Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
National Picnic Week is here and with warm and sunny weather forecast for the weekend it’s looking like it’s going to be perfect picnic weather.
Crisps are one of my staple picnic snacks, crunchy and packed full of flavour they are great to munch on whilst chatting with friends and are the perfect accompaniment to sandwiches, salads or even a bottle of beer! If you’re looking for an extra special crisp then you really need to try some of the hand cooked Artisan Olive Oil Company crisps – made in Italy they will add a real touch of luxury to any picnic basket.
The Fox Salt and Truffle Vintage Crisps are thickly cut and have a satisfying crunch which you bite them. I’ve never tried a truffle before so I can’t tell you how close the flavour is to a real truffle but the earthy flavour combined with the saltiness of the crisp works really well and you find yourself reaching for more!
The Fox Italian Vegetable Crisps are made from the finest root vegetables including beetroot, parsnip and carrot. Baked to perfection and lightly salted they are lovely and crispy and incredibly moreish! They’re a reasonable thickness and well-seasoned and the saltiness really enhances the flavour of the root vegetables.
With a RRP of £4.25 they are in the more pricey, premium crisps bracket however for a special treat they are certainly worth the extra money.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own
We love going on picnics as they’re a great way to spend quality time with friends and family away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. When the sun is shining, we’ll pack up a bag with treats and head off to find a picturesque spot to sit and relax and whether we’re on the beach, by a stream or up a hill the food always seems to taste a lot nicer outdoors!
LOVE CORN recently sent us a selection of their tasty snacks to try which went down a treat on our last picnic. Made by roasting corn kernels and by adding a little oil and spices LOVE CORN is incredibly crunchy and full of flavour and very moreish! With no synthetic flavouring the plant based snack is vegan, gluten free, Kosher and Non GMO and with 50% less fat than crisps is a much healthier choice.
Sea Salt is probably my favourite, it is a great alternative to popcorn or crisps and the saltiness works really well with the corn. My sons both love something with a bit more of a kick to it so the habsnero chilli really hit the spot for them.
Eating outdoors has a certain charm, so whether it’s a family day out, catch up with friends or a romantic picnic you won’t go wrong if you include a selection of Love Corn snacks in your picnic basket. Available in 7 different flavours – Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar, Smoked bbq, Habanero Chilli, Cheese & Onion, Sour Cream & Chive and Milk Chocolate & Sea Salt which one will you try first?
LOVE CORN is also a great addition to salads and grazing boards. Try serving some of the habanero chilli LOVE CORN on a charcuterie board or sprinkle some sea salt LOVE CORN on a green salad to liven it up a little.
Sea Salt Multipacks are available from Sainsburys and Ocado for £3.25 and the Grab & Go Boxes containing 24 x 20g bags are available from Amazon at the current price of £18.99
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
NOMO want to ensure that Easter this year is available to everyone, so with their mantra, “No Missing Out” they are ready for anything! The NOMO range this year incudes chocolate which is dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free plus plant based so there’s no excuses to buy something for everyone. We were sent a yummy selection to test before the big Easter Weekend… did we find something we all liked?
The NOMO Creamy Choc Egg and Mini Bars is a conventional Easter Egg with four mini bars of NOMO chocolates in flavours Choco Orange Crunch, Caramel, Mint and Caramel Sea Salt. All of them are usual flavours of NOMO chocolate and found in shops, but together they make a package of chocolate and eggs for Easter. The mini bars are just like the creamy chocolate (which is comparable to milk chocolate just without the dairy!) in that they all taste like you expect chocolate to taste, but without the dairy, gluten, nuts or egg and are plant-powered. They’re also all vegan too!
Next we tried the NOMO Choco Fudge Egg & Bunny. This is probably for older children or even dairy-free adults as the chocolate is much richer, more fudge filled and has tiny fudge pieces in it. The accompanying bunny is also a treat and filled of fudge too! Like the Creamy Choc egg, this too is dairy, gluten, nut and egg free with no palm oil and yes, it’s also vegan. Can you see where the theme, “No Missing Out” comes into play? No matter what you might be intolerable to or what you can’t eat, there’s a flavour of NOMO chocolate waiting for you.
