Review: New Nescafé Gold Vegan Oat, Almond & Coconut Latte Sachets

Nescafé Gold has released three new dairy-free varieties of their instant coffee sachets. I used to love these type of sachets when I was younger. I haven't had them for years but the release of these plant based lattes was enough to get me interested in coffee sachets again!

Each sachet is quite large and makes a decent 200ml of coffee. There are 66 calories per cup for the Oat and Almond varieties and 62 calories for the Coconut.

Almond Latte: Almond milk is my first choice of dairy free milk so I was excited to try this one first. It was sweeter than I was expecting with a mild coffee flavour. I would definitely have this as a soothing afternoon pick me up.

Oat Latte: This one was actually my favourite of the three. It seemed frothier and tasted creamier than the other two which made me enjoy it even more. 

Coconut Latte: The coconut aroma is quite strong here and leaves an aftertaste that I didn't really like. This is purely personal taste as I'm not really a fan of coconut milk. My vegan family members all enjoyed this one more than me.

Grocery Gems Review: Nescafé Gold Dairy-Free Oat, Almond & Coconut Latte

RATING: 7 out of 10 for the Oat and Almond.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Vegan:  Yes.
Purchased: Tesco.
Price: £2.50p each (currently on offer for 2 packs for £3.00p). 

Review: KIND Bars - Almond & Coconut and Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond

I was recently sent a selection of KIND bars to review. My favourites were the Almond & Coconut and Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond flavours - both very different but packed full of flavour and delicious ingredients.

KIND Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond: This bar is made with 58% whole almonds and is gluten and dairy free, with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.  The dark chocolate gives this bar a deliciously rich flavour without any bitterness, whilst the almonds are all super crunchy and full of flavour. The hint of coffee flavour that comes through adds to the deliciousness and is perfect for any coffee fan. 

KIND Almond & Coconut: The almond and coconut bar has a softer and chewier texture compared to the first dark chocolate bar. It's made up of 32% almonds and 27% coconut and is also gluten and dairy free with no added nasties. The crunchy almonds and soft coconut is such a wonderful combination and the flavours work together perfectly to create a deliciously sweet treat.

I'd never tried the range of KIND bars before but I will definitely be buying them in the future. The ingredients list is reassuringly simple but the flavours are all decadent and filling.

Grocery Gems Review: KIND Bars

RATING: Coconut & Almond: 9 out of 10, Dark Choc Mocha Almond: 10 out of 10.
Buy it again?: Yes.
Nutrition: Coconut & Almond: 194 calories, Dark Choc Mocha Almond: 199 calories. 
Purchased: Available at Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Amazon and Whole Foods. 
Price: £1.29p.

PR Samples.

Beech's Dark Chocolate Marzipan

I've been lucky enough to review some really gorgeous chocolates from the Beech's Fine Chocolate range in the past, and this month I was delighted to try out their classic Original Dark Chocolate Marzipan box. Made using own traditional recipe dating back to the 1930's, these Marzipan chocolates also contain the finest almonds, with only natural colours and flavourings. 

10% Discount Code:

Beech's have kindly offered my readers a 10% discount on all purchases until the end of July. Simply enter this promotional code at checkout - BFC24061410

www.beechsfinechocolates.com

The packaging is simple and sleek, but as with the rest of the Beech's chocolate box range, features a patterned background that gives it a classic yet distinctive appearance. Each box contains 150g, equating to 14 chocolates.

As always the dark chocolate coating used by Beech's is lovely, it has a rich cocoa flavour without being too strong or bitter. The inner marzipan filling has a gorgeous texture, slightly moist and dense, rather than crumbly or dry. It's absolutely delicious too, with the sweet almond flavour perfectly complimenting the dark chocolate covering. All my taste testers loved these chocolates, one of them said it reminded them of cake, which I thought was brilliant! I especially wanted my brother to give these a try as he loves dark chocolate covered marzipans, and he absolutely loved the combination here. 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Beech's Dark Chocolate Marzipan

Rating: 9 out of 10.
Buy it again: Yes.

Nutrition: 455 calories per 100g.

Vegetarian: Suitable for vegetarians.

Purchased: Available HERE

Price: £4.99.

Product sent for an honest review.

Review: New Alpen Trail Bars Fruits & Nuts

I seem to review cereal bars almost as often as yogurts! This new one from Alpen stood out to me because of the name "Trail Bars". The concept of a "trail mix" seems to be becoming more and more popular in the UK. It was only recently that my kids asked me to make them some trail mix after they saw Rigby enjoying some on an episode of Regular Show! Anyway, these new Alpen Trail Bars come in three varieties; Fruits & Nuts, Big Berries, and Chunky Nuts. I found the Fruits & Nuts variety in my local Tesco.

There are three Trail Bars in each multipack box (these are currently on offer for £1.50 in Tesco). I was quite surprised when I realised there was only three in the box, but these bars are very big, almost double the size of my usual cereal bars. They're described as high energy bars to help keep you going. So definitely more for say... sustenance on a long hiking trip or after some long distance running... rather than when sitting at your desk with a cup of coffee for a sugary rush. *ahem*

The flavours are all very good here, the oats are flavourful, the hazelnuts and almonds are crunchy, whilst the raisins are sweet and plump. All the ingredients work well together but, what with the sugary syrup that holds the bar together and the abundant raisins, I found the whole thing too sweet for me. I think I would prefer the Chunky Nuts version of this bar without all the added raisins. Having said that I did enjoy eating my bar with a strong cup of coffee and it's a very satisfying and filling snack.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Alpen Trail Bars Fruits & Nuts

RATING: 7.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: I'd try the other varieties too.
Nutrition: 185 calories (48g bar). 
Vegetarian: Yes.
Purchased: Tesco. 
Price: £1.50  for a three pack (offer price).