Roosters Roots. Rock. Reggae. Pineapple & Grapefruit IPA (Asda) IPA By @SpectreUK

We can't find a decent Chippy nearby. Our last Chip Shop changed the oil they use to a cheaper brand, which makes me ill. All the prices of fish and chips have been hiked up so much that they not worth the chance of being ill over. So, I have home cooked fish and chips tonight.

I do like a fruity India Pale Ale to wash my fish and chips down with. Rooster Brewing Company in Harrogate produced this Roots. Rock. Reggae. Pineapple & Grapefruit IPA. To add more flavour it has pineapple and grapefruit zest and juice in the ingredients. At 6.4% in volume, tropical flavoured hop varieties of Admiral, Cascade, Summit, Centennial and Nelson Sauvin, as well as malted barley and wheat were added in the brewing.

On opening the can there was a strong smell of pineapple mixed with grapefruit, and tropical hops, with sweet pale malt behind it. In taste this was a very fruity tropical IPA. Roots. Rock. Reggae. Pineapple & Grapefruit IPA was strong in both pineapple and grapefruit to begin with, followed by a crisp bitterness of tropical hops, and sweet pale malts to finish. This was a perfect beer with fish and chips for a totally tropical taste.

Pepsi Cream Soda (Ocado) By @Cinabar

This is one of the new summer flavours from Pepsi, and as we're (hopefully) about to get a bit of a mini heatwave, I thought I’d treat myself to a eight-pack and see if it brings on the summer vibe. I chilled it in the fridge for full refreshment. I also wanted to wait for the weather to warm up, it’s been pleasant, though not exactly hot yet. I gave in and cracked open a can anyway.

I gave the drink a sip and really liked the taste. The Pepsi cola is all there, but the creamy vanilla flavour smooths it out and makes it taste sweeter and creamier. Generally, I think cola and citrus are the best combo, but this worked better for me than I was expecting it to. It’s a really smooth, creamy drink, the vanilla and cola pair well.

I have to say, I’m really pleased I bought a multipack of these Pepsi Cream Soda cans. With its vanilla tone, I think this drink is going to be perfect for a coke float. I haven’t had one of those in years, but I’m now picturing a tall glass with this poured over a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream. Roll on summer.

10 Chocolate Macarons - Lidl [@NLi10]

 I got a goodie bag from my parents for Easter (yes - I'm in my 40s) and inside there were these little chocolate macarons from Lidl.  Ss part of the Deluxe range I knew I was in for a treat.

I'd expected some meringue as part of these - but no - it's double chocolate and single fruit fillings.  Ace!

The dried raspberries are very me

The inside crème is also raspberry based - and the chocolate is most luxurious.

Like someone took chocolate buttons and made them OK for grownups to enjoy

The white/passion fruit ones were just as nice too - might have to make a trip to see if these made it into the sales...

Walkers Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce Flavour Potato Crisps (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I haven't had Worcester Sauce flavoured crisps for quite a while. Apparently Walkers stopped making them in 2023. So, I guess that's why. Other brands continued to make their own variety of Worcester Sauce flavour crisps, but Walkers upset quite a few fans by discontinuing their own.

Now, Walkers have brought out Walkers Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce Flavour Potato Crisps. Arguably the same flavour as their original Worcester Sauce flavour crisps, or slightly better. I don't know, personally. What I will say is that I really like them.

Just like Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce, they pretty much go with any lunch. I've tried these crisps with beef sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, and even tuna sandwiches. These Walkers Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce Flavour Potato Crisps taste great to me.

Information on the packet: The 25g bag contained 127 calories, with 7.3g of fat, 0.4g of sugar, and 0.17g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Dr Pepper Strawberries and Cream (Import Stall) By @Cinabar

We were recently at a comic con and starting to feel a bit thirsty. I went off to find the person I’d spotted earlier selling cans of pop so I could grab us a couple of drinks. When I reached his stall, I realised he had a whole selection of imported drinks I’d never seen before. I picked a couple to have there and saved this can of Dr Pepper Strawberries and Cream to try when I got home. I chilled it first, of course, because pop always tastes better cold.

The drink had a distinctively sweet Dr Pepper aroma, with a hint of extra fruitiness. I took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the flavour. Dr Pepper already has that curious, spiced fruity cola taste, and the added strawberry really brought out the fruity notes. The cream part came through as a gentle vanilla, giving the drink a smooth finish that tied everything together. The strawberry flavour wasn’t overpowering and the balance worked well. You definitely need a sweet tooth for this, but that’s true of the original Dr Pepper too.

I’d happily buy it again, though since it came from a quirky import stall at a comic con, I doubt I’ll come across it easily again. Shame, really.