Category: Food & Drink

Bold Bean Co Jars of Beans

Family Life, Food & Drink, health, Sustainable, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Here’s a world you didn’t know existed – jars of beans! And we don’t mean baked beans; no these Bold Beans Co beans come in huge 700 gram jars of all sorts of beans to add to recipes, make fajitas, create sauces with and even ear raw if you want to!

Why are beans becoming such an important piece of our diets nowadays? Along with the vegan and vegetarian update since lockdown, beans are the unsung heroes of farming. Did you know that legumes are natural fertilizers?  The nitrogen nodules produced by the roots of beans actually put nutrients back into the soil without any work being put into them. This benefits future crops and other food being grown around them.  Beans are also an easy, cheap source of protein and fibre plus they can keep you full for longer thereby making meals go further.  The versatility of the bean means it can be added to lots of dishes, mashed up and used as a base or even turned into snacks.

The shear variety of beans available out there probably passes you by unless you are an avid bean gardener.  Think about all the different dishes available and cuisines from around the world; you probably know of more beans than you realise! Do you actively cook with these superfoods though?

Bold Bean Company have a range of beans available so sent us a selection of their bestselling beans which is also available online as part of their ‘Taste the Range’.  The 6 jars that were sent to us were;

Queen Red Beans

Queen Black Beans

Queen Chickpeas

Queen Butter Beans

Organic White Beans

Organic Chickpeas

I’d heard of most of them but didn’t really know anything about them nor how to cook with them. Thankfully, there are recipes available on the Bold Bean Co website, but we decided to try the Queen Butter Beans in this mince casserole (along with olives and a tomato sauce) and to roast the Queen Chickpeas in the oven with some oil and spices to make a snack.

The first thing I should note in reviewing these jars are that they are BIG! If you aren’t used to storing big jars or don’t have a fridge big enough, then I would suggest with the smaller varieties. I had to rearrange my fridge shelves for the opened jars and find a space for the unopened ones to use later. Secondly, some of the jar lids were very, very tight and required a trip to my neighbours’ house for them to open!

Each of the bean varieties have been sourced for their flavour. Once they are slow cooked to bring out the natural taste and preserve the nutrients as best as possible, they are seasoned and jarred. They’re not suspended in water though – this is bean stock, created so that the beans can marinate in a proper legume stock to keep in the flavour, nutrients and ensure the beans remain soft and don’t dry out.  The bean stock can be used in soups or stews after the jar is finished with, saving you time but probably adding nutrients and flavour to a dish you wouldn’t normally use.

I added the Queen Butter Beans to a mince meat stew I had stored in the freezer in order to make a quick meal. Adding the beans along with some olives made it not only healthier but tasty too. The Queen Butter Beans (which won a Great Taste Award in 2021) are surprisingly not like butter beans you’re used to on the salad counter. These giant sized beans are creamier, but not mushy and have a slightly sweeter taste to them than canned beans that have been saturated for too long. There’s a proper taste to them, and adding them to another dish means they soak up the flavours whilst adding a texture all of their own.  These Queen Butter Beans would be great for babies who are weaning onto solid food. They’re easily mashed!

The second beans I tried were the Queen Chickpeas. Bigger than the jar of Organic Chickpeas (which are great for salads, soups, broths etc) I chose these because of how I wanted to cook them. Forking a handful off onto kitchen paper, I dried them out slightly, put them in an oven dish with some oil and sprinkled them lightly with chilli.  As I was already cooking the mince meat stew, at the same temperature (180C) I roasted the chickpeas as a snack that can be eaten later.  35 minutes in the oven and they were lightly roasted, but not mushy at all, and had soaked up the oil and the chilli. Careful not to use too much chilli though because it goes a lot further than you think!

As there are 500 grams of beans in the whole jar (200 grams of the bean broth makes up the full amount of 700 grams) then I will be pacing myself on using the rest of the beans. The Queen Black Beans will be brilliant for fajitas (my favourite dish!) and tacos; the Organic Chickpeas for salads when I will be able to use them cold and the Queen Red and Queen White Beans can be used in stews and casseroles where I don’t normally use them, and give some lovely colour.

I’ve only had one meal and one snack from the beans so far… I suspect the giant 700 gram jars are a ploy to get me addicted to each of the beans slowly so that I become reliant on them in my every day cooking and the easy of just opening the jar and taking what I want but so far, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve tried and been nicely surprised by the texture, taste and quality of them.

I think once more people cotton onto the properties of beans and how healthy they are, Bold Bean Co will become a favourite for everyone!

Bold Bean Co have recently won a BOOM award from the Soil Association for being able to demonstrate their support for the organic industry.

Taste the Range set of beans available for £25 at:

Taste the Range

Joe & Seph’s Prosecco Popcorn & Prosecco Caramel Sauce

Birthday Gifts, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Joe & Seph’s are a gourmet popcorn company with a range of over 80 different flavours of popcorn. With both sweet and savoury options, they have something to suit every taste and  occasion and with National Prosecco Day just 2 weeks away we have been sampling some of their Prosecco treats.  

Some sweet popcorns are coated in such thick caramel to the point that you lose the popcorn flavour, Joe &  Seph’s popcorn isn’t like this, their popcorn is hand made in small batches, using the finest natural ingredients and their light, fluffy popcorn is packed full of flavour.

The Prosecco popcorn is available in either a 75g re-sealable pouch or a 30g gift box. The gift box is pyramid shaped with a gold ribbon on the top and makes a lovely gift for friends and family.

The popcorn is more sophisticated than standard popcorn and just the thing for a girls night in – with or without Prosecco!

Pouch RRP £4

Gift box RRP £5

We also tried the Prosecco Caramel Sauce, which we drizzled over vanilla ice cream and also bowls of strawberries. The sauce is lovely and rich and the caramel flavour is heavenly, the prosecco flavour isn’t especially strong but it is there and it made a simple pudding feel incredibly indulgent! It is best to heat the sauce a little in the microwave make it easier to pour – or you can just eat it straight out of the jar!

RRP £5.99

Clearspring Organic Seaveg Crispies

Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gluten Free, Lunchbox Fillers, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I’m a huge lover of sushi and even make it at home for my family so when we were offered these Clearspring Seaveg Crispies, there was no hesitation, especially when we heard that Clearspring won a BOOM Award from The Soil Association!

