Review: Vego Whole Hazelnut Chocolate Bar - finally a chocolate bar that tastes like Nutella!

The Vego Hazelnut Chocolate Bar is a whopping 65g of delicious hazelnut flavoured chocolate goodness. The bar I tried is actually called the Vego Mini, despite being twice the size of regular chocolate bars, presumably because there is also a 150g Vego bar available - I need to get my hands on that one!

The ingredients list is a short one and consists mainly of cane sugar, whole hazelnuts, cocoa mass, hazelnut paste and cocoa butter. The chocolate bar itself is very thick and consists of two massive chunks. I loved the texture of the chocolate here, it's quite soft and fudgey and melts in the mouth easily. The flavour is excellent, plenty of rich cocoa that is perfectly paired with a strong hazelnut flavour. The overall taste really did remind me of Nutella! Even though the cocoa flavour is a little 'darker' than Nutella, honestly, it's just as delicious.  Completing the whole experience there are a few whole hazelnuts added into the chocolate - providing a lovely crunch and even more hazelnut flavour.

All of my family were super impressed with the Vego Hazelnut Chocolate bar, they all compared it to Nutella and wanted to try it again. I'm hoping that I find a box of these under my tree on Christmas day!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Vego Whole Hazelnut Chocolate Bar Mini

RATING: 10 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes - loved it!
Nutrition: 591 calories per 100g.

Purchased: The Vegan Tuck Box.
Price: £1.80p.

Review: New Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Muesli

The lovely range of Dorset Cereals' muesli has undergone a nature inspired makeover and also introduced two new varieties. I was recently sent a selection of the Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Muesli in three varieties; Spelt,Fruit & Nut Muesli, New Hazelnut & Brazil Muesli, and New Raspberry & Apple Muesli. With this new Tasty Toasted range, Dorset Cereals have created a muesli with a lighter texture and crunch, whilst still being packed with wholegrains and fibre. Using only the finest ingredients these cereals combine crunchy flakes with the natural taste of a quality muesli. I was happy to be asked to put the Tasty Toasted range to the test and I've even used them as the basis for a few simple recipes.

Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Raspberry & Apple Muesli - The different shades of pink make this muesli look so pretty, it's like a little bowl of sunshine to wake up to in the morning. The pink colouring comes from a mix of dried cranberries, freeze dried raspberries, and raspberry flavoured barley flakes. There are also pieces of dried apple which add a lovely extra sweetness. I enjoyed the crunchiness of the flakes, made up of oat flakes, barley flakes, rye flakes and wheat flakes, combined with the more traditional ingredients of a muesli. It's the fruitiest muesli of the bunch and makes a very delicious start to the day.

Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Hazelnut & Brazil Muesli - This is a combination of toasted flakes, chopped hazelnuts, sliced Brazil nuts and coconut with almonds and tiny date pieces. Again, it has a wonderful combination of crunchy and chewy elements. The overall flavour has a delicious caramel and coconut edge that I absolutely adored.

Raspberry & Apple Muesli Cookies

I decided to add the Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Muesli to my favourite super easy recipe for oat cookies. These never fail! I've used this recipe for many years, it's adapted from this recipe here. (Note: I usually use 8oz of Porridge Oats but adapted that quantiy to include the muesli).

Ingredients: 

8oz Self Raising Flour

8oz Sugar

6oz Porridge Oats

2oz Tasty Toasted Raspberry & Apple Muesli

8oz Margarine (I use a vegan spread, Pure)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon Golden Syrup

Method: 

- Melt the margarine or butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the Golden Syrup and a spoonful of hot water if needed. 

- Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, sugar, oats, muesli, cinnamon).

- Stir the melted ingredients into the dry ingredients.

- Combine well until the mixture forms a large ball of dough.

-Make balls using the dough (I make mine quite large!), then place on a lined baking tray and flatten each ball gently with a fork.

- Place in a preheated oven at 180c for 12-15 minutes.

- Cool on a wire rack.

These cookies are very simple to make and my whole family loves them!

Also a quick serving suggestion, I've been enjoying the Tasty Toasted Muesli range simply served with plain yogurt and blueberries, instead of milk. You could also add a drizzle of honey or use a vanilla flavoured yogurt for a sweeter treat. 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Muesli

Rating: Hazelnut & Brazil; 9 out of 10, Raspberry & Apple; 10 out of 10.

