Showing posts with label Random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random. Show all posts

4 Jan 2016

Grocery Gems: Top Ten Reviews of 2015

A little later than promised but here's a run down of the Top Ten most viewed reviews on Grocery Gems. It's always interesting to look back and see what was most popular with the readers. For this list I'm only counting actual product reviews rather than my 'New Instore' lists.

10. Ribena Winter Spice


Just making it into the top ten is the limited edition Ribena Winter Spice. This was an interesting idea from Ribena and I'm sure it was a popular product for them. Even though I didn't give this a very high score, I still hope that Ribena will come up with some similar limited editions for 2016.

9. Cheetos Relaunched in the UK


Cheetos had not been released in the UK since the 1990's. Of course, it was still fairly easy to find Cheetos products here thanks to US imports and recently through Eastern European grocery stores. 2015, however, saw the return of Cheetos produced for the UK market. There are two flavours Twisted Flamin' Hot and Cheetos Crunchy Cheese. Although I quite enjoyed the flavours, I haven't bought these again since that first review.

8. Cadbury Creme Eggs New Recipe


2015 was also the year that saw Cadbury change the chocolate they use for the Cadbury Creme Egg. Gone was the much-loved Dairy Milk chocolate, replaced by a 'Standard Cocoa Mix' variety. Opinion was divided over whether it made any difference at all, with many feeling that their beloved egg was now ruined. I've never been much of a fan of Cadbury Creme Eggs so it's probably no surprise that I fell into the 'it tastes pretty much the same' camp.

7. Hartley's Glitter Jelly


Such a great new product from Hartley's - a jelly with a glittery appearance. Hartley's also came out with a few new flavours this year and the new Hartley's What's Your Flavour? jelly. I've always wondered why we don't get the wide range of jelly flavours in the UK in comparison to the rest of Europe. I'd love for 2016 to be the year that sees jelly flavours such as mango, papaya and peach being released in the UK (not including those horrible sugar-free versions).

6. Arla Sykr Icelandic Yogurt


There was a lot of excitement about the release of Skyr Icelandic style yogurt in the UK. Even though it turns out this Arla version is not exactly authentic it's still become a popular product range. I didn't like the flavoured versions, but the large tubs of plain Arla Skyr quickly became a regular feature of my weekly shopping list. It's a lovely thick and tangy yogurt that is delicious as a base for cereals or fruit.

5. Lidl Churros


One thing that always guarantees a trip to my local Lidl is when they hold their 'Best of Iberia' promotion. I love all the Spanish ingredients, cakes and frozen products they sell at this time and I usually make a point of stocking up. This review for the Lidl Churros kept popping up whenever Lidl was holding one of these Iberian themed weeks.

4. Haribo Frenzy Starmix


It was great to see Haribo coming up with some new flavours such as Pomegranate, Mandarin and Apricot, as well as some fun new colours, for their Starmix Frenzy Edition. The Tangfastics Frenzy version of these sweets from Haribo, which I tried some weeks after this review, were even tastier!

3. Krispy Kreme Reese's Peanut Butter Doughnut


A delicious combination of Reese's peanut butter and Krispy Kreme doughnut - this was a delectable match. I even preferred it to the Krispy Kreme Lotus Biscoff doughnut which I didn't think would be possible.

2. Magnum Pink Raspberry & Black Espresso


This is one of those reviews that I had completely forgotten about so I was quite surprised to see it so high up on the list. I didn't review many ice creams last year but I enjoyed both these new flavours from Magnum; the Black Espresso especially was delicious. I'm looking forward to seeing whether Magnum will be bringing out any new flavours in 2016.

1. Müller Light Goodies Yogurt


This was not what I expecting to be my most popular review last year but the whole Top Ten for 2015 was much closer in terms of views than the same list in 2014 (there was a runaway winner that year!).  Müller Light is a very popular brand and only seems to be increasing in popularity. I think Müller has added a few new flavours to the Müller Light Goodies range since my review. 

A few reviews that just missed out on the Top Ten (it was very close this year):


I hope you enjoyed this look back at the Top Ten Grocery Gems reviews of 2014. Thank you so much to all my readers, commentators, and all the lovely people who have sent me photos during the year. Thank you for all your support!