Finally, the snack of grown-ups is the individually wrapped Choc Fudge Bunny. It’s part of the aforementioned Easter Egg combination but for 90 pence you can buy these on their own and enjoy a creamy chocolate hit. The outside chocolate is creamy choc with a filling of a rich fudge flavoured centre. At only 30 grams they are a sweet afternoon treat, or something to add to lunch to give you the chocolate hit but without the environmental guilt or having to think about what it might contain. Also great for friends if you want to get them something for Easter but not something they might be allergic to, or if you’re unsure if they are vegan or vegetarian!
The Choc Fudge Easter Egg and the Bunny are probably my favourite because I love richer chocolate and the fudge makes a nice change. You really can’t tell if they’re conventional chocolate or free-from chocolate because they’re so well made and have all the flavour and sweetness of High Street chocolate.
No matter who you’re buying Easter Eggs for, this year you have a lovely choice from NOMO and no matter what someone’s need, or taste in chocolate, there is no reason for anyone to miss out.
NOMO Creamy Choc Eggs and Mini Bars (154 grams) MRRP £6.50:
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own
I know we’re still in September but we’re already thinking about the countdown to Christmas and the traditional way to do that is with an Advent calendar. Retailers have really upped their game when it comes to advent calendars, these days you can buy Advent calendars containing a plethora of treats including toys, beauty products, alcohol and my favourite of all – food!
Flapjacks are one of my favourite treats so the Flapjackery advent calendar box is top of my Advent Calendar list this year – as well as counting down the days to Christmas it gives me the perfect excuse to indulge in a piece of delicious flapjack every day.
Flapjackery’s luxurious and decadent Advent Calendar Box contains 24 individually wrapped delicious gluten free flapjacks so you will discover a new flavour every day. There’s Chrismassy flapjacks, chocolate topped flapjacks as well as some more unusual versions and is a great way to sample a selection of Flapjackery flapjacks. The flapjacks in the Advent Calendar box aren’t numbered but for an additional £13 you can have velvet or jute numbered pouches to put your flapjacks in which makes it feel more like a traditional advent calendar.
I’m looking forward to trying the Mince Pie Flapjack and the Dark Chocolate Orange Flapjack whilst my husband likes the sound of the Creamy Hazelnut Chocolate Flapjack with Caramel drizzle and the Florentine Flapjack.
The other flavours are Golden Caramel Flapjack, Caramel Latte Flapjack, Chocolate Fudge Flapjack, Granola Flapjack, Clotted Cream Fudge Flapjack, Ginger & Dark Chocolate Flapjack, Millionaires Flapjack, Christmas Millionaires Flapjack, with white choc drizzle, Salted Caramel Fudge Flapjack, Traditional Flapjack, Raspberry Millionaire’s Flapjack, Rocky Road Flapjack, Burnt Caramel & Sea Salt Flapjack, Mint Fudge Flapjack, Milk Chocolate Orange Flapjack, Rum & Raisin flapjack, Peanut Butter Fudge, Billionaires Flapjack, Christmas Orange Flapjack and Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel.
The flapjacks are handmade in Devon on the edge of Dartmoor using only British oats, locally-sourced West Country ingredients, fair-trade brown sugar and real butter.
The advent calendar box can be ordered for delivery from the middle of October and unless an earlier date is specified will be dispatched the week commencing November 1 so will be with you in plenty of time for the start of Advent. The flapjacks are packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes and have a shelf life of three months – although I would be very surprised if there were any left by Christmas!
Disclaimer : We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own
A fun way to count down the days to Christmas is with an advent calendar and these days there so many different ones to choose from. When you have food allergies and intolerances though, the choice of chocolate calendars is very restricted, so I was really pleased to be able to try an oat milk chocolate advent calendar from HaPPi Choc.
