Contrary to what my carefully curated ‘Instagram feed’ might suggest, it is not just fashion and social issues that I am passionate about but food too. From a young age I developed a love for ‘good food’ that ‘nourished and revitalized the soul’ and would spend hours flicking through recipe books hoping that some food could magically appear on my door step. Subscription boxes were a godsend during my university years but without a student loan keeping up with the payments proved too difficult to manage. Which is why I am so grateful that my blog, despite my financial instability has provided me with incredible opportunities and the chance to work with some incredible brands, over a variety of genres. While I started Faded Spring as a ‘fashion’ blog it quickly augumented into something more and to date I have encompassed ‘fashion, lifestyle, social issues, personal diaries, dining, food, reviews and more’. After all why should we limit our blog to one genre if we are passionate about more than one thing? Despite what my petite stature might suggest, I have always had a great relationship with food and being able to work with a brand like Degustabox for the fourth month in the row is one of the reasons why I started this blog in the first place; to make lasting connections. So without further ado, let the food reviews commence…
Seabrook Lattice (crisps £1.50- £1.99)
I happen to have a huge place in my heart for lattice crisps because there is something about them that makes them stand out from ‘regular crispies and these are no exception. Smattered in sea salt and black pepper seasoning, the lattice crisps are sliced both ways to retain a stronger flavour. The strong taste of peppercorn melts in your mouth while the subtle blend of sea salt adds much needed punch to the lattice crisps.
Would I Buy It Again?
Words cannot even describe how good these crisps are, they were quite literally the best crisps I had in a long time. While they might be a little pricier than your standard run of the mill ‘Walkers’, crisps this good deserve a price tag to match.
Polo Sugar Free Pot (£1.49)
I am one of those people who see ‘chewing gum’ and ‘mints’ as ‘travel staples’ because I spend 75% of my time on the go. The problem is that many chewing gum and mint brands laden their products with sugar which defeats the objective of carrying around gum/mints to freshen your breath and teeth. I was curious to see whether there would be a visible difference between the sugar free and sugar variety but I am pleased to report the ‘sugar free’ Polo pot tasted exactly the same which was a relief. There was no compromise on taste and the polos were just as minty as the original Polo pot.
Would I Buy It Again?
For £1.49, you get a bargain for your buck, especially when the pot is quite voluminous in size, meaning more Polos to munch on for less .
CELIA Organic Lager (2.49)
The Czech’s really know how to make lager so I wasn’t surprised to learn that this premium craft organic lager used Moravian malt. Sourced from the Bohemian region, the lager is light to the taste and easy on the stomach. Because of my stomach issues I find that too much gluten can give me cramps or make me feel bloated so I was pleased to find that this gluten free lager was a lot kinder to my stomach than regular lager. The fact that the lager was organic was a bonus, although how much difference it would have made to taste is an entirely different story.
Would I buy It Again?
Because it is a premium brand I am not sure how readily available it would be in supermarkets like Tesco, but if I saw it again I would be happy to buy it as a pre-drink.
Garofalo Whole Wheat Penne Pasta ( £2.19)
Available in online stores like Ocado, the whole wheat pasta is made with unprocessed whole organic durum wheat meaning that the original vitamins and minerals are retained in the pasta. While I was happy to hear that the pasta was so beneficial for the immune system in all honesty I believe that the pasta was overpriced. While delicious, at £2.19 it seems like it has a more expensive price tag just because it is ‘whole wheat’ and organic. Lets face it if you are on a budget like I am, the price is steep for the same pasta that you can get for 80 P or less. That being said the pasta did taste good although I do prefer ‘white pasta’ as opposed to whole wheat.
Would I buy It Again
It was overpriced in comparison to similar products in the market, simply because it was a label. It tasted great but offered very little else in ratio to competitor brands.