Nutrition: Hazelnut & Brazil: 243 cals per 43g, Raspberry & Apple; 223 cals per 43g.

Purchased: Available in Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury's.

Price: £3.79p rrp (650g).

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).

Quick Review: Sunpat Crunchy Hazelnut Spread

I picked up this Sun-Pat Crunchy Hazelnut Spread yesterday in Sainsbury's. As soon as I saw it I was hooked by the idea of a hazelnut spread - it conjured up the image of a chocolate-less Nutella! Obviously that is not the case here, since this Sun-Pat Crunchy Hazelnut Spread has the minuscule word peanut just before the word Spread. Didn't catch that? It's PEANUT. On the back of the jar it's actually called a Peanut & Hazelnut Spread, with roasted peanuts making up 62% of the ingredients and hazelnuts only 12%. I was in quite a rush when I picked up the jar so perhaps I should have stopped to read the label properly - especially the back!

Once I got home and realised that this is basically a peanut butter with 12% added hazelnuts I lost the initial excitement I felt about reviewing this, so excuse the lack of photos. The spread itself is nice enough. It's a very crunchy peanut butter. The nut pieces seemed to be larger that usual, giving it a much crunchier consistency. The flavour comes mainly from the peanuts, and at first it tasted like any other peanut butter. However, I could certainly taste the hazelnuts as the secondary flavour and they added an extra creaminess to the peanut butter. 

Sun-Pat seem to be releasing some very unusual products lately. Firstly the Choc-a-Nut peanut spread that contained cocoa powder rather than any chocolate, and now a Hazelnut Spread that is mostly peanut. 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Sun Pat Choc-a-Nut Peanut Spread

RATING: 6.5 out of 10
Buy them again?: Probably not.
Nutrition (100g): 645 calories.
Vegetarian: Suitable for Vegetarians.
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts (62%), Vegetable Oils (Palm, Sunflower), Hazelnut (12%), Sugar, Sea Salt, Glucose Fructose Syrup.
Purchased: Sainsbury's.
Price: £2.25.

Review: Fox's Hazelnut Caffè Slices

I've been enjoying Fox's range of Caffè biscuits, which were developed as the ideal accompaniment to a cup of coffee. There are three types of biscuit in the range Snaps, Thins and Slices, each in a choice of two flavours, inspired by popular coffee syrup flavours; Caramel or Hazelnut. 

The Hazelnut Caffè Slices are shortcake biscuits covered in a thick layer of hazelnut flavoured milk chocolate on one side. Fox's are a brand well known for their delicious chocolate biscuits so I had high hopes for these.

Chocolate and hazelnut is a classic combination and it works a charm in these Hazelnut Caffè Slices, especially when combined with the slightly buttery and vanillary flavour of the shortcake biscuit underneath. Each biscuit is very chunky and indulgent, a good thing since there are only six biscuits in a pack. Overall, these are indeed a great biscuit for a cup of coffee, but are equally satisfying with a cup of tea too.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Fox's Hazelnut Caffè Slices

RATING:  8.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition (per biscuit): 123 calories.
Vegetarian: Suitable for Vegetarians.
Purchased: Tesco. 
Price: £1.89 each.

Review: Ferrero Küsschen (Kisses)

The Ferrero Küsschen (meaning little kisses) are individually wrapped hazelnut chocolates from Germany, and were very kindly sent to me for review by Monster Sweets. They are usually available in a boxed format, but I was sent this gorgeous quintet of sealed chocolates, displayed in a row to look like a chocolate bar. The Ferrero Kisses comes in either milk chocolate or white chocolate versions.

Each chocolate is a decent size, and contains a whole roasted hazelnut encased in a smooth milk and dark chocolate.

I usually love the combination of hazelnuts and chocolate and that was certainly the case with these Ferrero Küsschen. They're a bit like Ferrero Rocher but without the wafer casing and with extra chocolate instead. The hazelnut flavour really comes through in the deliciously smooth Nutella-like filling, with some added crunch from the central hazelnut. The outer chocolate has a lovely rich flavour, that perfectly compliments the filling. These are an absolutely must try for hazelnut fans, they're just so tasty. I would need to buy a box of them next time because these five chocolates just disappeared ridiculously quickly.