The calendar has a fun Christmas bauble design on the front with 24 numbered doors to help you count down to the big day. Behind each door you will find a delicious Salted Caramel, Plain Milk or Orange oat milk chocolate wrapped chocolate. The chocolate is suitable for Vegans and is also gluten, soya & palm oil free, as well as dairy, egg & nut free so it is the perfect choice for anyone with a food intolerance or who eats a plant based diet.
Lower in sugar than other chocolate brands HaPPi chocolate is sustainably sourced with their cacao purchased directly from Luker, a Columbian family owned business and co-operative. HaPPi are 100% ethically driven and work closely with a network of farmers, alliances and communities to improve social welfare, biodiversity and farming practices and their oat milk chocolate is made using single origin 47% Colombian cacao and oat milk.
In line with HaPPi’s sustainable ethos all the packaging is recyclable with the calendar containing no plastic at all. The inner tray that contains the chocolates is made from cardboard rather than plastic which is fantastic, I’ve been trying to reduce my plastic use this year so it’s great to have an eco-friendly advent calendar this year. HaPPi also give 1% of their annual net sales revenue to good causes and mental health organisations so buying a HaPPi advent calendar helps lots of other people too.
With smooth creamy chocolates no one needs to miss out on a chocolate advent calendar this year.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
It can be hard to find delicious tasting chocolate that is suitable for children and adults with different nutritional needs so we were really pleased when @playinchoc sent a couple of their Rabbit ToyChoc boxes which are perfect as an Easter treat
These cute little boxes contain 2 allergen-free organic chocolates, a collectable rabbit 3D puzzle and a “fun facts” card about rabbits.
The chocolate is not only scrummy but is also vegan, organic, dairy free, nut free, and gluten free and it also has 1/3 less sugar than other leading chocolate brands. The delicious, creamy chocolate is made with a combination of 3 natural and organic ingredients – cacao, vanilla and coconut and is wrapped in a compostable wrapper. The chocolate is nice and smooth and doesn’t have a bitter aftertaste like some dairy free brands have and it got a big thumbs up from our mini reviewers who munched on it whist building the rabbit models.
Once the puzzle pieces have been popped out of the thick cardboard and been assembled the carboard can also be used as templates for drawing cute bunnies and carrots, keeping the little ones entertained over the Easter holidays!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
I’m a big fan of cereal bars. They’re great for snacks at home, or in your bag to go to work and children love them. KIND have a variety of cereal bars of different flavours, but all of them are high in fibre, high in protein and have no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. They’re gluten free too!
The team at KIND send us a box of their new Caramelised Biscuit Nut flavoured KIND bars to try, which have the same high fibre, high quality ingredients. The main food factor in these Caramelised Biscuit Nut KIND bars is nuts making up 81% of the bar overall. They actually contain peanuts, almonds and cashews with added spice biscuit and caramel. The result is a sweet, slightly sticky cereal bar with a honey coating and nutmeg and cinnamon flavouring. Despite the cinnamon, they don’t taste ‘Christmassy’ at all, more like the coffee biscuits you get in cafes when you order a latte.
I really enjoyed the KIND Caramelised Biscuit Nut bars and found them really filling as either a snack or part of a lunch. They have the added bonus of being high in fibre and have all the nutrients you find in nuts but with all of the flavour. The bars are great for protein too, although at 226 calories it’s not really a health bar, but will pack in the energy if you need a sugar rush in the afternoon.
As with all KIND bars, these became addictive! Everyone in the office loved them for both their flavour and texture, which is more for adults than children due to containing nuts. If you’re a fan of KIND bars, you’ll love these too!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Nowadays, there are a lot more products on the market for our health and now, they are more sustainable options too. Munchy Seeds, as the name suggests, are seed snacks and breakfast toppers which are versatile enough to be used in cooking too. We were sent a selection of packets to try and to my surprise, they were in all sorts of flavours too!
Munchy Seeds are a UK based company, hailing from Suffolk where the business pride themselves on being gluten free and wheat free. The seeds are from Britain, but also grown in parts of Europe, USA, India, China and South America, depending on what’s needed and the best quality available. The new owners Sara Pearson and Des Smith have huge growth plans for the compny.
