Tag: hamper ideas

Island Bakery Biscuits

Birthday Gifts, chocolate, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers

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

Organic biscuits, shortbreads and nibbles made in the Hebrides, Scotland.

Here at the Review Studio we never say no to trying something new but biscuits are a clear winner! Even better, the Island Bakery biscuits are organic and sourced with local ingredients where they are made on the Island of Mull.  The team sent us 3 varieties to choose from their range of 11; Apple Crumbles, Chocolate Gingers and their savoury Cheese Biscuits. How quickly do you think we put the kettle on to test these…?


Island Bakery Cheese Biscuits

Starting with the Cheese Biscuits, these are flavoured Harissa & Cumin.  The cheese is sourced locally in Tobermory, where the Island Bakery is situated on the Isle of Mull and the cheese comes from just one herd of Friesian, Holstein and Brown Swiss cattle. Each biscuit is made with real butter and the harissa warms the texture of the biscuit along with the cumin. You’ll notice other spices in there, which work brilliantly with any of the cheeses you choose to pair with the Island Bakery Cheese Biscuits.  A fabulous savoury offering that if you’re clever, you might even be able to pass off as homemade!

Available at £3.79: https://www.islandbakery.scot/product/isle-of-mull-cheese-biscuits-harissa-with-chilli-cumin/

Island Bakery Apple Crumbles

Onto the sweeter biscuits, suitable for tea or coffee or just as a snack on their own.  The Apple Crumbles are oaty biscuits, made with real, dried apple piece and apple juice, complete with sprinkles of cinnamon. The biscuits are snappy, not soft and chewy and work exceptionally well dunked in tea, although they’re far better as a biscuit on their own. In fact, they were more like a snack than a biscuit because I had intended to eat two (purely for testing reason you understand!) but one was enough. They’re very filling which is probably because they are made with real products and not with additives and synthetics. They’re great for after Sunday lunch and remind you of grandma’s homemade cookies.

Available from £3.15: https://www.islandbakery.scot/product/apple-crumbles-2/

Island Bakery Chocolate Gingers

Sharp, spicy and wickedly delicious, these Chocolate Gingers pack a punch after you bite into them and start to chew.  Made with stem ginger, and lashings of it by the taste of them, they are also half coated in dark chocolate. They’re very hearty and much like the Apple Crumbles, they don’t need a second one (unless you really want to!) to fill you up. I think I loved these the most because of both their texture, and the juxtaposition of the ginger and the sweet sugar taste. The added chocolate is a welcome bonus and its generous chocolate too. I was still savouring the chunks of ginger with my tea long after the biscuit was devoured and the tingling sensation was still in my mouth from the ginger.  These are much better than the High Street variety where they go soggy if left out for a few days. The Island Bakery Chocolate Gingers are a biscuit lover’s dream and so moreish you’ll be buying these as gifts too.

Available from £3.95: https://www.islandbakery.scot/product/chocolate-gingers-copy/

All of the biscuits are delicious, and that was only a small selection from the website. Other flavours include Lime Melts, Lemon Melts, Blonde Chocaccinos (coffee and cinnamon) and other savoury biscuits such as Onion and Thyme Cheese Biscuits. There’s also biscuits in tins available on the website shop, which are great for giving as gifts. Delivery is £5 in the UK only but if you order more than £30 worth, delivery is free.

Hive & Keeper Honey

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, health, Home, Plastic free, Subscription Boxes

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

There are some gifts which are perfect to give to anyone. Hive & Keeper produce the most exquisite gifts suitable for everyone this Christmas and we were sent a special sample of their famous giftbox of honey to try out.  You’ll soon see why honey is the perfect gift for anyone, especially anyone who is difficult to buy for!

Hive & Keeper was started by Emily soon after she discovered bee keeping.  It wasn’t until Emily owned bees of her own that she found out that the honey we buy in shops does not stand up to any of the honey produced naturally by beekeepers by a long way.  In fact, Emily thinks that honey in shops tastes nothing like what she and her colleagues were producing in the natural world. Working with other crafts people with natural, British products (leather, wool, wood, antler and other natural materials) that Emily discovered a whole new world of sustainability and natural beauty in craft.

