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Magnum Caramel Chocolates (Not Ice Cream!) Review

November 11, 2014, 7:27 am
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agnum caramel chocolates

Last year, Magnum UK brought out a new countline chocolate...or rather, three mini chocolates in a countline wrapper. I was skeptical whether they would stick around to be honest, but it seems they must have been popular as they've now added a caramel variety to the range.


Like the original variety this contains "a vanilla flavoured white chocolate truffle filling", and is complimented with a layer of firm caramel running above it. They're like mini versions of caramel magnums! 


As with the original variety the chocolate is rich and good quality, a step above most average chocolate bars. The filling was smooth with a lovely vanilla hinted flavour, and tasted very reminiscent of Magnum ice cream. Which is nice...but a little odd in a chocolate bar. The caramel had a nice buttery flavour and complimented the truffle very well. 

Overall, this is a nice addition to the Magnum countline range, although I think they could do something a little more exciting...caramel seems like such a "safe" flavour to me. That said, if they'd have made it salted caramel it might just have won me over! 

Rating: 8 out of 10.

Price: 65p at Morrisons. 
Suitable for vegetarians?: Yes. 
Allergy Information: Contains milk, soya. May contain nuts & egg. 
Nutrition (per piece): 67 Calories.
Cocoa solids: 38% minimum.
Recommend?: Yes - better quality than an average chocolate bar at this price. 
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Bounty Dark Noir 75% Cocoa Review

November 13, 2014, 10:47 am
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It's not often we get a new Bounty variety in the UK....in fact, outside of import stores I've never seen anything different from the Milk and Dark chocolate versions. So when I spotted this "Noir" with 75% cocoa solids recently I just had to pick one up! They were on offer of 3 for a pound, which is a great bargain, although they were a little past the best before date...boo!


The only other Bounty variety I can remember ever trying was a Mango flavour, way back in around 2004. Sadly it was an import and only available in discount stores. Some countries also get a Cherry Bounty...now that's one I'd like to see in the UK!

This one appears to be made in France and imported by Mars Canada, then shipped over to the UK...confusing!


Opening the wrapper the first thing I noticed was that the chocolate looked a lot darker than the "Dark" Bounty we get in the UK. 


The extra percentage of cocoa was very noticeable in the taste...it was richer and far more satisfying than the UK's Dark Bounty. It gives an extra flavoursome hit the original lacks and contrasts well with the sweet coconut filling, preventing the whole thing from becoming too sickly. I really enjoyed it!

Overall, this is a very tasty Bounty bar and much nicer than the UK's Dark variety. If you happen to spot one anywhere definitely pick one up! It might not live up to the standards of most "fine" dark chocolates but it's pretty good for a mass market 75%!

RATING: 8 out of 10. 

Price: 30p/3 for £1.
Recommend?: Yes - if you're lucky enough to find one! (check independent discount stores and market stalls).
Allergens: Contains soy, milk & sulphites.
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New! Kitkat Toffee Treat Review

November 19, 2014, 5:13 am
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a toffee flavour kitkat with dark and white chocolate

A new Kitkat flavour is always a "big thing" in my opinion, considering it's the biggest selling chocolate bar in the world. Nestlé UK have been quite busy with the Kitkat brand recently, launching a new Kitkat Chunky Double Caramel, and also this new toffee variety in the multi-pack range found in the biscuit aisle.

At first I thought this would simply consist of toffee flavoured wafer, but turns out it actually has a toffee flavoured coating! It's kind of similar to the Kitkat Caramac they did years ago, but this one has two layers: one of toffee flavoured white & dark chocolate, and a base layer of milk chocolate.


Opening the wrapper, the bars had a very strong toffee aroma...I could tell this was going to be sweet!


Unlike the 4-finger and Chunky Kitkats, this 2-bar version has retained the much-loved foil wrapper, and I have to applaud Nestlé for this as it looks quite grand with the light glistening off it!


Peeling the foil off revealed a two-tone bar, with a beige coloured upper layer and milk chocolate layer underneath. It brought back memories of the much-missed Kitkat Caramac...


Taste-wise it was of course very sweet, with a strong toffee flavour, but luckily the milk chocolate layer toned the sweetness down a little making it more bearable. It was a nice snack dunked in a cup of coffee, but you wouldn't want more than one of these at once, so it's just as well it's in a two-finger format. This is definitely one for the sweet-toothed!


Overall, it's nice to see something a bit different from Nestlé and even if they haven't seen sense and brought back the mighty Kitkat Caramac... this will do for now! ;)

RATING: 7.5 out of 10. 