The 25gram packets came in 5 flavours; Mega Omega, Mild Chilli, Honey Roasted, Salted Caramel and Warm Cinnamon. Most of the packets were Pumpkin and Sunflower seeds but the Mega Omega packs actually contained roasted Tamari Seven Seed Mix – that’s pumpkin, sunflower, hulled hemp, sesame and rapeseeds. All of the ingredients are great sources of omega oil, hence the name.
The packets are a nice size for lunchboxes or snacks and the flavours are varied enough to have both sweet (Warm Cinnamon or Honey Roasted) or savoury (Mild Chilli) so it depends on your mood as to what flavours you like. As the seeds are all roasted, they’re very easy to eat too, not brittle and tooth-breaking like raw seeds can be. I particularly liked the Honey Roasted seeds, which satisfied my sweet tooth in the afternoon, so I can imagine children would love these too. They might not realise the health benefits but they will love the flavours!
Seeds naturally contain selenium, and antioxidant which is needed in very small quantities in humans but aids metabolism and brain cells, so can help memory and brain function. The mixture of seeds are also a great source of protein and healthy fats, along with vitamins and minerals. The mix of Munch Seed ingredients means you don’t have to buy huge packets of natural seeds from the health food shop and mix up the seeds yourself. The flavoured seeds are already pre-baked and flavoured, so can go straight onto your cereal to add some flavour, or on top of a smoothie to add some texture. On the Munchy Seeds website, you can find lots of recipes to give you ideas.
Healthy snacks have come a long way recently and the Munchy Seeds are a brilliant way of getting your daily omega, vitamin E and healthy fat dosage, all without the blandness of raw seeds and I have really enjoyed testing them. They’re fabulous flavours too so I can’t wait to try the rest of the range!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
HUX Health are a new, natural healthcare brand, bringing you superfoods and capsules to improve sleep, beauty and even hydrating capsules. The lovely people at HUX sent me some Ginger & Lemongrass and Watermelon hydrating capsules and their Vanilla Protein Powder to try this week.
As winners of the Best Hydration Supplement 2023, Hux Hydrating Capsules contain a balance of electrolytes and minerals to help both hydration and muscle function. They boast added zinc for muscle recovery (and zinc also aids the immune system) and contain as much potassium as 3 bananas.
Using the hydrating capsules is easy. The instructions say to use two tablets per 200ml of water, which is about an average size glass. I added one tablet to an empty glass then filled it half way with water to let it dissolve, then filled to the top a few minutes later an added the second capsule. They both dissolved very quickly and didn’t leave a sediment at the bottom of the glass, which was what other hydrating tablets have done and really put me off! Both the Watermelon and Lemongrass & Ginger flavours really came through, and I think I prefer the Lemongrass & Ginger for post workouts as they taste more refreshing this time of year. The Watermelon flavour would be great in the summer when you want something other than water to refresh you after a workout. Either way, they add flavour to what can be an arduous task post-workout.
The second product we were sent was the Vanilla Superfood Blend. I don’t usually use protein powders so I was excited to find out what it was like and the different ways you can incorporate it into daily cooking and post workout nutrition. If you’ve never used a protein powder before, search Google or Pinterest to see how it can fit into your daily routine.
The first thing you notice about the HUX Vanilla Superfood Blend is the gorgeous vanilla smell when you open the tin. It’s natural vanilla too, not like the synthetic powders or flavours you sometimes find. Made from pea and brown rice organic proteins, it also contains Vitamins A, D C, B12 and Calcium, Magnesium, Iron and Iodine. The instructions say to mix 3 tablespoons of HUX with 300ml of water to create a drink, which you can have post or pre-workout. The HUX Superfood Blend powder dissolves relatively quickly and creates a milkshake-like mix, with the vanilla flavour still there.
