Starbucks UK Pear & Cocoa Bircher review

Birchers are something that I often make for myself for breakfast so I was really interested to try this Pear & Cocoa version from the festive range. It was full of chunks of apples and pears with currents and seeds spread throughout. It had the usual oats and the yogurt used is like a berry flavour, I'm pretty sure it is the same as the one used in the Berry Bircher which I really enjoy. I couldn't detect any cocoa flavour but I didn't really miss it. This Bircher is a nice edition to the range with a lovely fruity flavour and filled with yummy oats and seeds. It is very similar to the Berry Bircher with the addition of the pieces of pear and apple. I would happily eat this again as a healthy breakfast treat.

Morrisons Lemon & Raisin Pancakes review

 

 

Pancakes are something always in supply in my cupboard and I love trying different versions and flavours. I have never bought pancakes from Morrison's before so thought that I would try these lemon & raisin variety. There was a nice subtle smell of lemon and they looked full of juicy raisins. I took a bite and my face screwed up. They were dry, stale and I actually checked the packet to make sure that they were still in date (which they were). This was a real shame as the flavour of the pancakes was actually quite tasty and there was a more than generous amount of raisins scattered through. The pancakes at the bottom of the packet seemed to be a little softer so I don't know if these were just a dodgy batch but either way I was really disappointed and threw most of the packet in the bin. I will be buying my pancakes elsewhere in future!

Ben & Jerry's Caramel Chew Chew review

 

 

Being a Ben & Jerry's addict this is one flavour that I never buy. I remember having it once year ago but then not being tempted to but it again but considering how many people love this flavour I thought I would give it another go. I opened the lid to the caramel ice cream and there were clearly small caramel filled chocolates all through. Unfortunately despite being a caramel lover, caramel ice cream just doesn't sit well with me and I find it a it bland so this ice cream just isn't for me but that's due to my personal taste. It was tasty and the ice cream was sweet and pleasant with the caramel chocolates adding another depth to it, however in future I would definitely choose pretty much all of the other flavours to this one. 

Tuc to Go review

As I have mentioned I love the taste of salt and find it incredibly moreish. This means if I ever open a packet of salty crackers such as Tuc's I can quite easily consume most of the packet in one sitting without even thinking twice. These new Tuc to Go packets are therefore perfect for portion control or to take out for a light lunchtime snack. There are 6 biscuits in the packet and they have their usual addictive salty flavour. They had a nice crunch but were much softer than many other crackers. These were ideal for me as I actually ended up eating an appropriate amount of biscuits so I will be buying these again. However many of the biscuits were broken but that maybe down to my carelessness so I cant fault them for that but it did mean they were quite tricky to eat when out without making quite a mess.

Echo Falls Fruit Fusion- White Peach & Mango review

White wine is my favourite drink and the sweeter the better. I usually drink Moscato which is a dessert wine which gives you an idea just how sweet I like my drinks. I went out on a limb and tried this echo falls wine as it was on offer. This was a mini bottle and only 9% volume so I tried it chilled expecting it to be drinkable but not for me. I was totally wrong because it was delicious. It was fruity and I could detect both peach and mango in the flavours but it was also really sweet. It wasn't quite as sweet as Moscato but the flavours made up for it for me. If your a dry wine sort of person or you're into your beer then I don't think you will be a fan of this drink but if you like your sugar filled drinks or something fruity then I would imagine you will thoroughly enjoy this!

Starbucks UK Soy Perfect Porridge review

I love a warm, creamy pot of porridge on a chilly winters day so with the recent cold weather I decided to try Starbucks Perfect Porridge. I had this with soy milk, not because of any intolerances but because I really enjoy the taste now and again for a change. The porridge was given to me and there was quite a bit of liquid in the pot but after 2 minutes most of it had thickened up. It comes with the options of honey, jam or dried fruit which I selected. It was very creamy but there was a slight blandness to the underlying flavour. It was incredibly filling and I found myself struggling a bit by the bottom of the pot. It was quite expensive for what t was and although it wasn't bad I don't think I would go out of my way to buy this porridge again as I felt that it was lacking something. I'm not entirely sure what this was, maybe some spice or vanilla would have changed my mind but it was just perfectly fine.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups- snacksize review

For anyone who hasn't tried Reese's peanut butter cups they are a strangely additive chocolate. I have never met anyone who really enjoys them yet there is a quality to them that makes me love them. They are not really sweet so I think it is the saltiness of the peanut butter that makes them so moreish. These were individually wrapped snack size versions which were slightly smaller than the regular cups but just right for a small peanut butter hit. There was still a decent amount of peanut butter crème filling and a thick dark chocolate coating. The chocolate is American brand Hershey's so not as high quality as many other brands however the overall product is one that I really enjoyed and the convenience of the individual packets will certainly come in handy for a sweet treat.