Price: £1.59 for an 8-pack at Tesco.
Allergy Information: Contains wheat, gluten, dairy, soya. May contain nuts.
Nutrition (per bar): 108 Calories, 5.3g Fat, 13.4g Carbs, 10.8g Sugar.
Recommend?: Only if you have a sweet tooth!
Suitable for vegetarians?: Yes.
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Ultimate English All Butter Fudge & Honeycomb Nuggets Review

November 21, 2014, 4:21 am
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A big thankyou to Ultimate English who sent me some products from their lovely toffees and fudges range to review recently! Ultimate English are a company based in Harrogate, Yorkshire producing hand-made fudge and toffee in the traditional English way. They describe their fudge as "The grandest butter fudge in the world", which is quite the claim...luckily I can say they may just live up to it!

Below are my thoughts on their Fudge and Honeycomb Nuggets...

Simply Marvellous All Butter Fudge:

This fudge was simply divine! The texture was firm and crumbly, and although I generally prefer softer fudges like Thorntons, this was pretty amazing. It tasted extremely buttery, with a moreish golden syrup and brown sugar flavour. It melted in mouth and tasted heavenly...it was mega sweet of course, but so nice I accidentally ate too much at once!

Overall, seriously amazing fudge - some of the best I've tasted. I've seen this on sale in B&M bargains recently so if you happen to spot some, I'd definitely recommend giving it a try!

RATING: 8.5 out of 10.

Ultimate English Astoundingly Brilliant Honeycomb Nuggets:

Apart from Cadbury's Crunchie I've never really had many Honeycomb chocolates - it's just not one of those things I've ever really thought to buy, since there's so many other chocolates around. So I was glad to have a change with this bag of  "Astoundingly brilliant honeycomb nuggets". Like the fudge, it's described as "The grandest honeycomb in the world"...again, a tall order! The blurb on the pack reads "An often overlooked sweet indulgence, our heavenly honeycomb is whisked for extra crunchy lightness, then broken by hand and coated in luxurious Belgian chocolate. A deliciously decadent delight to brighten up any day!


The honeycomb nuggets were very chunky, in fact I could only manage to eat half a piece at once since it was so thick! This is great though because it makes it very substantial and satisfying. Taste-wise the honeycomb had a lovely crunch with a delicious buttery golden syrup flavour, whilst the chocolate provided a nice creaminess and tasted good quality. It was quite simply, delicious.


Overall, I I think Ultimate English may just live up to their claims of making the grandest fudge/honeycomb/etc in the world. It's really is delicious; full of buttery, golden, sweet flavours, very luxurious and actually better than Thorntons quality-wise. Give them a try if you spot them!

RATING: 8.5 out of 10. 

Where to buy?: Available in B&M stores.
Website: http://theultimateenglish.co.uk/
Suitable for vegetarians?: Yes.
Allergy Information: Gluten-free. Contains Dairy.
Recommend?: If you love fudge/toffee/honeycomb then yes!

*Products sent for an honest review.
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Cadbury Winter Wonderland Minis: Xmas Tree Shaped Ice Creams! (Limited Edition)

December 5, 2014, 12:02 am
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tree shaped mini vanilla white and milk chocolate ice creams

Hey everyone...I'm back! I've had an extended blogging break recently due to life getting in the way, but hopefully, I'll be bringing a few Kev-style stocking fillers for you all in the run-up to Christmas! :)

When I saw these Christmas Tree shaped ice creams in a local Tesco Express recently, naturally I just had to pick them up. I first reviewed the Winter Wonderland Dairy Milk bar last year and loved the idea of it...and now it seems Cadbury have seen fit to extend it into ice cream format.

tree shaped mini vanilla milk and white chocolate ice creams

How does it compare to the bar? Well, its not quite as great to be honest...

tree shaped mini milk and white chocolate ice creams

It's a nice idea poorly executed. Christmas-tree-shaped ice creams sounds great, fun, cute and novel, but unfortunately Cadbury must have used duff moulds - either that or they were trying to cut corners and used Poundland moulds - they look, quite frankly, pathetic! Not like something you would expect from a household name like Cadbury (or should that be Mondelez!) There's nothing wrong with Poundland - don't get me wrong - I shop there myself for cheap goods like any other cash-strapped Brit...but you expect better from a multinational heavyweight like Cadbury/Kraft, right?

tree shaped mini milk and white chocolate ice cream sticks

Well these ice creams are pretty average. They have a vague Christmas tree shape and come in both milk and white chocolate. The milk chocolate ones are pleasant - very sweet and milky with a decent vanilla ice cream centre - although I'm not sure it's Dairy Milk chocolate as the wrapper doesn't explicitly say so. If so this is a bit misleading considering "Winter Wonderland" is supposed to be a Dairy Milk thing! The white choc ones are even sweeter - too sweet in fact. Mixed with the vanilla ice cream they amalgamate into a sweet, vanilla flavoured mass, which is pleasant but a bit much.

