The April Degustabox review

That's the way - uh huh, uh huh - we like it - uh huh uh huh ! April's Degustabox was indeed just the way we like it - a great mixture of new products from well-known brands, some new or unknown to us brands and a few tried-and-loved products for good measure. There were a few things I'd never have bought, but that's the great thing about a mystery foodie subscription box - it introduces you to a few products and brands that you'd never have noticed or tried otherwise.

Here's what was in this month's box :

Polo Sugar Free Pot - This made me smile because I haven't eaten Polos for years but, when I made a Syrian Mint Lemonade drink called Polo last week, I shared a little tale about how, when I was at school, we'd have fun by sucking on a Polo mint hanging off our tongues until there was just the tiniest sliver of mint left around the hole. Obviously, I had to initiate the Madhouse kids into this little game which they thought was hilarious ! These are the same Polo mints that have been available since 1948, made with breath-freshening mint oils. I love the convenience of a sharing pot, but it does mean you won't get the joy of finding an unexpected Polo at the bottom of your coat pocket on the way to school !

Seabrook Lattice Crisps - The Madhouse kids were very pleased to spot a bag of crisps in the box and even more so when they discovered that they have a funky lattice cut. The Sea Salt and Black Pepper flavour was a bit bland - we tend to prefer crisps with bolder flavours - but they are lovely and crunchy and the bag didn't last long !

Garofalo Whole Wheat Penne Pasta - We love Garofalo pasta which has a great taste and lovely rough texture that is perfect for sauces to cling to, but this was the first time that we'd tried their whole what pasta. Flavour wise, it didn't get any complaints, but it does take a lot longer to cook than our regular pasta, which is a bit of a pain on a busy week night. On the pack, it says 11 minutes but I left mine for over double that and it was still al dente ! Pierre will happily gobble up anything from the Garofalo brand because he is convinced it's named after the Italian version of the Gruffalo !

New York Delhi’s ViPnuts - We tried these a couple of years ago in a Christmas hamper and they are very nice nuts - crunchy, fresh and tasty - but the Hot Chilli ones have a fierce kick so the kids don't like them ! They are also available in a Hot Toffee variety, which sounds interesting - they have a milder chilli kick that is tamed down by the sweet toffee flavour.

Good Hemp Hemp Seed Hearts - I'd never have bought these but they're actually very nice, sprinkled on top of yogurt or scattered over homebaked bread. They are pure, unrefined hemp seed kernels with a light nutty flavour that are naturally high in Protein, Fibre and Omegas 3. The Omega 3 in hemp seeds is the best sort of Omega 3, which can easily be absorbed by our bodies, unlike most plant sources. In fact a 30g serving of Good Hemp Seed Hearts contains more Protein and Omegas than the same serving of Chia or Flax seeds.

Doisy & Dam - We're a household of chocolate-lovers but I'd never heard of this brand - their chocolate is  hand-crafted in the UK using the best quality, organic ingredients, ethically sourced from all over the world. We received the most unique and innovative of their flavours, Quinoa, Smoked Tea and Vanilla, which, I must be honest, didn't appeal to me at all ! The quinoa ad tea weren't overpowering though so we still gobbled up the whole bar. Their other flavours do appeal to me more : 74% Dark Choc - Goji & Orange; Maple, Toasted Rice and Pink Salt; Coconut & Lucuma; Maca, Vanilla & Cacao Nibs; 39% Milk Choc - Date & Himalayan Pink Salt; Vanilla & Cacao Nibs; 30% White choc - Lemon, Poppy Seed & Baobab.

Whitworth's Full of Super Vanilla Maca-roons - Each pack contains two maca-roons, crammed with almonds, flakes of coconut, golden flax seeds and agave nectar. What's more they're naturally high in fibre and Pantothenic Acid (which aids mental performance), gluten free, soya free and are suitable for vegetarians. Sounds like they should be too healthy to be tasty but they're actually rather nice. The twin packs make them perfect for slipping into your drawer at work or your lunch box too.

Celia Lager - A naturally carbonated, organic and gluten-free Czech beer that is brewed using just three ingredients : Moravian malt sourced from the Bohemian region, 100% locally sourced organic Saaz hops and sand-filtered water from the Žatec foothills. Madhouse Daddy declared it light, refreshing and very drinkable. It is also #BrewedForFood, pairing perfectly with herb-roasted chicken, grilled meat or subtle seafood dishes.

Fentiman's Pink Grapefruit Tonic Water - This was more to my taste ! Pour over gin or vodka for a refreshing long drink. It's fruity, tart and zesty and has the bonus of containing no artificial sweeteners, flavourings or preservatives.

Nothing But snacks - Snack packs of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, containing nothing but 100% wholesome ingredients. The Madhouse kids have tried the veggie ones before and weren't keen on them. These fruity ones - Pineapple & Grape and Strawberry & Banana - were declared delicious though. The water is the only thing that is removed - the taste and vitamins remain so they're a great snack choice, for both kids and adults.

Dorset Cereals Ultimate Adventures American Roadtrip Muesli - Behind this exciting name lies a mixture of cranberries, almonds and orange zest, inspired by Route 66. It's a lovely muesli and I loved the texture and flavour but I'd never have associated it with an American theme if it hadn't said so on the box !

I always love checking out the recipe suggestion on the card in the box and this time, I was very excited to see that it features Pasta alla Norma, a recipe from the lovely Galina over at Chez Maximka !

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 now gives you a whopping £7 off the price of your first box, so you'll get it for just £5.99 - just enter code 0BS6T 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.