Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Boy, have we got a treat for you! Joe & Seph, our friends of gourmet popcorn, have sent us their range of NEW Limited Edition Cake Collection flavoured popcorn – perfect for celebrating birthdays!
If you’re wondering what gourmet popcorn is, then let me explain. Not all popcorn is created equal. Gourmet popcorn is air-popped (not fried) and coated in butter. Usually, UK popcorn is made with oil and coated with sugar but Joe & Seph’s coat their gourmet popcorn in butter. This allows yummy flavours to coat the popcorn and creates the varieties which Joe & Seph’s are now famous for. If you’re not familiar with their flavours yet either, then feast yourselves on tastes such as Salted Caramel, Toffee, White Chocolate & Raspberry as well as savoury flavours like Cheese, Marmite and even Olive Oil, Mozzarella & Tomato!
The new Cake Collection which is available online already, has several flavours based on our favourite desserts including Chocolate Fudge Cake, Peanut Butter Blondie, Millionaire’s Shortbread and Birthday Cake. These flavours are designed for celebrations, hence the Birthday Cake variety which makes an excellent birthday gift. They all make excellent gifts though, especially if you stock them up and give a bunch of them at the same time to anyone who loves popcorn.
We first tried the Chocolate Fudge Cake. It’s similar to the other chocolate coated flavours by Joe & Seph’s but much richer and you get more of a chocolate flavour. There’s definitely a fudge flavour in there too. I’m a big lover of peanut butter anyway, so the Peanut Butter Blondie popcorn is fabulous! It tastes of peanut butter (rather than peanuts) and the texture of the popcorn really reminds me of the crunchy peanut butter I love. Millionaire’s Shortbread is a mixture of chocolate and caramel with a bit of crunch in there too from the shortbread. It’s not the strongest flavour overall but you can taste the caramel and chocolate in there and it’s very rich, similar to the Chocolate Fudge Cake. Lastly, my favourite was the Birthday Cake flavour. Very sweet, with raspberry and cream cheese flavouring, it was delicious and so moreish, particularly as we ate it as a replacement dessert after dinner. I think children would like this one the most as it’s both the fruit flavour and sweet together and really reminds me of the birthday cake it’s styled after.
It’s always great to try new flavours, and these Joe & Seph’s Cake Collection flavours are not only a great idea, but will be universally loved by anyone who adores popcorn or is a fan of cakes and desserts.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
One of my favourite sandwiches is cheese and onion but they do make my breath smell, so I try and avoid eating them when I am meeting people. After hearing about my cheese and onion addiction Peppersmith kindly sent me a selection of their delicious mints, pastilles and gums to enable me to continue to eat my favourite sandwiches without worrying about bad breath. Do they work – absolutely! A couple of mints after lunch is proving very effective at freshening my breath, enabling me to talk to people confidently without worrying about my oniony breath.
Peppersmith are one of the leading mint and gum brands in the UK and all their mints are made with 100% natural flavours. They use real British mint plants grown on a small farm in Hampshire to flavour their mints and they are sweetened with Xylitol, a plant based sweetener which contains 40% less calories than sugar. As well as being nice and minty the mints are approved by the Oral Health Foundation as Xylitol has been proven to help reduce tooth decay.
With a choice of Peppermint Mints, Peppermint Gum, Extra Strong Mints, Spearmint Gum, Lemon Mints and Strawberry Pastilles there is something to suit every taste.
The peppermint and spearmint mints are nice and refreshing, cooling your mouth and leaving it feeling nice and fresh. My favourite are the Lemon Mints – made with Sicilian lemons and Hampshire mint the zingy flavour is perfect for freshening my oniony breath, much to the relief of my colleagues!!
The mints are packaged in little cardboard boxes so they get full marks for having environmentally friendly packaging! Each box contains approximately 25 mints and they are the perfect size to keep in your bag or desk drawer. The Peppermint Mints and both flavours of Gum are also available in larger boxes aptly called Mighty Boxes.
All Peppersmith products are sugar free, gluten free, vegan friendly, free from palm oil and nut free.
Available individually or in a mixed taster box or you can even take out a subscription for a regular delivery every 4,8 or 12 weeks
Available directly from Peppersmith or health shops and supermarkets nationwide
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Remember the Hellmann’s Turkey advert from the 1980s? “Don’t save it for the summer” was the slogan they used to encourage us to eat mayonnaise with Christmas dinner and since then, it’s been a staple in households all over the country along with other favourites such as Colman’s Mint Sauce (great for roast lamb) and Colman’s English Mustard. In fact, I think my first ever taste of mustard was at the Christmas dinner table when I was little, and not ready for the taste that was adorned on my roast at my insistence!
Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise isn’t just for salads. Made with just egg, oil and a dash of vinegar, it’s a time old recipe that is the basis of lots of recipes. With such simple beginnings, it can be used on most meals but at Christmas time, it’s particularly useful with cold meats, especially on Boxing Day. Turkey sandwiches are one of my yuletide memories and they’re usually made with piles of carved turkey and lots and lots of Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise. There’s something about the mixture of the two textures and the cool mayonnaise flavour that make the two go together so well.
If you’re not into mayonnaise, then Colman’s have the taste alternative. Colman’s Mint Sauce and Colman’s Mustard have been in our pantries for decades since the company started in Norwich in 1814. Colman’s Mint Sauce, grown in Norfolk, uses the meat tenderising enzymes found in mint to compliment lamb. Using the sauce cold and eating with a hot lamb joint, the mint brings out the lamb flavour. It’s also particularly good with roast potatoes and adds a completely different angle to home cooked meals.
Colman’s Mustard (English) is a completely different taste. This mustard isn’t as hot as you might think, but still has that peppery taste to it that works so well with beef. You can put this straight on your plate and eat it as an accompaniment to beef, but I have discovered that it works brilliantly if put over your beef joint before going into an air fryer. As the meat cooks in the super hot air, it heats the mustard allowing it to break down the outer fat of the joint and seeping in flavour. I tried it in my air fryer and it created this lovely crust to the outside of the cut, which was super easy and protected the outside from scorching. I also use mustard in my salad dressings, adding a certain hotness to summer lunches which you can’t get anywhere else.
Lastly, we would not talking about condiments if we didn’t mention Marmite. Available all over the world now, it is particularly special at Christmas for ex-pats who crave the special taste. If you’ve ever lived abroad or go on holiday where many Brits congregate, you’ll know that Marmite is on all the supermarket shelves. The phrase ‘Love It Or Hate It’ is now part of the English vernacular and recognised as a polarity due to Marmite‘s unique taste. If you’ve never tried it before (and I suggest you do at least give it a go once!) then I can only describe it as a slightly tangy version of beef gravy, only much thicker and spreadable. It goes nicely on toast as most of us will remember from our childhoods, but there are ample recipes available on the Marmite website. There’s a particularly good recipe for Marmite, Ham & Camembert Festive Toasties; perfect for after Christmas dinner or on Boxing Day when you have plenty of leftovers and not many ideas!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
3 September is National Cinema day in Britain this year. It’s the day when we are all invited to visit the cinema and support the film industry, but this year it’s particularly important as the SAG union strikes are affecting all films made in the US, and most which are scheduled to be made around the world – including the UK.
Joe & Seph’s are big supporters of the movie industry, which is not surprising for a gourmet popcorn company! Joe & Seph’s don’t make just one kind of popcorn though, and it’s not your usual butter coated Saturday Morning Pictures popcorn either!
To celebrate National Cinema Day, and to give you some ideas of their gourmet flavours to try when you get to the cinema, Joe & Seph’s have worked with some big names to get exclusive flavours out there for you. We were sent the flavours; James Bond Dry Martini (popped, not stirred), Dungeon’s & Dragons Chilli Chocolate Caramel (Sweet & Fiery) and Asteroid City Belgian Chocolate & Caramel Asteroids (almost definitely not asteroids, but popcorn!). If those flavours don’t get your mouth watering as you wander into your local cinemas, I don’t know what will!
You’ll notice that each of the flavours is based around a film franchise, which is not surprising given how well popcorn and movies go together. I love both sweet and savoury popcorns, especially if they’re well cooked and the popcorn is soft which it always is with Joe & Seph’s. Starting with the James Bond Dry Martini flavour, it’s more savoury which is what you would expect, but the flavour doesn’t develop until you’ve let it melt in your mouth a little bit. It’s not as overpowering as an actual Martini either, so if you like the taste but not the alcohol, this is very edible! Be warned though, especially if you’re on medication because the flavouring is 5% real gin and vodka! You can also taste the lemon a little bit and the caramel balances the flavour out nicely.