I’ve seen superfood blends like HUX be used in different recipes too, so if you’re not keen on the drink alone, you can add it to smoothies, or combine it with a cereal to give extra texture. Post workout, or when you just need a pick-me-up after a long day, it’s a good substitute for a snack that is much more nutritious and easy to make up, especially if you’re on the go. Even better, it’s vegan, dairy free, gluten free and Non-GMO.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Anyone looking for chocolate gifts will love the PLAYin CHOC organic chocolate range. Made from Peruvian Cacao it has no dairy, no gluten, no nuts and is totally vegan. The business was started by Maya back in 2016 when she wanted to create dairy-free chocolate using the simplest ingredients; cacao, coconut and vanilla. Maya also wanted to promote awareness about the planet’s biodiversity and offer an ethical alternative, so all of the PLAYin CHOC products are plastic free.
Beyond how award winning this chocolate is (It has won the Great Taste Award in 2022 for both their dark and milk chocolates, among other accolades), the range is something to behold in terms of fun. Just a quick look at their website and you can see the chocolate gift boxes available, all of which include their winning chocolate, but also have models which children can build based on the theme of the gift box. There’s Endangered Animals, Woodland Animals, Dinosaurs, Rabbits and a Christmas box. There’s some lovely 12 and 24 day advent calendars available at Christmas time too!
For the adults, PLAYin CHOC also have 60gram tablets of 6 pieces of chocolate. We were sent the Peruvian Cacao Milk Chocolate and Peruvian Cacao Dark Chocolate to try. Each chocolate is wrapped in compostable material (it looks like plastic but it’s not) so you can store them easily or even add them to a lunchbox for a quick chocolate treat.
My favourite was the Dark Chocolates. You can really taste the cacao in them, and there’s a strong flavour from the coconut as well. I really enjoyed the fact that there were no added extras to the chocolate, it’s a chocolate lover’s worse nightmare to be deterred from the real chocolate by additives, preservatives and unnecessary flavourings. The dark chocolate has a stronger chocolate flavour,, but the milk chocolate is milder if you’re not a big fan of dark.
If you’ve never tried PLAYin CHOC, have a look at their website for chocolate for both chocolate for the kids, as well as yourself!
Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review however all thoughts and opinions are our own.
We’re two months into the new year and I’ve really been struggling to find the motivation to change my diet and eat more healthily. When Keto8 offered to send me their Keto Starter Kit it was just the kickstart I needed, especially when I discovered following a Keto / low carb diet didn’t mean I needed to give up cake!
Cru8 started back in 2014 in founder Alexi’s own kitchen and over the last 9 years has grown into a successful business, now supplying Wholefoods, Planet Organic, Revital and Selfridges. In 2021, Keto8 was launched with new packaging, a new website and new Keto8 products.
The Keto Starter Kit costs £42.80 and contains a selection of products, nicely packaged in a cardboard hamper.
As I am new to the Keto / low carb diet it was good to have a selection of products to try , the bagels, Cacao Morsels, Almond Morsels and Caramel Slices were surprisingly tasty but the Kale Crisps were definitely an acquired taste and a bit cheesy for me.
I found the bagels were really nice toasted and went really well with cream cheese making a nice breakfast or a mid morning snack. With a dense chewy texture they were more like traditional bagels than I expected and with only 3g carbs per bagel are perfect for a low carb diet.
The Cacao Morsels were my favourite product – the coconut based snacks are nice and chocolately and incredibly moreish! They are moist and high in prebiotic fibre meaning they good for your gut health too. The almond Morsels tasted more of coconut than almond but they were still a nice treat. I have been taking the morsels on bike rides and walks as they are easy to slip into my rucksack providing a tasty snack when exercising.
Millionaires Shortbread is one of my favourite cakes so I was really pleased to discover a keto version. Low in sugar and carbohydrates it tasted delicious and was the perfect treat at the end of a busy week.
I’m still at the start of my Keto journey but it has been made much easier since discovering Keto8
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
If you’re unable to eat chocolate due to being lactose intolerant, have an allergy to nuts or are vegan, you used to struggle to find chocolate on the High Street. Nowadays, there are a lot more options available to you though including NOMO chocolate. No More Missing Out? That’s their slogan. Does their chocolate live up to it though?