If you’ve never tried seaweed on its own before, it’s an incredibly light, thin snack with a taste of heavy greens. It’s a lot like a lighter version of kale that’s been roasted and dried, but the Clearspring Seaveg Crispies are more than just flattened ocean vegetation – they’re organic and flavoured with either Chilli, Turmeric or ginger as well as the original flavour.  Seaweed is packed with all sorts of nutrients including iron, and as an added bonus, it’s better for the environment because it’s grown in the sea and doesn’t take up landmass needed for other essential food groups. Seaveg Crispies are also Soil Association certified, meaning it’s certified to be of a high standard of organic food production.

Each pack is only 23 calories, which isn’t surprising when you realise there’s only 4 grams in each pack. However, each pack of Seaveg is gluten free, high in fibre, vegan and has no additives or preservatives. There’s only some sunflower oil, sea salt and whichever added flavouring you choose.  I started with the Chilli which is actually pretty hot, so not one for children! I really enjoyed them though and the handy packs and how light they are mean they can be taken to work or out on picnics with you. They may be thin and light but they are big in both taste and personality!

The other flavours are just as strong and variety is a good thing when you need a different kind of snack. Organic and healthy snacks are so often full of additives and over processed that they’re not as healthy as you would think.  Clearspring Organic Seaveg Crispies have so little processing and additional ingredients that there isn’t any danger of you feeling frustrated with them and the iron content is great when you need a pick-me-up.  Talk about a varied diet – I bet you can’t say you’ve eaten anything like it this week, can you?

The Original Seaveg Crispies flavour is great for children to take to school in lunchboxes or if you need to get some fibre or iron into babies too, as it’s easily mashable into something like avocado or even an evening meal. I wouldn’t be surprised if the leaves of Seaveg would fit into a child’s size portion of lasagne too, replacing the pasta to make a healthy alternative.

From £1.29 available at Ocado and online at: https://www.clearspring.co.uk/collections/products/products/organic-seaveg-crispies-chilli-crispy-seaweed-thins

GRIND Coffee and Henry Holland

Birthday Gifts, coffee, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Plastic free, Subscription Boxes

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Coffee lovers everywhere are aware of GRIND, the Shoreditch based independent coffee company who have gone astronomical in the last few years.  If you’re not aware of them, then where have you been?

GRIND pride themselves on being, “The planet’s favourite coffee” after opening a Shoreditch coffee shop, then having fresh roasted coffee delivered to your door. No doubt the pandemic helped with the popularity of home delivered coffee but since then, GRIND have launched a Nespresso compatible pod which biodegrade in a matter of weeks, launched a charity (The Better Coffee Foundation) and now have a collaboration with artists, including Henry Holland. 

We were sent a lovely sample of their House Blend straight from their Shoreditch office, and along with it, one of the Henry Holland special edition coffee tin. There are other homeware items available too, and there will be more in the future which compliment your coffee tastes and kitchen together.

The Home Roast flavour of coffee is what Cheddar is to cheese – if you’re a lover of the stuff, you’ll go for the best available out there and ignore the cheap imitations whilst at the same time you can’t not like it.  The Home Roast is a rich flavour without any of the bells and whistles often added (or claimed to have) from other roaster. It’s just good, honest coffee anyone can enjoy with the versatility to be used in any type of latte, cappuccino or anything else you want to try. Actually, this would be a good coffee for an awesome tiramisu wouldn’t it?

The Henry Holland Coffee tin is not only handy but beautiful. Before today, in our house we only kept the opened coffee in their resealable packets, leaving them open to the moisture in the air. Now, we have the perfect sealed tin to keep coffee fresh and it’s got all the feels of a trendy kitchen too!  Able to store the GRIND bag of coffee (225 grams worth) it fits nicely in the mug cupboard or behind the kettle for daily use.

Henry Holland also produces a limited edition coffee mug, which is currently out of stock. I’m sure there will be more products and more collaborations in the future though!

GRIND Coffee and Henry Holland Tin (you can choose your coffee) available for £14.00 at: https://grind.co.uk/products/henry-holland-whole-bean-and-ground

Lo Bros Kombucha Cola

Drinks and Mixers, Family Life, Fitness, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’re looking for a healthier drink this summer, or something that’s just that bit different compared to what you normally summer on, then have a look at the Lo Bros Kombucha Cola and drinks.  Kombucha is fermented tea (green tea and black tea fermented with sugar) to produce a drink with live cultures.  Lo Bros have taken this a step further and produced a canned drink with a cola taste and just as much fizz and bubble as you would assume. Oh, and they’ve produced two other versions that they’ve sent us to try too! Meet Ginger & Lemon and Passion Fruit too!

Each of the drinks are made with natural ingredients and are naturally low in sugar.  The 250ml cans replace plastic bottles too, so you’re doing your bit for the environment as well as using the most efficient way of keeping the fizz in with the carbonated drinks.  It’s low in calories too – just 6 calories per can.

What do they taste like though?  I was surprised that the Lo Bros Kombucha Cola tasted like cola. It has that slightly sweet taste but isn’t too effervescent nor overly sticky in taste.  The can was just the right amount for a glass to have with lunch and certainly doesn’t feel like a ‘health drink’ because it’s not heavy nor is it really synthetic.

The Ginger & Lemon was very refreshing! It’s like a fizzy cordial without the sugary taste, just the energising citrus and spicy ginger taste. It works well with ice and is probably best when straight out of the fridge.  I also liked the Passion Fruit flavour, which like the other flavours is low in sugar, natural and has live cultures.  It’s more of a fruity taste, with a slight sweetness to it.  I think it would appeal to children more than the other drinks and can be drunk either cold from the fridge or slightly warmer and in a lunchbox.

Over time, the effects of the kombucha are more beneficial than the sugary shop-bought cans we are used to seeing advertised everywhere so I hope that these Lo Bros Kombucha drinks become more popular and appeal to a wide variety of people who prefer these flavours and reach for the kombucha rather than the brands!