The Dungeons and Dragons Sweet & Fiery is for chilli lovers. Based on the idea of Dungeons & Dragons, the fiery comes from red chilli pepper flavouring, and the sweetness is from caramel and Belgian chocolate. The chocolate isn’t just ordinary chocolate though, Joe & Seph’s only use the best quality Belgian chocolate in any of their popcorn recipes, so you’ll find that this is extra smooth, creamy chocolate and compliments the chilli taste. You’ll love the juxtaposition of the two flavours together, and taking a big handful is not an option unless you’re a really, really big fan of chilli so I would go easy on these until you find your level! It’s a fabulous combination and one that you don’t normally find with popcorn so well worth trying it out.
Lastly, there’s an old favourite. Asteroid City Belgian Chocolate & Caramel. Anyone who loves either chocolate or popcorn will love this flavour, and it’s great for children too. The soft texture of the caramel comes through first, then the chocolate flavour then the sweetness from the caramel. It’s a more subtle flavour than the Sweet & Fiery or Dry Martini but it’s just as enjoyable, if not more so. This Belgian Chocolate & Caramel flavour is also great for adding to ice cream or desserts, and if you’ve never tried Joe & Seph’s before (where have you been?) then I can tell you that the popcorn is robust enough to withstand ice cream sundaes, lashings of whipped cream or even custard without going soggy.
I hope you manage to support the British film industry on 3 September and if you never go to the cinema, this is the one day you’ll not regret making an effort for. Joe & Seph’s are with you all the way, and there’s a flavour for everyone – so see you at the flicks!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Christmas is a time to get out the best of the best, or if you prefer, gift the best to your loved ones. Due Vittorie’s award winning Balsamic Vinegar of Moderna comes in a beautiful gift box this Christmas, ready to send to someone who loves their food as much as Due Vittorie… or will you keep this for yourself over the festive season?
Made with 80% cooked grape must and 20% wine vinegar, this is the best selling premium brand of balsamic vinegar in the whole of Italy. It’s made in the famous Modena, giving it the branded name and contains no other preservatives or additives, just the authentic Italian Modena balsamic vinegar taste. It can be added to salads, on cheese or as part of a dessert – the Italian chefs have no end of uses for it so with a bit of imagination, you’ll discover it’s not just for dipping bread into! The balsamic vinegar spends time in oak barrels to transfer the tannins, and give it a heartier, full bodied taste.
The 250ml bottle is not only beautiful but will last a whole year before you buy your next instalment! I loved trying this with bread and on salads as it’s got a slightly sweet taste and is thicker than usual shop bought balsamic. I can see why it’s one of the best selling as it’s so flavoursome. I would rather use this alone on salads rather than mixing it up to make a dressing, and it’s to die for on its own with bread or on pizza. Even the design of the bottle makes it easy to hold when you’re cooking or dressing a dish and it looks fabulous on the shelf!
Anyone who is interested in food, or specifically authentic Italian food will love this as a gift. If your loved ones prefer ‘practical’ gifts which they can use, the Due Vittorie Oro Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Gift Box is an excellent choice and at £20.00 it’s an affordable luxury – and one that will last meal after meal.
Disclaimer: we received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own
It’s been a wet summer but today the sun made an appearance which was great timing as we had friends round to watch the football. After the match we enjoyed a few craft beers in the sun, which were kept nice and cold in the Best of British Beer Ice box.
Best Of British Beer was founded back in 2011 by husband and wife team Will and Gill Sherwin with the intention to make it easy for drinkers to enjoy that ‘hard to find’ beer. Like all good food and drink companies the story began at home with their shed becoming the storeroom and their dining room table their packing bench. The company has grown over the years with over 50 million bottles and cans of beer sold to date!
Their latest idea to help you enjoy a summer beer is the creation of innovative packaging for their craft beers – slightly oversized, the box leaves room for ice to be added providing the perfect solution to an alfresco beer.
Unlike normal cardboard beer packaging the Ice box is made from water resistant cardboard, meaning it doesn’t go soggy when filled with ice and removes the need to lug a bulky cool box with you to keep your beer cold. All you need to do is pop out the cardboard top, fill with ice and it will keep your beer at the perfect temperature. At the end of the night simply pour away the water, flatten the box and you’re ready for the next party.
The reusable cardboard box is made from sturdy eco friendly materials and is also perfect for festivals when you might have to carry your gear quite a way or is also great for a trip to the beach.
Available directly from Best of British Beer it comes complete with six craft beers (or lager if you prefer).
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Advent calendars are getting more and more exciting these days. No longer do we have the calendars of youth with just an illustration behind a window, or a little snowman shaped chocolate. Instead, every major retailer and even department store has something on offer.