We were sent a selection of different flavoured chocolate Easter Eggs and Easter character chocolates. Although not necessarily aimed at children, anyone can enjoy them but we are also treated to an Egg & Lolly character egg for very young children. All of the chocolate are vegan and free from egg, nut, dairy and gluten.
The adult Easter egg flavours included Cookie Dough, Orange Crunch and Caramelised biscuit. Each Egg weighs 160 grams and has an extra Bunny included in the egg. The chocolate is listed as ‘an alternative to milk chocolate’ which is slightly darker than conventional milk chocolate but not bitter like dark chocolate is. We particularly enjoyed the Orange Crunch chocolate which had a distinct flavour of orange with a slight texture to it which added an interest to the confectionary. The Cookie Dough flavour is similarly textured and very sweet whilst the caramelised biscuit is as grown-up as it sounds with crunchy biscuit pieces and the sweetness of the caramel. The added bunnies (a character chocolate, each one weighing 30 grams) are similar milk chocolate substitutes but just as tasty!
The Egg & Lolly character Easter Eggs are also vegan and free from egg, nut, dairy and gluten. The 92 grams cute little eggs are perfect for younger children who won’t know the difference between milk chocolate and these free from eggs. Inside the egg there’s a chocolate lolly to enjoy, as well as some fun activities for children to do over the Easter holidays.
You can also buy the NOMO Easter Bunny separately. At 30 grams, the chocolate bunnies are also vegan, dairy free, gluten free etc and are filled with flavoured truffle in either Orange Crunch or Cookie Dough like the Easter Eggs.
Dairy free, Gluten free and egg free chocolate has come a long way in the last few years, and for anyone who needs a ‘free from’ diet, NOMO Chocolate Easter Eggs and Bunnies are so similar to the real thing, you won’t know the difference!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
For those who don’t know, NOMO stands for ‘Never Miss Out’ again! NOMO make chocolate which is vegan and free from dairy, gluten, eggs and nuts, so there’s no nasties in there for anyone who might be sensitive or indeed has a known allergy to what you might find in other chocolates this Easter.
NOMO have a range of chocolate products available now, and sent us a delicious box for us to try. The range isn’t just bags or bars, there’s a selection of different ways in which you can enjoy their chocolate. For instance, there’s 110gram grab bags of giant buttons which come in Caramel & Sea Salt flavour or Creamy Choc. There’s also a 89gram bar of deliciously creamy chocolate in Choc Orange Crunch Bar flavour and 38gram bars in Hazelnut Smooth Choc and Caramel Choc. Is your mouth watering yet?
What does the chocolate taste like? There isn’t much difference between NOMO chocolate and the well known High Street brands. NOMO is still creamy, smooth and has a chocolatey taste to it, but it’s not greasy or oily at all, nor does it have an aftertaste. If you’re vegan, gluten free or looking for an alternative chocolate, you won’t miss your usual chocolate when snacking on NOMO.
As an added bonus, NOMO is also certified Rainforest Alliance to protect the people and nature.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
If you’re vegan or gluten-free, Easter doesn’t have to be miserable without descent chocolate. We were sent a selection of chocolates from Ohso and Livia’s to try as an alternative to the usual Easter treats.
Ohso chocolates differ to usual High Street brands due to their healthier aspects. Not only are they nut free, have no added sugar and contain only naturally occurring sugars, but also have added live cultures which work with your gut health. You can’t taste the live culture in the chocolate so it’s a hidden benefit, but the ‘good’ bacteria helps feed the bacteria in your gut to give you a better chance of building your immune system. Sugar often destroys gut bacteria in healthy people, so the added goodness is probably very welcome for most of us.