Available from 42 pence a can (£5 for 12) at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lo-Bros-Kombucha-Sugar-250ml/dp/B0BNND9CCY?ref_=ast_sto_dp

by Amazon Wines

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, Summer, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

by Amazon has launched it’s first collection of wines from the finest vineyards across the world including South Africa, Argentina, Chile, France and Australia. The selection of 10 wines are very reasonably priced, costing between £6-£10, have been selected, tried, and approved by a master of wine. Available from Amazon they are available in 75cl, 3L or a case of 6 bottles.

They sent me a bottle of the Australian Chardonnay to try and as it was National Cheese & Wine Day it seemed the perfect opportunity to open it and try it.

The white wine is lovely and crisp and alive with a myriad of fruity flavours, with citrus and white peach as the dominant flavours combined with a zesty fresh acidity. We drank it with roast pork and it went down a treat!

This Chardonnay presses all the right buttons for taste, value for money and food friendliness and is available to buy from Amazon so you don’t even need to leave the house to purchase it! I really enjoyed this wine and will certainly be purchasing some more as it will be perfect for summer barbeques.

RRP £6.31

Graffigna Reserve Malbec

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

National Cheese and Wine Day occurs annually on the 25th of July so we couldn’t let the occasion pass without sampling some delicious cheese and wine.

Graffigna Reserve Malbec is a red wine from the Uco Valley of Mendoza in Argentina. When you pour the wine into a glass it is a gorgeous deep red colour and the wine is smooth and easy to drink. You can taste a hint of black cherry and plum and it leaves a wonderful tannic aftertaste without being overpowered by the tannins.

It goes really well with cheese – especially Blacksticks Blue from Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses.

I thoroughly enjoyed drinking the Graffigna Reserve Malbec wine, the taste was smooth, the colour delightful and it looked great in the glass. Highly recommended!

Alcohol: 13.5%

RRP £9 Available from Sainsburys.

Clean G Rhubarb Alcohol-Free Gin

Birthday Gifts, Drinks and Mixers, Food & Drink, Gifts for teachers, Home, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Barbie the Movie is everywhere at the moment, and so is pink!  There’s pink outfits, pink houses and cars and pink cocktails across social media and no wonder when the movie has been such a hit this past weekend.

Clean G’s rhubarb gin is actually not what it seems… it’s alcohol free with no sugar but has the rhubarb taste that’s all the fashion in cocktails nowadays. It still has the dryness of gin, just without the aftershock of some alcohol-free spirits which have the chemical taste to it that screams ‘synthetic’.  It works really well as a cocktail though, tempered with all the usual mixers like tonic water, or with a lemon or lime to make it a bit sharper. There’s a peppermint taste to it too which is not what you expect at first but if you’re mixing it as a cocktail you can work with it and bring out the flavour. The rhubarb flavour is there but it’s not that strong so don’t expect to be able to drink it on its own and have the rhubarb flavour hit you first of all.

Although it has less than 0.5% ABV, it counts and non-alcoholic so there’s no guilt involved here! It’s got no sugar or additional sweetener, is lactose free, gluten free and vegan too.  There’s only 12 calories per 50ml serving too!

Still not sure about an alcohol-free pink gin? Clean G Rhubarb is an International Wines and Spirits award winner (2021) and is made in the same way as conventional gin – in copper stills with added botanicals to give it the flavour.  Many people can’t tell the difference between real gin and alcohol-free Clean G and I couldn’t either. It’s a great idea for anyone who likes gin, and especially to have this pink gin version in the house in case anyone is not drinking this summer. Even better as a Christmas present when friends and family are doing Dry January in the New Year! 

Available at: https://clean.co/collections/frontpage/products/cleang-rhubarb-non-alcoholic and other retails, typically £16 for 70cl bottle.

Montezuma’s Chocolate

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for teachers, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

There can never be too much chocolate in this house, and not only have I never tried Montezuma’s chocolate before, I don’t think I’ve ever tried this array of flavours either. Let me explain…

Montezuma’s sent us a box of chocolates containing a bag of Giant Dark Chocolate Buttons (74%) and a box of small bars of Montezuma’s chocolates, known as a Mini Chocolate Library, containing 12 bars of 25 grams each in five flavours; Milk Chocolate Butterscotch, Dark Chocolate Lime & Sea Salt, Milk Chocolate Peppermint, Organic Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate.

The bars are individually wrapped and presented in a handy (and very cute) little handbag-shaped box which boasts, “A perfect selection of our favourite chocolate bars, in the perfect size’ which it very much is.  This box appeals to both children and adults, especially as adults are more likely to enjoy the different flavours of chocolates. However, with the peppermint, milk chocolate and dark chocolate bars too, it’s great for the whole family or for after dinner watching TV.  I particularly like dark chocolate, so this was a great one for me, but the Lime & Sea Salt was a really interesting flavour.  It reminded me of when Salted Caramel became popular and you had to get used to the taste of the salt and sweet caramel together, but once you do, the flavour stays with you and you start to enjoy it more.  This is a Montezuma’s flavour which I’ll definitely be looking out for in the shops! 

If you’re looking at Christmas gifts already, then this is a good one to keep for families, or to break up the whole library and use as part of an advent calendar.  I think it would also make a fabulous present for a teacher at the end of the school year too, and it’s easy to wrap up or for you to give to a child to take into class on the last day of term.  

The Montezuma’s Dark Chocolate Giant Button grab bag is 180 grams of organic chocolate, nicely pressed into easy-to-eat buttons for your convenience.  This is great for picnics, sharing or taking somewhere like the theatre or cinema because of their size and ease of eating.  The chocolate, like all Montezuma’s chocolate, is of high quality, using all the best cocoa which is ethically sourced from South America and beyond.  Helen and Simon (founders and makers of Montezuma’s Chocolate from 2000 onwards) pride themselves on building ‘Britain’s Greatest Little Chocolate Company.’  We all know about the very biggest chocolate confectionary companies in the world, but if you’re looking for local, more ethically focused chocolate, Montezuma’s is for you. A lot of their products are organic too, plus there’s a massive range on their website of chocolates suitable for both adults and children, and all sorts of occasions.

I can’t speak highly enough for the quality of the chocolate too. It’s not over sweetened, there’s no gritty texture to it and no horrible bitterness to the dark chocolate that leaves you thirsty.  Just good quality, old fashioned chocolate that leaves you with that cocoa ‘hit’ any chocoholic craves.

In the words of the Montezuma’s team, ‘A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands!’ and I agree!!

