Another month passing means it’s time for another Degustabox review! The October box actually arrived about ten days ago and most of the contents are now long devoured but I’m pretty behind on blogging (just for a change) so my review comes a little later than planned…

I swear these boxes keep getting better and better, each month there seems to be more and more products that really get me excited! It’s a brilliant way to try new foods and has gone a long way in breaking me out of my comfort zone and improving my relationship with food.

There were two products from Bear in the box which really excited me as they are one of my favourite brands when it comes to snack foods and have been for a long time! The Bear Alphabites were a sample present, there was a full sized box in a Degustabox some months ago and they have easily become my favourite cereal- I’m not a cereal for breakfast kind of girl but I usually keep a tub in my work bag for grazing on the go. The Bear Paws are pure fruit snacks with no nasty ingredients. Aimed at children- with five paw prints to find in the pack these are also perfect for grownups and super tasty. At 55p for a pack these are cheaper than a chocolate bar and perfect for on the go!

Also in among the snacking selection was a Get Buzzing bar which due to a nut allergy I couldn’t sample but Ben has eaten it and given his approval. I love to have a few bars stashed away and Get Buzzing do some nut-free options too so I’ll be making the most of the 10% off your first order code and treating myself to some.

The Ken’s Kitchen meal kits are super cute and a really clever idea. Each pack contains three steps to create a delicious meal in just 20 minutes with the addition of just a few fresh ingredients. At £2.50 each and several varieties to choose from these are a great store cupboard buy- I haven’t tried the Bengal kit yet but I know Dad has his eye on it. What I have tried is the Blue Dragon sweet chilli sauce- I never used to like foods with even the slightest hint of spice but I’ve recently become obsessed with sweet chilli so this is going on everything from noodles to chicken to salads.

I always love the sweet treat selection in the Degustabox as I have a raging sweet tooth 24/7. The Dr. Oetker premium 90% extra dark chocolate has been stashed away with my baking supplies ready for some festive creativity (assuming I get time) as has the cocoa powder- christmas cookies anyone?!

The Jelly Belly jelly beans have long since vanished as they are my favourite sweet ever! The sour ones were so super tasty I couldn’t bring myself to share! I’ve been taking the Enhance Drinks pod in to work with me so I actually drink something other than coffee all day. I have the orange and passion fruit flavour which is highly addictive- and with no added sugar it makes a great alternative to plain water.

Brioche and Pain Au Lait (with choc chips) from Brioche Pasquier are both incredibly tasty products. I actually took these in to work to share with colleagues, alongside a jar of nutella and they didn’t last long at all- I’m not alone in being a sweet treat fiend. I love brioche at the best of times, but toasted with something warm and chocolately on it? Heaven!

As much as I have a sweet tooth I also like my savoury snacks and the Special K Cracker Crisps are a delicious alternative to “real” crisps which I’ve never really enjoyed. The BBQ flavour is strong without being over-whelming and they have a really satisfying crunch and 60% less fat than the average crisp on sale in the UK.

Possibly the most amusing product in the box was the Solo Marshmallow Creme– I haven’t dug in to this yet but there is a recipe for some fudge on the side of the tub which I plan to make ASAP so I’ll do a separate post on that.

Last but not least there was a coupon in the Degustabox Fridge section of the box for a four-pack of the New Greek-Style Yoghurts from Benecol which have a unique cholesterol lowering ingredient (plant stenols). These are thick, creamy and utterly delicious. At £2.39 a pack they are on the pricey side for yoghurts but as a treat, or for those who need to watch their cholesterol intake they are a really tasty dessert or snack.

So there concludes the round-up of the October Degustabox. Still haven’t tried the service out yet? For £12.99 per/month you can have your own box delivered to your door and get to try all these fab products (that would cost far more in total) for yourself! Sign up now to claim £3 off your first box when you use the code: L2K2O

I’m not too sure where the last month has gone to and it took me by surprise when the September Degustabox arrived on my doorstep late last week. For those who don’t yet know, Degustabox is a monthly subscription box which contains between 9 and 14 food products, often new to the market as far less than you would pay in the shops. I’ve had a box kindly sent to me pretty much every month this year and I’m yet to be disappointed, I find there is something in there for every member of the household and it’s a great way to try out new products. This month, like the box a couple of months ago there was an “alcohol” and “no alcohol” box available which I think is a great idea- for the purpose of review my box contained the options from both boxes combined.

I was delighted to see some Jordans Simply Granola in the box as I am a bit addicted to granola. I usually end up buying whatever cereal is on offer though as I’m trying to watch the pennies, this is divine though and it’ll be hard to resist making it my daily fuel- try it with some fresh fruit and greek yoghurt, yum!

There was also a jar of La Vieja Fabrica marmalade in the box. I personally can’t stand marmalade but my dad loves it and is delighted with this inclusion. It’s made in Seville, Spain with only the best Seville Oranges and looks like it should cost a lot more than it’s £1.59 price tag. This was part of the alcohol option box.

I had already discovered the Burts Lentil Waves prior to the arrival of this box and really loved them. I like savoury snacks but I’m not keen on normal crisps. These are super crunchy and full of flavour without being greasy…they are insanely moreish too so I’m glad single serving bags are available (I bought a multipack once and it lasted all of a day).