We were sent two flavours of Ohso Chocolate; 70% Dark Raspberry and 54% Dark Orange. Each box has 7 little bars of 13.5g, individually wrapped and presented in an oh-so-cute tiny little square mould, as if they are shrunk down into miniature size! Ohso Chocolate may contain live culture, but it doesn’t detract from the taste of each of the bars as the raspberry or orange taste is definitely there, as is the dark chocolate taste. The bars don’t taste much different to ‘normal’ dark chocolate, they’re just a bit richer on the chocolate and with only natural sugars and no added sugar, they aren’t sweet either.
Livia’s Free-From Treats, apart from being free from lactose and vegan are 100% natural and plant based. We were sent some 35g Nugglets in Raw Cookie Dough and Choc Brownie flavour and the Livia Millionaire Squares in Salted Caramel and Chocolate Orange. Both are excellent for either snacks or lunchboxes and their size makes them easy to pack too. The Nugglets are chocolates about the size of a Malteaser with the centre more like the consistency and texture of a cake, coated with chocolate. They’re not overwhelmingly ‘chocolate’ but they still don’t taste as if they are made of gluten free or dairy free chocolate and the raw cookie dough makes a change from the usual chocolate fillings. They do give you the certain chocolate hit you sometimes need though which is reassuring!
I was pleasantly surprised by the Livia Millionaire Squares which are also Vegan and Gluten/dairy free. They are packaged in little cardboard trays which make them easier to pick up especially on car journeys. The squares are exactly like Millionaire shortbread squares with the chocolate on top and a crispy biscuit base underneath. Again, they taste and have the texture of any other chocolate and you forget that they are gluten and dairy free!
Between Ohso and Livia, these are great additions to lunchboxes or snacks and can be enjoyed by the whole family!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own
Are you looking for something a little different as a Valentine’s treat or simply to show someone special you are thinking of them? If they have a sweet tooth and love flapjacks then Flapjackery is the place to go!
Founded in 2015 by Carol Myott and Sally Jenkin, the pair who share a passion for home cooking met selling cakes at a Devon farmers’ market. They started baking in their own kitchens but as the company grew, they needed to move to bigger premises to keep up with the demand for their flapjacks. Like all businesses they were badly affected by covid as their normal outlets, farmers markets and events stopped so they decided to start selling their delicious flapjacks online.
We’re big fans of Flapjackery so were really pleased to be asked to sample one of their Valentine’s gift boxes containing five flavours of flapjack – Chocolate Orange, Millionaire’s, Raspberry & White Chocolate, Rocky Road and Clotted Cream.
Nicely packaged in a carboard box, which fits easily through a letterbox, each flapjack is individually wrapped to keep it fresh. They also have long “eat by” dates, my box was dated the 5th April but they are so yummy they only lasted a couple of days! As my box had a Valentine’s theme the Millionaire’s flapjack was decorated with a white chocolate heart which is a lovely touch. They all looked delicious and the hardest part was deciding which one to try first!
Each flapjack was fresh, flavoursome and incredibly moreish and after sampling them all the raspberry and white chocolate was my favourite, sandwiched with juicy raspberries the flapjack is nice and moist and fruity. The white chocolate complements the sharper raspberry taste and mixed with the buttery flapjack makes a delicious treat.
They currently have a selection of Valentine’s gift boxes available and there is also an option to create your own. Choose from either a box of 8 or 12 flapjacks or a message plaque box containing a giant millionaire’s flapjack with 4 of 8 flapjacks. The boxes can be gift wrapped and a free personalised message added to make your gift a little more special.
You really are spoilt for choice when selecting a giftbox, there are 24 flavours to choose from ranging from a traditional flapjack to more unusual flavours like rocky road, honeycomb or florentine. Have a look at the full range here.
With a box of three flapjacks costing £12 they really are the perfect Valentine’s treat!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own
It’s the 1st of February today – which means Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! All the shops are currently full of cheerful displays of gifts and flowers and it’s the perfect excuse to treat your loved one and bring a little joy to the gloomy February days.
Food gifts are a popular Valentine’s gift and your Valentine is bound to be impressed with the Valentine’s Gift Box from Sponge.
