Montezuma's Milk Chocolate with Chai Latte Bar

Montezumas, makers of the famous Absolute Black chocolate bar are turning 18 this year, and to celebrate their coming of age they've launched a "Festival" range...because they're going to their first festival now they're 18. Get it? These colourfully packaged bars are specially designed to help them party and were inspired by Holi, the Hindu festival which signifies the arrival of spring and has become known as the happiest festival on earth. I really do like the packaging designs, they're the sort of thing I would definitely pick up in a shop to buy!

There's three varieties in the range; today's review which is Milk Chocolate with Chai Latte, as well as Milk Chocolate with Coffee & Cocoa Nibs and Dark Chocolate with Rose & Vanilla (reviews to follow shortly).

Containing 35% Cocoa Milk Chocolate with the addition of mixed spice, this 100g bar is suitable for vegetarians and gluten free.

The spice aroma is very evident on opening the wrapper, followed by the milk chocolate. Taking a bite, the chocolate is super creamy and smooth, just what you'd expect from higher quality chocolate. The spices are subtle yet still very evident in the taste. They bring a lovely warming chai taste that blends well without overpowering the chocolate. Think of a creamy, warm chai latte and you get the idea!

Overall, this is a lovely bar from Montezuma's and if chai spices are your thing I'd highly recommend giving it a try! Check out Montezuma's website for more info, nutrition information and where to buy.

8.5 out of 10.

Plamil So Free Espresso Dark Chocolate

Just a quick review today, and it's one for those who may be reducing or cutting out the sugar what with the news of the UK Sugar Tax coming into force. Most chocolate bars using sweeteners can often taste chemically or just "wrong", so how does Plamil's So Free Espresso bar fare?

Made with xylitol, a natural sweetener derived from birch, I found this bar in Holland and Barrett. It contains 72% cocoa solids, is gluten free, dairy free and suitable for vegans.

The bar has small segments you can break off. I went for the espresso variety simply because I was in need of an energy boost, and although the coffee only comes from flavouring I reasoned the placebo effect might still give me a boost!

And it was just what I needed for a sweet coffee hit. The chocolate gives a rich flavour, with the coffee lingering in the aftertaste whilst the xylitol makes it sweet enough to be palatable. It's not the same as sugar of course, and it does take a little getting used to, but it's pleasant and far more tolerable than a completely sugar free chocolate bar.

Overall, if you're reducing or cutting out the sugar, or even just avoiding dairy, I would recommend this bar for a sweet hit that is hopefully kinder to your health...and teeth! (xylitol apparently prevents tooth decay).

8 out of 10. 

New Marks & Spencer Chouxnuts & Coconut Pots

Today's post is another Spotted In Shops (soooooo much new stuff lately!) and again it's for M&S who have been busy not just adding a new British Isles range (complete with the weird Salt & Vinegar Caramels) to their confectionery offerings, but a rather decadent looking range of pastries to their desserts. One special addition in particular is this hybrid of choux pastry and a doughnut...the chouxnut!

Available in Salted Caramel (of course), as well as...

Rhubarb and Custard Chouxnuts:

Plus there's some Strawberries and Cream Choux Buns:

And the new Ultimate Chocolate Eclairs, filled with chocolate mousse and with white chocolate icing!

Plus there's the fruity Blackcurrant Eclairs..

As well as these fancy looking White Chocolate & Blackcurrant Spheres:

Plus they're doing some new vegan dairy free vanilla Coconut Yogurt Pots...

As well as Blueberry Coconut Pots...

Plus Mango & Passionfruit Coconut Pots...

There's also been more additions to their confectionery and snacks range, which I'll do a post on shortly! If you've tried any of these desserts please do let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Iceland No Bull Vegan Burgers

Iceland (the UK supermarket chain, not the country!) are getting in on the trend for meat-free eating and have launched a new range of "No Bull" Vegan burgers in their stores. The burgers promise the same taste and texture as real meat...to the point they even "bleed". Can I have a "EWWW?" from everyone?! Quite why a vegan would want a bleeding burger (or even why a meat eater would, for that matter) is beyond me, but apparently these come so close to the real thing they look like raw mince once cooked, thanks to the beetroot colouring used.

Are they any good? Reports suggest they taste as good as real meat although it's obvious that they aren't. Which is pretty much what one would expect, I suppose?

Have you tried  these No Bull burgers? Did you like the fleshy colours on offer? Let me know in the comments!