Good Hemp ‘Hemp Seed Hearts’ (£4.49)
At first when I saw the price I was a little taken aback. As a Cheap Queen, I need good food that is ‘cheap and cheerful’ so nearly a fiver on one item was nearly enough to give me a heart attack. That being said once I tasted hemp and saw the amount that was available in the pocket I realized it would last a lot longer than I gave it credit for. Besides Hemp is not just full of protein, omega 3 and fibre but they are one of the most versatile food products around. Because it is quite ‘nutty’ in taste and gluten free, it makes it the perfect porridge and cereal topping and tastes especially good in salads like cous-cous which I make with giant lentils, goats cheese, peppers, sundried tomatoes and mint vinergerette. The hemp was not super strong in taste but just knowing it is in food, already makes your meal 10 times healthier which is a bonus.
Would I Buy It Again?
While I like the taste I don’t think I could afford to buy the hemp seed hearts unless they were on special offer.
Dorset Cereals ( American Road Trip £4.89)
Inspired by Route 66 American Road Trip blends cranberries, almonds and orange zest, marrying together in one sensational foodgasm. Despite the fact that I rarely eat breakfast – I am more of a Brunch & ‘Brinner’ ( Breakfast For Dinner) type gal, for some reason I get so excited about cereal. While my standard flavour tends to be those £1.10 Honey Nut Tesco cornflakes,Dorset Cereals certainly feel a lot more grown up. The blend of fruit with the addition of orange zest makes the cereal a lot more filling than your average cereal. While I can’t condone the excessive pricing, a once in a while treat will do nothing to your bank balance. After all breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day.
Would I buy It Again?
At the RRP price I wouldn’t and that would simply be because I wouldn’t be able to afford it. Because I like the taste so much though, even if it was a £1.50 cheaper, it would definitely be going into my basket.
Doisy & Dam’s Quinoa, Smoked Tea and Vanilla Chocolate (£1.75)
I have to admit when I saw that this chocolate contained ‘quinoa’ in I wrinkled my nose as I am the worlds biggest fan of quinoa. The first bite was tentative but after a few pieces, the taste of the smoked tea and vanilla came through and I was able to (mostly) ignore the presence of Quinoa. It was a small bar however and for 1.75 the price was quite steep. I have to commend ‘Doisy and Dam’ for being original in their curation of flavour and while I was not overly keen on the flavour, it gets bonus points for inventiveness.
Would I Buy It Again
Unfortunately not, I liked that I was able to try a new chocolate flavour but it was not to my taste.
Nothing But Snack Packs ( Grape + Pineapple/ Strawberry + Banana 2 x £1.20)
As a vegetarian it might seem ironic to say that I don’t get enough fruit and veg in my diet but it’s true. In fact my diet as of late has been pretty terrible and I don’t remember the last time I had my 5 a day. So having snack packs of real freeze dried fruit seemed like a godsend, especially as there were no ingredients but the fruit themselves. The grape and pineapple pack was the first flavour that I sampled and was rather delicious. Because the snack pack was only 11 g it meant that the sweetness of the pineapple was not too much and the portion size was perfect for the fruit that was offered. The second flavour was just as delicious although I would have liked more banana as the strawberries were far too sweet for my liking. That being said it was still a great snack pack flavour.
Would I Buy It Again?
Yes, not only are the snack packs cheap and good for you but there is also a total of six flavors available and I am desperate to try the mange tout and red pepper snack.
Whitworths Full Of Super ( £1.50)
Crammed with almonds, coconut flakes and golden flax seeds these vanilla macaroons are so good. I never got why so many people are against coconuts in sweet treats because I happen to love it and it really helped to accentuate the vanilla base flavour. Not only are these bad boys melt in your mouth but they are also high in both fibre and panthoenic acid -which aids mental performance-. While I didn’t feel a spike in my productivity levels I would happily eat more macaroons to help test that theory out .
Would I Buy It Again?
Judging my enthuastic commentary you should take that as a decisive yes.
