Summer & Grazing Degustabox

We're back from Cornwall, and what a lovely week it was! We were lucky with weather most of the time, and enjoyed delicious meals, cooked with the local produce, and some of the lovely treats from the latest Degustabox food box which I packed to take with us on the trip.

Summer & Grazing is the theme of the latest Degustabox selection. 

Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a 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 otherwise wouldn't have tried.

Each time a monthly box arribes, its contents are a total surprise. 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 £3 off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order.

Let's have a look at what we got in the Summer & Grazing box.

Fox's Glacier boiled sweets (£1) are a British classic.

"At Fox's we believe life is better when you take things slowly. These principles go back to 1918, when Eric Fox first established Fox's Glaciers as long lasting sweets with flavours that are worth savouring and taking time over."

These are satisfyingly long-lasting sweet treats, great for a long car journey. There were three items in the box.

Fox's Glacier Moments Little Lifts offer an uplifting selection of fruits, botanicals and a hint of mint - choose from four delicious flavours: lemon, mint and elderflowr, peach and passionfruit, strawberry with a hint of hibiscus and apple, pear and spearmint.

Suitable for vegans. 386kcal and 72.2g of sugar per 100g.

Fox's Summer Punch is an assortment of strawberry, sunshine orange, elderflower spritz and fruit punch glaciers. Suitable for vegans. 385kcal and 70.6g of sugar per 100g.

Fox's Glacier Moments After Darks - an indulgent selection of dark fruits, rich cream and decadent caramel. Choose from four delicious flavours: cherry bakewell tart, smooth Irish cream, dark fruits with a hint of liquorice and decadent banoffee.

Suitable for vegans. 386kcal and 72g of sugar per 100g.

Little Lifts and After Darks are available at Sainsbury's. Summer Punch Limited Edition is available at Home Bargains.

Nestle Smarties chocolate sharing bag (£1) are well-known milk chocolate buttons in a crisp sugar shell. I took this pack of Smarties with us on holidays and we enjoyed eating them on the wind-swept beach.

These fun chocolate buttons contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. 

Nutritional information: 89kcal and 11.9g of sugar per 16 sweets. Paper bag is made from responsible sources. Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Lindt Noccionoir Dark Hazelnut and Nocciolatte Milk Hazelnut (£0.85) are chocolate bars with hazelnut filling and whole hazelnuts. If you enjoy a combination of smooth praline and whole hazelnuts, these are chocolate bars for you. They're utterly delicious.

Nutritional information: 564kcal/554kcal and 48g/of sugar per bar.

You should receive two items in your box. Lindt Nocciolatte is available at all major supermarkets. Lindt Noccionoir is available in Tesco from July, and rolling out in the other retailers later in the year.

McVitie's Jaffa Cakes Blackcurrant Flavour (£1.20) - a product of the month - are a tangy twist on a classic Jaffa cake. McVitie's have been expanding their range of Jaffa cakes, experimenting with the fruity flavours. So far we have tried a Passionfruit, Cherry, Pineapple and Orange & Cranberry flavours. We can't decide which flavour is the tastiest, though Cherry is probably my top flavour.

Nutritional information: 46kcal and 6.1g of sugar per each cake. 

You get a crackly dark chocolate top, sponge on the bottom and a tangy blackcurrant fruity layer in the middle. Blackcurrant works well with the dark chocolate.

Available at Tesco.

Love Corn Cheese & Onion flavour (£0.70 for a single mini bag, or £16 for a pack of 24) - is a premium crunchy corn, gluten-free and vegan - made with corn, sunflower oil, onion, garlic, chives, vegan cheese flavouring, sea salt, natural onion and garlic extracts etc. 

This is a tasty snack with a satisfying crunch. 

We're fans of Love Corn, and enjoyed trying the new flavour.

Available in all major supermarket chains and online.

The new McCoy's Fire Pit range (£0.90) is inspired by the rustic smoky and chargrilled flavours which come with cooking meat over an open fire. There are three tasty varieties to try. You should receive two of 3 flavours in the box.

The Real McCoys Fire Pit Flame Smoked Chorizo flavour ridge cut potato crisps, with a smoky paprika punch. 236kcal and 0.54g of salt per pack.

The Real McCoy's Fire Pit Flame Roasted Peri Peri flavour ridge cut potato crisps, with a fiery tangy tussle 236kcal and 0.43g of salt per pack.

Multipacks are availble in Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons and Sainsbury's. Singles are available in convenience and impulse channels.

St Pierre Brioche Hot Dog Rolls (£1.40) are soft and rich-tasting rolls, which will take your hot dogs to the new level of scrumptiousness. 

Find recipe inspiration at www.stpierrebakery.co.uk

Available at selected Tesco and Morrions nationwide.

Pot Pasta Creamy Carbonara/Bolognese/Tomatoey Mozzarella (£1.19) are the latest addition to the Pot Noodle range. Now you can have a quick and easy pot of pasta in just five minutes. There are three flavours to choose from, and you should receive two in your box.

Tomatoey Mozzarella: 221kcal and 7g of sugar

Creamy Carbonara: 223kcal and 2.4g of sugar

They are a source of protein, no added MSG, no artificial colours or preservatives.

Now the moment of truth: if you are used to eating proper al dente pasta, then perhaps look elsewhere for your pasta fix. Pot Pasta is a soggy variety of pasta, swimming in a thin soupy sauce. Taste-wise it is OK, but the appearance and texture are not to my liking (but then again, I'm not a fan of Pot Noodle overall).

Available in all major supermarkets.

Taylors Coffee bags - Rich Italian/Hot Lava Java (£1.50) work just like teabags but for ground coffee. Brew for 2 minutes and give a really good squeeze for lots of flavour.

Available in all major supermarket chains and online.

I had a cup of Rich Italian, while enjoying a slice of saffron cake with clotted cream, sitting outside our holiday cottage. 

I usually take a big bag of ground coffee with us, but I'm quite converted to this way of making coffee. It's so convenient, and no mess whatsoever.

Firefly Peach & Green Tea revitalising botanical drink (£1.55) is made with green tea, kola nut, yerba mate and rosemary. Contains only naturally occurring sugars, no added colours or preservatives, vegan-friendly. These are refreshing elegant drinks, full of flavour. 

"Collaborating with industry experts, award-winning mixologists and world-renowned herbalists, we've created the perfect range of sophisticated drinks which can be enjoyed neat or pimped up".

You can get 15% off at www.fireflydrinks.com - use code DEGUSTA15 at checkout.

You should receive 1 of 2 items in your box.

Available online at www.fireflydrinks.com, Ocado and  at Waitrose.

Three Fold Hard Seltzer Citrus/Red Berries/Tropical (£2).

Tropical seltzer is a sparkling drink with natural fruit (mango, pineapple and watermelon) and 4% alcohol. Contains no artificial sweetenrs. It's naturally gluten free, vegan. has natural flavourings and sugar from agave. Its a clear, crisp drink, best served chilled. 93kcal per can.

You should receive 1 of 3 items in your box.

Available at Morrisons, Bargain Booze and on Ocado, Amazon and Revl.

And finally, Bull's Eye Original BBQ Sauce (£2.50).

BBQ sauce is a great condiment for any red meat. It is sweet and smoky.

Ingredients include tomato puree, sugar, spirit vinegar, bell pepper, salt, mustard, dried onion, modified starch, spice and garlic. 181kcal and 38g of sugar per 100ml. 

Available at Tesco, Sainsbury's. ASDA, Morrisons and Ocado.

As you can see, it was another super selection from Degustabox.