Kind Snacks Pomegranate, Blueberry & Pistachio Bar

Today it's Part 2 of my Kind bar reviews, and this time it's their new Pomegranate, Blueberry & Pistachio Bar (click here for the Dark Chocolate Almond & Mint Review).

Consisting of 55% nuts, this bar is gluten and dairy free, although not vegan since it contains honey. It's described as a "40g Pistachio, Blueberry & Pomegranates Bar" and contains cashews as well as almonds, dried fruit and rice crisps.

I have to say the combination of blueberries, cranberries and pomegranates works really well! This is a very fruity bar indeed, perfectly suited to the Summer weather. The pistachios go well with the berries, mingling to create an exotic taste. As much as I enjoyed the Dark Almond Mint variety I would say this one was even nicer - the fruits really steal the show! A delicious bar that also happens to be healthy, who'd have thought it?

Overall, this is another win from Kind Snacks, who really are shaping up to be masters in the healthy snacks market. Although not quite as prominent as Nakd Bars they are just as good, if not better in my opinon with their focus on a high percentage of nuts and less dried fruit. Check out their UK website here:

https://www.kindsnacks.co.uk/

Ingredients: Almonds, cashews, chicory root fiber, honey, glucose syrup, rice flour, pistachios, raisins, sugar, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates, soy lecithin, sea salt, natural flavor, citric acid, vitamin A (vit. A acetate), vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

Other Kind reviews: Caramel, Almond & Sea Salt. Almond & Coconut/Dark Chocolate Mocha.

8.5 out of 10.

Kind Snacks Dark Chocolate Almond & Mint Bar

A huge thanks to Kind Snacks UK for sending me some of their new bars to review recently, which includes a Pomegrante, Blueberry & Pistachio bar plus today's review: Dark Chocolate Almond & Mint, a bit of a different flavour for a healthy snack bar!

Kind bars are all gluten free, dairy free and made with ingredients you can see and pronounce. This particular bar contains a whopping 60% nuts, a lot more than the dried fruits that most healthy snack bars are based on.

Described as a "40g Almond & Mint bar with dark chocolate mint flavoured coating", this contains cashews, almonds and honey as well as rice crisp pieces.

The bar is chunky, with the nuts looking very plentiful. The honey and glucose syrup binding it make it slightly sticky, and it's easy to split in half.

I really enjoyed the refreshing taste of the mint chocolate on this bar, it's very different but very lovely and works well with the savoury nuts. This felt like quite a treat indeed, yes there's only a drizzle of the chocolate but its enough to make it decadent whilst also being a healthy bar.

Overall, I have to say this bar is a definite win! It lives up to its healthy credentials and is slightly naughty at the same time, you can't ask for more really. I haven't compared it to other healthy snacks bars but I'm guessing the sugar content is a lot lower.

8.5 out of 10. 

Ingredients: Almonds, Cashews, Dark Chocolate Flavored Coating (Palm Kernel Oil, Chicory Root Fiber, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Salt, Peppermint Oil), Chicory Root Fiber, Honey, Glucose Syrup, Rice Flour, Unsweetened Chocolate, Madagascar Vanilla, Soy Lecithin, Peppermint Extract, Sugar, Sea Salt, Peppermint Leaves.

For more info on Kind snacks see their UK website: https://www.kindsnacks.co.uk/products/

Milkybar Wowsomes with 30% Less Sugar (UK)

Another heads up today; as well as the new Kitkat Ruby, Nestle have also launched Milkybar Wowsomes, a white chocolate product containing 30% less sugar. This is the first bar in the world to use an innovative high tech sugar reduction technique, that changes the structure of the sugar, similar to the changes that candyfloss undergoes when it's made.

The bars contain no artificial sweeteners and consist of small chocolate pieces with crispy oat centres.

There's also mixed pouches of the chocolates, which contain two types of fillings: one with milk chocolate and crispy oats whilst the other is vanilla.

The sharing bags are currently £1.50 in Morrisons, whilst the bars are 60p in Tesco.

Ingredients: Milk Powders (Skimmed and Whole) (36%), Vegetable Fats (Palm, Shea), Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Oat Crispies (6%) (Rice Flour, Oat Flour, Sugar), Dextrin (Maize Fibre), Dried Glucose, Cocoa Mass, Emulsifier (Sunflower Lecithin), Fat-Reduced Cocoa Powder, Flavourings, Butterfat (from Milk), Lactose (from Milk), Whey Powder (from Milk)

Have you tried Milkybar Wowsomes? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

Kitkat Ruby is here (UK)!