Just Spices have launched their 2023 Advent Calendar again, with the full 24 days to look forward to. If you’re not familiar with their products, Just Spices produce a range of seasonings, toppings and mixes to liven up any mealtime. It’s not just spices though, it’s a mix of spices and salts which add both flavour and nutrients to your dishes.
The Just Spices 2023 Advent Calendar is bursting with samples from their range. There’s pizza topping, curry seasoning, Texas BBQ mix to add to chicken or beef, and a whole host of other products which are for both sweet and savoury dishes. Each sachet is enough for one meal, which you can save for after Christmas. For door number 24, there’s a full sized spice mix which can be added to your store cupboard.
The Just Spices 2023 Advent Calendar differs from other manufacturers because they actually supply 24 days’ worth of gifts – most high end retailers opt for just 12 days now. The cardboard calendar is easy to post or transport and recycle too, and the sachets last for ages. You don’t have to use them on the day you receive them! The full size mix will last you for weeks too, but you’ll probably find it handy to use over the Christmas festivities anyway. I love the range of seasonings available, often for dishes which I would never normally think of adding extra flavour to, like avocado on toast, and the variety of sachets means I get to try the whole product line without having to buy them individually, which can end up pricy and take up a lot of room at home.
The Just Spices Advent Calendar would be great for older teenagers who are learning to cook or who are away at university and could benefit from some extra flavour to their meals, or for those who love cooking and perhaps don’t have the room for a full spice cupboard. Adults will love this calendar due to it not being completely reliant on chocolate, sugar or alcohol and actually something they can, and will, use throughout the rest of the year.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Organic Chocolate and Surprise Toy!
Decision making time is here when it comes to Christmas presents! It’s always difficult to find toys and treats for children which are more sustainable, have less additives and preservatives and are hopefully healthier than some items in the shops.
PLAYin CHOC are the modern alternative to Kinder Surprises. They’re boxes of individually wrapped chocolates with a pop-out, make your own toy made of cardboard, and an information card with facts. Aimed at children aged 3+, they provide a treat as well as an educational toy which they put together themselves.
The PLAYin CHOC chocolate is organic, dairy free, nut free, gluten free and the toys and packaging are all plastic free. The chocolate is sweetened with coconut sugar (coconut is not a nut but actually a fruit) and the creaminess of the chocolate comes from creamed coconut. There’s only cacao solids and vanilla pods which make up the rest of the ingredients of the chocolates.
We were sent a selection box of 6 PLAYin CHOC ToyChoc boxes in a collection for Christmas. Each box contains two chocolates of 10grams each, individually wrapped in compostable film. The toy is a 3D puzzle which pops out from the cardboard pressing and is assembled with little hands, and all the toys are on a Christmas theme. There’s also a fact card with each box which relates to the puzzle your child has made, giving them that extra entertainment.
These are lovely presents for Christmas – either on the Christmas table to keep children entertained, in the car on long trips or even in crackers. As they’re all compostable and recyclable as well, they fulfil the environmental check list too. These PLAYin CHOC boxes would be great as stocking fillers too, in the knowledge that each box doesn’t contain that much chocolate that it will spoil Christmas lunch, nor will children get hyperactive because there aren’t any additives involved. Christmas morning, making toy puzzles out of cardboard cut outs is much more preferable to the sirens and bells of other toys and games!
Is the chocolate any good? Well, I’ve tried PLAYin CHOC before and even tested the difference between them other High Street chocolates. There is no coconut taste, but PLAYin CHOC is slightly less sweet than other brands, probably because there is no added sugar, just coconut sugar. There’s still the creamy texture of chocolate, and of course, the cocoa makes sure that you still get your chocolate hit!
Gift sets will be available for £13.50 for 6 at: https://playinchoc.com/collections
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Zero Water have a new water filter jug available which not only filters out all of the dissolved solids in your tap water, but this filter is both a pourable jug and has a dispensing spigot.
What’s a spigot? It’s that attachment you find on office water coolers where you lift the lever and dispense the water straight into your cup or water bottle. Makes life much easier with little ones around!
The Zero Ready-Read Water Filter holds 2.8 litres in all, which is 12 cups and the pack comes with a filter included and a handy TSD meter. The TSD meter reads. The Total Dissolved Solids in parts per million, giving you an indication of how un-pure your tap water really is. The Zero Ready-Read filters out a guaranteed 100% of the dissolved solids in your water. The meter allows you to test your water before and after filtration to see the difference, and it’s also handy to see when your Zero filter cartridge needs changing – as soon as there is a reading above ‘zero’ on the meter, you need to change the cartridge!