Re: Nourish Gazpacho and Soups

Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gluten Free, health, Lunchbox Fillers, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Have you ever tried gazpacho before? No? Not sure what it is? Well gazpacho is a summer soup; cold soup drunk in the warmer months when hot soup would be unbearable but made with summer vegetables (tomatoes, cucumber etc) it is a favourite of BBQs and dinner parties.

Re:Nourish have a huge selection of soups and a gazpacho available in the shops in an array of flavours which would suit anyone. We were sent a selection including;

Pea, Basil & Lemon (for Energy)

Tomato, Red Pepper & Cucumber (to Refresh) – their gazpacho

Roasted Carrot & Ginger (to Digest)

Kale, Spinach & Turmeric (for Immunity)

Each of the qualities of the soups and gazpacho (Energy, Refresh, Digest and Immunity) are written on the bottle labels so that you can see what they’re great for, as well as the fact that they’re all delicious. The labels also tell you their nutritional content up front too, so the Pea, Basil & Lemon flavour is great for high protein, whilst the Tomato, Red Pepper & Cucumber flavour has vitamins C, A & E.

If you’re put off by the fact that a gazpacho is a summer soup then think of it asa vegetable smoothie. It has the texture of a soup, thin enough to be eaten with a spoon or if you prefer, they can be poured into a glass or drunk straight from the bottle.  It’s not designed to be heated up, so there’s no temptation in making it look homemade, but they are very easy to eat as a snack or for lunch.  I like to eat mine with a spoon and add some crème fresh or eat with crisps or tortillas for lunch.

The first flavour I tried was Roasted Carrot & Ginger soup.  I particularly like carrot soup, so this with the addition of ginger seemed like a good place to start! You can really taste the ginger in this flavour, but not so much that it becomes too tart to eat.  The Tomato, Red Pepper & Cucumber is the only gazpacho so far in the range, and is so refreshing with the addition of cucumber, working well with the fresh crème fresh. It’s very easy to eat because it’s essentially a tomato soup with some added extra veggies for flavour. These flavours would be great for children in order to get their vegetable quota in each day.

The Kale, Spinach & Turmeric and Pea, Basil & Lemon soups are different flavours as they’re more savoury and lend themselves towards a lunch rather than a snack.  The added lemon and turmeric add a certain ‘kick’ to what you might think are bland green vegetables, but also add extra vitamins and minerals to make the drinks more exciting.  I wouldn’t suggest introducing these ones to younger children as they’re a distinct taste and it will probably put them off Re:Nourish completely!

In addition to the mixture of vegetables and their vitamins, Re:Nourish gazpacho and soups have no additives, no preservatives, no added sugar and are high in fibre. They’re also gluten free, dairy free and low in fat, which is obvious if you think about how they’re just made from lots of vegetables!

Re:Nourish is available on their website: https://renourish.co.uk/collections/bundles or from retailers including Waitrose, Ocado, Planet Organic, Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh and Co-Op among others!

Italian Crisps and Snacks from Fox Nut & Snacks

Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

We are in full swing of summer now, and I’ve lost count of the amount of places I’m meant to be, want to be or end up finding myself thanks to the beautiful weather.  With friends coming round too, there’s always a need for endless snacks to go with the wine, Prosecco or chats with the girls.

The Artisan Olive Oil Company sent us these crisps and vegetable chips to try, as part of their artisan Italian snack range, all of which are found on their website.  This was one of those times when I opened a box and kept delving to find more and more yummy treats; my mind whirling with how I was going to try all of them in such a short space of time… but don’t worry, the girls with the wine, Prosecco and chatter helped me out!

Included in the bundle was;

Vintage Truffle Potato Chips (120g)

Vintage Potatoes with Sweet Chilli (120g)

Vegan [vegetable] Crisps (150g)

Lightly Salted Tortilla (125g)

Blue Corn Tortilla (125g)                    

For anyone looking for summer snacks, this is only a small selection of what the Artisan Olive Oil Company offer, and you can see that there’s more than just your run of the mill crisps just in this selection.  The flavours are varied as well, which helps when you don’t know what everyone will be drinking.

It is surprisingly fast how quickly so many packets of crisps disappear when you open them! We did study them first though, noting how each of the crisps were of high quality. The potato crisps were sharp, fresh and there were no burnt edges or green crisps in the packet, and none of those monster crisps you used to find as a child! All of the vegetables were of high quality and were cooked in high quality oil.  The Vintage Potatoes with Sweet Chilli are not as hot (in taste) as some of the other brands on the market, but have more of a sweeter taste to them. The crisps are still precise though, and make for a lovely texture. 

The same goes for the Vintage Truffle Potato Chips, which have a subtle taste but are great with the flavour of the oil coming through and the quality of the potatoes. I really liked the Vegan Crisps which were vegetable chips of carrot, beetroot and parsnip. Not only are they some of my favourite vegetables but they have a taste all of their own once they’re cooked, and the added seasoning makes them irresistible.

Finally, the Lightly Salted Tortilla and Blue Corn Tortilla are more gritty, but flavoursome corn chips, with a tiny bit of flavouring to them but just as delicious. These went really well with white wine and their slightly sour tastes of Pinot Grigio and I think would be even better eaten with a dip or salsa, all of which are found on the Artisan Olive Oil Company’s website where you’ll find even more summer treats!

Crisps and snacks available online from £4.25 per 120g bag at:

Premium snacks

Warrior Crunch Protein Bars – Peanut Butter and Jelly 

Family Life, Fitness, Food & Drink

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If, like me, you are trying to stick to a low carbohydrate, high protein diet but still love the sweet stuff and crave chocolate, then you’ll know that there are lots of products on the market but most of them are unpalatable!  They’re often made of substitute products which are bland and tasteless which ultimately puts me off them.

Warrior have been making high protein bars as part of their range of protein products for a long time now, so the new Peanut Butter and Jelly flavour is a nice treat in a long line of bars.  Each bar is 64 grams with 20 grams of protein and 2.3 grams of sugar with 22 grams of carbohydrates in all. Eaten at any time of day as a snack or pick-me-up, they add some variety to the usual keto diet which many of us find difficult to keep up when we’re out and about, so these bars make life much easier!