ViPnuts ( Hot Chilli £1.25)
If you have followed my ‘food blogging journey’ so far then you will know that I am a huge fan of spice and often complain if something is not spicy enough because I believe that it lacks flavour. That being said too much spice can also distract from flavour so there has to be a fine balance between the two. I was pleased that the hot chilli peanuts had an incredible depth of flavour and sprinkled into a Quorn Chicken Korma, created a wonderful crusted topping.
Would I Buy It Again?
Yes, despite branding themselves as a ‘gourmet peanut brand’ the pricing is cheap and the flavour is absolutely divine
Overall Box Verdict
While there were some stand outs (Lattice Crisps, Macaroons, Hot Chilli Nuts), April’s Degustabox definitely felt weaker than the previous boxes I had received which was a real shame. For the most part I enjoyed the box but felt that many of the products I would not buy in the real world because of how pricey they were.
6/10
Product Of The Month
Lattice Crisps
What Would Appeal Most To You From Aprils Degustabox?
Another fab box!! I still haven’t tried a subscription package, of food or any other product, but I would love to! Those seabrooks lattice crisps are amazing aren’t they? I am so addicted!
I love degustabox but I was disappointed in the content last month. At least for me it wasn’t worth it like usual so whilst I got the same items as you I like maybe 2 out of the lot
I think I might have to try that Organic Larger! It sounds like a great alternative!
Theres some really good items in here. I’ve tried those Seabrook crisps before, they are great
We call lattice chips, waffle chips here in the US….and they are my favorite! Look at all the good stuff you got in there.
Some lovely things here I forgot how amazing lattice crisps can be and that Czech larger looks like just the thing I love to drink!
Definitely putting some of these on my summer grocery list!
I love Degustabox! I have been getting their boxes for about five months now. I agree, this month’s box was a bit lacking.
I am partial to crisps, and I miss Dorset Cereal out here in France (but have started making my own). I know what you mean that some of the products the price is prohibitive to be a regular purchase. Great post.
Those hemp seed hearts are unusual, I’ve not tried anything like that before – so I think out of everything from this box I’d try those! x
I love the sound of the Nothing but snacks. My boy would love them. The crisps have made me very hungry. I think blog diversity is a great thing. Something to be embraced for sure.
Oh no. This definitely doesn’t look as good as some of the other boxes I’ve been you post about
I always love a box with food 😉 I think I’d love those first chips. Yum. I’d also like to try those peanuts since I love spicy foods.
I hadn’t headers of this subscription box before but would definitely check it out after reading your review.
Those crisps sound so, SO good! And I’m not even a crisps person to start off with!
I’ve heard a lot about this box and it always seems to be full of really interesting thing that you could easily add to your shopping list.
Some of these products sound great, but it’s a shame they are more often than not – overpriced! I couldn’t justify spending that sort of money either! But I love the look of the fruit snack packs, and would definitely buy them if I saw them!
I definitely need to get on the food box bandwagon. I can’t believe how many different things you get every month. I’m so glad you considered price when making your recommendations, because that what most of us will look at first. At our house my husband would first be reaching for the hot chili nuts and me for the fruit snacks
Love all the good snacks on here. That quinoa smoked tea and vanilla drink sounds very unique and one that I would love to try it .
If I were not to consider the price tag, I think I would like the Dorset Cereals, the macaroons, Nothing but Snack packs and the Whitworth Full of Super. The lattice potato chips is also going to be a new favorite. OMG, isn’t it obvious that I am a snack junkie? LOL.
I’ve heard mixed reviews about the Degusta box, but I think would be a great way to learn about new products on the market. I too love my food. 🙂
Those lattice crisps look amazing, I need to give Degustabox another go x
It’s a shame this months box didn’t live up to usual standards…I’d still love to try those Chilli Nuts though!
I am addicted to pasta so I think I have to try Garofalo Whole Wheat Penne Pasta. Thanks for the suggestion!
This looks like a great box with a good selection of items. I really like Degustabox for trying out new products x
Yummy looking snacks here. I would love to taste some of them.