The cartridge has 5 stages of filtration. Fine sediments are taken out at the top of the cartridge, then suspended solids. Organic contaminants are then filtered out, which helps prevent bacteria from forming. Inorganic compounds, metals and non-metals are then removed and lastly the ultra-fine sediments are taken out to leave pure water. If you’re doing the dissolved solids test with the TSD meter, you’ll learn quickly what the difference is between your tap water and the Zero filtered water if you just taste before and after. There’s a marked difference between the two and it takes a while to get used to the taste difference.
The other differences are on your kettle and when making tea or coffee. The kettle doesn’t fur up with limescale anywhere near as quickly, if at all, when you live an extremely hard water area like I do. Tea tastes different because you haven’t got the added minerals and it leaves no film on top when you make the tea. Coffee also filters really quickly because you’re not adding any other minerals to the coffee filtering through and again, it leaves a different taste.
The Zero cartridges aren’t small, so if you’re thinking of buying one of these I would make sure you have room for not just the filter (which can fit in the door of most fridges) but also have room for the spare cartridges. You can buy the spare cartridges through the Zero Water website and other online retailers, and the website has a subscription service as the filters last on average a month at a time, depending on how much you use the filters. Test with the TSD meter before you replace them though and then you’ll get the maximum value from your subscription.
I’ve tried other filters in the past, and the Zero Water filters are the only ones which remove ALL of the dissolved solids from the water and have the capacity to filter out larger volumes of water, like the Zero Ready-Read Water Filter can.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
I have a very sweet tooth and I’m especially partial to cookies so was really pleased to discover that the Covent Garden based, vegan cookie brand Floozie now offer a mail order service – meaning more people outside of London can enjoy their delicious cookies.
Founded back in 2020 by pastry chef Kimberly Lin, Floozie cookies are available in eight different flavours, Cinnamon Crunch, Celebration Cookie, Blackforest, Chocolate Chunk, Pecan Pie, Peanut Butter & Jam, Triple Chocolate and a Seasonal Special so there is something to suit every taste. The Peanut Butter & Jam and Blackforest cookies are also gluten free.
A box of 6 cookies costs £17.50 and they are nicely packaged in a pink box with two sliding drawers, each containing 3 individually wrapped cookies. Opening the drawers and discovering the cookies made me feel like I had received a really special treat and because of this I think they make great gifts for a friend or loved one.
Inside the box is a handy card showing all the flavours and it was quite difficult choosing which one to try first! The cookies are a good size, about 3 inches across, and are large enough to share – although they are so good you may not want to!!
Each cookie was fresh, flavoursome and incredibly moreish and after sampling them all the Triple Chocolate was my favourite, with a soft gooey chocolately middle the cookie was incredibly moreish. The pink Celebration cookie with homemade raspberry jam came a very close 2nd being soft and tangy with just the right amount of jam and the sprinkles added a satisfying crunch.
When ordering online you can customise the mix of flavours in your box but if like me you find it hard to choose the cookies are available in larger boxes of 12, 18 and 24 cookies. Orders placed Monday to Friday are shipped within 48hrs and orders placed after 5pm on Friday and Saturday or Sunday are shipped within two working days.
If you are wanting to send a birthday, anniversary, or general ‘thinking of you’ gift through the post, I can highly recommend a box of Floozie Cookies. They are guaranteed to bring a smile to the recipient’s face, and I will certainly be ordering more both as a treat for myself and as gifts in the future.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
We did intend to bring you lots of products to showcase an amazing summer, picnics outside and BBQ season, but given the weather, we’re sitting indoors comfort eating instead!
Despite the weather, Higgidy have a massive range of foods for sharing, snacking, picnics and to cater for vegan and vegetarian friends. Their handy sharing sizes and snacking mini quiches make them ideal for any time of year, not just summer, and can be for lunch or dinner too. We were sent a selection of items to try out, including;
Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche
Bang Bang Cauliflower Dinky Vegan Rolls
Sunblush Tomato & Cheddar Mini Muffins
Cheddar & Spinach Mini Muffins
Spinach, Feta & Red Pepper Little Lattices
Quite the variety! The snacks we were sent were vegetarian, not vegan, with the exception of the Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche. I had tried one or two of the Higgidy foods before but never any of this variety, so picnic I did… albeit indoors!