Monster Sweets kindly sent me this product for an honest review but all views expressed are my own. Check out Monster Sweets online to view their full range of US and European chocolates and groceries.  

Grocery Gems Verdict: Ferrerro Duplo Chocolate Bar

RATING: 9 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Purchased: Available at Monster Sweets HERE. 
Price: £1.25

Review: Quality Street My Green Bar

At the risk of sounding quite strange I have to admit that I'm not really a fan of Quality Street. In fact great big tubs of chocolates in general just leave me a bit cold. It's not that I don't love chocolate, because I obviously LOVE chocolate. It's more to do with timing, and that I somehow always manage to acquire a giant sized tub around the Christmas period - just at a time when there are so many other things I'd rather be eating. Like mince pies. And turkey sandwiches. So the tub ends up sitting there, and we all eat a few out of pity - apart from of course, the green triangles and the strawberry creams. Those get snapped up by the kids (and me) straight away!

The My Green Bar's appearance is interesting and unique - it looks like four triangles have been skewered by a chocolate spear! The result is that the triangles are easy to snap off and eat individually.

Each triangular segment contains a smooth hazelnut praline covered in sweet milk chocolate. Hazelnut and chocolate is always a winning combination in my opinion, and this one certainly didn't disappoint. The flavours are very sweet but completely satisfying for such a small bar. I hadn't realised that the green triangles in Quality Street were so popular, but I'm glad they are. They make a tasty chocolate bar and it's one that I'm sure I'll be buying again. Let's hope they make a strawberry cream version next.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Quality Street My Green Bar

RATING: 8 out of 10
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition (per half of the bar - as if!): 98 calories.
Purchased: Newsagent.
Price: £0.70p.

Sedita Attack - Hazelnut Wafer bar

Another interesting chocolate wafer find from the fab @Banjo_Chocolate. Similar to the Sedita Lina (reviewed HERE), the Sedita Attack is also a wafer bar from Slovakia and comes in lots of different flavours including this Hazelnut. The yellow and black packaging might look more akin to a warning symbol but I like the commitment to the Attack theme with this bold look.

The wafer layers are lovely and light, with a a good crunchy quality. The chocolate covering and layers have a decent amount of hazelnut aroma and this continues through to the actual flavour. Chocolate and hazelnut is always a winning combination and that is certainly the case here too. An all round great snack for wafer fans.

Thank you so much to @Banjo_Chocolate, for sending me this Sedita Attack. Please like the Bring Back Banjo Chocolate Bar Facebook page to get Mars to bring the Banjo back in production!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Sedita Attack - Hazelnut

RATING: 7.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: I'll definitely try to find some of their other flavours.
Purchased: Check out your local Polish or East European grocery shops.

Ferrero Hanuta Review - Chocolate Hazelnut Wafer

The Hanuta consists of a layer of hazelnut chocolate, sandwiched in between two crispy wafers. The name comes from the German word Haselnusstafel meaning hazelnut bar. This is a new addition to the range at online chocolate and candy specialists, Monster Sweets, and they kindly sent me it to review. Seeing as it's made by Ferrero, I can't help but see it as a larger, simpler, version of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate!

Inside the pack there are two squared wafer bars, each sitting in their own little gold foil packaging. The appearance reminds me of the fabulously named Knoppers Bar which I reviewed here.

The wafer layers are a lovely golden brown colour, there's no horrible cheap cardboard tasting wafer here. These are crispy, sweet and delicious. The inner hazelnut chocolate is quite dark in colour and tastes just like the rich chocolate centre of a Ferrero Rocher, whilst being much denser in texture. There are lots of hazelnut pieces in there too, giving it that classic chocolate and hazelnut combination that we all love so much here at Grocery Gems.

It's fair to say that Mr. Grocery Gems absolutely loved these Hanuta wafers. They were crunchy hazelnut chocolate perfection for him. So much so that he kept asking me if we had anymore even though he knew the answer was no - which is basically the universal code for "buy some more". At least I know what I'll be getting him for Father's Day now!