31 Dec 2015

Grocery Gems Best of 2015


I haven't quite managed to review as many products this year as I have in previous years, but it's still been an enjoyable 12 months of keeping up with the world of new and limited edition goodies. It's time to look back at my favourite reviews of the year. But it's not just all about me, check back tomorrow for a countdown of the top ten most viewed posts of 2015 - the readers favourites!

BEST CHOCOLATE



It might seem like an odd choice to pick a vegan chocolate bar as the winner of my Best Chocolate for 2015 but I simply loved this one. It's Nutella in a chocolate bar format; enough said. It's also the only chocolate bar that I've reviewed this year that I've bought more than once. It's definitely worth tracking down if you can. Other top picks for my favourite chocolate reviews this year include; the Hazel Mountain White Chocolate from County Clare and the Toblerone Crushed Corn

BEST CAKE



I haven't reviewed very many cakes this year so I hope this Hot Cross Muffin counts! Let's just say it was my favourite baked treat. I know opinion was split on these Hot Cross Muffins but I thought they were perfection; juicy raisins and currants and just the right amount of zesty orange and lemon flavour too. The only problem was that they were so difficult to find. Special mention in this category has to go to Cadbury for finally jumping on the banana trend with their Cadbury Banana Mini Rolls and also to Mr. Kipling for their fun ranges of Halloween and Christmas cakes. 

BEST SPREAD



So it turns out that I only reviewed ONE spread in the last 12 months - the Bounty Coconut Spread. This is something of a shocker to me as I've always reviewed lots of spreads in the past. I'm not sure if there weren't enough exciting new releases or if my kitchen cupboards just couldn't take one more jar. The Bounty Coconut Spread was disappointing in flavour, so it's not so much the best spread of the year, as the only spread of the year! Still, it was an exciting release at the time and was one of the most memorable reviews of the year for me.

BEST DRINK



This was not just my stand out drink of 2015 but also one of my favourite products from the whole summer. It's a crazy combination of jelly and coffee that just appealed to all my senses. I loved the sweet caramel flavour alongside the soft, squidgy jelly pieces. Please bring this back next year Starbucks! I have to also mention the Starbucks Fan Favourites Frappuccino campaign which saw the limited release of a Cinnamon Swirl Frappuccino - a very close run second place. 

BEST CRISPS



At first I was going to choose the Kettle Crisps Bacon & Maple Syrup as the winners of this category - this is a flavour that's become a firm family favourite. However, I had to give it to the Walkers Bring It Back Campaign for the overall effort from Walkers to relaunch five retro flavours, and the fun factor in trying them all out. It was a great campaign and I would love to see other brands follow suit - perhaps Mars could delve into it's archives and bring back some much missed chocolates such as the Banjo Chocolate Bar. Let's hope 2016 sees more retro inspired campaigns! 

BEST AROUND THE WORLD 



I managed to complete quite a few more countries in my Around The World challenge this year, although it was still far fewer than I would have liked! However, my overall favourite were the traditional Turkish Delight and Baklava that Mr. Grocery Gems bought in Istanbul. Such an amazing selection of flavours and textures that were a definite highlight for me this year. Other enjoyable reviews were the Nizza chocolate bar from Iceland and the Elite Taami from Israel

BEST DOUGHNUT



It was hard to choose between two offerings from Krispy Kreme: the Biscoff Spread doughnut and the Reese's Peanut Butter Doughnut. These were both released fairly early in 2015 and the Reese's just edges it into the lead in this close run race! 

I hope you've enjoyed this round up of 2015 reviews. I didn't include a BEST ICE-CREAM category this year because, annoyingly, I never got around to posting up a review of my favourite ice cream this year - the awesome Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake. Must try harder next year!  

All the best to everyone for 2016 :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!



28 Jan 2015

New Instore: Mars Extra Choc, Mars Hazelnut & More!


Maryland Soft Baked Cookies: Available in two varieties; Caramel & Choc Chunk and Double Choc Chunk. I wonder if Maryland have released these in response to the Chips Ahoy! UK release? They certainly look like an improvement on regular Maryland cookies and I'm sure I'll give them a try at some point. If you've tried them then please leave a comment as I'd love to know what you thought of them! £1.50p at Sainsbury's.