It's just as well they're minis because they're a little too sweet and without any real quality elements. They're nice enough, and a cute idea, but the shape lets them down. They could've been onto something really cool if they had got the basic design right...

Use better Christmas Tree moulds next time, Cadbury! The ice creams don't have to have the same quality as a Magnum because quite frankly not many do, but at least get the basic shape right! Overall, a cute idea but cheaply executed.

Price: Around £2.49 a pack at Tesco Express.
Suitable for vegetarians?: Yes.
Allergy Information: Contains milk, soya. May contain nuts.
Recommend?: They're a nice novelty but unfortunately I can't recommend them. There's much better Christmas-themed ice creams out there such as this Wall's Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwich.

RATING: 6.5 out of 10.
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Sainsbury's Chocolate Treats Review

December 12, 2014, 4:16 pm
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Whilst in Sainsbury's recently I noticed they had their own chocolate selection to rival Cadbury Roses and Quality Street. This is a bold move, since they're in the same price range; in fact, they actually cost £1 more. So naturally I expected them to taste just as good or even better in quality... which shouldn't have been too difficult, since both Roses and Quality Street are not good quality any more!


Unfortunately they turned out to be very poor. The plain box design set the tone, and the wrappers were all shiny and gauche - the sort of thing you would serve up at a cheap Christmas party. I knew these were going to be disappointing as soon as I set eyes on them!


Below are my thoughts on each flavour...

Honeycomb Truffle:

A bland, overly sweet truffle with poor quality chocolate. Not much else to say about it really!

Strawberry Creme:

This chocolate was okay and gave a very sweet, artificial strawberry hit. It has a thin layer of strawberry "jam" in the centre which makes it a little different from your average strawberry creme.

Dairy Toffee:

A very hard toffee, the kind that almost breaks your teeth. It tasted bland and overly sweet with hardly any buttery flavour.

Orange Creme:

Not as nice as the ones in Quality Street, but pleasant enough. Like the Strawberry Creme this contains a thin layer of "jam" in the centre.

Double Chocolate Eclair:

This is similar to a Cadbury Eclair but much inferior. The caramel tasted sweet and bland whilst the chocolate offered no flavour at all.

Popping Candy Truffle:

This truffle was sweet and crunchy, but I couldn't detect any popping candy - there was no crackling in my mouth at all. Maybe it had already "popped" during storage!

Vanilla Fudge:

A sweet and tasteless fudge. It had a nice soft texture, but little in the way of flavour.

Hazelnut in Caramel:

This one was okay as it had a slight buttery flavour, but I couldn't really taste the hazelnut. The purple ones in Roses & Quality Street are much better!

Chocolate Fudge Brownie:

This had no brownie pieces in and was more of a basic chocolate truffle. It tasted okay though, and had a decent chocolatey flavour.

OVERALL:
I have to say this is a very disappointing chocolate assortment. The price point is the same as Roses and Quality Street yet the quality is much inferior - I would've expected better from Sainsbury's! If they'd knocked a pound off the price I could understand the point of them, but they cost more than a box of Roses or Quality Street do in most supermarkets (£2). Overall, these are really not worth buying.

RATING: 5 out of 10.

Price: £3 for a carton, £5 for a large tub.
Vegetarian?: Yes.
Allergy Information: Contains milk & soya.
Nutrition (2 sweets): 110 Calories, 4.6g Fat, 12.8g Sugars.
Recommend?: Not at all. Stick with Roses & Quality Street, or better yet don't waste money on such substandard chocolates!
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Marks and Spencer Dulce De Leche Chocolate Review

December 14, 2014, 12:18 pm
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When all the new Xmas goodies came out in Marks and Spencer this was the one that intrigued me most. I thought it was some kind of "blonde chocolate" in a similar vein to Valhrona Dulcey, and going by the description on the pack this is a fair assumption: "dulce de leche caramel flavour white and milk chocolate, for the perfect caramel taste experience".