The flavour is not something you usually find in shops either.  We’re not used to peanut butter and jelly (PBJ) in this country but if you’ve ever tried it in a sandwich, then you’ll know that this set up is going to be delicious, not least because of the chocolate involved! The bars are filled with the peanut butter filling and coated with jelly (it tastes like raspberry jelly to me) then have a final coating of thick chocolate. The sweetness of the jelly really comes through to give you a ‘sweetness hit’ but you really can’t tell the different between this and a confectionary bar you buy off the shelf. There’s no hint of it being a fitness bar and frankly, it’s much bigger than the kiosk sized chocolate bars you buy these days, so it’s a double winner!

I had this after lunch as a ‘dessert’ but you can eat it at any time. It works well within a low carb diet, and the nutritional values are on each bar packaging so that you can fit them into your diet and regime.  You could actually only eat half at a time and still feel the benefit, but if you’re like me, you enjoy a proper bar of chocolate but don’t want to hit the top of the dial with the high carbohydrate options, the Peanut Butter and Jelly Warrior bar does the trick!

Available as boxes of 12 for £16.99 at online retail outlets as well as: https://teamwarrior.com/products/warrior-crunch-12-bars-1?variant=43789094060280

Don’t forget, Warrior also have the Mini Warrior bars available too, for when you need a less hearty snack: https://teamwarrior.com/products/crunch-mini-bars?variant=43910850216184&currency=GBP&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=20341571902&utm_content=&utm_term=&gadid=&gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5MOlBhBTEiwAAJ8e1skPJhJ3VV9mXUOqszDitQ9ffIsPkkk2xrAZjKuscMQZ0fK7adZ9ehoCl9EQAvD_BwE

Groovy Food Company Hot Agave Nectar and Chipotle Agave Nectar

Family Life, Food & Drink, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Groovy Food Company have launched 2 new Agave flavours to their range of sauces, honeys and oils. The Hot Agave Nectar and Chipotle Agave Nectar sound like they could be fire hot additions to the BBQ this year with their chilli flavours an chipotle, but are they just another sauce to keep in the fridge for the next 6 months?

Both of the sauces are actually fat free and have no artificial colours. The Hot Agave Nectar has no artificial flavourings either and both are suitable for vegans and Kosher – KLBD.  They’re not just for the BBQ thought. They’re great on salads, pizza, any kinds of meat or fish, as an accompaniment to cheeses or even on lasagne or pasta to give it more of a zing!  

The Hot Agave sauce is chilli hot, but not so hot that your mouth burns.  It would be suitable for older children as an addition to their pizza or salad or to use it as a dip for chicken nuggets.  It’s got a lovely texture to it, making it very easy to pour and eat when drizzled over your meals.  It certainly makes vegetables more exciting and with the addition of the Chipotle Agave Nectar, you can alternate flavours or add both to the same meal.

The Chipotle Agave Nectar has a smokey flavour to it but again is not too hot that children couldn’t enjoy it.  The Agaves make for great sauces to dip the crusts of pizzas into, but I haven’t tried it as an addition to making a sauce yet – maybe a homemade pasta sauce with added Chipotle Agave Nectar would give it that extra kick?

Once opened, they both need to be stored in the fridge and shaken every time used, but there are approximately 75 servings from each bottle. 

If you’re a fan of chilli and chipotle then these Groovy Foods agaves are worth trying, and trying on all sorts of different dishes to see how they can change anything from vegetables to your favourite homemade dishes.

Available from Ocado for £3 at:

https://www.ocado.com/search?entry=groovy%20food%20company

Joe & Seph’s Chocolate Lover’s Gourmet Popcorn Selection

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Popcorn has become the most fashionable snack nowadays, probably since lockdown and we’re all spending time at home watching on demand TV with better quality food!

Joe & Seph’s Popcorn has also gained in popularity not just for the convenience but for the quality of the kernels and the different flavours available.  Not just content with the usual sweet flavours like Toffee or Sweet & Salty, but there’s the summer limited editions such as Eton Mess and White Chocolate & Raspberry. Don’t get me started on the savoury flavours too like Mojito or Goat’s Cheese & Black Pepper. 

We were sent one of Joe & Seph’s specialty Chocolate Lover’s Gourmet Popcorn Selection boxes.  Unlike the other bags, this 105 gram box is a mixture of four different chocolate flavours; Caramel & White Chocolate, Caramel & Belgian Chocolate and Double Chocolate Popcorn and our luxurious, rich Dark Chocolate Popcorn Bites.  If you’re not familiar with the flavours already, then the first 3 are varieties of chocolate coating on the famous Joe & Seph’s popcorn, whilst popcorn bites are piece of popcorn set in chocolate cups. Not just ordinary chocolate cups, but cups of delicious dark chocolate where you can really taste the richness of cacao.

The box makes it the perfect shape for sharing, or for giving as a gift.  If you have a friend or loved one who loves chocolate, popcorn or both, this is perfect because of the mix of flavours, all of which work together nicely to create a type of ‘dessert’ in the form of a box of snacks, thanks to the mix of sweet flavours.

The quality of the popcorn really is as gourmet as you would hope, with no unpopped kernels at the bottom of the box, no strange shaped, odd pieces that missed the delicious chocolate coating, just a box packed full of quality popcorn.

If you’re not keen on chocolate flavoured popcorn, have a look at the website for lots of other flavours, and different sizes of bags. 

Available from £6.00 from: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/gifts/chocolate-lovers-gourmet-popcorn-selection

Ritter Sport Nut Selection

Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Ritter Sport are a German chocolate brand who make distinctive square chocolate bars that come in a wide range of fillings and flavours. In celebration of World Chocolate Day they sent me a box of their delicious nutty chocolate bars to try, with instructions to keep them squirreled away as the nutty treats are just too tempting for the local squirrels!  

With the trademark Ritter Sport logo in the middle, the 100g bars feature images of chocolate coated nuts along with the green 100% certified Sustainable Cocoa Sourcing logo. On the reverse is the ingredients and nutritional information.

Opening the packaging, I was presented with a chunky bar of chocolate with 16 segments, each imprinted with the Ritter Sport logo. When I turned over the bar, I was pleased to see plenty of whole nuts, each segment had a least 1 and some even had 3!

