King Charles III: The Coronation by Hellen Jay Rhind

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

The past 12 months has been a royal whirl with the late Queen’s Lying in State, Funeral and now the Coronation of King Charles in May.  Hellen Jay Rhind has written a children’s book about the day King Charles III was crowned and what the different parts of the ceremony mean.

The 30 page book is aimed at children aged 6 to 12.  Starting with the details of Prince Charles (as he was when he was born) and how the late Queen was crowned in 1953 at Westminster Abbey, the story tells the Royal Family up until 6 May 2023 when the King is crowned. The day is explained with illustrations on one side and details on the opposite page. However, the drawings are not accurate to the members of the Royal Family, nor are the illustrations that of Westminster Abbey nor Buckingham Palace, but they are fairy palaces which will appeal to young children.

The book goes into detail about the types of carriages that were used, the Household Cavalry, the ceremony route and the types of jewels used as symbolic gestures. At the very back, there are photographs of the state crowns, The Royal Robes, The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and The Sovereign’s Orb, making them easy for children to identify. 

This is a great bedtime book, or a book for children interested in royalty, kings and queens and princess castles! The book takes about 15 minutes to read and would act as a prompt for children to ask more questions about the monarchy and what happened at the Coronation in May. It’s also a nice keepsake for the Coronation for anyone who was there on the day or wants to remember it!

Available on Amazon (ignore the link being to King James!) for £9.90 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/King-James-III-Coronation-Day/dp/1399954482/ref=sr_1_2?crid=24QN5QMCWBPBP&keywords=Hellen+Jay+Rhind&qid=1686772725&sprefix=hellen+jay+rhind%2Caps%2C61&sr=8-2

Sponge Coronation Pinata Cake

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

With the whole country looking forward to the Coronation on the 6th May we’re planning a fantastic long weekend of celebrations. With a street party, a family party and a community event in our village it’s certainly going to be a fun packed weekend and one we’ll remember for a very long time! The Union Jack bunting is ready to go up and we’re going with a red, white and blue theme for both decorations and food.   

If like us, you’re looking for a patriotic touch for the food, then you need to look at Sponge – the online cake company – they have the perfect showstopper cake for any coronation celebration. The Coronation Pinata chocolate cake looks just like any normal chocolate cake, but this rich and indulgent chocolate sponge cake is hiding a patriotic surprise in the middle! Four layers of delicious chocolate sponge are sandwiched together with chocolate buttercream and when you cut into it you will discover red, white and blue chocolate beans and edible golden crowns. The cake is covered with flakes of chocolate and is lovely hot or cold with a pouring of cream or ice cream. It is light and fluffy and the chocolate beans were a hit with both children and adults. It would make a lovely centrepiece on the table of any Coronation party and is perfect to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

The cakes from Sponge are incredibly well packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with bio-degradable film so there is no need to worry about it getting squashed in transit. Once opened the cake should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container and any leftovers can be frozen – although there’s not much chance of that at my house!!!

Sponge caters for all types of dietary requirements, and the Pinata Chocolate cake is also available as a gluten free cake. They make all their cakes from scratch, using only high-quality ingredients and they deliver all over the UK.

There is still time to order one of Sponge’s show-stopping pinata cakes – so what are you waiting for???

RRP £26.50 (serves 8)

Love Hearts Coronation Gift Box

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

With the Coronation only a week away have you given any thought to buying any Coronation memorabilia? The Swizzels Love Hearts Coronation gift box makes a lovely keepsake and once the sweets are eaten the box can be kept as a souvenir of the day – something to show the grandchildren in years to come! With the official Coronation logo on the top and a strong magnetic fastener the box is the perfect size to be used as a trinket box.  

Inside the box is a commemorative coin along with 5 mini packs of Love Hearts, each with a blue heart and coronation themed wording, either Charles, King, congrats or an image of a crown. The gifts are nestled in patriotic red, white and blue packaging.

I think these are a great little gift and will be very well received by children and adults alike.  

The limited edition box is available from www.swizzels.com/shop/ and costs £5.99 + p&p.

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Royal British Legion Coronation Champagne

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

Raising a glass of the Royal British Legion Champagne to a Coronational New Era

Decorations are in full swing and the celebrations for the Coronation are starting this week. Most of us have never seen a Coronation, but we have all heard what it was like in 1953 and how the world has changed since then.

The Royal British Legion have released three champagnes in partnership with Eminent Wines to celebrate the King’s Coronation. As the King is the head of the Armed Forces, there is no better time to release the Champagnes with 10% of each bottle sale going towards the charity. 