Unfortunately it's not quite the same thing at all, and I was left feeling a bit short-changed!


Opening the wrapper revealed a beige-coloured square block with different sized segments. This is a nice idea as it gives you lots of different sized pieces to choose from.


Unfortunately the taste wasn't upto much. It's basically a sweet, milky white chocolate with a slight hint of caramel. Nothing strong or anything that stands out. The dried milk flavour was the most dominant aspect of the bar and I couldn't taste much else. I was left feeling unsatisfied, a little ill from the large quantity of sugar and annoyed at paying 4 quid for what amounts to basic white chocolate with a slight caramel flavour.


I hate to be such a scrooge, and certainly wouldn't complain for the sake of it...but this is simply a disappointing bar of chocolate - don't be fooled into thinking it's anything special! Overall I would avoid this, although if you're curious I'm sure they'll be slashed in price after Christmas...

RATING: 6 out of 10. 

Price: £4.
Suitable for vegetarians?: Yes.
Allergy Information: Contains milk and soya.
Recommend?: No, although if you're curious look out for the inevitable price reductions after Christmas!
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Milka & Daim Ice Cream Review

December 15, 2014, 11:30 am
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Whilst in a local discount frozen food store recently I spotted some tubs of Milka ice cream. I've already tried the UK Daim Ice Cream but wondered if this version with Milka might be different. It certainly looked it; it contains a marbled effect with chocolate ice cream with Daim pieces and vanilla ice cream with Daim pieces.


The texture of the ice cream was rather light and moussey, as oppposed to the more dense ice creams from the likes of Haggen Dazs or Ben and Jerry's. It reminded me of Carte D'or.


It tasted very nice...and surprisingly, I found the vanilla portion to be the nicest part. The creaminess complimented the crunchy Daim pieces perfectly, whereas they got a bit lost in the chocolatey flavour of the chocolate portion.

Overall, this was a very tasty ice cream and one that's very easy to eat thanks to the soft texture. I actually preferred it over the UK's Daim Ice Cream. This one appears to be made in Germany and imported so isn't widely available unfortunately, but if you happen to spot them in your local Heron/Farm Foods/Jack Fultons they're definitely worth as try!

RATING: 7.5 out of 10.

Price: £1.25 a tub.
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Moser Roth Plum & Cinnamon Chocolate (Limited Edition) Review

December 17, 2014, 2:50 pm
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There hasn't been many exciting seasonal chocolates this year, hence I haven't had many to review. However when I learnt of the new seasonal Limited Editions available at Aldi recently I just had to try them! There's this Plum & Cinnamon flavour, plus Apple Strudel and Pear varieties.


The Plum & Cinnamon variety is described as "Five individually wrapped bars of milk chocolate with a lightly whipped mousse filling, with a plum and cinnamon flavoured topping". It's a similar concept to the Panna Cotta Moser Roth bars I've reviewed previously, with a gooey plum layer above the smooth cream.


The chocolate tasted very nice, if a little bit sweet. Initially I got hints of summer fruits, but as I let the chocolate melt on my tongue, subtle hints of cinnamon started to emerge. If I were doing a blind taste test I would never guess this was plum flavour; it just tastes generically fruity, but it works well with the cinnamon and milk cream and makes for a pleasant chocolate bar.


Overall, this is a tasty chocolate bar but doesn't quite hit the spot as a "Christmas" flavour. I'm hoping the apple strudel variety will taste a bit more Christmassy!

RATING: 7 out of 10. 

Price: £1.79 at Aldi.
Suitable for vegetarians?: Yes.
Allergy Information: Contains milk and soya, may contain nuts.
Nutrition (per small bar): 193 Calories, 11g Fat, 21g Carbs, 17g Sugar.
Recommend?: Yes, if you like cinnamon flavoured chocolates.
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The Collective Dairy Xmas Pud Yoghurt (Limited Edition) Review

December 18, 2014, 1:21 pm
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I bought this "xmas pud" yoghurt from The Collective Dairy when I saw it reduced at the Co-Op recently - for 69p I couldn't say no (it usually costs over £2!). It's a mixture of live gourmet yoghurt with xmas pudding flavour "mincemeat" sauce.

The yoghurt tasted very creamy and indulgent, with a nice tang. The mincemeat sauce is very plentiful and dispersed throughout the yoghurt, which means you get a generous amount depending on where in the tub you're eating. It tastes very spicy with plenty of citrus peel and raisins, and reminded me of the filling in mince pies rather than xmas pud. This isn't a bad thing as it works well with the creamy yoghurt.