Naturally sweet and with a satisfying crunch, hazelnuts and chocolate are a winning combination. All three varieties – Whole Hazlenuts, Dark Whole Hazlenuts and White Whole Hazlenuts – were absolutely scrumptious. I enjoyed the creaminess of the milk chocolate with the hazelnuts but my favourite was the dark chocolate bar as the bitterness of the dark chocolate contrasted nicely with the nut creating an incredibly moreish treat.

The Honey Salted Almond bar offered a satisfying crunch and the sweetness and saltiness created a real explosion of flavour in my mouth.

Get yours quick before the squirrels find them!!

Belvoir Farm Summer Spritz

Drinks and Mixers, Food & Drink, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

It’s summer, the sun is shining and I’m sat watching Wimbledon on TV with a refreshing glass of Belvoir Farm Summer Spritz – life doesn’t get much better than this!

The limited edition Summer Spritz is a very refreshing drink, especially on a hot day like today. Sparkling spring water is mixed with strawberry, apple, elderberry and lime juices and finished with a hint of mint and it really does taste fantastic.

It is lovely on its own with a few strawberries or it works well as a mixer for your favourite tipple.

As it’s Wimbledon season it would be rude not to have a glass of Pimms, so I tried Belvoir Farm’s recipe for Strawberry Pimms. This fruity cocktail was was a big hit with my friends today.

It is nice and easy to make and if you want to try it this is the recipe.

150ml Belvoir Farm Summer Spritz
50ml Pimms
15ml Belvoir Farm Raspberry & Lemon Cordial
Handful of strawberries
Handful of fresh mint leaves

Method – Add 3/4 of the strawberries and mint to a high ball glass and muddle. Add the Pimms and Raspberry & Lemon Cordial then fill the glass with crushed ice. Top with the Belvoir Farm Summer Spritz.

Like the rest of the Belvoir range, Summer Spritz is made from the finest ingredients with no artificial flavours or preservatives. It is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Available from Ocado and look out for it in Aldi next week

RRP 750ml £2.25

Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegetarian

Disclaimer: we received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

It’s World Chocolate Day today – our favourite day of the year and we have been celebrating with some of our favourite chocolate treats from Joe & Seph’s

Joe & Seph’s are a family business and began making popcorn back in 2010 in their family kitchen. After taking the popcorn to a food show they sold out in 2 days and the rest is history. They use the finest, natural ingredients and now have a range of over 40 exciting flavours which include both sweet and savoury flavours.

The White Chocolate & Raspberry Popcorn Slab costs £8 and believe me is worth every penny. Combining Caramel and Raspberry popcorn and smothering them in delicious white chocolate, Joe & Seph’s have come up with the most amazing indulgent treat. I would like to say that we ate this over a couple of nights but that would be a complete lie! It was so good we demolished the whole slab in one sitting!!

The Caramel & White Chocolate Gourmet Popcorn costs £4 and is a real treat for the tastebuds, especially if you have a sweet tooth. The air popped popcorn is coated in smooth caramel and white chocolate and has a satisfying crunch when you bite into it. Once you’ve tasted this I guarantee you won’t go back to cinema popcorn again!

The Milk Chocolate Popcorn Bites are pieces of salted caramel popcorn in a creamy milk chocolate cup. The creaminess of the chocolate and the crunch of the popcorn go so well together and are a real decadent treat. They say each bag contains 4 servings – I think their servings are much smaller than mine!! RRP £3.50

We’ve really enjoyed celebrating World Chocolate Day with Joe & Seph’s and I can’t wait to find out what their next popcorn flavours are going to be.

Mavrik Non Alcoholic Espresso Martini & Passion Star Martini

Birthday Gifts, Drinks and Mixers, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Summer, Women

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts an opinions are our own.

It’s summer and the weekend but if you’re not a big drinker, pregnant or driving you can still join the party with these new non alcoholic martinis from Mavrik.

With Espresso Martini and Passion Star Martini added to their already great selection of canned cocktails, these non alcoholic cocktails have less than 50 calories per serving so they are perfect if you are watching the calories too.

The cans are nitro infused so all you need to do is simply chill the can, turn it over a few times, open and pour gently into a glass and wait for the head to develop. They can also be mixed in a cocktail shaker and shaken with ice in true James Bond style!   

I put mine in the fridge and after allowing them to chill to perfection, I decided to try the Passion Star Martini first. Inspired by the popular Pornstar Martini, the Passion Star Martini is nice and fruity and the nitrogen-infusion gives it a nice head. Passion fruit, pineapple and vanilla along with rum flavouring give the cocktail the distinctive Caribbean taste and if you close your eyes you can pretend you are sipping cocktails in an exotic location!   

The Espresso Martini is also nitro-infused, producing a beautifully smooth coffee flavoured cocktail that tastes absolutely delicious. Coffee and chocolate flavours blend together nicely giving the flavour of an Espresso Martini, just minus the alcohol.

These martinis feel much more grown up than a fizzy drink and best of all I can drink them all night knowing I can safely drive myself home at the end of the party and won’t wake up with a hangover the following morning.

Mavrik drinks are available from their website and a box of 8 Martinis (4 of each) costs £23.60

Mayata Chocolate

Birthday Gifts, Food & Drink

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

To celebrate National Chocolate Day on 7 July, the team at Mayata sent us some of their delicious chocolate to try. We can’t promise that it made it past tea time, but we can tell you that we enjoyed testing it for you!

With each 70 gram bar priced at £4.99, they aren’t the off-the-shelf High Street brands but you can taste that in the quality of the chocolate. We were sent the Mayata Colombia 72% Dark Chocolate and Mayata Congo 44% Milk Chocolate bars to review. 

The difference in quality between Mayata Chocolate and other brands is not just the cocoa beans but the fact that Mayata don’t blend the beans to make a hybrid chocolate. Using produce from Asia, Africa and the Americas, the beans are roasted low and slow to reduce bitterness before being crushed.  

The 72% Dark Chocolate from Colombia is made with fermented Trinitario cocoa. Trinitario has been grown in the Antioquia region of Colombia for centuries and is produced by farmers who use sustainable practices.  The 72% dark chocolate is a much richer, deeper flavour which will be loved by anyone who likes dark chocolate, just without such a bitter after taste compared to other dark chocolates. I think this would work really well in a recipe that needs dark chocolate, like a Rocky Road or rich ganache cake.

