail.com.

Review: Müller Rice Remix Greek Inspired - Apple

A quick review for the new Greek Inspired Müller Rice Remix Apple flavour. I don't usually buy Müller Rice but I couldn't resist the description of the rice flavoured with a 'hint of cinnamon'. This is much more appealing to me than regular rice pudding.

I was hoping that the 'hint of cinnamon' would actually be a stronger than just a 'hint' and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The rice has a lovely golden brown colouring with plenty of cinnamon spice throughout. The flavour is deliciously creamy with a well balanced cinnamon flavour - not too strong or too weak. The apple compote on the side has a sweet stewed apple flavour and adds some additional fruitiness and sweetness. However, I could happily enjoy the rice on it's own without the fruit - it's all about the cinnamon for me!

There is also a Strawberry flavour available too - let me know if you've tried that one.

Grocery Gems Review: Müller Rice Remix Greek Inspired - Apple

RATING: 8 out of 10.

Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition (per 100g): 107 calories - each pot is 150g.
Purchased: Asda.
Price: £1.96p (multipack).

Review: Cornetto Cookies 'n' Dream Ice Cream Cones

In the review for the new Cornetto Peanut Butter Love I mentioned that there were also two other flavours available: Cookies 'n' Dream and Cornetto Caramel. I have a weakness for ice cream and cookie combinations so I couldn't wait to try the new Cornetto Cookies 'n' Dream.

Each cone is filled with a cookie flavoured ice cream with chocolate chips and a chocolate sauce core, which is topped off with a chocolate disc filled with cookie pieces. The appearance has the same unique look as the Cornetto Peanut Butter Love, with the solid circle of chocolate on top. This chocolate disc is very tasty, with a lots of lovely crunch from the cookie pieces, but can be a bit challenging to bite into!

The ice cream has a strong vanilla flavour with little flecks of chocolate. As expected the core was very chocolaty and complimented the ice cream well. It's quite a rich, dark tasting chocolate, and with the addition of a chocolate wafer too, this is definitely an ice cream cone for chocoholics! I would have liked to have a bit more of a cookie element within the ice cream itself, perhaps with cookie pieces instead of the chocolate chips. However, this is still a very delicious ice cream cone and it's miles better than the Cornetto Enigma Cookie. 

Grocery Gems Review: Cornetto Cookies 'n' Dream

RATING: 7 out of 10.

Buy them again?: Yes.
Purchased: Asda.
Price: £3.00p (box of four).

New Instore: Asda Celebration Cakes, Yogurts & Ice Cream (Part 3!)

Another round up of new products spotted at Asda - they're on a roll at the moment! A big thanks to Lucy W. for letting me know about the new cakes. As usual, Asda is following the latest trends in the world of cake decorating (such as with their Piñata Cake), in releasing their version of the popular gravity cakes. These cakes usually involve a cascading effect above the cake, often using candy such as M&M's. Asda has take a slightly different approach!

Asda American Waffles & Syrup Gravity Cake (photo above): This celebration cake already looks impressive with it's cake design of a stack of waffles covered in syrup, bacon and butter. However, the real fun comes in the extra attachment, a bottle of syrup decoration that, once added, will look like it's pouring syrup on the cake. £12.00p at Asda.

Asda Pub Grub Pie & Gravy Gravity Cake: For a more British inspired version there is the Pub Grub Pie & Gravy Cake which even has fondant chips and a pile of peas on the side. This one has a gravy boat attachment which will look like it's pouring gravy on the cake. £12.00p at Asda.

M&M's Chocolate Celebration Cake: Asda had a M&M's Sofa Celebration Cake instore last year but it seems that the design has changed to this bathtub version. It's really bright and colourful but I wonder how it tastes? Let me know if you've tried it! £10.00p at Asda.

Hello Kitty Celebration Cake: This is slightly different design to the Hello Kitty Celebration Cake available at Asda last year. Is it wrong that I want this as my birthday cake? £10.00p at Asda.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Celebration Cake: One of the best things about the range of celebration cakes at Asda is that they always have an up to date selection of popular character cakes available. They also had a Big Hero 6 Celebration Cake instore. £10.00p at Asda.

Asda Monster Truck Mania Cake: Asda continue to release some really fun cakes too - this Monster Truck Mania cake is just awesome! £10.00p at Asda.

Asda Ripplicious Ice Creams: Thank you to Lot-O-Choc who commented on a previous post with details about this new Ripplicious range. I only spotted two varieties; Café Latte and White Chocolate & Passion Fruit, but I know there are various other flavours available too. £2.75p at Asda.

Rowntrees Randoms Minis: A new addition to the growing trend for mini ice lollies. The Rowntrees Randoms Ice Lollies come in a box of 12 lollies with three different flavours; lemon and lime, orange and strawberry. They consist of a fruit-flavoured outer layer with a marshmallow ice cream and a blackcurrant jelly centre. I'm sure I'll buy these in the future. Let me know in the comments if you've tried them! £2.48p at Asda.

Jammie Dodgers Jammie Bakes: These actually look really good - they're packs of large biscuits with a jammy filling. There are two flavours; Raspberry or Apricot. £1.59p at Asda.

Minions Iced Biscuits: Large tubs of Minions shaped cookies decorated with yellow icing. I've also seen these available in smaller multipack bags with exactly the same biscuits inside. £2.00p at Asda.

Twix Creamy Mix Yogurts: These consist of yogurt on a layer of caramel sauce with a side portion of chewy chocolate and biscuit pieces. There is also a Mars version available. £0.99p at Asda.

