Degustabox Review - Surprise Foodie Box & Discount Code!

The latest Degustabox arrived with a fun 'Picnic' theme. It was packed full of my favourite type of foodie products - snacks! Check out all the products I received in this surprise foodie box below as well as a discount code for £7 off.

Discount Code - £7 off: 8TL75

Degustabox is a monthly foodie subscription service that sends out a range of specially selected foodie products. There's always a great mix of new products that I haven't tried before, as well as plenty of treats from more established brands. Each Degustabox costs £12.99, delivery costs are included in the price, and there is no fixed contract involved - you can cancel at any time.

The discount code is a massive £7 off, making the first box only £5.99 delivered! Check out the Degustabox website below and enter the new discount code: 8TL75

www.degustabox.com/en

The selection of products can vary but here's a quick round up of all the products I received in the May Degustabox:

MOMA Gluten Free Raspberry & Coconut Bircher Muesli: This ticks so many boxes in my 'ideal product' list. The raspberry and coconut flavour is one of my favourite combinations anyway but I was delighted to see it in a muesli. I also love the fact that this is a bircher muesli and can be pre-prepared and left overnight soaked in apple juice and a few spoons of yogurt. It's such a delicious and filling treat.

Homepride Strong White Bread Flour: I have a bread machine that we use on a fairly regular basis, although more for making banana bread than actual bread. So far I've used this Homepride Strong White Bread Flavour to make pizza bases and bread rolls and it's given perfect results every time.

Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer: Crabbie's Ginger Beer is crafted for 6 weeks using real Asian ginger and a secret recipe. It's a lovely refreshing drink with a pleasantly warming ginger flavour. This product is included in the alcohol version of the Degustabox only.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Peanut Caramel Crisp: I haven't tried any of the Cadbury Dairy Milk Big Taste range so I was excited to find this huge bar in the Degustabox. The description of this bar is epic- a peanut filling with peanut pieces and crunchy crispies, all topped off with goey caramel and peanut halves. As a peanut fan I had high expectations for this one and it certainly didn't disappoint. The peanut flavour comes through superbly and is sheer perfection with the sweetness of the caramel and Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate. This is one of the best new Cadbury chocolate bars I've tried for ages. I just have to get my hands on the original Milka version next time!

Hippeas: This new range is made with organic chickpeas to create a delicious puffed snack. The flavour 'In Herbs We Trust' is absolutely delicious - packed full of Mediterranean flavours such as rosemary and oregano. The ingredients list is reassuringly simple and handily makes these snacks vegan and gluten free. The snacks don't really taste of chickpea and I certainly wouldn't have guess if I hadn't known - they're just very satisfying and moreish! I would definitely buy these again.

Portlebay Popcorn: There are two flavours available in this Degustabox; either Wasabi & Sweet Ginger or Sweet Thai Siracha.  I'm a big fan of authentic Siracha sauce but I'm not as keen on Siracha flavoured snacks. This one has a strong chilli and manages to successfully capture that unique Siracha flavour. 

Millions: Three packs of Millions sweets including the new Chocolate Covered Strawberry Millions and Sour Strawberry Millions. The chocolate covered ones are surprisingly tasty!

Cereal Lovers CrunchTime Nuggets: A crunchy, yet chewy, cereal snack made with oats and seeds and flavoured with nutmeg, cinnamon and orange. I often snack on cereal so I liked the idea of these nuggets and I enjoyed the strong cinnamon flavour.

Candy Kittens: I've always wanted to try this brand so I was pleased to find a large packet in the Degustabox of the Eton Mess flavour. These Candy Kittens are made with natural flavours and colouring and are gluten free. The flavour and texture here is enjoyable but I couldn't really detect the 'Eton Mess' element, they reminded me more of blackcurrant sweets.

Zeo Peach & Grapefruit: Zeo drinks are all natural, low calorie soft drinks made with natural fruit juices and botanicals. I really enjoyed this Peach & Grapefruit flavour, it had a strong peachy flavour with a zingy citrus finish.