The trio, fit for a King, includes; 

Reveille (Brut) – A name inspired by the music which follows The Last Post and Two Minute Silence at Remembrance services. £45.00 per bottle. Recommend accompanying smoked salmon blinis.

Centurion (Blanc de Blanc) – A name, quite simply, in reference to one hundred years of the Royal British Legion. £55.00 per bottle. The top of the range, fit with all coronation food!

We were sent a sample of the third Champagne, a rose named Champs de Fleurs – translates from French to ‘fields of flowers,’ in reference to the fields of poppies that flourished on the Western Front following the First World War, which lead to the red poppy becoming a symbol of Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. £55.00 per 750ml bottle. Fantastic with strawberries dipped in chocolate! This is a slightly sweeter champagne and suitable for anyone with 12% vol. Produced in France, it is 75% Chardonnay, 12.5% Pinot Noir and 12.5% Pinot Meunier.

The label itself looks lovely on the table with the poppy design and soft blush colours.  This would be an amazing addition to the Street Party table, especially with the Royal Legion connection and knowing that there is also a contribution towards the charity to benefit more people.

Bottles are priced at between £45 and £55 each and can be found at: https://www.eminentwines.com/rbl

LINDOR Limited Edition King’s Coronation Milk Chocolate Box

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

Continuing with the celebrations around the King’s Coronation, LINDOR have released and excellent Limited Edition Coronation Milk Chocolate Box, fit for a king!

The 200 gram box of pure milk chocolate LINDOR truffle chocolates are found in a Union Jack box, perfect for sharing whilst watching the ceremony, or to adorn your table at your Coronation street party. 

LINDOR have been making chocolate since 1845 and pride themselves on making any moment a LINDOR moment. Each chocolate is a shell of finest pure milk chocolate, encapsulating a similar chocolate truffle which upon reaching room temperature, melts ever-so-slightly to create a rich filling.  Alternatively, you can keep the LINDOR truffle chocolates in the fridge and create a whole new experience when biting into them!  If you’re partial to a LINDOR truffle, then try one of their other flavours including new LINDOR Blood Orange, LINDOR Strawberries & Cream or LINDOR Salted Caramel, all priced at £6.00 for 200 grams and available in shops or online.

I’ve always been a fan of good quality chocolate so trying these LINDOR Limited Edition Coronation truffle chocolates wasn’t a chore.  Sure, they are the same milk chocolate truffles you can buy in the shops but they aren’t branded for the Coronation like these ones are! If you’re looking for more to share with your loved ones for the Coronation, then LINDOR also have the Lindt LINDOR Pick & Mix tin with a Union Jack design which is also available online or in shops. At £25.00 for the tin, it contains flavours such as Pistachio, Stracciatella and Raspberry & Cream. 

The Lindt LINDOR Limited Edition Coronation Milk Chocolate box is available for a limited time from the end of April for £6.00 from Sainsbury’s, WH Smith, Tesco and www.lindt.co.uk

Tyrrells

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

Crisps are the staple savoury snack for buffets, parties and family get togethers. With Coronation parties being planned up and down the country you can guarantee that the nation will be chomping on crisps throughout the festivities. Crunchy and packed full of flavour they go with pretty much everything from sandwiches, cheese or even a pint.

I’m in charge of the buffet for The Review Studio Coronation party so was really pleased to receive a couple of bags of Tyrrells crisps, the regal sounding Coronation Chicken and the Tomato & Chilli Chutney flavour.

The Coronation Chicken crisps have been relaunched as a limited edition to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III. Packaged in celebratory packaging featuring plenty of colourful Union Jack flags, the crisps are made with the finest potatoes and hand cooked & spun for exquisite taste. Combining roast chicken with a subtle curry kick these crisps are nice and crunchy and incredibly moreish! I’m not always a huge fan of spicy crisps as I find that they can be a little strong but the bite of the curry was perfect and really complemented the roast chicken flavour without being overpowering.

With a RRP of £2.75 the 150g bags are currently available in Booths, Waitrose, Tesco, Asda and WHSmith Travel and will be available at BP from 2nd May.

The brand new Tomato & Chilli Chutney flavour crisps have a warm chilli flavour with a hint of smokiness. These crisps are packed full of flavour with a perfect crunch and are the perfect addition to any picnic or Coronation party this summer.

The 150g bags have a RRP of £2.75 and are currently available from Asda and Waitrose and look out for them in Tesco from 21st March.

