July Degustabox

My family and I always look forward to our Degustabox delivery, which arrives every month and is full of foodie surprises. This monthly food and drink subscription box is an excellent way to discover products which have only just appeared in the shops or those which might have been around for while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.
Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

Each time the box arrives, it's a bit like unwrapping Christmas gifts, as you don't know what you might find there. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet and would like to have a go, I have a whopping £7 off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time) - just use a code BLDEG15 when you place an order.

What did we receive in a July box? Let's have a peek:

Being a chocoholic, the first product I have opened was a pack of Brookside Chocolates - Acai & Blueberry flavours in dark chocolate. The combination of sweet and tart berry centre with smooth dark chocolate is truly a winner. Taste-wise they are very moreish, but I wasn't happy to see that sugar in this product is produced from genetically modified sugar beet, corn and soya beans. That's regrettable, as I avoid buying foods with GM ingredients.

We usually buy Bahlsen Choco Leibnitz biscuits in big packs, but now these delicious biccies are available in handy portions of two biscuits per pack. Crunchy and crisp butter biscuits are covered with a thick layer of chocolate. It's a delicious snack under 150 kcal. Great for picnics, snacks on the go or grown-up lunches (I think quite a few schools nowadays don't look favourably upon any chocolate treats).

Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles Infusions are a twist on Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles. There are three flavours including orange & grapefruit, raspberry & pomegranate and apple & elderflower. Made with fruit juice, and no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. My boys enjoyed them. I have tried a couple, and didn't like the texture, as I generally am not fond of sweets which stick to teeth.

Itsu Crispy Seaweed Thins in sea salt flavour are new vegetable crisps. One pack provides 13 kcal which makes it an ideal snack for anyone on a diet.. Seaweed, the green superfood is naturally packed with nutrients, zinc, iron and B vitamins. It's a great source of iodine. The seaweed for this snack is harvested from the crystal clear seas around South Korea. The crisps melt on the tongue, leaving a flavour of the sea in your mouth.

Seabrook Lattice Food Heroes celebrate all things British Food and Drink. These Chorizo flavoured gluten free lattice crisps were crunchy and mildly spicy. If I had to do a blind test, I wouldn't have guessed this was a chorizo flavour, but they do have a mild paprika flavour.

I often buy Jordans for breakfast, we especially love Country Crisp. Jordans Swiss Style Muesli is the latest addition to an extensive range of cereals. It is a blend of crispy wheat flakes, creamy oats, juicy raisins and almond slices. This is a classic recipe, with no added sugar and with 100% natural ingredients.

I was most excited to find a jar of Felix Gherkins in the box. I have recently discovered this brand, visiting Burford garden centre and seeing several different varieties of Swedish jams. I bought a jar of rose hips & lingonberry jam, and it was delightful.
Sweet pickled crunchy gherkins are delicious flavourful pickles. They are made, using a traditional recipe with vinegar, sugar and spices.

I added a few spoons of gherkins to a Swedish style potato salad, and ate the rest straight from the jar. They were excellent pickles, and if I see them in the shops, I'd buy them definitely.

Sarson's balsamic vinegar is a useful addition to any pantry. I always have several different brands of balsamic vinegar in the kitchen. I love adding it to salads or as an ingredient to tomato sauce for pasta. Sarson's has been a vinegar expert for over 200 years, and its balsamic vinegar promises a distinctive gentle aroma with a tangy taste.

For 2-3 endives you will need
100g Dolcelatte, Gorgonzola or any other creamy blue cheese
50g pine nuts
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Cube cheese and place into endive boats, scatter pine nuts inside them, then drizzle the dressing made with runny honey, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Rejuvenation Water is an amino acid enriched spring water. Using Derbyshire spring water, natural fruit flavours and a unique amino acid profile (whatever that means), Rejuvenation Water is meant to fuel the immune system and build a natural resilience to stress, depression and anxiety. While I'm always slightly sceptical about the claims to relieve stress and anxiety, as a drink it has a pleasant taste. I enjoyed this refreshing water.

Cracker Drinks Co produces natural fruit drinks that taste delicious. The range includes a selection of various blends, with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. A serving will provide you with 1 of 5 a day, and at less than 90kcal per serving. The carton of Pineapple, Coconut and Lime was finished off so quickly, I haven't had a chance to take a photo of the actual drink. My men said it was tasty.

ALO Drink is made with real aloe vera juice. I know aloe vera juice has had a bit of a bad reputation recently thanks to unscrupulous pyramid companies who try to sell you aloe vera products as a cure for everything. Yet aloe vera has been known for its medicinal properties for thousands of years.
ALO Drink is a non-GMO project verified, gluten free and fat free. Aloe Vera with Honey is a mildly sweet refreshing drink.

As the contents of boxes vary, there might be different products included.
BerryWhite range of soft drinks is certified organic and is blended from natural non-GM fruits. The exotic extracts are also organic with subtle notes added to make exciting drink combinations. They are made with no added sugar or artificial preservatives.
Sparkling Cranberry & Guava and Lemon & Ginger are zingy refreshing drinks, perfect for summer.

Cucumber drinks are all en vogue these days. I've noticed quite a few cucumber-based drinks and water in supermarkets recently.
Qcumber sources its spring water from Radnorshire in Mid Wales, an unspoilt rural area, where the water is able to filter naturally through layers of rock. This drink has a pure taste, and is lovely straight from the fridge on a hot day.

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Disclosure: I received the latest Degustabox for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.