Overall, these are fantastic wafers that are definitely worth a try. I love that it's now easier to find these delicious German treats at reasonable prices in the UK. I reviewed another similarly flavoured bar from Ferrero called Duplo here, which is also available at Monster Sweets.

Monster Sweets kindly sent me this product for an honest review but all views expressed are my own. Check out Monster Sweets online to view their full range of US and European chocolates and sweets.  

Grocery Gems Verdict: Ferrerro Duplo Chocolate Bar

RATING: 9 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Purchased: Available at Monster Sweets.
Price: £0.89p.

Loacker Tortina Dark-Noir (Chocolate Hazelnut Biscuit)

A big thank you to @Banjo_Chocolate for sending me a Tortina biscuit and introducing me to this fabulous range. After tasting one, I had to go out and buy a whole pack - they are so delicious! Loacker is an Italian brand with a fantastic heritage, and have been producing wafer biscuits since 1925. These Tortina biscuits come in two flavours; Original Milk Chocolate and this Dark-Noir, which are both available at Waitrose.

Inside the elegant box there are six individually wrapped biscuits. Each Tortina has a fantastic appearance - it's simple yet extremely stylish.

They are large circular biscuits, with a lovely dark glossy coating that is printed with the Loacker Tortina logo.

Inside is a delicious hazelnut praline type cream between two very thin layers of wafer, covered in an intense dark chocolate. The combination is completely delicious. The wafer is crispy and has a hint of vanilla. The fine dark chocolate is full flavoured and made with 60% cocoa solids. Both the wafer and the outer chocolate melt away quite quickly, leaving the smooth hazelnut flavour to linger. I now can't wait to try the milk chocolate version of these, given how much I loved this dark chocolate version. They're definitely a must try for anyone who loves hazelnut and chocolate combined (surely that's everyone?).

Thank you to again to @Banjo-Chocolate for sending me one of these to try! Please be sure to check out and support the Facebook Page to Bring Back Banjo Chocolate!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Loacker Tortina Dark-Noir

RATING: 9 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Purchased: Available at Waitrose
Price: £2.59 (currently on a 20% discount offer price of £1.94).

Ferrero Duplo Hazelnut Chocolate Bar

A lovely little hazelnut flavoured chocolate bar from Germany, made by Ferrero. It's one of the many European chocolate bars that are stocked by online store Monster Sweets and they kindly sent me one for review.

I loved the wavy wooden effect appearance on the chocolate. It's a great looking little bar.

Inside there is a layer of biscuity wafer covered with a hazelnut Nutella-esque filling. This is then covered in a delicious hazelnut flavoured chocolate. The creamy chocolate, has a soft melt and contrasts nicely with the crunchy inner wafer: it reminds me a little bit of a Kinder Bueno bar. The flavour combination of wafer, chocolate and hazelnut is perfectly executed; simple, sweet and delicious.  It's what the Kit Kat Chunky Hazelnut, that was released earlier this year, could only dream of being, despite being less than half the size. Definitely a must try bar for any fans of Kinder Bueno bars or Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

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

Grocery Gems Verdict: Ferrerro Duplo Chocolate Bar

RATING: 8.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Price: £0.55p.

New! Walls Chocolate Range - Cornetto, Magnum & Mini Milk (not real ice cream!) Review

I was so excited to hear about this range of ice cream inspired chocolates. They may look like regular ice creams in the photo above but these are all chocolate mini versions that do NOT contain any ice cream! In fact you'll find these little cuties in the chocolate aisle of Asda (or next to the checkouts). Don't go looking in the freezer section! There are three varieties available; Cornetto Vanilla & Chocolate Cones, Magnum Chocolates, and Mini Milk Chocolate Lollipops.

I'm going to start with my favourite of the bunch - these Cornetto Vanilla Chocolate Cones. The detail on these is fantastic, from the wrapper to the chocolate itself. The packaging is almost identical and it unwraps in the same way as the ice cream version!

Just for size comparison here is the new Cornetto chocolate next to a standard supermarket ice cream cone. See just how cute and diddly it is??