McVities Deli Choc Biscuits: I've seen these in quite a few different shops. They are biscuits made with a thick layer of Belgian milk chocolate in either white, milk or dark chocolate. £0.98p in Asda.


Limited Edition Mars Xtra Choc: I finally found the latest UK Mars release in my local newsagent. Here's my review → it's a Mars chocolate bar with slightly thicker chocolate *yawn*. THAT'S IT. £0.70p at local newsagents.


Limited Edition Mars Hazelnut & Snickers & Hazelnut:  These new Hazelnut editions for Mars and Snickers look FAR more interesting. They're actually from Poland but they seem to be easy to find in UK shops. Thanks to Richard W. for spotting these in a train station shop. Check back later today for my review. £0.69p each in large newsagent.


Cadbury Dairy Milk Hoppy Bunny: The lastest Limited Edition Cadbury Dairy Milk sees the return of the Hoppy Bunny. It's a similar to the Cadbury Dairy Milk Winter Wonderland, with it's simply milk and white chocolate combination, but I still think it's a cute chocolate bar for Easter. £1.00p at Sainsbury's.


Müller Corner Hawaiian Dream Pineapple: I mentioned these before in a previous round up, but it's the first time I've seen them instore. I'll have a review soon. £0.70p at Sainsbury's.


Milka Corn & Choco Forever: I couldn't resist picking up this crazy combination of corn nachos and chocolate from Poland. Review coming soon! £0.99p at an "international grocery store".

Don't forget if you spot any new products in store please let me know via email - grocerygems@gmail.com or Twitter etc. Thank you!

1 Jan 2015

Grocery Gems: Top 10 Reviews of 2014


Following on from my Best of 2014 list yesterday, here's a look at the readers favourites - the Top Ten most read reviews of the year on Grocery Gems. It's always a surprise to see which reviews are the most popular and I have to admit that I was completely surprised about some of the posts which made the top ten, including the number one most viewed post on Grocery Gems in 2014! For this list, I left out any post that made the top ten that wasn't actually published in 2014 (there are a couple of reviews from 2013 that are still very popular). You can click on the product name for links to the original review.

10: Coke Life


Just making the top ten is my review of the first new core brand to be released by Coca-Cola since 2006 - Coke Life. This also made my personal favourites of the year list. It's no surprise to me that this is in the top ten, in fact I'm just surprised this review from back in August it wasn't higher up on the list.

9: Müller Corner Bliss Whipped Greek Style Yogurt


This is one of those reviews that I had completely forgotten about so I was completely surprised to see it anywhere near the top ten. The photos are ones that I had taken on my kitchen worktop which usually means that I'm not planning to even review the product (I pretty much take photos of everything now just in case!). Anyway, I'm certainly glad I posted this review in the end, as readers were obvioulsy curious to know more about this new Whipped yogurt from the Müller Corner range. 

8: Lidl Deluxe Coconut Spread


Coming in at number 8 is the Lidl Deluxe Coconut Spread review. This was definitely one of my favourite finds of 2014. Even though it had been around before in previous years, this is the first time I had managed to find and review it. Lidl brings out the Deluxe range of spreads for sale at sporadic intervals during the year and it remains a frustratingly difficult product to find.

7: M&S Toffee Fudge & Belgian Choc Hot Cross Buns


At number 7, the M&S Toffee Fudge & Belgian Chocolate Hot Cross Buns. I was quite shocked to see this review amongst the most popular of the year, I didn't really remember these hot cross buns at all. Looking back, however, they were one of the more interesting products released last Easter, along with the equally tasty Double Chocolate Hot Cross Buns from Tesco. I hope we'll see some interesting hot cross bun flavours for 2015 too.

6: Haribo Minions


I'm pleased to see these Haribo Minions in the Top Ten even though the sweets themselves were quite disappointing in terms of flavour. Despicable Me 2 is one of our favourite family films and I think the cheeky Minions characters are here to stay as popular characters for products aimed at children. In fact, I spotted Minions products for Easter already - check out my instagram photo of these Minions Eggs

5: Asda Piñata Cake


Asda came up trumps with this great value piñata cake - a celebration cake filled with sweets. Piñata cakes were already popular on blogs and Pinterest but it's handy to have a supermarket version for anyone who is not a keen baker. Asda often releases celebration cakes with wow factor - such as the Asda Rainbow Cake back in 2013. 

