Degustabox August review

It’s the monthly knock on the front door where I open and quickly grab the box off the deliveryman with glee – the August Degustabox. Great as we were off on day trips and holidays and would use the items as snacks on the way. Upon first glance the box seemed a great mixture of sweet and savoury so let me show you what I found……

First off some treats!

Dr.Oetker Mug Cakes 3 x £ 1.37, Rich Chocolate, Chocolate Chip and Lemon

These are perfect for a quick pudding and are relatively easy to make – just add milk and microwave in a mug. However, whenever I tried out came a rubbery mass so not much success with these I’m afraid. I love baking and can’t take short cuts. However, if you can fathom how to make these properly they are very quick and a lot less faff than whizzing out the flour, eggs and milk.

Ryvita Crispbreads, Sesame and Cracked Black Pepper 2 x £ 2.88

These were delicious and perfect for my healthy lunches. The cracked black pepper was my absolute favourite and combined with a bit of salad, some cheese and my speciality roasted beetroot dip were so tasty.

With my allotment grown beetroot, I roasted it with tomatoes, chilli and paprika for about 30 minutes and then with a dollop of crème fraiche blitzed in the food processor. Beautiful on the Ryvita crispbreads and I often had them for a light tea.

These will now be an items I will regularly pick up with the weekly shopping as they are so versatile – eat them with a dip, have them as a soup crouton or  wholegrain rye

Life Tonics 1 x £ 1.49

A refreshing drink with coconut water, fruit extract, vitamins and minerals. I tried Dalandan Orange and it was a enjoyable taste, not syrupy at all and quenched my thirst. No artificial sweeteners or refined sugars so that’s positive too as I dislike those syrupy drinks. There are other flavours available too; Coconut and Mint, Elderberry and Juniper – an interesting change from usual drinks.

Barilla Penne Rigate and Arrabbiata, £ 1.50 and £ 2.00

I am a pasta lover and this classic penne with the spicy arrabbiata sauce was a great meal combined with courgette, mushrooms and cheese. Tasty tomato with a kick and the pasta wasn’t the cheap sort that goes mushy so this was a well appreciated pairing of items. The spicier the better for me, arrabbiata is a firm favourite and I’ll look out for the sauce again.

Scheckters organic energy drink £ 1.45

I’m not an energy drink person as I am suspicious of the ingredients but knowing this was organic was a plus. A combination of sparkling spring water, pomegranate, elderberry and lemon juice it was a refreshing blend that I enjoyed as a drink one afternoon slump – you know what I mean, when it hits 3pm and you could just fall asleep….. Apparently the energy in the drink comes from a blend of raw, green coffee beans, guarana and ginseng so no synthetic rubbish here! And no taurine so I would buy this again as that is a huge plus for me.

Bahlsen PiCK Up! Dark Chocolate and Choco Leibniz White 2 x £ 3.48

Where do I start, yum! That is suffice to describe my experience with this biscuits sent from heaven and my son liked them too. In fact we have had to go searching for more as he liked them that much.

PiCK UP! Are dark choc sandwiched between butter biscuits and are the delicious combination of sweet and bitter dark chocolate. Available from just ASDA which is a shame as I rarely go so will have to stock up on them.

Leibniz White are so creamy with the white choc on top of a milk choc biscuit base. I might have enjoyed dunking them into a coffee and letting the chocolate melt, quickly before my son pinched them out of my mitts.

More sweet stuff so Degustabox is clearly not helping my diet (ahem)…….

Walkers Shortbread Biscuits £ 2.00

Think of Scotland, think of shortbread and these tasty snacks were founded in 1898 by Joseph Walker who knew a thing or two about baking a fine biscuit. The flavours were plain shortbread, chocolate chip, fruit and lemon and oat n’ honey. All equally as nice and in a handy mini packet for taking on a day out.

Primal Pantry 2 x £ 1.49

I’m late to the paleo or primal food craze so didn’t know what to expect but these were a curious delight of flavours. Firstly Apple & Pecan which was sweet but not overly so, the texture is soft but formed into a block and are devoid of any junk. I could get used to these bars as an alternative to chocolate. The bars are raw and both gluten and dairy free.

The second bar was Hazelnut and Cocoa and although a little bitter tasting was moreish and I could get used to them as an alternative healthy snack, particularly for days out when it is all to easy to end up buying a chocolate bar and feeling guilty afterwards. However, the price may put me off buying as I usually budget daytrip food but if on offer, I would certainly pick up.

These were the DB’s Discoveries offering – a new initiative to introduce even more brands to you.

Williamson Tea, Ginger Grove

Loved this tea, such a mellow change from my usual tea and the ginger felt both comforting and zingy. The tea bags are really cute, if that is possible, I guess it is J Little nylon bags and a sweet elephant logo on the tab. Pesticide free tea so you know you have no worries there and they are from a Kenyan farm making tea since 1869. Another I will be seeking out in the supermarket.

Pasquier Baked Bread Bites Bacon

Like a little crouton and eaten so quickly that I didn’t get a picture of them. Would be great in a spicy tomato soup or with a crispy garden salad but tasty as a snack in their own right.

So another great mix and some really great contents that I will try again, especially the Ginger Grove tea!

Degustabox is a monthly subscription box that costs £ 12.99 including postage and packaging, containing many new items to the market - it is a surprise every month. You can cancel the subscription at any time so maybe it would be a good one for a party or special events as a bit of a foodie treat. The items I received totalled nearly £20 so I received a lot for the subscription price. It's a fantastic way for a foodie to trial new products.

You can subscribe with a £3 discount using the code 544JA (valid until October)

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