Overall, this is a very tasty seasonal yoghurt...and it's a healthier way to get your xmas pud & mince pie fix over the festive season!

RATING: 8 out of 10. 

Price: I paid 69p but I've seen them for as much as £2.40 in some shops.
Suitable for vegetarians?: Yes.
Allergy Information: Contains dairy. Gluten free.
Recommend?: If you like mince pies & xmas pud, yes!
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Star Wars Roll'Ems: Solid Milk Chocolate Balls

December 19, 2014, 12:48 pm
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Whilst in Asda recently I noticed these Star Wars themed chocolates in the kids sweet section. I bought them out of pure curiosity, but assumed they wouldn't taste very good. Luckily I was proven wrong and they actually tasted ok!


They're basic spheres of milk chocolate with a shellac glaze to make them shiny. The chocolate tastes pretty decent, with a nice milky flavour and melt, although it's certainly nothing spectacular. I'm not sure how they relate to Star Wars...maybe they're meant to be mini Death Stars?


Overall, for 50p these are an ok snack for kids and I'm sure they'll be very popular when the new Star Wars film is released. I bet they'll be popular with collectors too. As for the name "Roll'Ems", this is apparently because you can "shake, rattle and roll 'em" due to the shape. A bit of a tenuous link but there you go!

RATING: 7 out of 10.

Price: 50p at Asda.
Suitable for vegetarians?: Yes.
Allergy Information: Contains milk and soya. May contain traces of nuts and seeds.
Recommend?: Only for collectors.
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After Eight Finest Mint Selection Box Review

December 20, 2014, 2:04 am
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Whilst in Home Bargains the other day I saw they had these After Eight selections for only £1, so naturally I couldn't resist giving them a try - they usually cost £3 so this was a real bargain indeed!


I first tried these chocolates in the mid 90's when Nestlé brought them out one Christmas, for them to never be seen again. I don't know why they discontinued them, but they must be popular once again as they've been resurrected once more!


The selection contains individually wrapped mint creams in milk, dark and white chocolate. They're leaf-shaped rather than the traditional squares of After Eights. There weren't that many in the box so I don't think the RRP of £3 is really justified. £1 seemed a fair price.

There's not a lot to say about them really...they all taste very sweet and pleasant, with the traditional After Eight flavour. The white ones were the sweetest, with a milkier mint flavour, the milk choc ones a little less, and of course the dark ones were more richer. None of them were as good as the traditional square After Eights as there's a greater ratio of fondant to chocolate, making them much sweeter.

Overall, these are pleasant chocolates, but certainly not as good as regular After Eights. If you see them for a pound I would recommend giving them a try, but otherwise far better to stick to the regular version!

RATING: 7 out of 10.

Price: £1 at Home Bargains.
Suitable for vegetarians?: Yes.
Allergy Information: Contains milk. May contain nuts, egg, soya.
Nutrition (per 2 mints): 65 Calories, 3g Fat, 8.6g Carbs, 8.2g Sugar.
Recommend?: Only if you see them for £1, otherwise stick with regular After Eight.
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Spotted In Shops! - Cadbury Fingers Salted Peanut, Milkybar Milk & Cookies...

January 23, 2015, 5:04 am
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As many of you may have noticed I've been a bit quiet since Christmas...what can I say, life has been hectic recently! I did manage to find time to snap a few pics of some new products to hit the shelves for 2015 though, and here they are!...

Milkybar Milk & Cookies Sharing Block:

Nestlé have already done a Milk & Cookies Milkybar, way back in 2004, but it didn't last for long. Let's hope this large Sharing Block variety sticks around! Spotted in Asda. For a review of the US version see Grocery Gems post from 2012 here.

Cadbury Fingers Salted Peanut Crunch:

Apparently Cadbury are planning to launch a variety of new flavours for the Fingers range this year, and first up is Salted Peanut Crunch - an unusual flavour for us Brits, but I have it on good authority they taste pretty good! Spotted at Tesco.

Cadbury Fingers Salted Caramel Crunch:

The other new variety is Salted Caramel Crunch, which is a bit late to the "salted caramel" party (that was so 2014!). Still, better late than never Cadbury! Spotted at both Tesco and Morrisons. I wonder what other new flavours will join the range?

