Teme Valley Brew Company: Wotever Next? (Co-op) By @SpectreUK

After a dark catalogue of things going more and more wrong over the last couple of years, for the new year to come, I am left thinking Wotever Next?

Produced by Teme Valley Brew Company, Wotever Next? is described as a dark, strong and bitter beer. At 5% in volume, this brown ale is gluten free.

On opening Wotever Next? there was strong roasted chocolate malt in the aroma. Deep brown in colour, this ale tasted of roasted chocolate malt to begin with, followed by a touch of coffee and then bitter herbal hops, with a sweet wheat malt to finish.

I hope you all have a happy New Year, and a wonderful and healthy year ahead. Happy 2026.

Kit Kat Gingerbread (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

Seasonal chocolate always gets my attention, and this time of year my tastebuds are fully committed to anything spiced. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, I love the lot. So when I spotted Kit Kat Gingerbread in Morrisons, it was always going to end up in my trolley.

This is a festive twist on the classic Kit Kat rather than a complete reinvention. You still get the familiar wafer fingers, but the flavour running through them is unmistakably gingerbread. The multipack contains eight two finger bars, all wrapped in lovely Christmas themed packaging featuring a wintery scene and festive trees. It looks properly seasonal and would make a nice addition to a Christmas snack drawer or stocking filler.

Visually, the bars look just like a regular Kit Kat, but the difference hits you before you even take a bite. The aroma of ginger is surprisingly strong, which immediately sets expectations high. Thankfully, the flavour delivers. There is a warming kick of ginger that works beautifully with the sweet milk chocolate, without being overpowering.

What really impressed me was the balance. You can clearly pick up the treacle like depth you associate with gingerbread, but the chocolate keeps everything smooth and rounded. Even though these are obviously not hot, the ginger gives a definite warming sensation, especially through the centre of the bar.

I will openly admit I am biased when it comes to spiced treats, but these really are excellent. As a limited edition, they will not be around forever, which means I absolutely need to stock up while I still can.

Pistachio Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

I did not actually buy the Pistachio White Hot Chocolate as a full tub. I ordered the Mince Pie Hot Chocolate along with some tea, and this sachet arrived as a free sample with my order. No complaints there, because pistachio is absolutely having its moment right now, largely thanks to the Dubai chocolate craze, so it makes complete sense that Whittard have leaned into that trend.

The drink is made with milk, and I was impressed with how easily it mixed. It stirred smoothly with no lumps at all, which is always a good sign with powdered hot chocolates. Once made, it had a pale green colour that felt quite indulgent and different from the usual brown mugs of hot chocolate, making it feel a little more special.

Flavour wise, this is a sweet and creamy drink with a fairly mild pistachio taste. It is definitely recognisable as pistachio, but it is not overpowering or bitter. Instead, it leans into a soft, nutty creaminess that makes it very soothing to drink. The texture is rich and velvety, which gives it that comforting, premium feel Whittard usually do so well.

I can see this being a big hit with fans of pistachio and anyone who has been swept up in the Dubai chocolate trend. Personally, while I enjoyed it, I am glad I chose the Mince Pie Hot Chocolate as my main purchase. At this time of year, I am far more drawn to festive flavours and warming spices. That said, this is a lovely option, and I would happily drink it again, especially outside the Christmas season.

OAK Ca Phe - Purple Coffee and far too many pistachios [@NLi10]

 In between Xmas and NY there is a lull.  It's a great time to pop out to cafes and hang out with the family or the cats. And locally we have a Vietnamese cafe that  always has queues out of the door - but today - it was cold and so we could just walk right in. Perfect.

I ordered a coffee.  But it's a Ube Cream coffee so it has purple mallow foam at the top, and the white foamy stuff at the bottom too.  Not quite as strong as I was hoping for, but nicely cooling.  There were lots of other options (and cakes for another day)

I guess the winter drink menu is only around for a short while so I had to take advantage.

We both went for the avocado toast plate with all the healthy veggies and I added a poached egg.  Great for pumping up the vitamin levels after the indulgences of Christmas.

As it's a hip cafe though so there were pistachio scattered around the plate - and around the shops of Bearwood Highstreet

As seen in the supermarkets in the abundance of 'Dubai Style' products which are just previously unpopular pistachio products at inflated prices.  Wickedly nice though - we've just been eating them for years at a much cheaper price!

