This year we received a Degustabox advent calendar to review and the first thing to say is, it's massive. It costs £44.95 but you really get the sense that it's worth it when you feel the weight of it. Now that we've counted down the days to Christmas, I can show you want was hiding behind the doors. There are some lovely discoveries and the whole family enjoyed sifting through the different products. Here's what we found hiding behind the doors.
Teapigs Spiced Winter and Everyday Brew - Perfect for starting the day off in style or having a warming cuppa during the day. The Spiced Winter Red Tea is everything festive in liquid form. Cinnamon, cloves and orange peel with a caffeine-free rooibos base, it can be enjoyed with or without milk. English breakfast tea is a top-quality version of "regular tea", just the way most tea-drinkers love it.
Vidas Drinks - Discover a new range of drinks that offer the perfect combination of healthy choices and great flavours. Made with 100% natural ingredients, no added sugar (all sugar comes from apple or grape juice) or nasty additives and under 60 calories per can. They're refreshing with lovely natural flavours.
Sweet Freedom Choc Pot Caramel - A smooth and creamy chocolate spread that contains no palm oil and provides 15 calories per teaspoon, which is better than the bigger brands. It's sweet (all natural sweetness from fruit, namely apple and carob) and delicious, simply smeared on a slice of toast (or a rice cake, if you want to be extra healthy) or used as icing for your favourite cupcakes.
Rock Stone Confection - A funky twist on the traditional seaside sticks of rock, these sweets celebrate different cultures and diversity from around the world with exciting, bold flavours. The first offering represents the Caribbean and includes Pineapple/Coconut, Caribbean Crush and Pink lemonade. If I were their marketing manager, I'd say they are rock-ing all over the world !
Cheez-It Cheese & Chilli - Thin, crispy snacks baked with 100% real cheese with no artificial colours or flavours. They are deliciously crunchy with a kick of chilli heat. Very tasty and everyone loved them.
Pringles Hot Kickin' Sour Cream - I love the taste and crunch of regular Pringles but I was worried these would be too spicy for my tastes. They do have a gentle level of heat in the background but the one chilli spice rating was perfectly acceptable. I love the robust sour cream flavour. Perfect with or without a dipping sauce.
Leon Tomato Ketchup - Leon set out to make fast food good food, perfecting the combination of great taste and healthy ingredients. This ketchup is a perfect example, with sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers and a little clove taking the tomato base to another level. A very satisfying, natural flavour. Just add chips for a tasty snack !
Filippo Berio Classic Glaze - I will be honest, I wasn't at all sure what to do with this product and, having read the description, I'm still undecided. It's a rich, thick syrup with a subtle, tangy flavour that is perfect with grilled meats. So far, so good. However, it can also be used in sandwiches, on pizza, even on fruit and ice cream. I haven't been brave enough to try those ideas yet so let me know if you have !
Lavazza Cappuccino - This Cappuccino is an iced ready-to-drink coffee. It is a blend of 100% Arabica with semi-skimmed milk and cocoa. It has a velvety, creamy texture and a satisfying balance of chocolate and coffee notes. Perfect for coffee lovers who want to try something a bit different.
Horlicks Chocolate - The signature malty taste of Horlicks is enriched with a hit of chocolate to create a rich and comforting drink, perfect for when you're cold or feeling under the weather over the winter months. It is enriched with 14 vitamins and minerals and its creamy texture makes it feel like a hug in a mug.
St Dalfour Apricot Fruit Spread - Made in Bordeaux, France, from 100% fruit, the fruit spread has no added sugar, using the sweetness from grape juice and other fruit juices to impart a rich, tangy flavour. It is a well-deserved winner of a 2-star 2024 Great Taste Award. Delicious in a sandwich, on toast, in a sponge cake or why not go French and slather it in a croissant ?
Billingtons Dark Brown Soft Sugar - I love the treacle-like aroma that wafts out of the bag when you open it up. This unrefined sugar is carefully produced to lock in the natural molasses of the sugar cane. Its rich, deep flavour is perfect in cakes and bakes, taking them to another level.
Ryvita Rosemary & Sea Salt Thins - These delicate, light, crunchy strips are perfect for dunking into your favourite dips or topping with cheese spreads or moist combinations like tuna & mayo. The snappy texture adds a delicious twist to fridge grazing and snack time.