The Carnation Cook with it! was an intriguing addition to the box. This is an ambient and lower fat alternative to fresh cream and it looks super versatile. I’m not the greatest cook in the world (well, I’m lazy) but even I’m inclined to whip up a homemade quiche or some kind of pasta dish with this- watch this space!

Drinks wise, the no alcohol box contained a bottle of Crabbie’s lemonade with a hint of ginger which was a real treat. Lemon and ginger are such a winning combination and this was really unique and refreshing. The alcohol option box also contained a Crabbie’s treat in the form of an alcoholic lemon drink which at the moment is stashed in the fridge for an evening treat. Anything lemony and alcoholic is going to be a winner though!

There were also a couple of bottles of drink from Little Miracles which I am just loving. I’m not normally one for soft drinks unless it’s diet coke but these are too nice to resist. These are a blend of organic tea and fruit juice, ginseng and acai and are so good for you! At under 90 calories per bottle and sweetened with agave rather than sugar they are the perfect pick me up for a busy day out and about.

The no alcohol box also contained three salad dressings from Righteous which I am yet to try, they look super good though and the flavours are really tempting. I have my eye on the blue cheese one first off, yummy! All of these dressings are free from nasty ingredients such as thickeners and additives and I can’t wait to try them.

Last but by no means least were the sweet options. Elizabeth ShawPick Up! biscuits…these are sandwich biscuits with a nice thick layer or chocolate in middle and they pair perfectly with an afternoon cup of tea.

As you can tell, I was really impressed with the September Degustabox. You can find out more about the company and their boxes via their website, facebook or twitter. Let me know if you sign up, and what you think!

I wasn’t expecting a Degustabox last month so I was super excited when one turned up (it’s the little things in life!). For July things were done a little bit differently, with two boxes going out; one containing alcohol and the other without alcohol. For the purpose of review I was sent a box containing the combined contents of the two boxes. I think it’s a really good idea to have two different options as not every one is a drinker although at present this isn’t something that is going to be on offer every month so there are no guarantees of an alcohol free box.

As ever the box contained a fabulous array of goodies far exceeding the £12.99 cost of the box (inc. delivery). New customers can get even more of a bargain by claiming £3.00 discount when registering using the code HCQRG

The first product I pulled out of the box was three bags of popcorn by Portlebay. I’m a HUGE popcorn fan and have seen these popping up in my local Tesco (rrp 79p per bag). The flavours are a little bit odd, but in spirit of adveture I got stuck in and really enjoyed the crispy bacon and maple syrup one…I’m going to pass on the chilli and lime though, it’s just not my thing.

Next out of the box was some more snack fuel in the form of chocolate! I’m not usually a lover of lemon flavoured things but Green & Black’s lemon bar is a winner (rrp £2.99) and the contrast between the dark chocolate and zingy citrus was divine. In the non-alcoholic box there was also a blueberry snack bar from Frank (rrp 85p). I’ve heard of these but never actually managed to track them down to try, blueberry isn’t my favourite flavour, I would have preferred something like orange but it was still a tasty snack and as an added bonus contained no gluten, nuts (yay!), dairy or refined sugar. The bars are also vegan friendly.

My baking cupboard is stuffed with Dr. Oetker goodies at the moment, although there are no complaints here as I really do need to get back in to baking. Watch this space for what I create with the Violet Crystals (£1.29) and Eton Mess (£1.99).

On to the drinks- I’ll preface by saying I haven’t tried most of these, I’m not a drinks kind of girl, preferring diet coke or tea/coffee over anything else so I’ve put them in the fridge for other people to enjoy. I do appreciate the look and flavours of the drinks though and think all of them are brilliant, just not something I personally would enjoy- you can’t please every one though! The Zeo drinks (£1.29 each or £4.29 for a four pack) look so sophisticated in their tall, narrow bottles. The flavours are perfect for Summer- peach and grapefruit BURST, citrus CRUSH and lime ZEST…I think Mum has her eye on these! Dad on the other hand has his eye on the Hornsby’s blueberry cider which came in the alcoholic box (£1.25 each). A sin for a west-country girl but I don’t actually like cider so he’s free to enjoy it- I have too many memories of downing pints of home brewed scrumpy in my youth! For the no alcohol box the drink addition was something I loved- tea from The Berry Company (£1.49). I had a somewhat battered carton of black tea with elder flower and it was just gorgeous, something I’ll be seeking out when I am next at Waitrose or Holland and Barrett.

Last but by no means least was six sachets from Maggi with a value of between £5.44 and £5.54 depending on which selection you got. I love sachets like this as it makes home cooking a breeze- I don’t have the time of patience for creating complicated and fancy dishes when I still struggle with my relationship with food at times. These are just great for creating something quick and easy that doesn’t come straight from the freeze r and actually tastes good! The Oriental Soy & Garlic chicken pack is going straight on my cupboard staples list.

Any one else have as much love for Degustabox as I do? I’m addicted to the surprise contents and chance to try new things. To find out a bit more you can follow them on twitter or find them on facebook. Leave your thoughts below…