Ski Mousse Limited Edition Peach Mousse & Raspberry Sauce: I first tried this range with the Ski Mousse Coconut & Chocolate edition. I'll definitely be trying this Peach & Raspberry combination too. £1.00 (four pack) at Asda.

Müller Bliss Whipped Greek Style Crunchy Almond Clusters: I reviewed the Müller Bliss range when it was first released last year. This new Crunchy Almond Clusters flavour doesn't really appeal to me but if you've tried it then I'd love to know what you thought! There is also a new Mango & Passion fruit variety available. £1.50p (four pack) at Asda.

Müller Püd Corner: I finally managed to spot the new Müller Püd Corner desserts in two flavours; Toffee Dessert and Chocolate Dessert. They were also available to purchase as individual pots. £2.49p (four pack) at Asda.

Müller Rice Remix Greek Inspired: These look great, not so much because of the fruit flavours (apple and raspberry), but because the rice is flavoured with cinnamon. That's enough to make me want to try these. £1.96p at Asda.

Müller Hawaiian Dream Corner Multipack: At first this didn't look very exciting, I thought it was just the multipack of the Hawaiian Dream Pineapple limited edition (which I bought a few weeks ago but haven't reviewed yet). However, on closer inspection this multipack contains 3 x Coconut Crunch Yogurts and 3 x Mango Crunch Yogurt. Since coconut and mango happen to be my favourite yogurt flavours I'm ridiculously happy about this! £3.98p at Asda. 

As always, if you've spotted or bought any interesting new products then I'd love to hear from you too - grocerygems@gmail.com.

Review: Müller Light Goodies Yogurt - Lemon Meringue

Müller Light have expanded their range of yogurts with the addition of the Müller Light Goodies range. These are essentially slightly smaller Müller Corner yogurts - with less calories and lower in fat too. There are three varieties in the range: Lemon Meringue, Strawberry, and Smooth Toffee. I'll be reviewing all the flavours but I decided to start with the Lemon Meringue. 

The lemon yogurt is very similar in texture and taste to the standard Müller Light pots - lightly creamy with a refreshing flavour. I enjoyed the mildy zesty and sweet lemon flavour here. The side portion of meringue balls add plenty of extra sweetness and perfectly complimented the lemony yogurt. Even though these are smaller than regular Müller Corner yogurts (107g compared to 135g) I still found them filling and satisfying as a sweet treat.

If you follow a Slimming World diet then I believe these are 2.5 syns each. I can't wait to try the other flavours in the range!

Grocery Gems Review: Müller Light Goodies - Lemon Meringue

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition (per pot):  97 calories.

Purchased: Asda.
Price: £0.94p (four pack).

Review: Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Ice Creams - Salted Caramel & Sour Cherry

When I first spotted the flavours of the new Cadbury Marvellous Ice Creams range I wasn't really tempted to try any of them. However, the fact that they are only £2.47p a tub in Asda at the moment made them hard to resist. There are four flavours available in the range, Fairground Candy Crunch, Jelly Popping Candy, Salted Caramel & Sour Cherry, and Zingy Raspberry Chocolate Brownie. I decided to try out the flavour which looked slightly more appealing to me than the rest - Salted Caramel & Sour Cherry. 

The Cadbury Marvellous Ice Creams Salted Caramel & Sour Cherry is described as Salted Caramel Chocolate flavoured ice creams, swirled with Cadbury Dairy Milk, Sour Cherries, Sea Salted Biscuit Pieces, and Praline Almonds. 

Digging into the ice cream a little, I could soon see the plentiful additions of cherries, biscuit pieces, and almond pieces. The swirls of Dairy Milk chocolate took a little longer to find and are actually hard swirls of solid pieces. I'll start with a description of the ice cream itself as I have to admit I was quite disappointed by the flavour here.

The ice cream quality is comparable to supermarket own brand ice creams rather than more "luxury" brands. That's not necessarily a bad thing in itself, the ice cream has a lighter texture and is still quite creamy whilst not being too heavy to eat. The Chocolate ice cream swirls had a good chocolate flavour but the Salted Caramel element lacked any "salted" element at all. It just tastes like a fairly bland caramel flavoured ice cream.

Thankfully there is some salted flavour in this ice in the form of the "Sea Salted Biscuit Pieces". They're very salty and a bit strange, with the flavour of a savoury cracker but the texture of a biscuit. Alongsides these salty pieces are the praline almond chunks, which are very sweet and have a lovely caramelised nutty flavour and crunchy texture. The cherry pieces also add extra sweetness as they don't have any sour edge to them at all, which is odd considering the name of the ice cream. However, they do provide a nice chewy texture and fruity flavour. 

The Dairy Milk swirls (which you can see in the centre of the photo above) are thin pieces of solid chocolate. They cracked quite easily and it was lovely to have the sweetness of the Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate within the icecream. I have to admit that I'm quite a slow ice cream eater, so without Mr. Grocery Gems helping me out to eat this one (he's not interested in these types of Cadbury products - see this review!), I haven't managed to get to the bottom of this tub yet. Other reviews have shown a large mass of Dairy Milk at the bottom so I'll update this review if that is the case here.

When I first tried this ice cream, the lack of any salted caramel or sour cherry flavour, meant I was going to give it a very low rating, However, the more I ate it, the more I enjoyed it. Each spoonful is a slightly different experience to the last and it won me over with it's interesting combination of texture and flavours. At £2.47p it's definitely worth a try but I don't think I would recommend buying it at the usual price of £4.00p.

Grocery Gems Review: Cadbury Marvellous Ice Creams - Salted Caramel & Sour Cherry

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: I might try the other flavours.
Nutrition (per 100g):  232 calories.

Vegetarian: Yes.
Purchased: Asda.
Price: £2.47p (special offer).