Hive & Honey’s website sells a range of natural product gifts but the main focus for Emily is the honey. She sources different honey from many suppliers around the country, giving the honey different tastes. Did you know the taste comes from the different flowers and plants bees pollinate? So the heathers on the Scottish borders produce a very different honey than somewhere else in the UK such as farmland in Surrey. Each of the keepers are featured on the Hive & Keeper website so you can see exactly where the honey is from. The jars are each labelled with the name of the keeper and given a reference such as, “good on toast” so that you know best how to enjoy each variety!

Gift wise, Hive & Honey have individual jars, gift boxes and subscriptions where households can order 1 or 2 jars to be delivered every 3, 6 or 12 months. We were sent the Big Breakfast Honey Gift Set which contains 3 different honeys, all suitable for breakfast (toast, porridge and tea). The gift arrives in a lovely cardboard (recyclable!) giftbox with straw as packaging and the three jars nestled inside. There are cards for each of the honeys giving information about the keepers. My jars came from Matthew in Staffordshire, Eduard in Berkshire/Buckinghamshire and Howard in the Forest of Dean.

As for the honeys, they each have a different shade and aren’t clear like supermarket honeys. This is an indication that they aren’t over filtered and contain some of the (harmless) impurities in all natural honeys and haven’t been treated. Don’t be surprised if you open a jar and there’s a swirl of different colours in there, it’s just where the honey has settled. To reap the full benefit of each honey, open the jar and smell the aroma. Mix the honey and then taste a small amount, paying attention to the different notes like you would a wine.  If you’re unsure about how you want to use it, and there are thousands of ways, then have a look at the jar and see if it’s good for cereal or porridge, in tea or on toast or even experiment yourself to find out how it goes in baking and as a glaze when cooking.

I am a huge honey lover anyway. Being able to try these British honeys without having to worry about air miles or sustainability is not only a weight off my shoulders but it’s a real treat to try authentic honey, straight from the hive.  I think Hive & Keeper honey is a fabulous gift for any food lovers, families or anyone who you can’t buy gifts for easily. The Hive & Keeper honey opens up a whole new culinary world that you never thought was out there. Turns out, the bees are out there in the British countryside and they were making excellent gifts for us all along.

Available online for £28.95 at:https://www.hiveandkeeper.com/collections/gift-boxed-honeys/products/the-big-breakfast-honey-gift-set

Mr Kipling Best Ever All Butter Mince Pies

Children, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, Stocking Fillers

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

Over the years, Mr Kipling has become not only a household name but synonymous with Christmas. Most of our Christmas favourite foods are now table staples including mince pies and this year is no exception.  The Signature K Collection from Mr Kipling have these fabulous ‘Best Ever’ mince pies in shops now and we couldn’t wait to try them!

Unlike other mince pies, Mr Kipling’s Best Ever range have only 4 in a box. The Signature K Collection mince pies also vary in aesthetics and taste too which makes them stand out from the rest and dare I say it, look homemade!  The pastry is deliciously crumbly, due to the amount of butter in the ingredients. Even before you can eat it and you’re taking it out of the foil, there’s a certain amount of ‘crumbing’, just to remind you how mince pies are meant to taste and how rich and indulgent this Mr Kipling variety is going to be! The pastry is light and delicious and holds together beautifully!

The filling is made of vine fruit mincemeat with added apple and spices. The mincemeat is infused with cider and brandy to give a richer taste, but you really can’t taste the alcohol at all, so these are suitable for children too.  The pie is topped with a delicate pastry snowflake and lightly dusted for that festive look which will shine on the Christmas Lunch table.  The mixture of the fruits, in combination with the powdery pastry and light icing sugar decoration make these Mr Kipling Mince Pies irresistible, and perfect for Christmas.