Pom-Bear cheese and onion review

Feeling a bit of nostalgia today when picking up a boots meal deal I couldn't resist picking up these Pom-bears, a stable of every 90's kids childhood. I remember having the original flavour a lot when I was younger but couldn't remember having any of the other flavours that I noticed so I decided to try the cheese and onion. When I opened the bag there were lots of smiling bears staring up at me but no strong smell as you would expect from most cheese and onion crisps. I took a bite and was left a bit flat. There really wasn't much flavour to these at all. They were light and melted on the tongue as most potato snack crisps do but I was disappointed by the actual taste. I realise that these are intended for children so bold flavours may not be the best move but considering the amount of youngsters who eat regular cheese and onion crisps, I was surprised at just how bland these tasted and will probably avoid these in future.

Muller Rice Remix Greek Inspired (Strawberry) review

 

As I have previously stated I like to try every flavour of Muller Rice that I can get hold of. This flavour promised the taste of cinnamon in the rice with the added strawberry compote. In my opinion, cinnamon is the best spice so I first tried the rice alone. The cinnamon was certainly prominent and so I should have loved it but I found it a bit bland so added the strawberry compote. This did improve the desert and added a kick of sweetness. There was the usual thick and creamy texture and just the right amount of compote alongside it. However, I have to admit that I my expectations fell short. This desert was perfectly acceptable for a lower fat after dinner treat but it's not something that I would choose over a traditional Muller rice as I found it had more of a tang than a flavour and I would have preferred it to have a sweeter flavour overall. 

Jenkins Bakery mini corned beef pasties review

I recently learned that corned beef pasties are the go-to pasty in Wales where other parts of the UK may favour the traditional Cornish pasty. Jenkins is a bakery chain very similar to Greggs and have a lot of delicious pastries and bakes. To test which pasty was the preferred, these were tasted by 7 people from different parts of the UK from Ireland to all over England and Wales. The pastry was buttery and flaky with a decent amount of flavoursome corned beef inside. Those who had never tasted them before found it very strange as they saw corned beef as "granddad food" but after the initial sore faces did acknowledge that they weren't too bad, whereas those who had grown up with them thoroughly enjoyed the treat and between us all we quite happily demolished the boxful. My opinion is corned beef is the superior pasty by far and I love that these mini versions are so easy to snack on.

Costa Goats Cheese and Sweet Balsamic Chutney Panini review

Firstly, I apologize for the quality of the photo but I absolutely love goats cheese and couldn't wait to get stuck in! When it was put in front of me, it didn't look the most appealing but not being put off by the promising sound of this Panini I got stuck in. The balsamic chutney was very tasty but subtle and was far from the prominent flavour. There was just the right amount of spinach but the main taste to this Panini was the goats cheese which was lovely even though it could have done with quite a bit more. Overall I really enjoyed this for a quick lunch and would recommend it to any goats cheese lovers like myself, however it could certainly be improved with a bit more filling to make this an even nicer treat.

Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough review

 

Cookie Dough is arguably the most famous Ben & Jerry's flavour and it is an old favourite of mine that I literally haven't had in years due to getting caught up with all the limited edition and core flavours. I now usually just overlook this flavour when I see all the exciting new editions but this week I decided to return to my roots. I was convinced that after all the amazing flavours that I have been enjoying recently that I was going to find this a bit bland and boring but even so I lifted the lid revealing perfectly distributed cookie dough chunks and chocolate chips throughout the pot. I took a bite and couldn't have been more pleased! I had totally forgotten just how rich and delicious this plain vanilla ice cream was. Adding to the flavour even further were the soft chewy cookie dough pieces that melted in the mouth alongside the slightly bitter dark chocolate chunks which prevented this ice cream from becoming too sweet. I happily finished the pot and will definitely remember next time that sometimes the originals are sometimes the best!

Jack Links Original Beef Jerky review

 

 

Beef Jerky is a typical American snack that has been becoming more popular in the UK over the past few years. It's something I have always been interested to try but never actually got around to tasting so when passing the American isle of my local Tesco, I decided to bite the bullet. Beef Jerky is basically dried strips of beef which to me personally doesn't sound too appealing. I opened the bag to find lots of little pieces of meat that looked as though a lot of which had broken into even smaller pieces. It was certainly chewy, kind of like the texture of bacon from a pizza the day after it was bought. I know this sounds bad but it actually wasn't, it was just a little strange. The flavour was what you would expect, very beefy. This would be a handy little snack for any meat lovers out there and in this 25g bag pretty convenient. It's not something I would personally rush out to buy again but I would happily finish off another bag if it was given to me as an enjoyable savoury treat that is an alternative to crisps.