Reaching the number 4 spot, this review of the Tesco Custard Cream Spread, was the post I was expecting to hit the number one spot easily. I hands down thought this was my most popular review, especially after it was mentioned on various news sites and my photos used on Buzzfeed. However, not only wasn't it number one, there was actually another sweet spread review that beat it on viewing figures.

3: Maltesers Teasers Chocolate Spread


Surprisingly, there are a total of three chocolate spreads in this top ten! I posted this Maltesers Teasers Review just a few days before the Tesco Custard Cream review but I didn't expect it to have been more popular. I guess that's what happens when you turn a favourite chocolate brand into a spread. Here's hoping that 2015 sees the release of a proper Bounty Chocolate Spread! 

2: Walkers Ranch Raccoon Crisps


Of all the crisp reviews I posted in 2014, I didn't expect the one with the worst rating to become the most popular and certainly not to be the second most viewed post. This was a variety that divided crisps fans with it's love-it-or-hate-it gamey meat and sour cream flavour. I wasn't even going to review this variety, having already reviewed all the other varieties in Walkers Do Us A Flavour promotion. However, even though I hated the flavour, I decided to review them just to complete the series. Funnily enough this review was also posted in the same week as the above Tesco Custard Cream Spread and the Maltesers Teasers Chocolate Spread. Looking back that was an important week for Grocery Gems!  

1: Kinder Surprise Disney Princess & Marvel Heroes


And finally, easily being my most popular post of 2014 is this review of the Kinder Surprise Disney Princess and Marvel Heroes range. It's funny to look back and see a Disney Princess product that doesn't include any of the characters from the movie Frozen! This review from back in February 2014 was my most popular post by far in 2014. It even attracted a staggering amount of comments, with a mini swap-shop taking place via the comments section. I thought that was just wonderful! 

I hope you enjoyed this run down of the Top Ten Grocery Gems posts of 2014. Thank you to all my readers, commentators, and anyone who's sent me photos over the year. I really do appreciate your support. Here's to more foodie gems in 2015 :)


31 Dec 2014

Grocery Gems Best of 2014

It's been another enjoyable year of reviewing new and limited edition products with quite a few gaining my highest rating of 10 out of 10. So it's time to look back and choose my favourite products, and reviews, from the past 12 months. 

Let me know in the comments below what you would choose as your top picks of 2014! Click on the product name to view the original review. 

BEST CHOCOLATE:



It was actually quite hard to choose the overall winner here as I don't feel I found any lasting favourite chocolate this year. The Lindt Hello My Name is Salted Caramel, however, is an extremely tasty chocolate and easily got a 10 out of 10 rating from me, just by being so delicious. Other chocolates I enjoyed this year were the new Beech's Fine Chocolate Bars and the awesome Milka Champiolada (see below).

BEST SPREAD:



If it was purely based on the popularity of the review, I would be awarding this to the Tesco Custard Cream Spread. However, that wasn't my favourite spread of the year, and the only one to get a 10 out of 10 rating was this spiced treat from Hotel Chocolat. It has such a gorgeous combination of rich chocolate and warming spices. For a more budget friendly choice, I also have to mention the gorgeous Lidl Deluxe Coconut Spread. I reviewed it for the first time this year but it's not actually a new product for 2014 - otherwise it would have won this category for sure!

BEST HEALTHY SNACK:


This was an easy winner to choose and I just had to mention this new Nakd Christmas Pud bar in my best of 2014 round up. I've always been a fan of the Nakd raw fruits and nuts bars, and the Christmas Pud variety just has an added hint of cinnamon and spices that makes it absolutely delicious. Special mention also goes to the Creative Nature range of superfood snack bars. 

BEST SWEETS:



Apologies for choosing an international product for this category but this German limited edition Haribo Happy Cola Cherry Edition were by far my favourite sweets of 2014. I hope they release these in the UK in the future. 