All of the foods can be eaten straight from the box cold, or heated up. I preferred to have them heated but it depends how you like the eat them. As part of a packed lunch, they’re perfect because they’re already prepared, there’s nothing that needs adding to them and you can eat a selection at a time or a whole quiche for instance. The sharing boxes are designed to pack easily for picnics or taking out with children. The boxes are also great for hands to dip into and share!
I loved the Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche with its light fluffy texture and ultra thin crust. I warmed it in the oven and it’s very easy to eat just with a fork. The Spinach, Feta & Red Pepper Little Lattices are like little pockets where you can’t taste either the feta or the vegetables but they are there, and combined create a lovely ensemble. The Sunblush Tomato & Cheddar Mini Muffins and Cheddar & Spinach Mini Muffins were each delicious when warmed in the oven, with my favourite being the Cheddar & Spinach Mini Muffins. They’re really filling but very soft, especially when warmed and each of them has a lovely flavour of Cheddar Cheese to them. The Bang Bang Cauliflower Dinky Vegan roles were a hit in my house because of their lovely spicy flavour to them, but all vegan so there’s some healthy veg in there too!
Higgidy have ample more food on their website and selected supermarkets store a whole range of their sharing nibbles and snacks, including Waitrose and Ocado:
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Not everybody likes to drink at Christmas, and some people can’t. There’s always the gift giving ritual which some employers especially don’t sanction having alcohol around. Thankfully, there are more companies on the market nowadays who product non or low alcohol drinks like Clean Co. Clean Co produce a range of Alternative Spirits including whisky, rum and a selection of gins. We were sent this bottle of Clean G Gin Alternative spirit to test out for the Christmas market. Was it up to the gin spirit?
Clean Co’s Gin Alternative, in this fetching Art Deco style bottle, holds 70cl of zero sugar, non-alcoholic gin. That means it’s made with a juniper source by a process which brings out the flavour more, and distilled into the Clean Go version of a London Dry Gin. It even has the botanical flavours of a gin, just without the alcohol. It has a slightly cloudy look to it, which is part of the botanical method which gives it the distinct flavour. There’s no sweeteners involved, absolutely no sugar and the distilling producing only 0.5% ABV which is a trace of alcohol. It’s also vegan, lactose free and Gluten Free. You’ll also find just 14 calories per 50ml (single shot) serving.
As for the taste… this Alternative Gin is not meant to be consumed neat, so adding your favourite mixer will enhance the flavour as well as make it your own. There really isn’t much difference between the Clean Co Alternative Gin and the standard, alcohol gin you buy in the shops. It has a bitter taste, but not so much sugar flavour to it, and mixes well with a tonic and decorations such as lemon or lime. The bottle arrived with a handy set of cocktail recipe cards which you can keep along side your Clean Co bottle for when you want to mix it up in the future.
Clean Co Alternative Gin is not only great for Christmas time, especially when you’re busy with everything else and need a clear head, but it makes a great gift for those who are doing Dry January and still want to feel like they’re drinking, but not cheating!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Every advent, what could you buy your other half that you know they would truly love, and need, without breaking the bank? The Blue Goose Coffee Pod Advent Calendar!
Before you rush out and get the calendars for the kids, have a look at this grown-up calendar. With all 24 days of advent, there are Nespresso compatible, organic coffee pods behind every door. They’re also compostable too!
There are 8 different flavours behind the windows, each with different colouring so that you can tell which is which. From Award-Winning Peruvian, Ethiopian Forest Coffee and even Swiss Water Decaff, there’s something for everyone. Plus, you get to try some coffee blends you wouldn’t normally buy, just without the price tag!
At just under £25 at the moment (Blue Goose have a sale on) it means that each pod is a little over £1 each – much cheaper than Nespresso and these pods are able to be made in the regular Nespresso machines. The recommended shot volume is 35ml with a maximum of 65ml. There’s a nice variety of flavours in this calendar, so you don’t get bored but you don’t feel like there are too many to choose from. The menu on the back makes it easy to work out which flavour you are brewing by the letters behind the windows.
Although made by Blue Goose, these pods are all Nespresso and Calendar machine compatible, but as you can imagine, at a lower price. The pods are all home-compostable and are both plastic and aluminium free. As a Carbon Neutral company, they also pride themselves on being community conscious and provide employment to local Devon people with disabilities. Blue Goose have also recently won a BOOM award from the Soil Association for being able to demonstrate their support for the organic industry.
Rather than spend this Christmas on the big names, Blue Goose is the alternative that’s more environmentally friendly, organic and yet still has delicious coffee!
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:
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!!
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!
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:
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!
The Review Studio 