Hmmmm, just one look in our brand new Degustabox was all that was needed to unleash a few excited squeals from the kids. I can guess what they spotted first - chocolate ! - which is very apt, as this is the Spring and Easter themed box.
After a quick bit of unpacking, they were even more excited, because this month's box is brimming with tasty treats, many of which we'd never tried before. Where to begin?!
This looks like a good place ! KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt (RRP £1.35) comes from a company who promise treats that are as tasty as they are nutritious. You get loads of whole nuts (this bar contains 60% nuts but some go up to 72%) bound together with honey and chocolate. They're gluten free, naturally high in protein and very tasty.
Weetabix on the go (RRP £1.49) is a handy liquid breakfast for those days when you're running short on time and need something to shove in your bag to drink on the bus ride to work ! With a tasty strawberry flavour and containing iron, fibre and protein, it's a convenient option.
Costa Coffee Mocha Italia Signature Blend (RRP £3.70) is "smooth and nutty with notes of caramel", according to the packaging. It's suitable for use with filter and cafetière machines but, as nobody at the Madhouse drinks coffee, we'll be passing it on to a friend.
Moose Juice Extreme Energy (RRP £1.59) is a passion fruit flavour Extreme Energy drink. It is free from sugar but also aspartame and contains added BCAAs and B Vitamins. Looking at the ingredients list, I recognise taurine and caffeine which are presumably the energy providers. I like the idea of a low calorie energy drink without the sugar, so this is currently chilling in the fridge for whenever I feel the need to let loose the moose !
On to a company that we know well but a product that we've never tried before : Green & Black's Truffle (with a Dark centre) and Praline (with a Milk & Hazelnut centre) (RRP 2 x 89p). Unsurprisingly, these were a huge hit with the whole family, in particular the praline one. They taste delicious and are the perfect feel-good treat as they are made with ethically sourced chocolate and no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
I'd never heard of the next company but we loved the products so I'll be looking out for them from now on. Forest Feast Fruit Balls (Milk Chocolate, Mango, Coconut) and Forest Feast Preda Fair Trade Dried Mango (RRP £1.29) both got a unanimous thumbs-up and were quickly polished off ! The mango comes from the Philippines and is beautifully sweet and chewy. The fruit balls are delicious - soft, bite-sized balls of mango blended with coconut and covered in chocolate. Hmmmm !
I was kind and let the Madhouse kids share these ones because they loved them so much. Chum Fruit Bites (2 x 79p) are available in strawberry and apple and sound too good to be true : 100% fruit, vegan, high in fibre, kosher, gluten free, nothing artificial, no preservatives, no concentrates ... just the goodness of real fruit baked into magical fruit bites. 15% of profits are donated to Wildaid.org too, so you can feel even better about eating them. A big hit at the Madhouse.
The only savoury product in this month's box, Red Red Super Stews (RRP £2.99) offers a quick, African-inspired meal. We got Hot Black Eyed Beans & Tomato, while other subscribers got Red Beans & Sweet Potato. These vegetarian stews have been created in partnership with celebrated chef Zoe Adjonyoh from Zoe's Ghana Kitchen, a pop-up in Brixton. A mixture of black eyed beans, tomatoes, red onion, spices and certified sustainable and traceable red palm oil, you just need to add boiling water then leave it to stand, like an upmarket pot noodle ! It is perfect as a quick lunch for one when you fancy something a little different.
Jubel Beer Cut With Peach (£1.80) is a delicious experiment that combines a lively lager with the zest of freshly ripe peaches. Naturally infused, gluten free and vegan, it is now available in Sainsbury's and is well worth trying out. It's light, refreshing and deliciously fruity.
Willie's Cacao Single Estate Chocolate (£1.99) was a bit of a pot luck product, as there were various types going out in this month's boxes. We got Milk Chocolate with Juicy Passion Fruit which was a surprising flavour combination but one which, it turns out, is delicious. The range promises to bring back the long forgotten flavours of the world's great Single Estate Cacaos. For us, it was a big hit. Only natural flavours are used and they make everything themselves, from bean to bar. We'll definitely be looking out for the other flavours to try.
Ballymaloe Original Relish is a product that we already knew because we had had some in a Christmas hamper a few years ago. It is a very versatile and tasty product, that can be spread on burgers and sandwiches, added to salads, dolloped next to slices of quiche and sausage rolls, served with grilled meat straight from the BBQ (and even stirred through mashed potatoes and rice, according to the Madhouse kids !). Whatever you do with it, it's delicious ! It's gluten free, vegan friendly and all natural.
Finally, Terry's Chocolate Orange Minis Exploding Candy were a huge hit with the Madhouse kids, while, I must admit, I did have a few reservations - I've always loved the traditional round Chocolate Orange that goes with Christmas ! All the same, I forced myself to join in with eating them ! Each mini chocolate orange segment contains popping candy, which had us all in giggles as we munched our way through the bag. Very tasty, I must admit !
This month's suggested recipe is a Ballymaloe Ham and Cheese Toastie with Relish. (I was expecting something sweet, given the high proportion of chocolate and sweet options in this month's box !)
We all loved the contents of this month's box, which is hardly surprising, given the high proportion of sweet treats ! 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 £7.99 - 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.
