Review: Müller Light Fruitopolis Cherry

The Müller Light Fruitopolis range was first released a few months ago, in three varieties; Cherry, Strawberry, and Peach & Passionfruit. Earlier this week I spotted the range on half price offer at Co-Op and decided it was a good time to give them a try. I picked up a multipack of the Cherry flavour. 

These yogurts consist of a plain Greek-style thick yogurt, with a layer of fruit on top, rather than on the bottom like most yogurts. The fruity layer has an almost jelly like appearance with fruity bits suspended within it.

The yogurt is lovely and creamy with a thick texture and fresh tangy flavour. It's not too sweet which is the way I prefer yogurt, especially as there is enough sweetness from the cherry layer. I didn't think that having the fruit layer on top would make much difference to the overall experience here, I thought it would taste pretty similar to any other yogurt with a cherry compote. However, I actually really enjoyed the fruity layer being on top, it meant that the yogurt was always covered with a generous fruity helping, and the whole yogurt was much fruitier as a result. The cherry flavour here is just delicious too, very sweet but with a really juicy taste. I'll definitely be trying the other flavours in this range - in fact, I wish these yogurts came in multipacks of different flavours rather than all being the same.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Müller Light Fruitopolis Greek Style Cherry

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy It again?: Yes - I'll definitely try the other flavours in the range.
Nutrition: 90 calories.
Purchased: Co-Op.
Price: £1.24 for multipack of 4 (half price offer).

Review: Sakura Matcha Kit Kat (Japan)

Sakura Matcha Kit Kat are only available in Japan during their beautiful cherry blossom season in springtime. Sakura is the lovely word for cherry blossom, whilst Matcha refers to superior green tea in it's finely ground, powdered form. Visiting Japan during the cherry blossom season would be a dream come true for me, it all looks so picture perfect and beautiful, so I was thrilled when a friend found these wonderful limited edition Kit Kat. 

The packaging is so pretty with it's soft pink and green colouring. The box itself is identical to the Dark Chocolate Kit Kat I reviewed recently from Japan (see review here). It's the same sleek cardboard box which opens up to reveal three mini Kit Kat bars. 

The colour inside is a gorgeous green, it sounds odd but it suits the theme perfectly. The initial scent is very sweet from the white chocolate base, with notes of subtle cherry and cinnamon coming through too. 

The flavour of these Sakura Matcha Kit Kat completely wowed me. The sakura and matcha flavoured chocolate has a wonderfully sweet and delicate flavour. The white chocolate base provides plenty of creamy sweetness that is joined by a light cherry flavour with the barest hint of floral. It's hard to describe because I don't mean that they taste flowery, it's just more of a delicate sweet cherry rather than a fruity one. There is also a subtle background spiced flavour of cinnamon which perfectly complimented the sweet white chocolate. I thought the Sakura Matcha Kit Kat were going to be similar to the regular Matcha Green Tea Kit Kat (see review here), which have a very strong matcha flavour. However, that's not the case here, as the matcha flavour in the Sakura Matcha Kit Kat takes a back seat to the sweetness of the other flavours. These are without a doubt the best Kit Kat I have ever tried.  

UPDATE: Thanks to the readers who left comments below pointing out the following UK stockists:

Tofu Cute: http://www.tofucute.com/product_info.php?products_id=1199
Sushi Noms: http://sushinoms.com/product/sakura-matcha-kit-kat/

Grocery Gems Verdict: Sakura Matcha Kit Kat

RATING: 10 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 64 calories (per mini Kit Kat).

Hershey Cherry Blossom (Canada)

This adorably retro looking Cherry Blossom was recently sent to me by the UK based online Canadian grocery store The Canada Shop. I had never heard of the Cherry Blossom before but it immediately appealed to me with it's promised combination of coconut, peanuts and cherries. 

The Cherry Blossom is a single large chocolate (about the size of a Walnut Whip) which not only comes foil wrapped, but also housed in it's own quaint looking box. Originally made by a company called Lowney's, it's now manufactured by Hershey Canada.