Just a quick heads up...Kitkat Ruby has now arrived on UK shelves, in Tesco! I spotted this bar for 85p in Tesco Express in the chocolate bars section. It should be available in all stores within the next week or so. Happy hunting!

If you try this bar please do let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Tesco's New Frozen Toasties: the height of laziness?

Whilst perusing the new products in Tesco recently I came across something that made me stop in my tracks. "Really?!" I thought...people are really lazy enough to buy a FROZEN Toasted Sandwich?" It's not like they are that hard to slap together especially if you have a Toastie Maker.

The frozen delights come in classic Toastie flavours like Cheese & Ham, Tuna & Sweetcorn, BBQ Chicken, and Cheese Tomato & Spinach.

The latter even comes with wholemeal bread...mmm healthy frozen Toastie!

I imagine this range may be popular with students, although I reckon they'd opt for something shop-bought over these - too much effort!

Have you tried the new frozen Toasties from Tesco? Are they actually any good? Let me know in the comments!

Califia Farms Go Coconuts Coconut Milk

I've been trying a lot of sugar free, dairy free vegan nut milks recently, in an effort to be healthy and find the best tasting ones. The results have been mixed, with the new Innocent Almond Milk being the best I've tried so far. Another new brand on the U.K market is Califia Farms, who make a range of nut milks and cold brew coffee drinks. Unlike other brands their range is free from the thickener carageenan, which has been linked to various health problems, and contain 50% more calcium than milk. Pretty impressive right?!

This Coconut variety is available from Waitrose, and Sainsbury's also used to stock it although I haven't seen it there recently. It's made from a blend of coconut and coconut water to give it an authnetic light coconut flavour without the need for added sugars.

And it tastes pretty good! It has a creamy, frothy texture and tastes quite light and refreshing to drink. The added calcium is noticeable and does give it a slightly chalky taste which I wasn't too keen on though. Compared to Vita Coco Coconut Milk, I would say that one is nicer and closer to regular dairy milk than this is. But this is a decent enough alternative. What I don't like is the chunky bottle it comes in - yes it looks fancy, but it's very uneccesary and means more plastic to recycle. You don't get this problem with tetra packs.

Overall, this is a good coconut milk, although probably not one I would go out of my way for with the other alternatives on the market.

Ingredients: Coconut Milk (Water, Coconut Cream), Coconut Water, Calcium Carbonate, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum.

7 out of 10.

Oreo Birthday Party - new for the UK!

Just a quick post today as a heads up...Oreo Birthday Party variety is now available in the UK! From Asda specifically, these are on offer for 50p and consist of regular Oreo vanilla creme cookies with sprinkles in the centre. They're pretty much the same thing as Oreo Birthday Cake which have been available as imports for a while, and have been launched to celebrate Oreo's birthday.

Have you tried these? Are they as good as Oreo Birthday Cake? Let me know in the comments!

Cadbury Dream Ice Creams - back for Summer! (UK)

If you've sorely missed Cadbury Dream White Chocolate since it was withdrawn from UK shelves many years ago, fear not, it's going to be back for Summer, albeit in a colder form - yes, ice cream! Dream Ice Creams have been in shops sporadically for several years now (including a Strawberry variety that was exclusive to Farmfoods) but finally they're getting an official release just for the Summer, yay! It will be sold in major supermarkets in packs of three, and impulse sticks will cost £1.80 from convenience stores.

Maybe Cadbury are testing the waters to see how popular they are...who knows, maybe the proper Cadbury Dream bar may be resurrected if sales are good!

You can already find Cadbury Dream ice creams in Fultons Foods, a Northern based frozen food store if you're lucky enough to live near one (there's a store finder in the link above). I'm not sure if they sell imports or the official UK version, but here's some I spotted in there recently:

Have you tried Cadbury Dream Ice Creams before? Have you seen them in Jack Fultons? Let me know in the comments!

Nestle Ruby Kitkat to launch in the UK!

Good news snack lovers, Nestle are going to launch their much-hyped Ruby Kitkats in the UK - hurrah!

The Kitkats, first launched in China last year are made with naturally pink-coloured Ruby cocoa beans and will go on sale in Tesco in four finger bars.

The specially coloured beans are grown in the Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Brazil and promise "an intense fruity taste". The chocolate was created by Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut - the world’s largest cocoa processor.