Deli Kitchen Skinni Wraps: These wraps have a very unique shape, pointy at one end, that makes them super easy for making sandwiches or savoury wraps with no mess. They're also less than 100 calories per large wrap.

Raw Bean Bags Striking El Salvador: A very innovative new way to enjoy a filter coffee. These one-cup pyramid shaped coffee bean bags are easy to use and create a delicious cup of coffee. I'm a bit of a coffee addict and these really hit the spot!

That's the full packed list! I was really impressed with this month's surprise selection from Degustabox. I especially enjoyed the Moma Bircher cereal (a new favourite!), Hippeas and Cadbury Dairy Milk Big Taste. 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

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Review: New Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Peanut Butter Flavour & Mint Flavour

It's been ages since I last reviewed a chocolate bar but believe me it's not because I don't eat them anymore. No, it's simply that I haven't found anything new recently that appealed enough to me to review. That is until I spied these new Oreo flavours from Cadbury Dairy Milk. As a fan of the original - see my review from all the way back in 2012 of the Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo - I knew I had to give these new varieties a try. Also, peanut butter and mint are two of my favourite flavours anyway (not together obviously!).

Fun spoiler alert: This is a split review - I loved one bar and hated the other. Can you guess which?

Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Peanut Butter Flavour Review: This one is simply described on the packaging as a 'milk chocolate with a peanut butter flavour filling'. In fact it's so much more than that as it's also jam packed full of crunchy Oreo pieces. As soon as I opened the packaging I could immediately tell this was a peanut butter flavoured bar, the scent is immediately very peanutty. I liked the familiar creamy and crunchy texture here, which is just like the original Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo bar but that's just about the only good thing I can say about this one. 

Unfortunately, the actual peanut butter flavour didn't work for me or live up to the promise of that initial opening. Peanut butter is a fairly simple flavour in my mind to get right and this just doesn't capture it at all. Instead the flavour that I'm getting is a bitter peanut one with a hint of salt and a weird aftertaste of coffee. In fact I'm getting queasy just thinking about it. I could only eat a few pieces of this one and it will never darken my tastebuds again. I'm sorry Cadbury, but don't worry there's much better news below!

Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Mint Flavour Review: Have I ever mentioned before how much I like a mint flavoured chocolate? Especially when it's not a classy dark chocolate affair but just a crazy sweet milk chocolate like the Aero Mint Bubbles. Luckily for my taste buds they were much happier after trying the Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Mint. It has all the crunchiness from the Oreo pieces coupled with a smooth and deliciously creamy mint filling. It's not going to break any boundaries for flavour innovation but it's a solidly tasty chocolate. Taste buds rejoice!

Grocery Gems Review:Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Peanut Butter Flavour & Mint Flavour

RATING: Peanut Butter - 3 out of 10, Mint - 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Peanut Butter - No, Mint - Yes.
Nutrition:  84 calories per 3 chunks.
Vegetarian: Suitable for Vegetarians.
Purchased: Co-Op.
Price: £1.00p each 120g bar.

Review: Cadbury Dairy Milk Egg 'n' Spoon Oreo

It's the start of a new year so that only means one thing - it's time for Easter! Amongst all the usual Easter products that are now appearing in the supermarkets is this new gem - the Cadbury Dairy Milk Egg 'n' Spoon Oreo. 

Just like previous products in the Cadbury Dairy Milk Egg 'n' Spoon range, there are four mousse-filled chocolate eggs in a purple carton. 

Inside the Oreo egg is a soft vanilla mousse filling with Oreo Biscuit pieces. The mousse has quite a thick texture but it's still soft enough to be spoonable. The biscuit pieces add plenty of crunch to the texture and work perfectly with the sweet and creamy flavour. It's all extremely sugary, especially with the Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate outer egg, but the creaminess balances out the flavours and creates a lovely sweet treat. 

As a fan of the Cadbury Dairy Milk with Oreo chocolate bar (which is one of the few Cadbury products I buy anymore), I'll definitely be buying a few more packs of the Egg 'n' Spoon Oreo closer to Easter. I'd take these over a  Cadbury Creme Egg anyday! 