Ryman’s Royal Coronation Range

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

First with the Platinum Jubilee and now the Coronation, there have been lots of Union Jack products around to help us celebrate. For the Coronation this year, Ryman have a whole range of items to both help celebrate and commemorative items to remember this year.  We were sent some lovely Coronation decorations and souvenirs to review from the team!

For the big street party, there’s the fabric bunting (£1.99). At 3.6 metres long, it’s enough to tie between two lampposts or adorn to the front of the house.  As it’s fabric, it will be more durable in the British weather should you choose to keep it outside for longer than just the Coronation day, and can also go in the wash afterwards for you to use again.

The Union Jack 3 tier Cupcake Stand (£2.99) arrives flat packed but fits together easily. It’s made from cardboard but you can use it again and again for either cupcakes or it would suit sandwiches and scones too if you are going for the full afternoon tea.  The Union Jack design makes it very photogenic for the Coronation Street Party, standing 34cm high and 39cm wide.  After using it, you can easily dissemble it and pack away for another day.  

We were also sent a 1000 piece Charles III jigsaw and water bottle.  The Charles III jigsaw (£19.99) depicts His Majesty The King over his lifetime from boy to King, and some of the events of his life such as becoming the Prince of Wales in 1969 and his military uniforms.  1000 pieces is a family sized jigsaw, suitable for adults as well as teenagers, and makes for a fabulous pastime during the long weekend. Don’t forget that there are 3 Bank Holidays in May alone this year so you’ll have plenty of time to play with it!

The final item was the Coronation Water Bottle (£13.99). The 500ml bottle has the official Coronation crest on the front, and you have the option of personalising it for up to 20 characters, just below the logo, or you can leave it blank. The screw top bottle can be kept cold in the fridge although it can’t go in the dishwasher and is hand wash only. It’s a really useful keepsake of the Coronation as well as a lovely present for someone.

The whole Ryman range of Coronation items is available online, with a mixture of decorations, mementoes and lovely items for the street parties like Union Jack paper plates and straws. Most of the items are reusable and environmentally friendly too!

Items available from the Ryman online store at: 

https://www.ryman.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=coronation

NEW 1912 Stilton Cheese fit for a (Coronation) King!

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

There’s a new cheese in town! The award winning artisan 1912 Blue Stilton is made by the famous Long Clawson dairy who have released a recipe for a stilton crown to commemorate the King’s Coronation this month. We were sent some stilton to try and the recipe below for a regal Coronation Crown fit for any Royal party, or street party!

Stilton has long been the subject of love vs hate due to the strong taste and slightly gritty texture. The blue mould veins put off a lot of people and children are particularly averse to trying it. However, once you get over the obvious issues, Stilton has a taste like no other, and in combination with other flavours it makes a fantastic ingredient. I still love to eat it on it’s own, straight out of the fridge but then I’m a cheese lover so I always do this!

The 1912 Stilton isn’t as strong as other Long Clawson cheeses but still has the ripe taste of a blue cheese. It’s creamier as well, with less of the ‘grit’ that other cheeses have and I found it crumbled less when cut which makes it easier to handle. Marketed as The Real Deal, 1912 Blue Stilton has been granted DPO, which stands for Designated Protection of Origin, so you know it’s certified as a bone fide blue cheese. 

If you’ve never tried blue cheese before or are put off by the taste or aroma, you could do worse than try 1912 Blue Cheese.  If you’re not so sure about trying it, start with a recipe that uses 1912 as an ingredient. There are a lot of recipes on their website (the Stilton Pasta looks particularly appetising) or this recipe below is for the 1912 Coronation Crown for King Charles’ Coronation!