Snow Fox (Charnwood Brewery) By @SpectreUK

On a recent last minute trip to a spa hotel, I enjoyed steak and chips on the evening, and this lovely Snow Fox, by Charnwood brewery. At 4.1% in volume, Snow Fox is a blonde beer, which may not usually be my first choice to go with a steak meal. However, the name of the beer reminded me of this time of year.

Snow Fox smelt of sweet malted barley, with a taste of sweet malt biscuit flavour to begin with, followed by crisp bitter herbal hops, and an almost malted wheat flavour into the aftertaste. This Snow Fox was really nice indeed, and went very well washing down my steak meal. I had a cheese board and fruity port to finish. We also had a nice relaxing time in the spa. Cheers.

Mr Kipling Mince Pie Whirls (Asda) By @Cinabar

Mr Kipling has taken the much loved Viennese Whirl and given it a festive makeover with these Mince Pie Whirls, and I am pleased to report that it really works.

Presentation wise, these look lovely in the box and would be ideal to put out for guests. The packaging is a bright festive purple decorated with snowflakes and reindeer, making them feel like a proper Christmas treat.

At first glance, there does not appear to be a huge amount of mince pie filling, but flavour wise it is spot on. The mincemeat is smooth with no crunchy bits, which can sometimes spoil mince pies for me. The flavour leans into cinnamon, my favourite spice, and it complements the biscuit beautifully rather than fighting against it.

The biscuit itself is a spiced shortcake, which immediately won me over. It is soft, smooth and crumbly rather than hard or overly crunchy, which is exactly the texture I prefer. These biscuits melt in the mouth rather than needing a strong dunk in your tea. The gentle spice running through the biscuit is warming and very Christmassy without being overpowering.

Sandwiched between the biscuits is also a dollop of brandy flavoured creme. Thankfully, the alcohol flavour is not too strong. Instead, it adds a lovely creaminess that balances the spice and sweetness perfectly.

Overall, this is a lovely twist on a classic biscuit. Perfect for the Christmas holidays, especially when visitors pop in for a cuppa.

Merry Christmas bits and bobs [@NLi10]

It’s Christmas! What’s better than popping a few bits and bobs from Iceland in the oven to go along with your left over meats.

First up we have these mini hash brown dogs, it’s sausage - inside a hash brown, awesome,

They look a bit odd when raw

We also had these cheese and jalapeños hash pockets!

With a few cheesy bits it all goes in the oven 

And it looks very beige - but they are all really flavourful and with a few veggies and some sauce are perfect for leftovers 

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 

Saltaire Brewery: White Christmas Pale Ale (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

It's a little damp and cold outside. A white Christmas seems to be something of the past. I think I remember a white Christmas back in the 80's, but we haven't had one for many years in the Midlands in the UK.

We have fishy Picky-bits for dinner tonight. This White Christmas pale ale, by Saltaire Brewery, had orange peel and coriander added in the brewing. At 4.8% in volume, White Christmas was lightly hopped, and was described as having festive citrus and warming spice.

On opening White Christmas there was strong spiciness from the coriander, and a hint of orange in the aroma. On pouring, White Christmas pale ale had a golden shine like the star on the top of the Christmas tree.

On taste, this full bodied White Christmas pale ale had warming spice mixed with sweetness of malted barley and wheat, followed by a mild bitter hop and a touch of citrus from the orange peel.

Have a merry Christmas, wherever you are.

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Jaffa Cakes (Marks and Spencer) By @Cinabar

Marks and Spencer have given their classic Jaffa Cake style treat a seasonal twist with these Dark Chocolate Cranberry Jaffa Cakes, and they feel very much like a Christmas special rather than a year round flavour. From the moment you open the box, they look the part. The bright red packaging is bold, festive and eye catching, and it would not look out of place on a Christmas snack table.

Instead of the usual round shape, these Jaffa style biscuits come as neat little rectangles, which somehow makes them feel a bit more grown up. There are plenty in the box too, so it does not feel skimpy. The dark chocolate topping is the first thing you notice when you bite into one. It cracks pleasingly, which is always a good sign, and adds a slightly bitter edge that balances the sweetness underneath.

The sponge base is soft and light, just as you would expect, but the real star here is the cranberry layer. It has a lovely sharpness to it while still being sweet, giving that classic sweet and sour contrast that works so well at Christmas. The cranberry flavour feels festive without being overpowering, and it pairs beautifully with the dark chocolate.

These are perfect with a cuppa, especially on a cold winter afternoon. They feel indulgent but not too heavy, making them easy to reach for more than one. Overall, this is a really nice seasonal variation on the regular orange flavour. Familiar enough to please Jaffa Cake fans, but different enough to feel like a proper Christmas treat.