That's all for today's brief post... be sure to let me know if you see any new products in shops via Twitter or Email. I've heard rumors of the Cadbury Dairy Milk Crispies bar being resurrected...if you spot one please do let me know! As for Cadbury Creme Egg-gate...I won't be reviewing them as I stopped eating Creme Eggs a long time ago, thank goodness! 
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Teapigs Chocolate & Mint Tea (Guest Review by William)

February 5, 2015, 11:39 am
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Hello there, it's William here and I'm finally back with a new guest review. Moving away from chocolate (just a tiny bit), I've been wanting to review more teas and other healthier food and drink.

Teapigs is a premium British tea brand that offers a range of different teas that us Brits may not have even heard of before, like their oolong tea and today I have a review for you on one of their most recent new releases.

Around Autumn last year, Teapigs launched a new range of “naturally caffeine free” teas in a range of new and exciting flavours. This particular tea caught my eye whilst shopping in Waitrose so I bought a box of these (and I also bought the Chocolate Flake tea, which I might review soon). Like the Chocolate Flake tea, this tea has real chocolate pieces in the tea “temples” which make the cuppa taste so much better.

Each box contains 15 biodegradable “tea temples” which are mesh bags instead of the traditional paper teabag yet they retain the traditional “bag on the string” brewing mechanism which you usually get with Twinings teas.

The box insists you should brew this for 3 - 5 minutes (I brewed mine for 4 minutes) and not add any sugar or milk.


The scent of the box itself is quite different to the scent of the tea after brewing. The cup has a very strong peppermint scent with a few cocoa notes in there and even though you can't really smell the “chocolate”, it does add a little more sweetness and nuttiness to the tea.


The taste however is incredible. Even though it doesn't taste just like a real mint choc chip ice cream and still has that traditional “tea” flavour, it's still quite a nice cuppa. This doesn't have the strongest chocolate flavour but you can still definitely taste chocolate in there and paired with the mint, it's pleasant but I feel that the mint is slightly overpowering. If there were more chocolate chips in the tea “temple”, this tea would be even better but I still recommend this to all the chocoholics out there.


Overall, I think this is an amazing great-tasting addition to the quirky Teapigs range and I really hope it stays a while because it's probably one of the best chocolate teas out there and beverages like this, I think are amazing for dieting. Whether I'm on a diet or not, I will definitely buy these again when I run out.

Anyway, if you liked this review and you'd like to see more posts from me, head over to my blog: www.moroneywilliam.blogspot.co.uk but I will hopefully be writing guest reviews more frequently on here soon!

RATING: 7.9 out of 10

From: Waitrose.
RRP: £4.15
Weight: 37.5g (15 biodegradable tea temples).
Recommend?: These are ideal for dieters who love their chocolate and are struggling to give it up or just for those who are quite adventurous. If you love chocolate and mint too, I'm sure this will be right up your street!
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New Snacks! - Kinder Bueno DARK, Walkers Mixups, Hoola Hoops Puft, Thorntons Popcorn..

February 23, 2015, 12:27 am
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A few new snacks I've seen in shops recently...

Kinder Bueno DARK (Limited Edition)

These new dark chocolate Kinder Bueno's seem to be a very limited edition - I've only seen them in one Spar store so far. If you've tried one do let me know your thoughts in the comments...

Walkers Mixups Snacks Mix:

Walkers are taking a leaf out of Cadbury's book and combining several different snacks in one bag for their new "Mixups" range. This cheese variety contains Wotsits, Doritos, Monster Munch and French Fries. Spotted at Asda.

There's also a Spicy variety...


Plus a Crisps Mix, with both Cheese and Worcester Sauce Walkers crisps...


Plus Cheese & Bacon flavour...


Hula Hoops Puft Cheese:

Also new in the savoury snacks category are Hoola Hoops Puft, which are a "light and crispy" take on the famous hoop-shaped snacks. I'm not sure about the name...


Of course, they wouldn't be complete without a Salt & Vinegar flavour!


Or Ready Salted!

Thorntons Toffee & White Chocolate Popcorn:

Thorntons have released a new Popcorn range, and this flavour contains their signature toffee combined with white chocolate.


There's also a Toffee & Milk Chocolate variety...


As well as plain Toffee. Have you tried Thorntons Popcorn range? If so let me know your thoughts in the comments! Available at Asda.

The Chocolate Smiths Bizarre Coffee 'n' Cookie Bar:

Whilst in a local department store I spotted this new bar from The Chocolate Smiths...70% dark chocolate with cookies, coffee and orange flavours. Interesting combo!

Steak & Stout in Milk Chocolate:

They're also doing this odd combo of "Steak and Stout" in milk chocolate. I'm not sure if it actually contains steak and/or stout, but knowing those crazy gals it probably does!