1912 Coronation Crown

2 x puff pastry rolls

1912 cheese

1 egg

Bunch of red grapes

1 packet of pecans

1 pomegranate 

Method

  1. Grate the cheese. 
  • Spread out the puff pastry and sprinkle one half of the party (lengthways) with the grated 1912 cheese. Fold over the pastry (lengthways) and press down so that it is securely stuck together. Cut in half lengthways so you are left with two wide strips and then cut them in half again so you are left with 4 strips. Repeat with the other puff pastry.
  • Pick up the strips of pastry and rotate from each end until you have a lovely twist all the way down. Repeat for all the strips. 
  • Line a baking tray with some greaseproof paper. Place a large upturned Perspex oven proof bowl onto the lined tray.
  • Tear 4 large pieces of tin foil. Mould each piece into a ball that can sit on top of the Perspex bowl. You’re creating the base for the pastry to sit on to look as close to a crown as possible.
  • Cut a small piece of greaseproof to go on top the tinfoil Perspex bowl so the pastry doesn’t stick.
  • Grab a strip of pastry and lay it over the top of the bowl so either side reaches the bottom of the bowl. You want to create a cross on top, so grab another strip and lay over the top of the other strip. Push down the pastry in the middle where the two pastry strips lay on top of each other. 
  • Get another strip of pastry and lay it around the base of the bowl. Take another strip and lay it on the other side of the bowl so that they two pastry strips meet and you have a circle. Press together so that they join securely. Repeat with another two pastry strips that goes on top, so it’s a double layer. You’ll have a few strips left over, just pop those around the empty space on the tray.
  • With a whisk egg brush the pastry all over. 
  1. Pop the tray with your crown into a preheated oven 180C for 30 minutes or until golden brown and nicely risen.
  1. Once cooked get out the oven and let it cool. Once cool then separate the crown from the bowl. 
  1. With your large 1912 cheese place onto a tray or chopping board whatever you have that is big enough and lay your crown of pastry over it!
  1. Now time to adorn your crown with pecans around the base of the crown. Add red grapes on top of the cheese and pomegranate jewels all over the crown. And enjoy!

Available at Tesco for £3.00: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/312561244

Sea Animal Collection from PLAYin CHOC

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

The brand new Sea Animals Collection from PLAYin CHOC is here in time for the Coronation weekend! The sustainable and ethically sourced chocolate is accompanied by a cut out toy of a sea animal along with an information card to educate children about the world around them.  If you remember Kinder Surprise as a child, then this is the modern, environmentally friendly version for the 21st century.

PLAYin CHOC was created by Mum Maya back in 2016 in her kitchen at home where she wanted to make simple chocolate for her family which was just cacoa, coconut and vanilla.  Crucially, it was also dairy free chocolate, hence there’s no milk or cream involved in the process, just coconut products.

With the help of her two children as ‘chief testers’, Maya perfected the Peruvian, fairly traded organic chocolate and created the PLAYin CHOC brand. Their mission is to create healthy chocolate treats without plastic, and to promote environmentally sensitive topics. Among other projects PLAYin CHOC have featured are Endangered Animals, Woodland Animals and even a whole dinosaur set!  At Christmas and Easter they produce Advent Calendars and gift boxes and this year PLAYin CHOC have produced the Sea Animals Collection.

We were sent these three boxes to indulge ourselves.  Opening the boxes, we found an orca, seahorse and swordfish. You can’t tell what’s in the box until you open it so it’s a great surprise for children. The box contains two pieces of chocolate (in recyclable plastic), a cut out of each animal which children can put together to create a toy and an information card about the animal, some facts and their personalities. There are 18 different animals to collect in all and the toys, which are made out of durable cardboard, can be used again and again, along with the cube boxes the chocolate and toys come in!

Although the chocolate is coconut based and vegan, it doesn’t taste very different to everyday chocolate so the kids won’t notice the change.  It is 100% plant based though so it will appeal to everybody – these make great gifts in children’s party bags or to keep them quiet on car journeys and whilst travelling.

With so many toys to choose from, healthier vegan chocolate and fair trade, what is there not to like about the PLAYin CHOC range, especially for the Coronation?

PLAYin CHOC Endangered Animals are £2.25 at: https://playinchoc.com/products/toychoc-box-br-sea_animals

King’s Ransom Chocolate from FATSO

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

The Coronation is the perfect time to bring out the best in treats. If you’re having a street party, or even just a gathering over the Coronation weekend, why not try something different?

The chocolate company FATSO have created the King’s Ransom Chocolate bar for the Coronation in the special flavour of mint, pistachio and cocoa nibs. I’ve never tried that combination before so along with the fact that the Big Bar chocolate is single origin, Columbian 60% dark chocolate this was going to be an education.

I’m not a fan of pistachio so I wasn’t expecting to like this, but actually, the combination of the flavours means you don’t taste the pistachio or mint on their own, and the texture you normally have with pistachio flavoured chocolate is not the same. There are no ‘chunks’ to work your way through, and the flavours are subtle so you won’t be overpowered by the mint, for instance.  The main texture and taste that comes through is from the chocolate, which at 150g per bar is dense and very rich, but not bitter like some dark chocolate.  If you’re into the more refined chocolates, rather than the traditional ‘candy’ chocolates you used to buy as children, then this is a gourmet variety which adults will enjoy tasting.

It is worth pointing out here that the quality of the chocolate makes a big difference to your experience. You can taste that it’s better excellence of ingredients, especially with the chocolate which is so smooth that you can’t eat more than a mouthful at a time.  It’s very satisfying as both a snack and for the flavours that come through as you eat it, making it something which you can enjoy and yet still don’t need much of to get the full effect.