The 44% Congo Milk Chocolate bar is smoother than smooth and very creamy with a hint of fruit flavour in it, making it quite different to commercial chocolates.  It’s not bitter at all, and you can eat it easily without feeling like it’s too rich as there’s not too much sugar in it. It melts in the mouth, feeling like it’s more of a creamy dessert rather than a chocolate bar.  I could eat this one all day long and not get fed up with it!

Mayata say that they make chocolate like no other, and I can believe it from the history of how they create their single location cocoa, their ethics of making chocolate and the taste of their wonderfully rich and delicious chocolate bars. How many ways can we find to fit Mayata chocolate into our day?

Mayata Chocolate is available on Sous Chef from £4.99 at:

Mayata Chocolate

Herbarium Distillation 29

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts, Women

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

I do enjoy a refreshing G&T on a sunny afternoon, but I don’t always want the hangover that one too many glasses brings.  Fortunately, there are now some excellent non alcoholic gins available, enabling me to enjoy all the deliciousness of a sophisticated G&T but without the headache.

Herbarium 29 is the brainchild of friends Andrew Stacey & Steve Brown who struggled to find an alcohol free alternative to gin. After deciding that the best option was to simply take the alcohol out of gin they focussed on this idea and after a lot of experimentation Herbarium was born.

It is delicious served with ice and tonic for a refreshing drink, or if you are feeling a little more adventurous why not try making mocktails?

Distilled in copper pot stills they hand distil small batches of the highest quality, hand selected  botanicals to create a well-balanced, complex spirit that has the beautiful mouthfeel and fresh dryness that you expect from a premium gin. I tried it initially with an unflavoured light tonic to get the full flavour, garnishing with a slice of lime. The botanical flavours really stood out and it made a really refreshing drink.  

I also tried a Herblet Cocktail which can be made with these ingredients

Ice

50ml Herbarium

50ml Lime cordial

50ml water

2tsp sugar syrup

Lime to garnish

With strong notes of juniper and citrus and the classic bitterness that you expect from gin but without any of the alcohol, Herbarium is the perfect drink this summer. You still get the party taste without the hangover – what’s not to like!

A 70cl bottle costs £24.80 and is available from the Herbarium website (there is currently a 20% discount if you use the code SUMMER20), Master of Malt and Amazon.

Happi Oat Milk Chocolate

Birthday Gifts, Children, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Stocking Fillers, Sustainable, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

We’ve been munching our way through a lot of chocolate this week in preparation for World Chocolate Day on the 7th July.  As well as traditional chocolate we have been sampling some plant based brands as being Vegan or following a dairy free or gluten free diet no longer means you need to miss out on delicious chocolate treats.

Happi Choc was founded by Gavin, Lee & Rosie who spotted a gap in the market for top quality, healthier and FUN plant based treats that they were happy to share with their children and enjoy themselves.  Lower in sugar than other chocolate brands the chocolate is sustainably sourced with the cacao bought directly from a Columbian family owned business and co-operative called Luker.  The company are 100% ethically driven and work closely with a network of farmers, alliances and communities to improve social welfare, biodiversity and farming practices. (We recently tried FATSO chocolate which is sourced from the same Columbian business)

The Happi chocolate is made using single origin 47% Colombian cacao and oat milk and comes in a range of delicious flavours – Plain Milk, White Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Orange, Cacao Nibs Crunch & White Raspberry.

Happi chocolate is the very first oat milk chocolate I have tried and I have to say I’m really impressed, the chocolate is smooth and creamy and there is definitely no compromise on taste and with less sugar it’s better for my waistline too!

My favourite was the Cacao Nib Crunch, the rich flavour combined with the crunchy cacao nibs is simply irresistible and a chocolate lovers dream. For white chocolate lovers the White Raspberry bar is one to try, with plenty of freeze dried raspberries giving it a fruity boost this one is incredibly moreish!

The packaging is also recyclable with a cardboard box and a home compostable plastic inner. They also give 1% of their annual net sales revenue to good causes and mental health organisations so another good reason to try it.

Happi is available in 40g and 80g bars from Selfridges, Ocado, Amazon and local independent retailers.

FATSO Chocolate

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers, Vegan

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

I am a real chocoholic and don’t need much of an excuse to eat chocolate, so I am really enjoying the lead up to World Chocolate Day on the 7th July.

I love discovering new chocolate brands and one I hadn’t come across before is FATSO who use a Columbian family owned business and co-operative called Luker as their sole chocolate supplier. The company are 100% ethically driven and they grow delicious, sustainable cocoa that has been awarded the highest chocolate classification, FINO DE AROMA. They also work closely with a network of farmers, alliances and communities to improve social welfare, biodiversity and farming practices.

So with such great credentials the big question is, what does the chocolate actually taste like? Well, that’s very easy to answer. Absolutely delicious!!

We tried two different bars – the King’s Ransom (Mint Pistachio & Cocoa Nibs) and Home Run (Salted Pretzel, Whole Almond & Honeycomb).

One of the things that really surprised me about the King’s Ransom bar (and I really know it shouldn’t) is that it had such a wonderful minty flavour rather than the strong synthetic representation of mint we have become accustomed to in cheaper brands. The minty flavour together with the crunchy texture of the pistachio and cocoa nibs made this a delight to eat.

The Home Run bar is a 60% cacao bar with generous chunks of salted pretzel, whole almonds and honeycomb. This winning combination of flavours complement each other and it is easy to pick out all the flavours, the saltiness of the pretzel takes away some of the bitterness of the dark chocolate and sweetness comes from the honeycomb. Nuts add a satisfying crunch to this bar.

The quality of FATSO chocolate is exceptional and it’s definitely the best I’ve tasted in a quite a while.
One taste and you will see that their chocolate is a world apart from something you might pick up from the supermarket. At £6.50 for a 150g bar it is on the expensive side but you are paying for a quality product here – just keep it out of the way of the children and savour every piece!

Artisan Coffee Co’s. Chocolate Flight and Coffee Pairings

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

We were very excited to learn that it’s World Chocolate Day on 7th July, which gives us a perfect excuse to test out some chocolate, and what better than Artisan Coffee Company’s Chocolate Flight and Coffee Selection Box. Chocolate AND coffee!

