The July 2020 "Summer" Degustabox review

While we were in Belgium, the postie dropped off our latest Degustabox - the July edition, with the traditional "Summer" theme. Now, I have to be honest. Looking through the contents, I couldn't really detect much of a summer-theme going on, but this summer is a bit of a strange one anyway - we're not going to beaches, having picnics and inviting everyone over for a BBQ anyway, so everything goes !

Here's the contents of the box. What I love about this box is that there's something for everyone. Sophie will enjoy trying out the dairy-free things, Juliette and Pierre will love the sweets and snacks and there are even some things that I can use in baking. So far, so good ! Here's a closer look at everything in the box.

Natvia 100% Natural Sourced Sweetener (RRP £5) is a product that we've tried before here at The Madhouse. I've used it in baking and you can't tell any difference to sugar in terms of taste or texture. It can also be used in tea or coffee. It's made from stevia, which leaves no aftertaste. With zero calories per serving, it's a simple way of cutting down on calories. It's available at Tesco, Ocado, Tree of Life and Health Food Store.

Wunda Milk Alternative (RRP £1.99) will be perfect for Sophie, as she is intolerant to dairy products. It is described as "a delicious, dairy-free alternative to milk that is high in protein and epic in everything!" It is very versatile and can be used in exactly the same way as you'd use milk - hot or cold, on cereal, in baking, in cheese sauce and custard, or whatever else you're making ! It's high in protein, low in sugar and fat and is fortified with vitamins A, D, B2 and B12. The only bad news is that it's not launching until next year !

Nesquik All Natural (RRP £1.89) is (I think) a new product from the range, but the Madhouse kids didn't make any comments about it tasting any different to usual ! It is made using just five natural ingredients, including tropical raw cane sugar and cocoa from West Africa. It has no artificial flavours or sweeteners and the paper packaging is fully recyclable and free from plastics. The kids love the chocolatey flavour and I love the fact that it gets them drinking milk. Win-win !

Plant Pops Peanut Butter Popped Lotus Seeds (£1.50) were a totally new product for us. We weren't sure what to expect but they're very tasty ... and also hard to describe ! They're crunchy, light, airy and very moreish - a bit like popcorn but different. We nibbled them straight from the bag but they can also apparently be enjoyed as soup or salad toppers, slung on top of porridge or covered in chocolate. They are made with sustainably harvested lotus seeds, popped and roasted before being tumbled with ground peanuts for a subtle peanutty taste. Available on amazon, www.plantpopssnacks.com, TheVeganKind supermarket, Harvey Nichols, Londis and Budgens.

Premier Protein Chocolate Brownie Flavour Protein Bar (RRP £1.49) is packed with 20g of protein and only 1.3g of sugar, so it's ideal as a post-workout feel-good nibble or just as a regular on-the-go snack. It tastes nice and, if you have health and wellbeing goals in mind, it will make you feel very virtuous. Also available in White Chocolate Vanilla and Chocolate Peanut Butter flavours. Available at Ocado and WHSmith Travel.

The Skinny Food Co Skinny Sauce/Skinny Syrup (gift) - We received a sample selection of four products from the range of over 70 flavours. We got Tomato Ketchup and Original Mayo (both virtually zero calorie), Garlic Mayo (zero calorie) and White Chocolate Syrup (zero calorie). They're very tasty and the kids would never have noticed that they are low calorie (or zero calorie) options. Available at Morrisons, Spar and COOP, as well as on SkinnyFoodco.com.

Golden Creek Maple Syrup Blended With Sugar Syrup (RRP £2.49) is the perfect product if you're looking for maple syrup at a fraction of the cost. It is a blend of pure, dark Canadian maple syrup and liquid sugar. Very tasty drizzled on pancakes, waffles or ice cream, but my kids are also happy eating it on toast ! Available on Ocado and Home Bargains.

Minor Figures Coffee Nitro Cold Brew (RRP £1.95) is a ground-breaking new product. Minor Figures, an East London-based coffee company that provides plant-based products for coffee lovers, are the first to market with a ready to drink, cold brew coffee that combines specialty grade coffee with their barista Oat M*lk. The slow brew process captures the purity and depth of every ingredient, resulting in a light, dairy-free drink with no added sugar. When opened, nitrogen is released to create silky microfoam. Best served chilled, it's a lovely way to enjoy coffee during the summer.

Pravha Lighter Tasting Pilsner (RRP £2) offers all the bold, iconic flavour of a high quality Czech pilsner, yet is unexpectedly crisp, light-tasting and refreshing. The legendary brewers of Staropranem have always challenged traditional brewing techniques in search of the perfect pilsner and this is the result of their brewing expertise. It goes down very nicely at the end of a long, hot summer's day !

Bebeto Party Mix (RRP £2) offers a selection of fruity and fizzy-coated mixed gummies. Bebeto are the fastest growing brand in the UK and, having seen how quickly the Madhouse kids polished this lot off, I can see why ! Very tasty and the kids loved sorting through the different shapes too. Available at Morrisons, selected Spar stores and Bestways.

Manilife Peanut Butter (RRP 60p), available in various varieties (we got Original Roast and Deep Roast Crunchy Peanut Butter), is a tasty, natural spread. Made with 99% peanuts, the product is beautifully creamy and the chunks of peanut offer some satisfying crunch. The peanuts are sourced from a single estate farm in Argentina, roasted by experts then blended in small batches. It's a tasty spread, that needs to be stirred up before eating, to maximise the flavour and harmonise the texture. There is also a £1 off voucher in the box. Available in Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado and at Manilife.com.

The recipe card offers two options : Overnight Oats with Wunda Milk Alternative and Sugar-Free Orange & Chocolate Cheesecake with Natvia. Ooh that sounds rather nice, so I may have to give that a go !

  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 £9.99 - enter code PKUFE at the checkout. 

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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.