At first sight it has quite a homely appearance, it's slightly irregular shape making it look home made, rather than a mass produced product. The thick outer chocolate has a mottled appearance from the peanut and coconut pieces. I was worried about the chocolate flavour here, as like many Brits, I can't get on with Hershey's milk chocolate at all. However, I'm pleased to say this was nothing like the American Hershey's chocolate bars I've had in the past. 

The chocolate here is sweet and has a pleasant cocoa flavour, nothing to worry about at all! The peanut pieces add the initial crunch and flavour, with the coconut adding lots of sweetness towards the end. I couldn't wait to see what this would be like inside and once I cut into the thick chocolate, the abundant cherry syrup inside was instantly oozing into evidence. 

Also revealing a large maraschino cherry at it's centre. The cherry flavour here is just delicious, fruity but not too strong, and a real contrast to the flavour in the outer chocolate. 

The central cherry had retained it's bright colour and juicy plumpness, and provided another textural element to the Cherry Blossom. The whole thing is ultimately very sweet (and quite sticky!) but it's a totally unique chocolate and one that offers a fantastic combination of flavours!

Product sent for an honest review.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Hershey Cherry Blossom

RATING:  9 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 210 calories.
Purchased: Available at The Canada Shop. 
Price: £0.95 each.

Limited Edition Cadbury Cherry Ripe Burst (Australia)

I picked up this Limited Edition Cherry Ripe Burst from the CyberCandy stall at HyperJapan last weekend. I've always wanted to try the Cherry Ripe bar, not just because of it's a cherry and coconut filling, but mainly to figure out why this has been Australia's most popular chocolate bar for years.

A standard Cadbury Cherry Ripe bar consists of a cherry flavoured coconut filling wrapped in dark chocolate. The Limited Edition Cherry Ripe Burst is quite similar but has the bonus of an extra cherry layer.

It's a slightly weird fact that even though I love coconut I really don't like Bounty chocolate bars at all. This is mainly due to the sugary nature and soggy texture of the Bounty filling, It just doesn't do anything for me at all. I much prefer coconut when it's used just as a flavour. The only reason that I mention that is because, even though the Cherry Ripe Burst has a very similar filling to a Bounty, it's an infinitely more enjoyable chocolate bar.

The cherry and coconut combination here is sweet and delicious. The extra jam-like cherry layer not only gives an extra burst of fruity flavour, which is very welcome, it also helps to curb the dreaded Bounty like texture. Meanwhile, the outer dark chocolate coating, whilst being quite thin, complements the coconut and cherry flavours perfectly with it's sweetly dark flavour. 

It's certainly a lovely tasting bar to eat in the summer. I had kept mine in the fridge (not something I usually do with chocolate) and it was absolutely delicious when eaten slightly cold. The whole thing is about a million times nicer than I thought it would be when faced with the description, and I can understand now why it's been such a popular bar in Australia. It's definitely a bar I would want to buy again in the future.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Cadbury Cherry Ripe Burst

RATING: 8.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Purchased: Available from CyberCandy. 
Nutrition: 230 calories.
Price: £1.89.

Beyers Chocolates South Africa: Chocolate Couture Selection (Woolworths Food)

I was recently sent a superb selection of chocolates to try from the largest independent chocolate manufacturer in South Africa - Beyers Chocolates. See also my Amarula Chocolates review HERE. This box of 16 Chocolate Couture Selection immediately caught eye not just because it's so visually stunning, but also as it's made by Beyers Chocolate for Woolworths Food. I soon discovered that there is a successful Woolworths chain in South Africa that had no affiliation with the Woolworths chain that existed in the UK. I certainly don't remember my old Woolworths selling such gorgeous chocolates!

The individual chocolates all look sensational. There are eight different varieties in all, each topped with embedded ingredients; Hazelnut Chocolate Delight, Chocolate Lava, Vanilla & Strawberry Caramel, Hazelnut & Lemon Curd, Strawberry Caramel, Burnt Orange Caramel, Raspberry Caramel, and Cherry Pavlova.