Nestle are calling Ruby Chocolate a "fourth chocolate", after traditional Milk, Dark and White. It's the first new natural colour for chocolate since Nestlé unveiled white chocolate more than 80 years ago.

The Kitkats will go on sale in the US and Europe following the UK launch. Wow - must be the first time we are getting a product launched here before other countries!

Do you fancy the look of the Ruby Kitkat? Have you seen it in shops yet? Let me know in the comments below!

Innocent Dairy Free Almond Milk Review

Innocent, famous for their bottled smoothies have attempted to branch out in a few areas in recent years. They've done things like vegetable juices and Fruity Spring Waters, but now they've launched their own range of vegan and dairy free Nut Milks, made with just three ingredients, and no stabilisers or thickeners. This is certainly a good move, since many who buy nut milks are tired of all the weird things added in brands likes Alpro.

I picked up this 750ml bottle for £1.99 in Waitrose, I think it was an introductory offer but I'm not sure. There was also a Hazelnut variety there and I believe Innocent make a Coconut version too.



Consisting of just almonds, sea salt and spring water, I didn't think there was much I would be able to say about this and I was right - it tastes as you would expect. If you've ever made nut milk at home this is pretty much the same thing, just pressed nuts and water. It has a slight marzipan-ish taste from the almonds and is good mixed in tea or coffee, but I think it would work best in smoothies or shakes as the consistency is a little thin. This is to be expected due to the lack of thickeners so this isn't a criticism at all. I liked that it tasted natural - other nut milks inevitably taste weird in some way due to the added calcium, vitamins and stabilisers, but this tastes pretty fresh and clean.

Overall, there's not a lot to say about this Innocent Almond Milk other than it does what it's supposed to! I would buy this again over other nut milks to avoid the unwanted additives, and I'll certainly be on the lookout for the Coconut version as I do tend to prefer coconut milks in general.

Ingredients: Spring Water, Almonds (5.8%), Sea Salt

7.5 out of 10. 

New M&S British Isles Range...and Salt & Vinegar Caramels?!

Usually it's random companies that go balls to the wall with weird and wacky new flavours, but this time it's good old "British" institution M&S that have brought out a range of not just any new treats, but a "Taste of the British Isles" range, sure to make any Brexiteer dance with joy. It includes products like the Sea Salt and Vinegar Caramels shown above. Wrong, just wrong! What next, fish and chip truffles? (they probably do exist somewhere!)

In more weirdness, they're also selling not just any nuts but British Beer Coated Peanuts!

Plus they're doing a variety of alcoholic sweets, such as Milk Chocolate Truffles made with Somerset Matured Vintage Cider.

Plus a Gin Chocolate Collection for the gin lovers...

As well as Craft Beer Fudge!

Plus, Fruity Summer Punch Mallows...

And Rum and Raisin Toffees. Now these sound more up my street!

There's also Mocktail Jellies...

And the non-alcoholic and pure Unicorns Jellies...

Plus jelly Watermelons!

A new variety of Whip - Summer Fruits Whips!

Ooh - these look nice, Neapolitan Inspired Popcorn Bites!

As do these Sticky Toffee Pudding Bites!

You can't go wrong with Sea Salt Fudge Bites.

They're even getting in on the Speculoos train with these Speculoos Biscuit Truffles.

These sound lovely - Cornish White Chocolate Clotted Cream Truffles with a Cornish clotted cream ganache.

There's also this Sticky Toffee Pudding Bar, if you don't fancy sharing the bites!

Plus a Nostalgic British Fudge collection, with flavours like Eton Mess and Raspberry Fool.

Plus Ice Cream Inspired Toffees with raspberry ripple, mint chocolate and banana split flavours. Woo!

And plain Mint Toffees, made in York.

Gourmet Caramels, with strawberry, blackberry, mango & passionfruit flavours.

A Chocolate Maltball Selection - aka Maltesers - with salted caramel, dark chocolate and milk chocolate flavours.

Handmade Toffee Nut Brittle - made to a classic recipe with almond and pecan pieces.

Taste of The British Isles box - featuring Scottish Raspberry, English spring honey, Welsh sea salted caramel, and Irish cream liquer.

English toffee and milk chocolate drizzle cookies. Yum!

Last, but not least - Milk Chocolate Emotions. Because M&S are too posh for emojis...

Well, that's all for today's post - there were a few other new things in at M&S but I've included the most interesting here. If you try any of these treats, as always do let me know in the comments!