As I write this post the skies are grey and it’s chucking it down with rain so writing about May’s picnic themed
Degustabox* is a little bit bittersweet. I’m a big fan of picnics and have already fitted in a couple this year with a view to having many more. This made the May box even more exciting as the chance to discover new things to fill my picnic basket with? I’m down with that…
Anyone who knows me in real life knows how obsessed I am with coffee so I was really excited to try these pyramid coffee bags from Bean Bags. These work in the same way as a tea bag but give you coffee shop standard coffee with no fuss and no mess. At £4.50 for a box they also work out much cheaper than a coffee shop and my also coffee obsessed boyfriend and I are loving these.
I’m really not a fan of Cadbury chocolate these days, it’s changed and isn’t the same comfort treat it once was. With that in mind, plus my issue with peanuts I passed this “Peanut Caramel Crisp” Big Taste bar (RRP £3.49) on to my Dad who had zero complaints, from what I’ve heard in general this is definitely one of Cadbury’s better offerings so I think I’ll seek out a peanut free bar from the same range to try.
I suppose overnight oats could be classed as a picnic food- breakfast al-fresco on a glorious summer morning sounds ideal. This gluten free offering from MOMA is flavoured with summery raspberry and coconut, perfect washed down with a mug of the Bean Bags coffee. RRP £3.20
More curious were the Cereal Lovers crunch time nuggets- a snacking granola product to help you energise and sustain your day. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty put off by the look of these- they reminded me of pet treats, but as someone who regularly snacks on cereal I gave them a go and whilst I’m not 100% in love with them I wouldn’t turn them down and they are ideal for grazing on at work. RRP £1.59.
Ginger beer for a picnic? How very “Famous Five” (was any one else obsessed with those books?). This alcoholic ginger beer from Crabbie’s is gluten free and made with real Asian ginger. I can’t stand ginger beer myself but passed this on to my granddad who very much enjoyed the bottle. RRP £1.89.
I did try the peach & grapefruit offering from Zeo though, an all-natural, low calorie soft drink this is so refreshing and would be perfect served icy cold on a blazing summer day. RRP £1.19
These two products were my favourites from the whole box. I’m a serious savoury snack fiend and I’m already very familiar with Hippeas chickpea puffs. Crunchy and addictive and under 100 calories a serving. In herbs we trust isn’t my favourite flavour from the brand but it’s still pretty awesome. Anyone looking for a healthy alternative to crips you need to seek these out- they’re a bit like wotsits but much crunchier and much more satisfying.
The popcorn from Portlebay is another product I’m already familiar with although I hadn’t tried the Sriracha flavour yet. This excited me greatly as I’m currently obsessed with spice and hot sauces and this really didn’t disappoint on flavour. It has an amazing kick and I’m already on the lookout for more!
Hippeas RRP is £1.50/bag and Portlebay popcorn £0.79
If you fancy going all out on your picnic and making your own bread then this Homepride Strong White Bread Flour (£1.50) is probably for you. I’ve not had time to bake any bread myself, or indeed bake anything but this is made from 100% British wheat and if I do get around to whipping up some bread-y goods I’ll share the recipe on here.
As much as I love my savoury snacks I also have a major sweet tooth and can’t resist the lure of childhood favourites. I’m not sure about this updated millions sweets, some things just shouldn’t be messed with- the sour ones are pretty good but the chocolate ones didn’t do it for me. A shame, but I just can’t get behind the mix of chewy sweet and chocolate. (£0.50 chocolate, £0.60 sour).
The Candy Kittens sweets however, in Eton Mess…these are GOOD! I’m already a fan of Candy Kittens sweets and buy them occasionally as a real treat (at £3 a bag they have to be a treat). I hadn’t tried this flavour as I’m not typically a berry flavour sweet kind of girl but these are good. And pretty. Almost too pretty to eat.
Finally we have “Skinni Wraps” from Deli Kitchen. Now I tend to avoid products like this as low calorie doesn’t work for my lifestyle right now but meh, in the spirit of trying new things I just took the 91 calories per wrap as an “eat more” kind of approach. I love the shape of these wraps, much easier to fold- I’m hopeless at folding wraps so rarely have them! Pack ’em full of hummus, chicken, avocado…whatever you fancy, or toast them as use them as scoops for picnic dips. These are a welcome addition, in my eyes to the bread aisle and at £1.25 per pack are reasonably priced too.
For those who don’t know Degustabox is a monthly subscription box filled with 10-15 food/drink products, most of which are brand new to the market so it’s a great way to try things out. On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can
claim a brilliant £7.00 off of your first box (making it just £5.99!) by entering the code 6HZJ8 at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.
Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought of them.