I’ve never tried a food subscription box before but I love the selection – especially the Polos. I’ve not had those in years! x
I’ve never heard of Degusta boxes before. What a travesty! This is right up my street. What a fab box.
Katja xxx
http://www.katnapped.com
I love that you get to try these before you purchase them in the market. That’s one of the things that I like about subscription boxes. Looks like this is one of the months that weren’t that great.
I would buy some of these snacks as well. The others are worth a try although they are a little pricey. I think you’re getting your money’s worth.
It would be nice to get to try these snacks. I enjoy reading reviews about snacks because I like knowing which ones are worth getting in stores.
Loving this box, so much choice, so much variety and as a foodies myself this is deffo up my street 🙂 x
There are so many things in there that I would love to try! That chocolate is so unusual!!! Looks fab, thx for sharing it’s so up my street x
Sounds like a decent subscription box, I want to try the lattice crisps they sound nice
I love seabrooks normal crisp version so the lattice ones look fab! Quinoa chocolate: not something I would try!
I would love the American mix and the lager here. And I’d be curious to try out that gum as well. It’s funny as I love right by Route 66 and I still haven’t taken the whole route. I am going to have to do that sometime. I love good road trips.
I’ve never heard of this degustabox. I’m a big foodie too and never tried these foods either. I am going to look into the subscription. <3
It’s nice to get to try lots of new products! I love the look of the crisps and the fruit snack bags!
Such a range of yummy products – I love the look of the fruit crisps and Dorset cereal 🙂
I do love how you get such a wide variety of products to try, however it is a shame a lot of these were overpriced for what they were.
Hopefully next month the box will be back to a better selection. I look forward to your next review
I’d love to try the beer and the chips but I am on a diet. Ugh! I need to loose the weight soon otherwise I’d be in trouble!
I’ve tried Degustabox before but never got anything this good! Thanks for the awesome review!
I didn’t even know one could buy hemp seed hearts as a grocery. Very interesting.
We absolutely love Dorset Cereals and wish we could afford them all the time. They are our special treats!
I keep planning on trying this! Seabrook crisps are my fave so these sound amazing!
WOW you got so much in this box amazing!!! I love crisps too and they look special just from the packet (walkers crisps are overrated) I love the range of things that were included in the box!!
These seem quite interesting as it is quite exciting to try different products. I want to try the hemp seeds I haven’t had a chance to yet and I could probably make some great salads with that.
Ooh looks like a great selection in that box! I’ve always wanted to try a Degusta Box and I love the rundown you’ve created of each item and whether you’d re-purchase.
I enjoyed reading through your assessment of all of the items and I really like how objective you were and that you gave your reasons for stating good or bad. Cost is an issue for virtually everyone as that is just a reality so it was also great to see you reference this throughout. You have given me some ideas on products to try now.
The Seabrook crisps and the Dorset cereal would be my favourite items. I find the boxes can be amazing or not so great and vary a bit
The crisps would definitely be my favourite from the box. The other items seem interesting to try, but there were to many of the same type of products for my taste.
That box looks amazing. I think i would be torn between the nuts and crisps. Hope next months is just as good, if not better!
I love the honesty in these posts. The crisps look and sound just lush – I will look out for them, thank you. Kaz x
I like most of these items from the Degusta Box. I love any products that are gluten free as I too have problems with my digestion. I didn’t even know you could buy gluten free beer. Over all I think I would buy most of these products except the more expensive ones.
Great box! It’s been yonks since I’ve had polos!
I stopped my Degustabox subscription as they kept sending me the same few things that I really didn’t like. But it looks like they’ve really upped their game recently. I may have to resubscribe!!
Louise x
Dorset cereals are a local company so I support them where possible. Love the look of the crisps too
Great Post! I would definitely try to find some of these items. Thanks for sharing.
XOXO //SINCERELY OPHELIA | NYC Petite Fashion Blogger
I’m loving the idea of these Degusta boxes! The crisps would be the winner for me 😉 x