Baileys Mince Pies (Iceland) By @Cinabar

Baileys have really leaned into festive treats this year and I am not complaining. Alongside the return of their squirty cream from last year, which I currently have two cans of in the fridge, and the Baileys chocolate buttons, we can now add Baileys Mince Pies to the list. Honestly, it feels like a no brainer of an idea and I am surprised it has taken this long to appear.

The box contains four individual mince pies, each sitting in its own foil case. On top, they are finished with a swirl of creamy icing and scattered with tiny edible glitter balls, which immediately makes them look more special than your standard mince pie. When I opened the box, I was genuinely impressed. They looked neat, festive and very tempting.

Getting one out of the foil case, however, was another story. The sticky icing top made things trickier than expected. Peeling and lifting did not work at all, so I eventually resorted to turning it upside down onto a tissue to remove the foil. This did flatten the icing a bit, which was annoying, but at least it freed the pie.

Flavour wise, these really deliver. The pastry is buttery and soft, the mincemeat is rich, sweet and nicely spiced, and it has a juicy quality that stops it being dry. The icing is the real star though. It is sweet, creamy and unmistakably Baileys, and it works brilliantly with the filling. Some mince pies include a splash of alcohol, but having Baileys on top feels like the ultimate indulgence. If only there were a neater way to get them out of those foil cases.

Las Iguanas Chipotle Chicken Burrito at Home from Iceland [@NLi10]

 I like Mexican food and it pays to have a few instant cook things floating around for lazy evenings (or hungry lunches) so I paid the £4 each for a pair of Las Iguanas brand Chipotle Chicken Burritos from Iceland on a recent trip.

They are frozen, and a decent size/weight so I figured worth a go

There is a lot inside, and it doesn't pretend that it's two portions which is nice

Looks pretty unexciting

But once microwaved it actually smells pretty good.  I mean- for the price/effort anyway.

Its a decent light meal, and could easily have a few nachos and dips on the side to convince yourself that it's more of a big deal.

The meat is meaty, and the sauces are mild but tasty.

I'm spoilt (living in walking distance of one of the best Mexican restaurants in the UK according to all the prizes) but at a pinch this'll do nicely.  Especially with a really spicy dip on the side.

Adnams Winter Ale (M&S) By @SpectreUK

It's difficult to tell that it's winter by the ceaseless rain outside. In the UK rain is pretty much a constant all year around, but the beer can change by season. This Winter Ale is described as a Festive & Fruity Seasonal Ale.

Adnams Brewery has made this 4.2% in volume Winter Ale especially for Marks and Spencer's. I'm sure the best thing about this seasonal ale is that it is made with malted rye. So, I'm expecting a red coloured spicy beer that should go very well with my curry takeaway for dinner tonight.

On opening this Winter Ale, there was a deep malty lightly spiced biscuit aroma. This beer poured with a dark brown red tinted colour. On first taste, Winter Ale had a sweet flavour of biscuit malt and a little burnt toast, with warming spice from the rye, winter berry fruits, and a hint of bitterness from the herbal hops into the aftertaste. Wow, this is a lovely warming flavoursome ale for the wintertime, whatever the weather.

Mince Pie Flavour Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

I am firmly back in my festive hot chocolate season, and this time I picked up a more premium option from Whittard. Their drinks do cost more than supermarket hot chocolates, but they also consistently offer interesting flavours and good quality. Whittard has a solid range available all year round, but this one is part of their Christmas selection and immediately caught my eye. This is the Mince Pie Flavour Hot Chocolate.

Opening the tub was a good start. It was pleasingly full, which always feels reassuring with premium products. The smell was instantly festive, with a warm mix of chocolate and Christmas spices rising out of the tub. Before making it, I checked the instructions, which recommend three teaspoons of powder per mug of milk, with the option to add more if you are feeling indulgent. I decided to stick close to the suggested amount but went with three and a half teaspoons, partly because my mugs are a decent size and partly because this felt like a drink that deserved it.

The powder blended into the hot milk easily, with no lumps or bits left behind. The first sip was exactly what I was hoping for. It is rich and chocolatey, but also fruity and gently spiced. There is a clear citrus note, similar to orange, alongside a raisin like sweetness that really does echo a classic mince pie filling. The spices round everything off without being overpowering.

At three and a half teaspoons, the strength was spot on. This is a proper Christmas in a mug hot chocolate, and one I would happily buy again if it returns next year.