Each one is like a mini dessert in it's own right! Having tried all of them I can say that they are also some of the most interesting and tasty chocolates I've had the pleasure of trying. The creamy milk chocolate used in each, has a lovely cocoa flavour which provides a perfect base for all the different flavours within.

Vanilla & Strawberry Caramel: The separate layers within this chocolate all look stunning. There's a strawberry cream layer on the bottom, with a middle layer of caramel, all topped by a dome of strawberry infused white chocolate and decorated with larger freeze dried strawberries. The vanilla and strawberry flavours work beautifully together.

Hazelnut & Lemon Curd: At first I didn't like the idea of this flavour combination but I was proved wrong, because it's completely delicious, and one of my favourites from this selection. The sweet lemon cream layer is topped with white chocolate and a crunchy nut brittle. Just yummy!

Cherry Pavlova: This is visually one of the most striking chocolates in the selection. The bright pink coloured chocolate with white meringue pieces peaking through looks fantastic. I was expecting this to be very sweet and sugary but I was pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous cherry flavour. The ingredients contain dried cherries, cherry paste and cherry pulp, which all combine to create cherry perfection! The meringue on the top is nicely crunchy but still melts away very easily. An outstanding cherry chocolate.

Raspberry Caramel: Again the fruity flavour has been done exceptionally well here. There is lots of fresh tasting raspberry flavour within the caramel layer, and it's all topped off with a lovely white chocolate and decorated with dried raspberries. Loved it!

Hazelnut Chocolate Delight: This is another great looking chocolate, with it's whole hazelnuts embedded in the top. The dark chocolate base, is emphasised by an extra layer of soft dark chocolate too. This is topped with a hazelnut flavoured white chocolate, the flavour of which is somewhat dominated by the dark chocolate. This was one of my husbands favourites.

Strawberry Caramel: Similar to the first chocolate (above) but obviously without any of the vanilla creaminess in between. This is pure strawberry and caramel flavour! The inner caramel is sweet and delicious and is topped by a strawberry white chocolate filled with dried strawberry pieces. Again, the fruity flavour is fabulous and remarkably, the whole thing is well balanced in terms of sweetness.

Burnt Orange Caramel: A classic chocolate orange with candied orange pieces on top. I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate and orange combinations but the buttery caramel centre here adds a unique and interesting touch. (My camera has done strange things to the orange colour - it's not so neon in real life).

Chocolate Lava: I love the name! The little chocolate curls on the top of this domed chocolate do make it look like a little volcano. This is a pure chocoholics delight. Simple and sweet, with milk and white chocolate and a dark chocolate soft centre.

Overall, I absolutely loved this whole Chocolate Couture Selection. The chocolates are gorgeously presented and provide pure sweet indulgence. I know that Beyers make chocolates for several UK companies and I hope they can bring this selection over here soon!

I received this product for an honest review but all views expressed are my own.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Chocolate Couture Selection

RATING: 10 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes, if I could find them!
Nutrition: 304 kj (info given in kj not calories) per serving. 
Purchased: Available on the Woolworths website but only in South Africa

Fruyo Greek Fat Free Yogurts Review

It's been far too long since I last reviewed any yogurt, so I was very pleased when FAGE, known for their Total range of Greek yogurts, came to the rescue by offering to send me some of their Fruyo fat free range to try. There are four flavours in the Fruyo strained yogurt range; Cherry, Peach, Pineapple and Vanilla. They are all free from artificial colours and preservatives, and suitable for vegetarians.

Strained yogurts seem to be the next big thing in yogurts. I've previously tried them in the super thick Danio range (review here) and loved the dense texture. Fruyo yogurts are very similar texture wise but they have the added bonus, in my opinion, of having the fruit flavour within the yogurt rather than layered separately at the bottom. I much prefer the yogurt being fruity and not just plain.

Cherry

Cherry Fruyo- The fat free strained Greek yogurt creates a luxuriously thick experience with lots of fruity flavour. There are generous chunks of cherry pieces throughout the yogurt too, adding extra bursts of satisfying fruitiness.