BEST DRINK:



I wasn't totally sold on the idea of Coke Life when I first reviewed it back in August. However, I have to admit that since then it's become one of our favourite types of soft drink. It's lighter than regular Coke and more refreshing than the diet stuff. Even though I don't often buy fizzy drinks this is the one I would choose if it's available. Other new drinks I've enjoyed this year are the gorgeous Cawston Press Sparkling Drinks and the Starbucks Mocha Coconut Frappuccino

BEST BISCUITS:



Tesco had a great new range of instore bakery cookies, especially in their popular chocolate bar inspired biscuits! I also enjoyed their recent Mince Pie Cookies too. I must also mention these Pocky Bear Milk Cocoa biscuit sticks, just because this was one of my favourite reviews to write this year - I just love how cute they are! 

BEST INTERNATIONAL:



Many of you will know that I'm a coconut fanatic so I couldn't resist including this limited edition World Cup chocolate from Germany here. It had a creamy milk chocoolate base with a gorgeous coconut flaovur and added coconut flakes. I'm still dreaming about this one! A very close favourite for Best International was the Sakura Matcha Kit Kat from Japan. Other international products that I enjoyed were the Japanese Meiji 70% Banana Bar and the Bakeable Kit Kat chocolate bars! 

BEST CAKE:



Not so much for the flavour, even though it was very tasty, but mainly because of how awesome it looked, especially for the price. A few of my favourite cakes in terms of flavour were the M&S Pineapple & Coconut Cake and the Mr Kipling Gingerbread Whirls. By the way, I'm not including any category for "BEST DESSERT" as I realised I've only actually reviewed ONE dessert this year (the M&S Salted Caramel Cheesecake). Note to self: eat more desserts in 2015! 

BEST YOGURT:



I reviewed this all the way back in January. The Müller Light Greek Style range of yogurts are the brand I buy the most and the Mango variety is my favourite flavour. I also enjoyed the new Danio Mini sizes and the Liberté Strained Greek Style Peach Yogurts

BEST CRISPS:



Overall I think 2014 was quite a weak year for new crisps, I actually struggled to find anything to win this category, so in the end I had to pick a flavour I've only tried once but really enjoyed - the Walkers Deli Flame Grilled Spanish Chorizo with Roasted Onions. The promotion earlier in the year for the Walkers Do Us A Flavour competition, with six new crisp flavours, certainly didn't yield any favourites for me, although I did quite like the Hot Dog with Ketchup flavour. If you have any suggestions for best crisps this year then let me know in the comments below!

BEST ICE CREAM:


It might seem like a strange choice but this has been our favourite family ice cream by far and the one that I've bought the most this year. Other ice cream favourites in 2014 were the Cornetto Chocolate Intense from earlier in the year, and also the more recent Asda Loaded Gingerbread Fudge. Also worth a mention is the Ben & Jerry's Satisfy My Bowl - it was great to see a new banana flavoured ice cream from Ben & Jerry's.

I hope you've enjoyed this round up of 2014 reviews.  I'll be back tomorrow with the TOP TEN Grocery Gems Reviews of 2014 - a run down of my most viewed posts of the year. All the best to everyone for 2015 :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

6 Nov 2014

New Instore: Christmas Treats & Gingerbread Swirls


Another quick round up of new and returning products spotted instore.

Asda Snowman Cake-Pop Kit: This looks really cute and a fun activity for the kids over the Christmas holidays. £2.00 at Asda. They also had an awesome Make Your Own Rocky Road House Kit (see below) which is an interesting twist on the classic Christmas gingerbread house.


Hartley's Jolly Jelly Strawberry and Raspberry: Hartley's jelly packs have been given a cute festive makeover. There is Santa on the Strawberry packs and a reindeer on the raspberry packs. The idea is similar to the Halloween packs they had last month but it's just a shame that there isn't a new flavour to go along with the festive designs. £0.49p each at Asda.


Hartley's Jolly Jelly Orange: The orange jelly also had a festive new look with a snowman design on the front. The Lime and Lemon jellies were both in standard packaging - if you spot the new ones please do let me know! £0.49p each at Asda.


