Tag: night in

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

King’s Ransom Chocolate from FATSO

Children, coronation, 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.

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/

Joe &Seph’s Limited Edition Coronation Popcorn Range

Children, coronation, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Lunchbox Fillers

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

Joe & Seph’s Popcorn Ultimate Night In Gift Box

Birthday Gifts, Children, Easter, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Lunchbox Fillers, Mother's Day

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

Whenever I buy Joe & Seph’s Popcorn, my friend Lisa always asks me, “Have you got any more of that posh popcorn?” so when we were offered the Joe & Seph’s Ultimate Night In Gift Box, I knew we had to review it!

The box is priced at £12.50 with three different flavours of popcorn; Salted Caramel, Caramel & Belgian Chocolate Popcorn and the slightly different Milk Chocolate Popcorn Bites. The Bites are different because they are cups of chocolate with a piece of popcorn set in them. These were particularly nice because the chocolate and popcorn worked together well, and we had them in the fridge as little snacks to eat throughout the day!  The chocolate was particularly good quality too which made them more of a treat. 

The Salted Caramel and Caramel & Belgium Chocolate Popcorn were for us to enjoy after dinner on a Friday.  Both of the flavours are favourites of mine so I was keen to try them.  The Salted Caramel is not as ‘salted’ as you might think, but more caramel. I love Joe & Seph’s popcorn because it’s not sticky at all, and the Salted Caramel flavour is no exception. You can pick it up and hold the popcorn without it melting in your hand or feeling sticky which makes it much easier to handle as well as easier to share.  The quality of the popcorn itself is much better than your cinema popcorn because there are minimal kernels and unbaked pieces of corn.  In fact, there’s no un-popped corn pieces at the bottom of the bag, so all you get is proper, fluffy popcorn!

The Caramel & Belgium Chocolate Popcorn was my favourite of all the flavours.  Layered in a light coat of chocolate, you can taste the Belgium chocolate straight away, and the second flavour is the delicate caramel.  The see-through grab bags are easy to share, but just as easily pour into a bowl due to the shape of the bag.  

The Joe & Seph’s Popcorn Ultimate Night In Gift Box arrives in a presentation box to your doorstep, after being handmade and packed in London, but the boxes can be sent to anywhere in the country. Ordering on the website, you can also add a 60 character message, which makes it a great gift for anyone who loves popcorn, chocolate or snacks in general. I think this Ultimate Night In Gift Box works as either a Girls’ night in with some Prosecco, a movie and a bit of gossip, or as a gift for a teenager’s birthday, along with the Amazon gift card they all crave!

Joe & Seph’s Ultimate Night In Gift Box costs £12.50: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/gifts/gift-box-ultimate-night-in