April 2020 Degustabox review : UK vs International

"Mum, I'm hungry" ... "Mum, have we got any sweets?" ... "Mum, what time's dinner?" ... I bet I'm not the only one who has this going on all day long as my lockdown soundtrack ! We've been baking lots but, even so, the arrival of a new Degustabox and its potential contents involving snacks and sweet treats was a cause for much excitement !

We unpacked everything and the kids quickly took stock of what they wanted to devour instantly - crisps, chocolate and biscuits, obviously ! This month's box has an intriguing "UK vs International" theme, offering a mix of classic British treats and some interesting international products to try. Here's what was inside.

The first product that we pulled out was a pair of Brynmor Flapjacks (RRP 2 x £1.29), lovingly baked in the heart of the Welsh countryside. They promise to have the perfect balance of health benefits and, all importantly, great taste. The Apple & Raspberry bar got the thumbs up, with the sweetness of the apple perfectly offsetting the sharp tanginess of the raspberries, but our favourite was the Caramel Fudge flavour. Delicious ! These are great as fuel for outdoor adventures, but, if you're stuck on the settee during confinement, be aware that each 80g bar contains 16.1/18.4g of fat, 21.4/25.9g of sugar and 349/369 calories (depending on which flavour you go for) !

Growers Garden Broccoli Crisps (RRP £1.99) are a product that we remember fondly from a past Degustabox, back in October 2019. Finding a forgotten bag in the cupboard, I recently used these as a topping for Crunchy-Creamy Chicken, which was great as a "confinement special", using whatever we had in the cupboards ! Made from 'wonky veg',  they are gluten free, low in saturated fats, a source of fibre and vegan. The kids love the sour cream and chive flavour and, if I put them in a bowl, they aren't put off by the fact that they contain 27% fresh broccoli !

Percy's Chocolate Shortbread Sticks (RRP £3) are made of delicious buttery shortbread, coated in caramel chocolate, then, if that wasn't already decadent enough, topped with hand-spun dark chocolate. Yes, they are as delicious as they sound ! I'd never tried Percy's products before, but they have generations of experience behind them, so I definitely need to investigate !

Ahh, these are my favourites - with an extra surprise hiding inside : Terry's Chocolate Orange Minis Exploding Candy (RRP £4 with a Terry's Chocolate Orange Easter egg). I love Chocolate Oranges and, as far as I'm concerned, you still can't get better than the original ball-shaped chocolate that needs tapping to release the segments. That is usually reserved as a special Christmas treat though, so these are great for random snacking ! The mini milk chocolate segments are flavoured with real orange oil, which is where their superb taste comes from. The kids love the fizz, crackle 'n bang fun of the popping candy pieces too.

Very Lazy Ginger Paste and Very Lazy Lemongrass Paste (RRP 2 x £1.85) are perfect for saving  on preparation time or adding a quick squeeze of flavour to a stir-fry or sauce. While lemongrass is perfect for creating Pho and Thai curries, it can also be used in cocktails for a refreshing twist. (As a rough guide, 1 teaspoon is equal to half a stalk of lemongrass.) Ginger can be used to boost stir-frys, curries, marinades, smoothies and so much more. (For recipes, visit verylazy.com.) They're really convenient and avoid the annoying moment when you realise you're lacking a vital ingredient when cooking an exotic recipe from scratch.

Well, that's it for the UK selection ... on to the International options ! Sxollie (RRP £1.80) is an award-winning range of craft ciders from South Africa. They explain that the word, pronounced Sko-llie, means: 1. [Sociology] term used for a hustler 2. [Composition] single varietal cider 3. [Fact] best cider out of Africa ! They produce Golden Delicious cider, Granny Smith cider and - the one in the Degustabox - Cripps Pink cider. The apples are sourced directly from the Elgin Valley in South Africa and they produce a light, easy-to-drink, very tasty cider that is perfect for sipping as you watch the sun go down.

Remedy Kombucha drinks (2 x RRP £1.85) are healthy soft drinks, made by naturally

fermenting sweet tea with a live culture. The result is a sparkling drink that contains live cultures, tea polyphenols, organic acids and no sugar, naturally! There are two flavours in the box - Raspberry Lemonade and Cherry Plum - which both sound delicious, but I have passed them on to Sophie, as she loves these kinds of drinks. She really enjoyed them and loved the sweet but slightly sour taste that they offer.

Tilda Peri Peri Basmati Rice (RRP £1.59) is great as a quick option for dinner - just rip open the sachet and shove it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Couldn't be simpler ! This rice has a vibrant flavour so can be enjoyed with grilled meat, fish or maybe stuffed into peppers for a veggie option. It combines bird's eye chilli heat with green and red peppers, sweet tomato, garlic, smoky paprika, oregano and a squeeze of zesty lemon. It is gluten free, suitable for vegetarians and vegans and contains no artificial flavourings, colours or preservatives. I love having a couple of sachets of Tilda rice in the cupboard for those days when you need something on the table with zero effort and next-to-no time.

Peppadew Sweet Piquanté Peppers (RRP £3) start off with a sweet flavour, which soon gives way to a burst of heat. I love stirring a spoonful into tomato-based pasta dishes or adding them to pizzas for an extra burst of flavour. They can also be used in salads, wraps, soups, burgers, sandwiches ... whatever needs a little kick added to it ! The kids tell me they're lovely stirred into mashed potato too - well, why not ?!

This month's recipe cards are for Rustic Pizza with Chicken, Mozzarella, Red Onion & Peppadew Sweet Piquanté Peppers or Very Lazy Lemongrass Mojito, which both sound perfect for a chilled out evening. As I said last month, I'm loving receiving a box of extras in these times of confinement, when we are tending to reduce our shopping needs to the strict minimum. 

 A subscription to Degustabox costs £12.99 per month including delivery, with each box having a value of much more than that, but the great news is, I have a discount coupon code for you which means you'll get the first box for just £7.99 - enter code PKUFE at the checkout. With all the current problems involving in trying to get your hands on some shopping, this would be a great time to sign up for a home delivery.

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Disclosure : We received the box in order to write an honest review. As a Degustabox blogger, I receive all of the products that go into the monthly boxes, but subscribers may not get exactly the same selection.