Under the wrapper it looks like a perfect mini Cornetto and it's hard to believe that it's not really an ice cream! It's a familiar Cornetto cone filled with a vanilla flavour white chocolate truffle topped with caramelised hazelnuts pieces. The nuts were really delicious because unlike nuts on an ice cream which tend to go soft, these were crunchy and full of hazelnut flavour. 

The white chocolate truffle centre is soft and smooth, with a very sweet vanilla flavour. It compliments the crunchy outer wafer very well. As a Cornetto made into a chocolate goes, you can't get any closer to perfection than this! 

The Magnum Chocolates are also fantastically well presented, and very similar to it's big brother - the Magnum Ice Cream. Of course, in reality it's much smaller than a Magnum Ice cream, the wrapper is about the size of a regular Dairy Milk chocolate bar. 

Inside there are three Magnum chocolates which look just like miniature Magnum Ice Creams - but without the sticks! 

This is filled with a vanilla flavoured white chocolate truffle. It's not like a regular white chocolate truffle, it's much softer and so creamy that it's hard to believe that it isn't ice cream. The outer milk chocolate is standard Magnum chocolate which contains 38% minimum cocoa solids and has a lovely rich quality.

Overall these Magnum chocolates are quite simple in terms of flavour, but they're also a very successful reproduction of the ice cream that they're based on. I'd love to see other flavours from the Magnum range made into miniature chocolates too! Kev's Snack Review has also reviewed these Magnum Chocolates here.

Lastly it's the kids' chocolate of the bunch - chocolate lollipops based on Mini Milks! These were available in both a white chocolate and a milk chocolate version. As far as my children are concerned, Mini Milks have to be vanilla so I only bought the white ones!

Inside is a fantastic chocolate replica of a Mini Milk ice cream. Making this a lollipop on a stick is very fitting for a Mini Milk chocolate and one that I'm sure kids will love - mine certainly did.

The white chocolate lollipop is described as having a "soft milky centre".The inner chocolate is indeed slightly softer than the outer layer but it all has the same flavour. It's a VERY sweet white chocolate, even sweeter than a kids white chocolate like Milky Bar. It has a strong vanilla flavour alongside the white chocolate, that for me was slightly cloying. However this chocolate is quite clearly aimed at kids and it was very popular with my taste testers! Each lollipop contains 30% of recommended daily calcium, with no artificial colours, flavours or hydrogenated fat. 

What do you think of this new range of chocolates inspired by ice creams? 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Cornetto Vanilla Chocolate Cone, Magnum Chocolates & Mini Milk Chocolate Lollipops:

Rating: Cornetto - 8.5/10, Magnum - 8/10, Mini Milk Lollipop - 7/10

Buy Again: Yes - superb fun range, and I love the Cornetto chocolates!

Nutrition: Cornetto - 110 cals, Magnum (each choc) - 66 cals, Mini Milk - 90 cals.

Purchased: Asda.

Price: Cornetto - £0.50p, Magnum - £0.65p, Mini Milk Lollipop- £0.40p.

Nature Valley Oats & Hazelnuts (Crunchy & More)

These Nature Valley granola bars have been around for a while but I've never tried the "Crunchy & More" versions. There are two varieties: Oats & Berries and Oats & Hazelnuts. There was no contest between those two for which one I wanted to try - Hazelnuts is always going to be the clear winner!

I often buy the Nature Valley Oats & Honey bars for my husband and he is more of a fan of them than I am. I find them quite hard in texture due to the densely packed oats, I generally prefer cereal bars that are chewy. However I do love hazelnuts so I willingly gave these Oats & Hazelnuts a try.

Each box has five individually wrapped portions and there are two bars in a pack.

These "granola" bars are packed full of wholegrain oats and hazelnut pieces. The added nuts give these bars an extra crunchy texture and a deliciously indulgent flavour.

They have a lot more calories than the cereal bars I usually feature but they do have the benefit of being lactose free and suitable for vegetarians. Have you tried the Nature Valley Oats & Hazelnut? Let me know what you thought of them by leaving a comment below.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Nature Valley; Oats & Hazelnuts

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes - now our favourite from this brand.
Nutrition (per 2 bars): 195 calories, 3.5g protein, 24.7g carb (9.7g sugars), 8.4g fat.
Purchased: Tesco.
Price: £1.25p (currently on special half price offer).