Asda Chocolate Sprouts: I know Marks & Spencer had a similar product last year. These Asda Chocolate Sprouts are quite large so there are only about 6 or 7 chocolates per net. £1.00 for 90g at Asda.


Asda Extra Special All-Butter Palmiers & Cinnamon Straws: There were plenty of new Christmas themed biscuits and cakes in the Asda Extra Special range. This box stood out to me in particular because of the cinnamon straws. I'll probably pick them up at some point, although I might just use the idea and make these at home myself! £2.00 at Asda.


Cadbury Turkish Cake Bars: I don't think these are new, they've certainly been around before in previous years at least. However, I think this "Special Edition" is a seasonal product. £1.00 at Asda.


Mr Kipling Frosty Fancies: These are also back from last year. £1.00 at Asda.


Warburtons Winter Fruit Loaf: I reviewed this a few years ago HERE. It has a lovely spiced flavour that is perfect on a winters morning. £1.30p at Asda.


Activia Intensely Creamy Duo: I mentioned these yogurts before in my post HERE but this is the first time I've seen them instore. I spotted two varieties; Apricot & Nectarine and Pear & Apple. There is also a Blood Orange & Passionfruit available. £2.38p for a 4-pack at Asda.


McVities Batman Justice League Biscuits: Each box comes with four packs of six biscuits. The biscuits are chocolate flavoured sandwich biscuits with a Batman image printed on each one. Spotted in 99p Stores.


Sun-Pat Hazelnut Spread: Not a new product, I reviewed it HERE previously. I thought it was interesting that it's now in 99p Stores. I wonder if the fact that it's really a peanut butter in disguise has something to do with that? Very misleading packaging. It's made of 62% peanuts and only 12% hazelnuts. Spotted in 99p Stores. 


Sun-Pat Cashew Spread: My brother sent me this photo of Sun-Pat Cashew, which happily does actually have cashew nuts as the main ingredient. This one has 67% cashews and 8% peanuts. I still think the labelling is misleading as some shoppers may think this is a pure cashew nut spread. £2.40p at Sainsbury's.


M&S Gingerbread Swirls: I didn't hesitate in buying one of these! What a brilliant idea from M&S. Cinnamon swirls are my favourite pastries and this Gingerbread version is just as appealing. Review coming soon but here's a spoiler - it was DELICIOUS. £1.00p at Marks & Spencer (in the fresh bakery section).


M&S Apple, Pear & Brussel Sprout Juice: I didn't get a chance to look at the bottle properly but I'm guessing this juice probably contains less than 5% sprouts. £2.29p at M&S.


Tesco Gingerbread Smoothie: And if sprout juice isn't your thing then look at this beauty. A Gingerbread inspired smooth with orange, apple, ginger and cinnamon from Tesco. Thanks so much to Lucy for the photo - I'm off to try to find this today! Apparently there was also a pudding inspired smoothie too! Will update with price.


M&S We Whip You A Merry Christmas: You know how at Christmas you can get those metre long tubes of Jaffa Cakes or Wispa bars? Well, M&S has decided to make a metre long tube of their Walnut & Assorted Whips and... wait for it... have called it a WHIP STICK. My Christmas spirit just died a little inside. Can't remember the price, I'm too traumatised.


M&S Chocolate Coins: These are not new but I'm just posting this just to show that I don't understand the fuss about #ChocCoinGate and the fact that Cadbury are no longer making chocolate coins. Chocolate coins are available to buy in just about EVERY single supermarket at Christmastime so what's the big deal? Honestly I'd be sorrier to see the Lidl chocolate coins disappear - they do them with £50 notes in the pack!

A couple of items that I spotted but couldn't take photos of:
Photo: Asda
After Eight Finest Mint Selection: I don't think I've ever had an After Eight chocolate that wasn't the classic mint thins. This selection consists of dark, white and milk chocolates with a peppermint fondant filling. £2.00 at Asda.
Image: Asda
Asda Rocky Road House Kit: This is basically a chocolate version of a gingerbread house. It's a great value kit and I'm regretting not getting one when I saw it today! £3.00 at Asda.

I'd love to hear from you if you spot any new Christmas food products instore - email me any photos to: grocerygems@gmail.com. Thanks!


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