Muller Rice Maple Flavour Syrup (Limited Edition) review

 

 

Its that time of year again and maple flavour products seem to be appearing everywhere (not that I'm complaining about that). Muller Rice is one of my favourite evening treats so I make a habit of trying all of limited edition flavours. After falling in love with the salted caramel flavour I was furious that it had been replaced with maple syrup but despite my annoyance I caved and bought one. My anger was short lived as this was delicious. When digging to the bottom of the tub there was a think gorgeous syrup that had a strong and sweet maple flavour. It certainly satisfied my sweet tooth but I didn't find it too sickly which is often a worry I have with maple syrup products. This is perfect for a sweet evening treat in the winter months and I have no doubt that I will go through quite a few pots of these while they are around. 

Marks and Spencer Honey Barbecue Wholegrain snacks review

 

 

When I decide to eat crisps, I like something thick and crunchy like Doritos or McCoy's so I was intrigued by these wholegrain bites from Marks and Spencer guilt free snacking range. I have to say considering these are a "healthier" version of crisps I thoroughly enjoyed them. I was expecting to have very few in the bag as they are quite light in calories at 126 per bag but I was pleasantly surprised to find there were the same amount in there as a regular bag of crisps (which isn't necessarily saying very much these days). They had a lovely sweet barbecue flavour and were rather large with a good crunch to them. I found I was actually quite full after I had finished the bag so I think for those on a diet these could definitely stop you from visiting the vending machine. I would even suggest these for those not counting the calories as they had such a tasty flavour to them and I savoured every mouthful.  

Tesco Carrot Cake flavour Yogurt review

 



 

 Carrot Cake yogurt? Why has nobody thought of this before! I absolutely adore carrot cake so went out of my way to get hold of this little treat from Tesco. I didn't know what to expect from this but I knew I had to try it so peeled back the lid to a pale orange colour yogurt with a couple of sultanas floating through it. I tasted it and it took me a few mouthfuls to form an opinion, its just so strange! It does taste a surprising amount like carrot cake and one of the main flavours that comes through is the cream cheese which I wasn't expecting. Its actually very rich so I was quite glad the pot was only 100ml. Overall, if you are a fan of carrot cake then it is worth a try. I do think I need to pick up another one to taste again because it was such a strange experience I don't think I have decided yet whether I love it or if its just too weird, either way I am certainly glad that I was able to get my hands on this yogurt and I hope Tesco add to their range of weird and wonderful deserts.

Marks and Spencer's Mandarin Orange pancakes review

These are the third and last of the Marks and Spencer's "Taste of the British Isle" pancakes that I have reviewed. Having enjoyed the Strawberry and Dorset clotted cream version but feeling slightly underwhelmed by the Raison Maple, I was hesitant in picking these up, especially because as a general rule I really don't like Orange. I tend to find orange flavours too sharp and tangy but curiosity got the better of me and as these seem to be the most popular variety (the pack that are often sold out), I decided to give them a go. This was the best decision I have made in a while because they are absolutely delicious! My worries about them being too sharp was totally unnecessary as they were the sweetest of all three varieties. They were soft, light and fluffy with a sweet mandarin flavour that didn't overwhelm them at all. Nobody will be more surprised than me at how much I enjoyed these and I will definitely pick up another packet of these in future.

Tesco White chocolate and Raspberry ice cream review

I'm usually a bit of an ice cream snob and only buy luxury tubs but I do have a weakness for white chocolate and raspberry so was tempted when I passed this Tesco version. This was an individual tub for one so was perfectly portioned. Now I do have to say that it wasn't as creamy as the more high end brands however the flavour was delicious. It was like a raspberry ripple with a slight sweet edge. Although I could really make out any white chocolate there was an added flavour that was really tasty. I cant say this will be my new favourite ice cream but I will certainly pick it up again as a much cheaper alternative when I'm fancying something very sweet.

Milkybar Mousse review

I have always loved the milky bar dessert and white chocolate in general so despite not being a massive lover of mousse I was a little excited when I saw this Milkybar mousse in stores. On lifting the lid there was that familiar smell of the standard Milkybar. When I tasted it, the texture was light and fluffy and tasted exactly like the chocolate. Despite enjoying this mousse I don't think I would rush to buy these again as I prefer the thick creaminess of the original dessert.This is probably down to my feelings of mousses in general though so I would imagine that for anyone who is a fan of Milkybar and a light, creamy mousse then this will be right up your street!