When I opened the box, I was delighted to find a nicely wrapped parcel containing a lovely selection of treats. The top layer contained four baby sponge cakes, each in its own little box and sealed in plastic to keep it fresh. We received Red Velvet, Chocolate Orange, Sticky Toffee and Carrot cakes and each cake was lovely and moist and incredibly delicious. Sponge Cakes cater for all types of dietary requirements, and you can request standard, gluten free or vegan cakes in your giftbox.
Underneath the cakes were even more treats
Valentine’s cocktail & a mini bottle of Prosecco (or a non-alcoholic cocktail & ginger beer)
A single white rose
6 heart chocolates (vegan fudge instead of chocolates included in vegan option).
A Pukka love tea bag
A Valentine’s Card
Considering there were cakes and a real rose in the box everything was packaged really well and arrived in perfect condition. I also liked the little touches like the organza bag containing the chocolate heats, this simple touch makes the gift even more special.
This is a lovely, thoughtful gift and now I know how delicious the cakes are I will definitely be ordering from them again. I had a look on their website and have my eye on the sharing cakes, these are such a fantastic idea and are perfect for families like ours where everyone likes a different type of cake.
Sponge online cake company make all their cakes from scratch, using only high quality ingredients and deliver all over the UK so if you want to treat your special person on Valentine’s Day I would take a look now!
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own
We’re almost half way through Dry January and with so many new and exciting non-alcoholic drinks to try I’ve found I haven’t missed alcohol at all!
Ordinarily I do enjoy a nice G&T so was really pleased to receive a bottle of BOWSER LEAF from Conker Distillery. Launched in 2021 LEAF is a unique botanical blend offering all the complexities of a premium gin but without the alcohol. It can be served with ice and tonic for a refreshing drink or if you are feeling a little more adventurous you can create a mocktail?
Distilled in copper pot stills using New Forest Spring Water, five carefully selected botanicals – Patchouli, Mint, Basil, Tarragon and Thyme are distilled separately and blended carefully to create a well-balanced, complex spirit that has a beautiful mouthfeel and that vital fresh dryness that you expect from a premium gin. I tried it with an unflavoured light tonic to get the full flavour and I was really impressed.
A hint of spice, followed by fresh mint and thyme, this is a sophisticated drink that is refreshing, light and best of all doesn’t leave you with a hangover the following morning. It has the classic gin bitterness but with none of the alcohol or calories (BOWSER is calorie free) so it is much better for your waistline too!
BOWSER is perfect when you want something special that isn’t alcoholic. A party taste without the hangover – what’s not to like!
A 70cl bottle costs £20 and is available from Ocado
Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own
It’s the weekend and even though we’re taking part in Dry January it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a cocktail or two – there are plenty of delicious non-alcoholic cocktails available now and Mavrik have certainly come up trumps with their exciting non- alcoholic cocktail range.
The Mavrik taster pack contains four 250ml cans and with less than 50 calories per can they are perfect for those watching the calories as well as those who prefer a non-alcoholic drink. Choose from
Aromatic G&T: A delicious version of the quintessential English favourite with a refined low calorie pink G&T.
Cuban Mojito: Zinging with mint and rum flavours, this indulgent alcohol-free Mojito is the very refreshing and will be lovely to drink with friends this Dry January.
Venetian Spritz: A refreshing, sparking orange drink, sweet with a hint of bitterness and is delicious with plenty of ice and a few slices of orange.
Storm & Spice: a fiery, tongue tickling, low calorie version of the classic spicy Bermudan rum cocktail.
My favourite of the four was the Cuban Mojito which was just as a Mojito should be, nice and refreshing with the taste of fresh lime and mint and with no sugar I can drink it all night guilt free.
I must say I was very pleasantly surprised with the non-alcoholic drinks, made with natural ingredients and carbonated New Forest spring water they are very refreshing and enable you to get into the party spirit without the hangover! They are vegan friendly, gluten free and contain less than 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams so what’s not to love?
Mavrik drinks are available from their website and the tasting pack costs £9.75
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