Among the usual stream of baby photos that seem to fill my Facebook feed, sat a suggested ‘like’, like a shining diamond there sat Degustabox.
I wasn’t enamoured with the name, but a photo of a box full of colourful random food items immediately grabbed my attention. On investigation I discovered that that the idea behind it is to bring new food products from recognised brands directly to the customer.
The exciting bit is that each month is a little bit like Christmas for a foodie, as you recieve a surprise box of goodies picked out by a dedicated team, who apparently scour for new, limited, delicious and special foods, especially for their subscribers.
Founded successfully in 2012 by Jurgen Schnatter and Oriol Blasco in Barcelona, the idea was launched in 2014 in the UK with other European Countries set to follow.
NottinghamLive were lucky enough to receive the June Degustabox to share with you our thoughts on the items it contained:
Be Fast.
For anyone that’s ever tried to lose weight, the taste is comparible to slim fast though a tad sweeter. Billed as breakfast on the go without the need to sit down. The high in fibre drink is also a good source of protein and is low in fat. They say it should ‘last you until lunchtime’ and is the ideal food on the go. There were two flavours to try, Vanilla and Banana, It was a little too sweet for me, and as with my usual breakfast, I was hungry by 11am but maybe I’m just greedy. RRP £1.00each
Estrella Damm.
An award winning premium Spanish lager known internationally as the ‘Beer of Barcelona’ Ahh I love this. I visited Barcelona and passed the actual brewery. The first taste of this imported beer reminds me of sunny Barcelona days in a can. A sweet continental taste. One I’d definately buy again but I question a rrp £4 price tag. Pass the tapas.
Elizabeth Shaw Amaretto chocolate flutes.
These are damn near worth the price of a Degustabox themselves. I love chocolate and I love Amaretto so the two combined are a dream come true. They smell like Amaretto, or Marzipan for anyone that’s never tried Amaretto. I love the smell of Marizipan. The girl that does my nails uses a moisturising spray that smells just the same, to the point I want to drink it, but weird stuff aside, these delectable melt in the mouth batons of smooth milk chocolate with the sweet Italian taste of Amaretto (which interestingly contain neither) are a winner. Chuck away the Matchmakers this Christmas these are divine. rrp £2.59
Urban Fruit
Gently baked pineapple is a healthy snacking option to combat the sugar cravings. Nice and sweet yet still tastes healthy rrp £1.09
Bear Alphabites
Crunchy cereal letters that contain no refined sugar, no salt and ‘no added nonsense’ healthy but they taste they way. Instead of adding refined sugars, the makers use coconut blossom nectar, to make them naturally sweet and crunchy. They were ok, tasted a little like honey nut loops. After being open for over a week, like most cereals they started to go a bit soft so I used them along with chocolate and marshmallows to make a tasty tray bake (genius – I have the recipe if you want it) I can imagine they are a great idea for kids to help them practice their spelling whilst having their breakfast, though my spoonfuls seemed to keep spelling BOB. Maybe it’s a sign or maybe its a sign I’ve watched too many horror films and it’s not really a message from the dead rrp £2.69
Veetee
Cooking rice in the microwave is so much quicker and easier than boiling water in a pan and hoping you time it right. There are similar products on the market but we enjoyed the Basmati and wild rice we received. I used the convenient nutty tasting rice alongside a homemade curry. Ready in two minutes, it’s one less thing to worry about when cooking rrp £1.49
Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Grinder
Containing Madagascan Vanilla pods, this easy to use mill has course or fine grinding options and can be used to grind into your cake or dessert mixes (which I used it for) or as a topping for hot drinks or ice cream to give the delicate flavour of vanilla. One I’d definitely buy again. rrp £4.99
Lambrini Strawberry
I’m not a Lambrini girl but this new fresh summer flavour is delicious, fruity and light. Perfect for warm summer days. rrp £3.29
There was an extra gift in the Degustabox which was Dr. Oetker Milk cooking chocolate. Not bad as cooking chocolate goes. I usually buy normal shops own label chocolate when I’m cooking as I find cooking chocolate a little dry but I used this, along with the Bear Alphabites and Dr. Oetker vanilla grinder together in the recipe I mentioned previously and they all worked well together. If you are a keen cook, Degustabox are also keen to hear from, and feature recipe bloggers who use the products in their recipes.
So, have I signed up for a monthly Degustabox? I have. I love the idea of a box of surprises each month. There were a couple of items in the box I wasnt keen on but there is no commitment so you can cancel at any time, so I’ll see how it goes. Watch this space….
Interested? NottinghamLive readers can save £3.00 on their first Degusta box by quoting a special code ‘ISEMF’ when ordering. If you try it, let me know what you think.
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By Tanya Raybould