I hadn’t seen FATSO chocolate before, but the website has a range of flavours including Morn’n Glory (cornflake, toast and marmalade), Nan’s Stash (peanut, toffee and Digestive biscuit) and Home Run (salted pretzel, whole almond and honeycomb).  There’s also a bundle of bars available, all online!

Available online from £6.50 at: https://sofatso.com/paytheransom/

Dark Chocolate Malt Loaf with Orange from Lovingly Artisan

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

Lovingly Artisan produce home delivered sourdough bread, and like the name suggest, the bread is not your run-of-the-mill baker’s lot.  Their sourdough loaves are created with organic ingredients near Kendal, in the British Lake District.  Their slow fermentation method with heritage flours and unique flavours create some delicious breads which can be posted to your home.

For the King’s Coronation this year, the Dark Chocolate Malt Loaf with Orange. This unique malt loaf is made with Mediterranean orange peel, Belgian Chocolate and chocolate malt.  Marbled into a loaf shape, it’s a hybrid of bread and malt loaf with a deep crust and soft, almost gooey centre which is sweet, chocolatey and punctuated with citrus lemon. 

I had a one loaf delivered early on Saturday morning, fresh from the Kendal bakery and beautifully presented! Cutting a piece for myself, I could either eat it as it was or slather it in butter, which is my preferred method. Eaten on its own, it tastes more like a cake, but with butter and the thick crust, it makes for a tea-time treat when you add butter. You could add jam as well but I think it would detract from the taste and become too sweet. You can really taste the Belgian chocolate pieces and candied orange peel with each bite and it’s not heavy either. It has a texture more like a patisserie than bread, probably due to the lighter flour used and good quality ingredients. 

I don’t usually eat bread and when I do, I make it at home so it’s a treat to have artisan bread delivered that I didn’t have to work for!  I would never be so adventurous as to make a sourdough bread with added chocolate and orange but it really works. Even children would love this bread, and with the added advantage of the sourdough being good for tummies, especially with organic, heritage flour used for baking.

If you’ve never seen the Lovingly Artisan website before, have a look at the other sourdough breads including their artisan range, all of which is delivered to your door.

Celebrate the Coronation with the Lovingly Artisan Dark Chocolate Malt Loaf with Orange this May and discover the perfect sourdough you’ve been missing.

Joe &Seph’s Limited Edition Coronation Popcorn Range

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

Most of us have never seen a Coronation in the UK so this year is special.  Joe & Seph have launched a range of limited edition popcorns to commemorate the Coronation in a few weeks, and we’ve been reviewing them to find out what they’re like!

The two flavours which were sent to us are Bakewell Tart and Salted Caramel. Bakewell Tart, the very British dessert cake made from almond and jam is a British classic, notably from Derbyshire originally.  As a lover of popcorn as well as desserts, this was an easy win for me to try and I wasn’t disappointed! The popcorn has a slight almond flavour to it, very similar to the Bakewell Tart which also has the slightly sweet, nutty flavour of almonds but without the marzipan power. I’m not a fan of marzipan so this was a fair test of how well the popcorn would favour.  There’s also the sweet cherry jam flavour to the coating too, which blends in well as a delicious dessert-like taste.  

The second flavour is Salted Caramel. Probably one of the most popular flavours for cakes and desserts these days, this flavour translates well into popcorn. It’s slightly sticky, and the caramel flavour comes through first, followed by the savoury sea salt. This flavour appeals to those who prefer the sweeter tasting popcorn, and this would work really well with salted caramel ice cream or in place of a dessert.

Both flavours are iconic, and popcorn has come a long way from the cinema-type of buckets we had growing up.  If you’re a fan of popcorn or know anything about the Joe & Seph then these are lovely flavours to add to your store cupboard, and I think you’ll be impressed with how likeable they are, as well as different to the normal High Street shelf flavours.  As ever, they are very addictive though, so stock up on these flavours whilst they’re still available!

The handmade popcorn is gluten free, has no artificial colours or preservatives and is suitable for vegetarians.  Popped in London artisan kitchens, the Joe & Seph’s team have toiled to create the best popcorn they possibly can.  Check out their website and social media to find out more about the flavours available, and the snacks they have which can be found in a range of stores or online.

These two flavours of popcorn are great snacks or after dinner instead of a dessert. They would be PERFECT for around the Coronation party table though, it’s just a shame that they are limited edition!

Available from £4 per packet: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/popcorn/coronation-salted-caramel-popcorn