Grocery Gems Review: Cadbury Egg 'n' Spoon Oreo

RATING: 7 out of 10
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition (per egg 34g): 191 calories.
Vegetarian: Suitable for vegetarians symbol on pack.
Purchased: Co-Op.
Price: £2.00p.

Review: Cadbury Freddo Drinking Chocolate

The weather is super crazy hot where I am so what do I decide to review? That's right - hot chocolate. But it's not the only reason why this review is a total fail. It's also because I fell for an annoying marketing trick - rebranding an existing product to make it look different. Is this Cadbury Freddo Drinking Chocolate different from any other Cadbury Drinking Chocolate? The answer is - nope. 

The ingredients listed are exactly the same on this Cadbury Freddo and the standard Cadbury Drinking Chocolate; Sugar, Cocoa Powder (minimum 25%), Salt and Flavourings. It's not very specific so perhaps some of the quantities are different. Anyway, there are sadly no little solid chocolate Freddos in the chocolate powder (like Mars did with their awesome Magic Stars Hot Chocolate). 

The flavour of the Cadbury Freddo Drinking Chocolate is also extremely weak. The instructions on the side recommend only ONE spoon of powder in 200ml of hot milk. I was hopeful that this could mean a stronger flavour. Well, I can confirm that all it gives you is a slightly sugary cup of hot milk. Even three spoonfuls later only released a hint of chocolate flavour that is far too sweet. I mainly bought this for my young son, who I suspect this product is aimed at rather than me, and he also said it needed more chocolate flavour!

Grocery Gems Review: Cadbury Freddo Drinking Chocolate

RATING: 4 out of 10.
Buy them again?: No.
Nutrition (per serving): 120 calories (6g + 200ml of milk).

Purchased: Tesco.

Price: £1.00p for 175g (on offer).

New Instore: Shreddies Max Protein, New York Bakery Cheese Bagels & More

A round up of some more new items spotted instore - this time with a few added Mini Reviews! 

Shreddies Max Protein: This new oat granola cereal is available is also available in a Cranberry flavour. It contains 10g of protein per serving as well as being high in fibre. It's a tasty enough granola with a crunchy texture and sweet flavour, and I'd buy it again if it was on special offer. Spotted at: Asda - £2.49p (for 400g).

Tesco Choco-Nut Malt Wheats: I don't usually buy chocolate cereals but this Choco-Nut flavour appealed to me. Is it wrong that I was secretly hoping it would have a Nutella-y taste? Anyway, the good news is that the combination of chocolate and creamy hazelnut does give this cereal that hint of Nutella that I was hoping for. Don't worry, it's not as super sweet or cloying as a chocolate spread, but these Malt Wheats do have a lovely chocolate and nut flavour. I also want to try the new Golden Syrup Malt Wheats in the same range - the price is great too! Spotted at: Tesco - £1.19p (for 500g).

Soreen Squidgy Cake Bites: Available in Chocolate or Toffee flavours. Each tub has 12 mini bites of squidgy cake. I don't usually buy these types of tubs - I prefer individually wrapped minis. Spotted at: Asda - £1.50p. 

Cadbury Mini Rolls Mega Roll Cake: There were quite a few new celebration cakes at Asda. I love the look of this giant Mini Roll - such a fun and simple idea. Spotted at: Asda - £6.00p. 

Asda Donut Cake: Another cute and appealing cake. This one is shaped like a massive doughnut complete with pink icing and sprinkles. Spotted at: Asda - £8.00p. 

Ghostbusters Cake: This is one of those cakes that made me happy and annoyed at the same time. This would have been so useful for my husbands birthday last year which was Ghostbusters themed! Spotted at: Asda - £10.00p. 

Asda Extra Special Muffins: I spotted two interesting new flavours of these savoury muffins; Mild Red Cheddar and Ancient Grains. If you've tried these then I'd love to know what you thought in the comments below! Spotted at: Asda - £1.00p. 

