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We've just come back from our summer holiday in Morocco - we spent two weeks soaking up the sun, getting friendly with the camels and sweltering in the manic heat in Marrakesh - and the cupboards were decidedly bare so we grabbed hold of the Degustabox that was waiting for us to see what would be inside. With a theme of Summer and Get Outdoors, we were thinking refreshing snacks, picnicky bits and bobs and cooling drinks. Would we be right ? Let's find out !
The first product out of the box was Nescafé Iced Classic Espresso Concentrate (RRP £4.99) which is described as the ultimate iced coffee hack, giving you a rich iced coffee within seconds just by mixing it with the liquid of your choice. It is convenient, easy to use and gives you café quality coffee at your fingertips. We're not coffee fans but I will be passing this on to Juliette to play with. Available in major supermarkets.
Get More Vits Pineapple & Grapefruit (RRP £1.25) is a new flavour in the range of sparkling vitamin-enhanced drinks. The Pineapple and Grapefruit flavour offers the perfect blend of fruity sweetness and refreshing tartness. As well as being a tasty drink, it offers support for healthy bones and immunity. I also love the fact that it is sugar free and contains just five calories. Other Degustaboxers got to try the other new variety, Raspberry and Pomegranate (helps support healthy bones and immunity) and it is also available in Mango and Passionfruit (supports healthy bones). Available in multipacks from Tesco.
Acti-Snack Buffalo BBQ Keto Trail Mix (RRP £1.50 - other Degustaboxers received Peanut Butter Energy Trail Mix) are part of a range of snacks designed to offer a punch of protein to deliver lean muscle mass. Pierre has just started going to the gym and wants to bulk up so he is big on protein at the moment. As I suspected, he loved this and devoured the pack in one go ! A mixture of almonds, cashews and pumpkin seeds with a spice mix combining smoky heat and sweetness, the trail mix provides magnesium, potassium and iron to fight muscle fatigue so you can push yourself farther and faster at the gym. Above all that, it tastes great. Hand-crafted and baked never fried, only natural ingredients are used - they promise there is nothing artificial and definitely no gut-busting sweeteners ! Available at Morrisons and anti-snack.com.
Swizzels Squashies Tropical (RRP £1.25 - other Degustaboxers got Squashies Sour Shooting Stars) is a new product in the Squashies range, that just happens to be Juliette's favourite sweet range. The shapes are tropical - they are a mixture of parrots, pineapples and watermelons - and so are the flavours - mango & passionfruit, pineapple and watermelon. They are the perfect addition to the range and seem summer-inspired. Delicious ! Available in major supermarket chains.
Oxo Succulent Chicken Stock Pots (RRP £1.85) are the perfect way to add a dose of flavour to anything from soups and casseroles to curries and chillis. I always have a box of the original square Oxo chicken stock cubes in my kitchen but these are like a souped up version that avoid all the annoying bits like trying to find a corner to rip open and avoiding getting stock cube particles under your nails when you crush it up. These stock pots just need to be plopped into your dish straight from the pack, where they will slowly dissolve revealing all their rich flavour. They are made with real chicken juices, herbs and seasoning and they are gluten-free, containing only natural colours and flavourings. Available in major supermarket chains.
Milliways Plastic Free Gum (RRP 20p) is a plastic-free (both in terms of the packaging and the gum itself) and chemical-free gum, unlike many others, so it helps look after your health and the planet. It combines the natural flavours of Mentha Peperita and Mentha Arvensis to provide a sensation of ice cold arctic breeze. Guaranteed to freshen up your mouth and, as an added bonus, it's sugar free. Available in Tesco, Sainsbury's, Amazon, Whole Foods, Costa Coffee, Ocado and WHSmith.
Just Spices Vegetable All Rounder (RRP £3.99) can be sprinkled over veggies before roasting them, stirred through mashed potatoes or mixed with vegetable oil to create a delicious marinade. It's a blend of sea salt, black Tellicherry pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, cumin, lemon peel and chilli peppers. It's great as a time-saving blend that doesn't need time and energy spent deciding which spices to pluck off the spice rack. I love it sprinkled over a baked potato with butter or a plate full of plain pasta when you want something quick as an easy meal. Available in the major supermarket chains.
Hi-Chew Strawberry and Green Apple (RRP 2 x £1.25) is Japan's number one selling sweet, now available in the UK. The unique double-layer structure is designed to recreate the experience of eating fruit, giving you the strong freshness of the first bite followed by the spreading sweetness or sourness of the fruit's flesh in your mouth. It's pleasant and the flavours and textures were both a big hit with the Madhouse kids. Available in major supermarket chains and on TikTok Shop.
Finally Blanco Niño Chilli & Lime Tortilla Chips (RRP £3 - other Degustaboxers got Smoky Chipotle or Creamy Jalapeño) are delicious, crunchy snacks that can be enjoyed on their own or dipped into guacamole or sour cream. They are made with simple, quality ingredients, crafted using an ancient cooking method known as nixtamalisation (I investigated, it's a maize processing method that involves boiling corn kernels in water with lime) and each batch takes three days to make. It's worth it though and you can taste the difference. Available in Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Co op, Ocado and Amazon.
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.
for more information :
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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.