Pineapple Fruyo - The super thick yogurt is again bursting with fruity chunks. The pineapple is extremely sweet and very moreish. This was my husbands favourite of all the flavours.

Peach

Peach Fruyo - Peach is usually one of the first flavours I try from any yogurt range and this Fruyo did not disappoint. This was my favourite fruity Fruyo flavour, closely followed by the Cherry.

Vanilla Fruyo - I love the fact that there is a vanilla in this range. It might seem to be a simple flavour but I find it quite hard to find a simple vanilla yogurt in individual servings. There are little black specks from the vanilla seeds throughout the yogurt. The sweet flavour and thick texture makes this taste more like a dreamy dessert rather than a yogurt!

I also tried the Total 0% Fat Free Greek yogurt. This unsweetened yogurt, with it's deliciously thick texture, is perfect for enjoying with a drizzle of honey in the morning. The large tub goes a long way and provides several servings.

The Fruyo strained yogurts are all extremely generously sized and due to their thick nature, I find them very filling to eat. On several of these recent very hot days I've been having a tub for lunch and it keeps me full for ages. It's not often I say something like this, but I'd actually like to see these tubs available in smaller sizes too - my kids love the flavours! Edit: The Total 0% range is available in smaller 170g tubs :)

Grocery Gems Verdict: Fruyo Yogurts

RATING: 8.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Absolutely.
Vegetarian: Suitable for vegetarians.
Purchased: Available at Waitrose.
Price: £1.09p per 170g pot (also on 4 for the price of 3 offer).

New Maynards Sour Patch Kids Soda Popz

Maynards Sour Patch Kids were released in the UK late last year (see my previous review here) and by the looks of things they've been very successful as they've already added this new Soda Popz variety to the range. I've been trying to find them ever since I heard they were being launched so I was very lucky to be offered the chance to try some packs.

There are five different flavours in each packet, all based on popular soda drinks; Cola, Orangeade, Cherryade, Tropical and Apple Fizz. It's a great selection of fizzy flavours!

Just like the regular Sour Patch Kids sweets these are described as "Sour then turning Sweet". This is because they're coated (liberally!) with a sour sugar coating that dissolves quickly, leaving behind the inner sugary sweet flavour. It's a great idea and the overall sweetness means they're especially enjoyable for those that don't usually like sour sweets.

I love the look of the Sour Patch Kids sweets - they're just like Jelly Babies but with a teenager spiky haircut. So it's probably fitting that as the jelly teenagers of the sweetie world they're now available in soda flavours! The Cola is the most sour of the five, as the fizzy flavour seemed to last the longest before the sweetness kicked in. The other flavours were a lot sweeter and not really that sour - the Orangeade, Cherryade and Apple Fizz are quite sour tasting at the start, but that is immediately followed by their sweet fruity flavour. The Tropical flavour was interesting, but quite hard to pin down the exact fruit - it just has that vague tropical taste!

Overall, the five flavours are all extremely moreish and tasty. I also like the fact that these are made with all natural colours.

I received this product from Maynards' PR company in order to provide an honest review and all views are my own.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Sour Patch Kids Soda Popz

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: The kids love them - so yes!
Nutrition (per 8 sweets): 80 cals, 14.0g sugars, 0.1g fat.
Vegetarian: Not suitable.

Danio Super Thick Yogurts Review

I've been meaning to give these new Danone Danio yogurts a try ever since I heard they were being launched in the UK. The Polish version of the Danio brand has already been available in my local Polish shops, and I'm glad to see them getting a wider release.

Danio Super Thick yogurts are available in six varieties; Strawberry, Passion Fruit, Blueberry, Peach, Cherry, and Raspberry. All those flavours looked good to me but I plumped for the Blueberry and Peach varieties to try first.

I know these yogurts are called Super Thick but I was still surprised by just how thick the consistency was. They're not like a thick Greek style yogurt, the texture is more like a mascarpone cheese consistency, whilst still being incredibly smooth and creamy. The yogurt has a very mild taste to it, without any real tanginess that you can sometimes get in yogurt.

