The May Degustabox : The Bank Holiday One (review)

A little earlier than usual, the May Degustabox has landed ! This month's box has a bit of a BBQ theme going on and a bit of a healthy theme going on but it's designed as a Bank Holiday box, aka a  "whooop! here comes Summer" box!

A lot of the recent Degustaboxes have been a bit heavy on the drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, depending on your subscription options), but this box is almost drink-free. As usual, it's a mix of products we've tried and loved, unknown products from well-known brands and brands we've never heard of.

This month's box contains :

Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Barbecue Sauce (£2.99) - We still have the big bottle of barbecue sauce from last month's box so this has gone into the cupboard for now. I was excited to learn that this is the number one BBQ Sauce in the States. It can be used for marinades, dips and as an ingredient in cooking, on burgers, ribs, hot dogs and a whole lot more. I fancy trying this on chicken thighs as a marinade/glaze and drizzled over steak as a sauce, but also to add a nice lift to stews and casseroles in the slow cooker. Hmmm I may just have to finally give pulled pork a go just to try it with this sauce which I'm sure would be a match made in heaven.

Schwartz Grill Mates Marinade In A Bag (£2.19) -  I've tried several of the Schwartz Grill Mates mixes in the past and loved them all, and the addition of the cooking bag sounds like a great idea, locking in the flavour and juiciness of the meat, as well as making washing-up nice and easy ! Simply put your favourite meat, fish or veg into the bag for 30 minutes and it will be ready to sizzle ! Available in six flavours : Honey & Soy (which we got), Spicy BBQ, Red Wine & Garlic, Brazilian BBQ, Teriyaki and Korean BBQ.

 Maggi So Stir Fry (2 x  £1.49) - Maggi is a great brand for injecting some excitement into quick midweek meals and this new range of So Stir Fry mixes sounds like it will hit the spot again. The recipes sound very exciting and exotic - Singapore Curry Chicken Noodles and Oriental 3 Spice Chicken Noodles. The packet contains noodles and a seasoning sachet with herbs and spices, which you add to fresh ingredients (meat and veg) to cook a complete meal in one pan. These will be great as a shortcut when cooking from scratch after a long day at work.

9 Bar Fruity Bars (£2) - A box of four healthy but tasty snacks. "This delicious bar is stacked with nutritious seeds including sunflower, sesame and pumpkin and combined with succulent dried apricots and dates then topped with carob, making it the perfect mid-morning or afternoon treat – one you needn’t feel guilty about!" I've tried these before and, while they're not as indulgent and moreish as chocolate snacks, they are pretty tasty and stave off hunger pangs until your next meal.

Daelmans Stroopwafels (£2) - We cheered when we saw these in the box ! The inimitable soft, toasted waffles with their characteristic sweet, creamy caramel filling are delicious straight from the box or warmed over your favourite hot drink to enjoy in the traditional Dutch way. I also highly recommend using them to create the ultimate banana sandwich - yum !

 Sarsons Balsamic Vinegar (£2) - I always have a bottle of Sarsons Malt Vinegar in the cupboard to shake over chips so I was intrigued to learn that they have branched out into Balsamic Vinegar too. They suggest using it on a salad or in a homemade pesto. I seem to remember reading that it goes well with strawberries too.

 Slim Pasta Lasagna (£2.49) - Pasta by name but not pasta by nature ! Slim Pasta is made using konjac so it is carb-free and only contains 21 calories per 100g. I reviewed some of the other Slim Pasta products here. Be prepared for an unpleasant fishy smell when you take it out of the pack, but don't worry, you can't taste it at all once it's cooked. It doesn't really taste of anything much so make sure you use a rich sauce to perk it up. I'm not keen on the strange texture but if you're trying to lose weight, it's a good option.

 Green Coco kid's coco juice with banana (80p) - I gave this to Sophie for taking on a school trip and the verdict was, it was very nice.

Fuel 10K Protibrick (£2.69) -  the first ever protein boosted wheat biscuit, designed to suit a growing appetite for more protein in our diets and to keep active early morning risers feeling fuller for longer. Basically it's a 100% wholegrain, high protein, bigger than average Weetabix, that is high in fibre and low in both sugar and fat. Nice with milk and fresh fruit.

This month's recipes are for Singapore Curry Chicken Noodles and Oriental 3 Spice Chicken Noodles - not very exciting as they are the serving suggestions on the packets of  So Stir Fry.

A Degustabox subscription costs £12.99 including delivery per month, with each box having a value of much more than that. This month's totals up to £20.14. I have a discount coupon code for you too, which gives you a £3.00 discount when registering - just enter code 13NC5 at the checkout. (This will be valid until October 2015).

This box is an interesting mix - some things the whole family love, some things we're not so keen on and some things we wouldn't have bought - but that's the whole point of the subscription, introducing you to products that you may not have tried otherwise.

for more information :

http://bit.ly/DBhomepage - website

http://bit.ly/DBUKfacebook - Facebook

http://bit.ly/DBUKTwitter - twitter

Disclosure : I received a free box in order to write an honest review.