Available from £3.00 at: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/315076278?sc_cmp=ppc*GHS+-+Grocery+-+New*MPX_PMAX_All_OT_All+Products_Online+Budget_1009392**315076278*&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA04arBhAkEiwAuNOsIn7SWyeQApgw58ndmdy1NmMEwqvuYTFZ6-cqTRDKrGimWHxSnnXlORoC9ZwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Just Spices Coffee Kiss and Pumpkin Pie Spice 

Autumn, Children, Christmas, coffee, Family Life, Food & Drink, Halloween, Home, Women

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

You may not think of Just Spices as a company who produce ‘treats’ especially at Christmas time, but did you know that in addition to the spices and toppings they create, they also make sweet additions to your baking?

This autumn, Just Spices have two versatile blends to liven up your coffee, and beyond.  Coffee Kiss and Pumpkin Pie Spice are as close as you can get to the barista-style toppings everyone loves to indulge in this time of year.  We were sent both to try from the lovely people at Just Spices, who seem to come up with new ideas every week of how to improve cooking, baking and generally eating!

Coffee Kiss is a blend of spices which you add to coffee to enhance the flavour.  Containing ground almonds, cocoa powder and cinnamon, it adds a winter spice to coffee to create a slightly sweeter, chocolatey taste to your morning brew. It can also be added to other drinks such as hot chocolate (as seen here), over ice cream, to smoothies and with fruit or muesli. It would also go very well with porridge on a cold day when you want to mix up the flavours slightly but don’t want to over do it with flavour.  I like this mixture of the chocolate and cinnamon flavours because they not only complement each other, but they feel warming to taste and remind me of Christmas.

The Pumpkin Pie Spice mix is just as autumnal and so appropriate for this time of year! If you’re a lover of the pumpkin flavoured drinks in the famous coffee shop chains, then this is the spice for you. Containing cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg, it has that authentic autumn/winter taste to it with the mix of sweet and spicy. This is a spice not just for coffee but you can use it in hot chocolate too, or even with baking. If you’re making Thanksgiving treats such as pumpkin pie or even pumpkin soup, then the Pumpkin Pie Spice mix adds all the festive flavours without you having to gather all the ingredients yourself and try and get the right combination first time.  It’s a treat for any coffee lover, or lover of autumn altogether.

Coffee Kiss currently on sale online at £3.99: 

Pumpkin Pie Spice currently on sale online at £4.79: 

Joy of Christmas Hamper Gift Box

alcoholic drinks, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Gluten Free, Home, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

Hampers are such a good idea at Christmas. I remember receiving a few over the years when I was a child as ‘thank you’ gifts at Christmas so that the whole family could enjoy them. I don’t particularly remember what was in them but it was so exciting rummaging through all the ruffled paper to find something else. Then there’s the obvious questions to my Mum, ‘What is this?’ It would turn out to be something like a posh chutney, or a type of Christmas dessert we never had in our house. I remember loose tea being in one hamper and my mind automatically thought you had to assemble your own tea bags from it. What was the point of that?

Hampers have come a long way since then but they’re just as popular as gifts and there’s so many varieties to choose from. The Goodness Project use lots of vegan and gluten free products for their gift boxes, and there are plenty of gift boxes available on their website so you’ll find one within your price range and suitable for any occasion.

We were sent their 2023 Joy of Christmas Gift Box to try out.  This £28.50 box is deceptively full with treats for Christmas!  There’s everything you need including:

  • A bottle of Bottega Gold Prosecco (20cl)
  • Angelic Chocolate and Orange Biscuits (vegan)
  • Love Cocoa Peruvian Dark Chocolate (71%) 
  • English Truffle Potato Crisps
  • Filberts Flavoured Nut Mix
  • Lottie Shaw’s Deep Filled Mince Pie (70g)

The box is enough for one person to eat themselves or two people to share, but the bottle of Prosecco is probably only enough for 1 glass each! The Filberts Flavoured Nut Mix was a surprise with how lovely they were. There was a mixture of different nuts, but they were roasted and flavoured with herbs which made them different to what you can usually buy on supermarket shelves. The English Truffle Potato crisps from English Heritage have won the Great Taste award for 2023 probably due to the quality of the potato and then the delicious truffle flavour. If you’ve never tried truffle crisps before, then if I describe them to you as posh mushroom but not as strong, you’ll know that the taste is pretty tame and even children would enjoy it.  