Strawberry Champagne in Milk Chocolate:

They're also doing a Queen of Hearts variety, which contains the more palatable combination of Strawberry and Champagne in milk chocolate.

Chip Shop Sauce & Chips in Milk Chocolate:

There's also this Chip Shop Special flavour containing "chip shop style curry sauce and chips in milk chocolate". Possibly a good combination for pregnant women?

Smoked Garlic & Herb in Milk Chocolate:

And what has to be one of the worst ideas for a chocolate bar ever..."smoked garlic and herb in creamy milk chocolate".

Tropical Fruit Punch Chocolate:

And lastly, a more palatable sounding "70% dark chocolate with rum and chunks of sweet tropical fruit". You have to hand it to The Chocolate Smiths...they do like to try out some interesting flavours!

That's it for now...as always do let me know if you spot any new sweets via Twitter or Email, and hopefully I'll be back to the world of blogging in the near future!
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Tropical Sun Coconut Peanuts, Cream, Milk & Water Review

February 24, 2015, 11:41 am
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Many thanks to Tropical Sun for sending me a selection of their coconut products to review recently! As readers of this blog will know I'm a big fan of coconut...I looove coconut butter and regularly use it to make desserts - anything coconut-based and I'm there!

What intrigued me most about these snacks was the combination of coconut and peanuts - it's certainly not a flavour you'll see amongst your average pub peanuts!

Premium Creamed Coconut:

Boasting no artificial colours or preservatives, this is pure coconut cream formed into a block and great for cooking. I don't have any pics of my culinary creations sadly (they tend to get very messy!) but I can report that it made a lovely rich curry! Just melt the block with hot water, add spices, veg etc and it will make a very creamy sauce - much nicer and healthier than vegetable oils often used in curries. Coconut milk is also a source of MCT's (medium chain fats), that get used up by the body much faster than other fats.

100% Natural Coconut Milk:

Again, boasting no artificial colours or additives, this coconut milk makes a change from most store varieties as it doesn't contain any thickeners or e-numbers. Just pure coconut extract and water! I ended up using this to make a coconut milk hot chocolate - just cocoa powder and coconut milk, heated in the microwave for a few minutes. It made a delicious and satisfying cocoa! I would highly recommend it.

Coconut Water:

No artificial flavours or additives here either; this is a lovely refreshing coconut water containing naturally occuring electrolytes. This was a very pleasant thirst-quenching drink.

Crunchy Coconut Peanuts:

Last but not least...the star of the show...coconut peanuts! This is an interesting combination in that peanuts are usually associated with savoury flavours like salt, pepper, spices, etc., but the coconut cream here makes them sweeter and creamier and a bit less savoury. They're still very crunchy and highly moreish, with a softer edge. I'm not sure they'd work with beer but they're certainly a great snack for watching a film with - highly recommended!

Overall:
This is a selection of great quality products from Tropical Sun, the peanuts in particular are such a cool novelty that I would highly recommend trying them if you get the chance! You can check out tropicalsunfoods.com for more info/buying options.

*Products provided for honest review. 
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Magnum PINK Raspberry Review

February 25, 2015, 2:15 am
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The Silver Marc De Champagne Magnum's brought out by Uniliver a year ago are consistently amongst the highest viewed posts on this blog - they must be really popular across the world - so I thought it about time I gave these new PINK ones a try since they're currently being highly promoted across most UK supermarkets.

Unilever obviously think the "coloured shell" idea is one that's catching, as they've already done a Gold?! variety which is also still on shelves. There's also a BLACK Espresso variety, but that's just dark chocolate and doesn't make for an exciting colour like pink does...you can just tell these are going to be really popular this year, especially over the Summer months!


Whilst the pearly pink coating is very eye-catching, the flavour is a basic raspberry ice cream with strands of raspberry sauce. It's all coated in milk chocolate and then coated again with the outer pink glaze. The taste is very pleasant and fruity, although considering the novel colour I thought they would have had a much stronger raspberry taste.


Overall, a nice ice cream for sure and one that no doubt many of us will be reaching for over Summer if just for the bright colour...but these could have been better. I actually think a strawberry flavour (or even passionfruit!) would have been nicer, but hey that's just me!

RATING: 7.5 out of 10.

Nutrition Per Ice Cream: 276 Calories, 18g Fat, 26g Carbs, 24g Sugars.
Gluten Free, May contain nuts & sesame. 