New York Bakery Co Cheese Bagels: I buy bagels regularly so I'm always on the lookout for new flavours. These Cheese Bagels have been an instant hit with my kids and I'll definitely be buying them again. Each bagel has a cheddar cheese topping which is full of flavour and compliments an array of savoury fillings. Spotted at: Asda - £1.00p.

Warburtons Protein Range: Warburtons has a new range of products that are high in protein and fibre. I saw a Wholemeal Loaf with a blend of pulses, Wholemeal Thins and Wholemeal Soft Wraps in the range. Spotted at: Asda - £1.00p each. 

As always, if you spot anything new instore and fancy sending me a photo then let me know via email: grocerygems@gmail.com or Twitter: @grocerygems.

Review: Cadbury Eggciting Layers of Joy

The new Cadbury Eggciting Layers of Joy is a fun looking dessert that is made up of several different layers. There's a milk chocolate mouse at the bottom, a thin layer of sponge cake in the middle, all topped with a fondant layer that looks just like an egg.

The overall dessert is certainly very impressive looking, especially the 'egg' on top!

The fondant layer on top is actually much firmer than it looks and  holds it's shape well. The flavour here is extra sugary and sweet, which is balanced out by the plainer sponge layer below. The whole thing is finished off nicely with the creamy and fluffy chocolate mousse at the bottom. It all combines to create a very satisfying sweet treat and it's even more enjoyable than the smaller Cadbury Creme Egg Pots of Joy.

Grocery Gems Review: Cadbury Eggciting Layers of Joy

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition (per 90g serving): 204 calories.

Purchased: Co-Op.
Price: £1.00p per pack (two pots).

New Instore: Galaxy Golden Eggs, Kinder Joy UK release and more!

New products spotted instore:

Galaxy Golden Eggs: There are plenty of new Easter chocolate instores at the moment but the most exciting are the new and shiny Galaxy Golden Eggs. They're covered in a gold coloured dust and, from the pictures I've seen, they look really impressive. I'll have a review soon. £1.00p at Co-Op.

Kinder Joy (new UK release): These might look the same as Kinder Surprise eggs but they're actually quite different. I reviewed the German Kinder Joy version a couple of years ago after I was sent it in a Candy German subscription box. It's great to see them finally released in the UK! Check back later today for a review and photos. £1.00p at Co-Op.

Cadbury Eggciting Layers of Joy Egg: I've been on the look out for these ever since I saw instagram photos from Amy Seeks New Treats. The fondant 'egg' on the top of the dessert just looks so realistic! It's certainly more impressive than the original Cadbury Creme Egg Pots of Joy (which surprisingly are also available this Easter). I might get these for the kids nearer to Easter. £1.00p at Co-Op (twinpack).

Tesco Frozen Avocado: On a healthier note, I noticed quite a few interesting new frozen products at Tesco this week. These frozen avocado halves would be useful for smoothies. There were about six in each pack from what I could see. £2.50p at Tesco. 

Tesco Healthy Living Lime Coriander Rice & Quinoa Mix: There were also lots of frozen products available in the Tesco Healthy Living range such as this Lime Coriander Rice & Quinoa Mix. I also spotted an Indian Style Superfood Mix, a Mexican Whole Food Mix and a Lemon & Coriander Quinoa mix. Each bag is only £1.50p so I'm sure I'll try these out at some point. £1.50p at Tesco. 

Müller Corner Florida Inspired: Many thanks to Lucy who sent me a few of her recent finds too, including the new Müller Light Peanut & Caramel flavour and also one that I haven't seen yet, the Müller Corner Florida Inspired yogurt. The latter is a lemon flavoured yogurt with a pineapple and pink grapefruit compote. Both found at Asda.

Good4U Super Bites: Lucy also spotted this new range of healthy treats at Asda in two flavours; Coconut or Cocoa & Orange. There is also a Banana & Cocoa flavour in this range too. Let me know if you've tried these! 2 for £1.50p at Asda. 

Many thanks again to Lucy for the last two photos. As always if you've spotted any new products instore then I'd love to hear from you - email grocerygems@gmail.com or tweet me @grocerygems.