For the sweeter snacks, there’s the Deep Filled Mince Pie from Lottie Shaw’s.  Bigger than the mine pies you get in the supermarket in packs of 6, this is deep filled and baked in Yorkshire to a family recipe.  It’s great for the mince pie aficionado who loves to compare all the varieties on the market each Christmas! There’s also the Angelic Chocolate Orange Vegan cookies which are also dairy, nut and gluten free. The packaging says they’re safe for the top 14 allergens which is good to know if you’re buying the gift box for a teacher or family you don’t know that well. There’s two packets of biscuits in the box (which is all recyclable) and 4 cookies in each making 8 in all. Plenty for a snack throughout the Christmas period but also great for entertaining!

Lastly there’s the Peruvian Dark Chocolate from Love Cocoa. With a weight of 75 grams it’s about the size of tuckshop confectionary but at 71% it’s a dark chocolate from one of the best chocolate makers around.  It’s very smooth and very strong so even if you’re a dark chocolate lover like me, you probably won’t want to eat all of it in one go.

The final item in the Joy of Christmas Hamper Box is the Bottega Gold Prosecco which is also organic and vegan. A light, sparkling wine which compliments the mix of Christmas flavours in the other items in the box, it’s a welcome alcohol addition to round off Christmas. It is 11% though so best keep it away from the children!

Rather than buy another ever-decreasing size box of chocolates and the dreaded Panettone

 for your neighbours or family friends this Christmas, splash out on a bit more and send a Goodness Project gift box and forget about having to wrap it – their gorgeous ribbon box is sent directly to them for you!

Available online for £28.50 at: https://thegoodnessproject.co.uk/shop/joy-of-christmas-hamper-gift-box

Moulins Mahjoub Organic Artichoke and Sevilla Orange Chutney

Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home

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

Any chutney lovers out there? Chutney is commonly used for cheese boards and is usually made from an autumn fruit like apple or onion, but it can be made from lots of different ingredients. Similar to a jam, but not as sweet, chutneys are also added to cold meats or can be an accompaniment to vegetables or pies during the cold months too. There’s always mango chutney for your curry or naan bread, making a delicious textural change to the spiciness of the meat.

Moulins Mahjoub chutney is probably made from ingredients which you have never tried in a chutney before – artichoke and Sevilla orange. Inspired by the Mediterranean, the ingredients are all organic and a usual Tunisian pairing, just not something we see in this country so much! The flavours go well with chicken dishes (including Tunisian chicken recipes) couscous and of course cheeses.

The flavour is quite something – you can taste the sharp Savilla orange taste, with spikey citrus tones straight away whilst the base of artichoke is more subtle.  It makes an interesting union with more bland cheeses, which is how I used it with very mild Cheddar. The tartness of the orange flavour allows you to mix very little of the chutney with your favourite foods to give a completely different taste which we aren’t used to in our kitchens.  combining it up with thick ham to give a sandwich or a cheese toastie, grilled to melt the cheese and have the Artichoke and Sevilla Orange chutney inside will add a different dimension to your lunches.

It’s probably not one for children as it’s such a strong taste (it’s the strength of an extra strong Cheddar) but over Christmas with the cheese and charcuterie board, it will provide an extra kick, plus a fabulous talking point!

Available from the Artisan Olive Oil Company from £4.40:https://www.artisanoliveoilcompany.co.uk/products/moulins-mahjoub-organic-artichoke-and-sevilla-orange-chutney-210g?_pos=2&_sid=d8c67e6bd&_ss=r