Salted Caramel Pepsi (Tesco) By @Cinabar

This new Salted Caramel Pepsi seems to be the soft drink flavour of the summer. There is a drawing of an ice cream cone on the label, although the flavour itself doesn’t actually mention ice cream. It certainly looks like the sort of drink designed for warm weather. This is also a zero sugar drink, just to warn anyone who isn’t keen on sweeteners.

When I opened the bottle the first aroma was very much caramel. Poured into a glass it was impressively fizzy too. The first flavour you get is caramel and it is an extremely sweet drink. Then the cola flavour arrives, along with the promised touch of salt, while the caramel lingers long afterwards. I have quite a sweet tooth so I rather enjoyed it, although I can imagine it might be a bit too much for some people.

As I’ve been drinking it I’ve also been wondering whether the ice cream cone on the front is a suggestion. Maybe this is supposed to be poured into a tall glass with a scoop of ice cream for the ultimate summer float? The weather is meant to stay hot for a few more days, so I may well give that a try.

Twix Ice-cream and Eurovision 2026 [@NLi10]

A half time icecream at the theatre is important, and when watching spectacle TV at home it's nice to have the equivalent.

For Eurovision 2026 which I watched at home I decided to pick up Bounty & Twix Ice-creams from Iceland to see how they'd changed over the years.

At the half-way point I had the Twix.  One finger which kind of misses the branding, but a decent size one.

And inside is a tunnel with caramel and biscuit balls.  Flo in the background is only interested in the ice-cream.

Overall it was a decent choc-ice with a few added extras to keep it interesting.

The bounty had less coconut than I remember from my youth, but was essentially just a bar shaped choc-ice (I had that as the songs finished)

The show was decent too, and the bad guys didn't win which is always a bonus.  Hope it's still around next year!

 

Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

Mr Kipling makes exceedingly good cakes, I hear. In fact Mr Kipling has been making exceedingly good cakes since 1967. They have been the market leader since 1976. It must be tough to come up with new ideas. So, why not come up with a new take on an old classic?

These new Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls are a new take on the classic custard cream biscuits. I do love custard creams, from the small ones to the big ones, and also the chocolate coated custard creams.

Described as a custard flavoured shortcake swirl with a vanilla flavour centre, I had already figured these Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls would be exceedingly good. On opening the packet of four cakes, there was a lip-smacking smell of baked shortcake, with the sweetness of vanilla.

I usually twist custard creams, eat the biscuit, then lick the cream, then eat the other biscuit. So, keeping with tradition, I twisted the top off, licked the cream and then popped the shortcake top into my mouth. The cream was smooth and tasted just like custard cream, and the top and bottom shortcakes were soft and beautifully baked. I wouldn’t just say these Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls are exceedingly good, I would say that they are a triumph.

Information on the box; Each cake has 151 calories, with 8.8g of fat, 7.4g of sugar, and 0.15g of salt.

Sprite Chill (Ocado) By @Cinabar

There is talk of a mini heatwave this weekend, although that does seem optimistic considering Monday is a Bank Holiday in the UK, and those are usually famous for rain rather than sunshine. I’m hoping the forecast wins out over tradition this time. If the weather does behave itself, I’m planning to spend some time in the garden with a good book and a refreshing drink. I bought these summery sounding cans of Sprite Chill for exactly that occasion.

Sprite Chill is essentially the classic lemon and lime fizzy drink but with added mint for an extra refreshing twist. Opening the can released the familiar strong fizz, and it poured out clear with a slight cloudiness.

The mint flavour is more like fresh garden mint rather than peppermint, which gives the drink a bit of a mocktail mojito vibe. It tastes fizzy, fresh, and fragrant, with the mint adding a cooling edge without overpowering the citrus flavours. It’s a very easy drink to enjoy in warm weather because it feels light, zingy, and properly refreshing.

Now we just need the weather to avoid doing its usual Bank Holiday thing.

Sparkling J2O Apple and Raspberry (Ocado) By @Cinabar

Fizzy drinks are nothing new for J2O, although you wouldn’t necessarily know that from the packaging. They have sold a large 750ml fizzy Pear and Raspberry drink for quite some time. What is new, however, is the classic Apple and Raspberry flavour now being available in a sparkling version. As someone who rarely drinks alcohol, I do enjoy a J2O, so I was more than happy to pick up a box of these new cans.

I poured a can into a glass and it had a lovely fizz, while still keeping the same deep colour as the regular drink. On first taste, I was impressed by how strong the flavour was. I think I expected it to be a little watered down because of the added fizz, but it still delivers that full-on fruity sweetness, just with bubbles added into the mix.

It being sparkling is a nice touch and, if you already enjoy the regular Apple and Raspberry J2O, you’ll know exactly what flavour to expect here. I think these will make a really refreshing drink over summer, and I can definitely see myself mixing a few sparkling cans in with the usual still versions.