The fruit layer at the bottom is quite generous with a syrupy sauce and small chunks of fruit. It compliments the thick plain yogurt perfectly and I loved the fresh fruity flavours in both the peach and blueberry varieties.

I really did enjoy these yogurts, especially the thickness of the yogurt itself. Both yogurts are very high in protein and low in fat, which is excellent, however, they're also quite high in sugar with 18g per pot. I would really love to see these available in smaller pots as I found the 160g size quite large. I usually eat yogurts as a post lunch treat but these are almost too filling for that. 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Danio Super Thick Yogurt

RATING: 7.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes, I'd like to try all the flavours.
Nutrition: Blueberry - 154 calories Peach - 157 calories
Vegetarian: Suitable for vegetarians.
Purchased: Tesco.
Price: £0.85p per 160g pot.

Cadbury Black Forest Review (CyberCandy)

This Cadbury Dairy Milk Black Forest from New Zealand (and made in Australia) was very kindly sent to me by CyberCandy for review. I don't know about you but when I see the words "black forest" I instantly think of the classic cake; the black forest gateau. This chocolate bar certainly shares one thing with the cake of the same name, and that's cherries! The Dairy Milk Black Forest is described as "milk chocolate with dark chocolate biscuit pieces and cherry flavoured jellies".

It looks like a fairly standard Dairy Milk shape, with seven segments and the Cadbury logo on each. The dark biscuit pieces are clearly visible through the chocolate.

When I first cut through the bar I was met with lots of the biscuit pieces, which are very generously distributed. The biscuit doesn't have a "dark chocolate" flavour as such, it mainly adds a lovely crunchiness and extra sweetness.

As I cut through the next segment of the chocolate, I was greeted with the sight above! Great big cherry sweeties within the chocolate! The cherry jellies are so large and bright it's amazing how they can hide amongst the other ingredients. They may not have been visible from the outside of this particular chocolate bar but they're definitely the star of the show! The sweet cherry flavour within them is delicious, and they have a firm chewy texture that's a bit like jelly beans.

If you've ever tried Australian/NZ Dairy Milk chocolate then you'll know that it tastes slightly different to British Dairy Milk. The recipe used for this Black Forest bar has 26% cocoa solids and 28% milk solids. It's still unmistakeably Cadbury's but to me it tastes a bit creamier and has a stronger cocoa flavour. It's the perfect smooth base for the added biscuit and cherry ingredients. I really enjoyed this bar and I loved the fact that it has it all going on - crunchy, chewy, fruity and chocolately!

Cybercandy kindly sent me this product for an honest review but all views expressed are my own.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Cadbury Black Forest

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Purchased: Available from CyberCandy. 
Nutrition: 228 calories, 3.2g protein, 27.4g carbs (24.3g sugars), 11.6g fat
Price: £1.65

J20 Glitter Berry Limited Edition

I first read about this drink on The Review Addict blog and I've always wanted to try it. My lovely husband put together a gorgeous Valentine's Day hamper for me earlier at the weekend (it was also our wedding anniversary earlier this week) and this was one of the treats in it. I will be posting quite a few reviews today! The J20 Glitter Berry is a grape, cherry and spice juice drink with a gorgeous edible gold glitter! It's hard to capture fully on camera but you can see from the photo above just how shimmery it is!

The drink comes in a four pack of 275ml glass bottles. Everything about the packaging feels quite sparkly and special. Even though this was released as a Christmas drink I think it makes a great drink for Valentines Day! I loved shaking the bottle and seeing the glitter swirling around, it's a very girly drink!

I had expected this drink to be quite rich and sugary, but after taking a closer look at the ingredients I saw that it's a water based drink, hence the name "juice drink" rather than "fruit juice" on the label. I found the main flavour to be of the cherry, with a light background of grape. I couldn't detect much in the way of spices, I thought there might be some cinnamon flavour in it but I certainly couldn't taste any. Overall it's a lovely refreshing cherry drink and I hope it will return next Christmas too!

Grocery Gems Verdict: J20 Glitter Berry Juice Drink

RATING: 9 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 77 calories.
Purchased: Tesco.
Price: £4.29.