If you’re not familiar with Tasting Experiences, there is a leaflet enclosed which explains it all; testing the individual coffee bags with their corresponding chocolates, each flavour of chocolate and coffee designed to bring out the richness in each other. For example, testing the coffee called The Genius (no 161) with the chocolate called Wonderously Complex, you should be able to taste the rich cocoa flavour, some pecan notes and a touch of raisin and malt. 

Artisan Coffee began in 2019 after conversations about coffee between a coffee research scientist, an entrepreneur and a sommelier of coffee, known as a Q Grader in the business. It’s no wonder the company was named ‘Artisan Coffee Co’ when the team decided to concentrate on bringing the flavour of coffee to the masses and after a year of doing so, brought in Ashley Palmer-Watts; chef and coffee fanatic.  He designed a range of flavoursome chocolates which harmonised flavours between the coffee and the chocolates. 

The coffee in most cases on the Artisan website is in coffee bags – an ingenious way of getting a characterful cup of coffee without having to brew up beans and filter. Now that we’re all working from home, coffee bags make more sense, or even bringing in a few to the office when we have to makes better sense, but this Tasting Experience box also has coffee pods. So whether you’re working from home or commuting, there’s an option on how to enjoy your roast.  The chocolates are individually wrapped and remind me of after dinner luxuries.

The tasting experience card explains exactly how to set up the coffee and what the pairing of chocolates are to the tastes. This is a great after dinner exercise, or date night fun as you try each coffee with each chocolate. I’m not a great coffee lover, so trying the coffees over a few nights, you really get a taste for the pairings and start to taste the differences. The idea of combining the coffees with gorgeous chocolates is really appealing, and makes the experience more fun.

It may be World Chocolate Day and a chance to try some top class artisan chocolate, but you’ll be forgiven if you want to use it as an excuse to taste some of the best coffees on offer too!

The Ultimate Coffee Selection Box is available from £34.99 at:

The Ultimate Coffee Selection Box

Oppo Ice Cream – 4 New Flavours for Summer!

Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Home, Summer, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Tuesday 27th June is National Ice Cream Day! To celebrate, Oppo Brothers have sent us a selection of their new flavours for 2023 to try, and they sent us some of their most popular ice creams too!

Oppo Brothers Caramelised Biscuit Swirl Ice Cream (475ml) is a tub of their newest flavoured ice cream, with the added bonus of only being 95 calories per 100ml. The caramel ice cream is adorned with pieces of biscuit to add to the Biscoff-style. Sweet but not sticky, the Caramelised Biscuit Swirl Ice Cream goes well with already sweet desserts such as sticky toffee pudding or jam roly poly. We ate this on its own though, with the lovely gold Oppo Brothers Spoon which we were sent too!

We also received the Opp Brothers Double Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream (475ml) which has pieces of chocolate in a chocolate ice cream. This flavour only has 90 calories per 100ml and is a good source of protein as well as a fantastic dessert all of its own, is lower in sugar than other ice creams and own the ‘Great Taste’ award in 2022.  Although this could be eaten alongside a dessert, it’s a treat for the whole family and a tub of 475ml goes a surprisingly long way.

The third tub of ice cream was the Oppo Brothers Double Salted Caramel Swirl Ice cream (475ml). This flavour won a ‘Great Taste’ award in 2018 when it came out, and boasts only 82 calories per 100ml. This ice cream is REALLY sweet so I would only eat this on its own, with probably only a few spoonfuls needed in order to get a good ice cream ‘hit’. It’s very indulgent, and if you like trying new flavours of ice cream then this is a definite win, and isn’t offensive at all. No weird flavours here, just wholesome summer ice cream treats!

I had never tried ice cream snacking balls before, so the next two boxes were a treat. The Oppo Brothers Chocolate Hazelnut Snacking Balls (12 balls at 14ml each) make for great additions to desserts, small portions of ice cream for kids or as a snack for lunchtime when you’re working from home! You can see in the photo that they are bite sized, smaller ice creams covered in chocolate crispy shells. The Chocolate Hazelnut Snacking Balls have small hazelnut pieces in the shell, and come in at only 25 calories a bite. 

We were also sent 12 Salted Caramel Balls, which only had 22 calories per ball – bonus! Both these and the Chocolate Hazelnut Snacking Balls are vegetarian friendly and made with fresh milk and cream and natural ingredients.

Summer isn’t the same without ice cream lollies and Oppo Brothers sent us two varieties; Vanilla Almond Caramel Swirl Ice Cream Sticks and Salted Caramel Biscuit Crunch Ice Cream Sticks. Each one is ice cream with a chocolate coating and they are only 130 calories each.  The Salted Caramel Biscuit Crunch won a ‘Great Taste’ award in 2022 and the newer Vanilla Almond Caramel Swirls are both great for children a well as adults as they aren’t too sweet but are still cooling in this weather. They’re both graded as ‘C’ on the Nutri-Score too, and the packets fit neatly in the fridge so you can store them for a few months, or until they’re gone!

Oppo Brothers have lots of choice for Summer 2023 whether its ice cream, snacking balls or ice cream sticks, you’re bound to find something the family will love! 

Available from  Sainsburys, Tesco, Asda, Ocado or Amazon from £5.00.

Peperami Pizza Buns

camping, Children, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, Summer

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

It’s National Picnic week this week so the perfect opportunity to grab your picnic blankets and baskets and make the most of the good weather whilst enjoying some delicious food in the great outdoors.

We love a picnic and isn’t it funny how food always tastes much nicer outdoors?  Our current favourite picnic treat is the new Peperami pizza buns from Peperami. Made with a zesty tomato herb sauce, succulent salami with a rich slice of cheese surrounded by a tasty bun they come in two flavours – Original and Hot.

I actually wasn’t expecting these pizza buns to be as nice as they are but after trying one I was hooked – they are surprisingly tasty and being individually wrapped they are so convenient to pop in your bag or lunchbox. The bun wasn’t too doughy and the tomato was tangy and tasty, complementing the thick slice of peperami nicely.

The good thing about these pizza buns are they don’t need to be stored in the fridge and can either be eaten at room temperature or heated up in the microwave if you prefer. They are available in single packs (75g) and multi-packs (4x40G) and are great to keep in the cupboard as a handy snack – but be warned they are incredibly moreish!

Available from supermarkets nationwide.