Simply Cook Masala Lamb Chops - Simply Cook kits contain 3 pots of ingredients needed to cook 140+ chef-created recipes in 30 minutes or less. In this kit, you get Masala Paste, a Spice Blend and Mint Chutney, which combine with the meat, potatoes and vegetables on the recipe list to create a tasty, satisfying meal. Great for when you're running out of imagination for trying some new meal options.
Hilltop Blossom Honey - Hilltop promise that their rigorous testing standards guarantee that their jars contain honey that is as pure and authentic as that taken straight from the hive. The rich amber colour and delicious, sweet taste won a Great Taste award. Delicious on toast or drizzled over pancakes.
Knorr Chicken Gravy Pots - I love these gravy pots and invariably end up lobbing one into a casserole or adding to the meat juices from a roasting tin or the slow cooker then topping up with water to create a rich, delicious gravy. I've just noticed though that you're supposed to add one to a saucepan of warm water then bring to the boil. Maybe I should try that next time and see how it works out ! They are made with slowly simmered meat juices and make great tasting gravy without all the fuss.
Garner's Sweet Pickled Baby Onions - I'm so used to eating the small silverskin pickled onions from the supermarket that I had forgotten just how flavoursome the bigger, traditional pickled onions could be. These baby onions are pickled in a unique balance of malty vinegar, delicate spices and tangy sweetness. They are sharp but sweet and work great on the side of the plate with fish and chips, charcuterie boards, salads or even chopped up in a sandwich with cheese. They are the winners of a Great Taste award.
Clara's Wafer Rolls - These wafer rolls are a delight, either on their own or with ice cream. Their crunchy, crispy wafer shell and the sweet, creamy filling tucked away inside combine to create the ultimate sweet treat to nibble on, whatever your age.
Ballymaloe Relish - Ballymaloe Relish was created by Myrtle Allen, Ireland's first female Michelin-starred chef, over thirty years ago and her daughter Yasmin now produces the relish for markets worldwide. A mixture of tomatoes, sultanas and a carefully picked blend of spices, it can be used in sandwiches, burgers or cheese dishes, as well as added to a variety of home-cooked meals. Add a spoonful and see how it works out ! I've read that it works well in curries. It's guaranteed Irish, gluten free, fat free, vegan-friendly, made with natural ingredients and is a winner of a Great Taste 2023 award.
Truly Nuts Brazil Nuts - Whether covered in milk or dark chocolate, chocolate-covered brazil nuts are one of my traditional Christmas flavours. These Truly Nuts Sweet Talk Milk Chocolate and Deep Thought Dark Chocolate snack packs are perfect for nibbling on in front of a festive movie.
Rubis Chocolate Wine - It took me a while to get used to the idea of adding chocolate to chilli so you can imagine my reaction when I discovered Rubis Chocolate Wine, an infusion of Spanish Tempranillo grapes and precious essence of cacao, brought together to create an extraordinary taste sensation. The company claim it is "the perfect antidote to the ordinary everyday", "an unforgettable taste sensation - extraordinary in every way". Rubis Chocolate Wine is described as a luxury to sip and savour, when you need a moment to inspire your soul. I'm still awaiting the perfect moment to sample this but I am totally intrigued !
Explore Cuisine Organic Green Lentil Penne - Easily prepared in just 7-9 minutes, this simple pasta, made with clean, nutritious, organic and gluten free ingredients, is great as a store cupboard staple and could be perfect for using up some of the leftover Christmas turkey. Each 100g serving packs in 21g of protein and 6g of fibre so it's a simple way of adding plant protein to your diet.
Joyfull Fruit & Nut Crunchy Muesli - A tasty mix of roasted crunchy millets, oats, corn and wheat flakes with plenty of juicy cranberries, raisins, papaya and almonds to create a different fruity combination in every spoonful. A great way to start off the day.
Cypressa Rose Harissa Paste - Combine the spicy smokiness of chilli with the floral undertones of rose water and you'll get an idea of the flavour of this rose harissa paste. You can stir a spoonful into chicken dishes, pasta sauces and soups to add an extra depth of flavour. Spice up your life !
The Degustabox Advent Calendar contains 24 full-sized products, perfect for sharing with your loved ones over the festive period. The products have a value of £55 but you can grab yourselves an advent calendar for £44.99. It's an enjoyable way of counting down the days to Christmas for the whole family to share but it would also make an original gift idea.
Disclosure : We received the product in order to share our honest review.