Have you tried Magnum PINK Raspberry? If so what did you think? 
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Nestlé Toffee Crisp Honeycomb (Limited Edition)

February 27, 2015, 1:12 am
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Nestlé UK recently announced the launch of a Honeycomb Toffee Crisp for a limited period, and by chance I just so happened to spot them on the same day in a local Premier store. They're currently on offer of 2 for £1 alongside regular Toffee Crisps.

The bar weighs 38g which doesn't seem a lot - I'm not sure how much a regular Toffee Crisp weighs these days but it seems pretty light to me. The description reads "Toffee (18%), honeycomb pieces (4%) and crisped cereal (6%) filled milk chocolate".


Opening the wrapper there was a very pleasant, sweet honeycomb aroma, although the bar did look a bit thinner to how I remember Toffee Crisp. Cutting it open revealed the caramel, honeycomb and rice crisps:


Biting into a piece gave a nice crunch of golden honeycomb, offset by the chewy caramel and crispy rice bits. It all tasted very sweet and sickly, but very crunchy and delicious! The texture of the honeycomb made it a lot crunchier than a regular Toffee Crisp which made for a nice change and it felt quite satisfying, despite the small size of the bar.

Overall, although I'm not sure I'd buy one of these again, it's nice to see Nestlé bring some variation to one of their brands...I don't think there's been a different Toffee Crisp variety in years. In fact a little research reveals the last variety they did was a Coconut version!:


(image courtesy of chocolatereview.co.uk)

RATING: 7.5 out of 10.

Price: 2 for £1 at Premier Stores.
Allergy Information: Contains Wheat, Dairy.
Nutrition (per bar): 197 Calories, 10.5g Fat, 24.1g Carbs.

Have you tried Toffee Crisp Honeycomb? If so what did you think? 
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Roots Hand Cooked Vegetable Crisps Review

February 28, 2015, 8:59 am
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When Roots contacted me to review their Hand Cooked Vegetable Crisps recently I couldn't say no... I'm always on the lookout for healthier snacking alternatives and have never actually tried vegetable crisps before. Initially I wasn't sure the idea would work...after all aren't vegetables supposed to be a lump of mush served next to your Sunday dinner, rather than a tasty snack?! Well actually no... turns out they can be both!

"Made using carrots, parsnips and beetroot, our vegetables are thinly sliced and cooked by hand in pure sunflower oil for a super-crunchy texture, before being lightly seasoned with sea salt. No artificial colourings, flavourings, preservatives or other additives are used."

- Roots Crisps Press Release.


The crisps were very tasty indeed, with a lighter, crunchier edge compared to regular crisps. Very flavoursome. They're not as full on as the likes of Kettle Chips which is actually a bonus - as much as I love Kettle Chips they can be a bit much sometimes! These had lots of subtle, sweet flavours from the beetroot and parsnip, which worked very well together.Very tasty indeed!

Roots Crisps are available from their website HERE.

RATING: 8 out of 10. 

*Product provided for honest review.
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Nestlé Rolo Dark Chocolate (Sainsbury's) Review

March 1, 2015, 12:26 pm
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Nestlé UK have been quietly releasing new variations of their classic products over the last year or so...we've had Toffee Crisp in Sharing Block format, a new Milkybar with added Cookies, White Aero's, Toffee Kitkats, Caramel Kitkats, Honeycomb Toffee Crisps, and now these...Dark Rolos.

Although these are called "Dark", they contain only 45% cocoa solids, which I guess is about as "dark" as a mass produced chocolate like this is going to get.


To be honest, if I was given these in a blind taste test I don't think I would have been able to tell they were dark chocolate. They tasted pretty similar to regular Rolos, although maybe a tad less milky. They were still extremely sweet and moreish, with the classic sweet toffee centres making me reach for one too many. Before I knew it half the bag had gone....oops!

Overall, although these are not truly dark chocolate and won't impress chocolate conoissours, they're a very moreish snack and presumably less sugary than regular Rolos, so if you're concerned with sugar intake I suppose these have a place in the chocolate world. I doubt they will stick around, but kudos to Nestlé for trying new variations. I think white chocolate Rolos would've been a better option though to be honest!

RATING: 7 out of 10. 

Price: £1.50 at Sainsbury's.
Suitable for vegetarians?: Yes.
Allergy Information: Contains milk, may contain traces of wheat gluten.
Nutrition (5 sweets): 126 Calories, 5.8g Fat, 17.1g Carbs, 14.2g Sugars.
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