Zero Sugar Pepsi - Strawberry & Cream [@NLi10]

 I was at a party and got offered a new Pepsi! But it’s a non citrus fruit…

Strawberries & Cream ? Hmm. Ok. 

I guess this is to copy American sodas - and it’s kinda effective.

What it’s most reminiscent of is when you make the spray cola in Burger King and mix in a fruity bit too. It’s drinkable but you probably aren’t making that mistake again!

I enjoyed it - but I think the sharp flavours work better with colas.

Fox’s Where’s my Elf? (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

One of my all time favourite biscuits are Cadbury's Animal Biscuits. My Aunty and Uncle Fred used to buy me a box for Christmas when I was a kid. They would always have a box open in their house when I visited with my mom and sister on Saturdays. I used to have a bag in my lunchbox when I worked in an office, and they go very well on top of ice cream.

These Where's my Elf? I suspect are Fox's version of Animal Biscuits. This packet contains five mini bags of Fox's Where's my Elf? As you can see from the photograph, each biscuit has the image of an elf face imprinted on one side, with milk chocolate on the other.

On first crunchy taste, try as I might, I couldn't find a single thing wrong with these Fox's Where's my Elf? The biscuit was very tasty indeed, and had a sweet digestive almost shortbread taste, and the milk chocolate was creamy and added further flavour. All seven biscuits disappeared very quickly, and I'd certainly get some more.

Information on the bag; Each 20g mini bag contains 99 calories, with 4.6g of fat, 4.4g of sugar, 0.06g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Baileys Chocolate Caramel Buttons (Iceland) By @Cinabar

These were bought as part of an online order rather than picked up in store, and unfortunately the bag arrived looking a bit worse for wear. One side had been creased over several times, leaving the top noticeably slanted. Thankfully the bag was still fully sealed, which is the main thing.

There was a time when either the Baileys brand or the Iceland picker would likely have spotted this before dispatch. That said, this seems to be an ongoing downside of online grocery shopping in general. I have previously had crisp multipacks sealed into the main outer bag, missing cocktail sausages, and bruised fruit. It often feels like there is little time or financial incentive to reject imperfect items. Moan over. As this was not intended as a gift and the seal was intact, it was easy enough to move on.

Inside the bag are fairly chunky milk chocolate buttons with a lovely sweet aroma. The first bite confirmed these are genuinely good. The milk chocolate is smooth and pleasant, while the creamy Baileys flavour comes through clearly with that distinctive Irish cream taste. This then softens into a rich caramel and chocolate finish. The centre is soft and gooey, giving a really nice contrast in texture. These would make a great stocking filler. Hopefully next time the bag itself will arrive in better shape.

Pepsi Gingerbread (Tesco) By @Cinabar

I couldn’t resist picking up this festive little bottle of Pepsi Gingerbread during a quick Tesco run. The packaging immediately caught my eye: a cute wrapper patterned like a Christmas jumper, hinting at the seasonal treat inside. The flavour is clearly Gingerbread, though amusingly it’s written subtly to the side, and it’s part of Pepsi’s zero sugar range.

I popped the bottle open at lunchtime, and it greeted me with a hefty fizz. I had to open it slowly to avoid a mini cola explosion, which I suspect was due to the bottle having been dropped at some point. Once settled, it was time for a taste.

I adore Christmas spices, but I tend to favour cinnamon over ginger, so I wasn’t expecting to fall for this drink. Yet, it was a delightful surprise. The cola blended perfectly with the sweet, treacle-like gingerbread flavour. There was plenty of ginger, but without the sharp heat, and that wonderful treacle note really brought out the festive spices.

It’s a unique twist on a classic soft drink and genuinely captures the essence of gingerbread. I loved it so much I’m already thinking about getting more. If you enjoy festive flavours, this Pepsi is definitely worth a try.

Dunkin’ Doughnuts Pistachio - from Iceland UK [@NLi10]

 While doing the shopping in Iceland I spotted these lovely doughnuts- and figured they would be worth the risk.

I couldn’t imagine how a cardboard box would keep them fresh by the tills - but I like pistachios so figured let’s have a go.

Sounds good.

Looks great! Smells enticing too.

Luna thinks so too. She may have nabbed a bit of the fondant.

The inner was gooey and nice, and the doughnut was surprisingly fresh and soft! A very enjoyable snack and really high quality 

Luna didn’t agree that the rest was for me…

I enjoyed it and I think I’ll try some more flavours if they keep doing these.

Greene King Rocking Rudolph Ale (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I am keeping the Christmas Ales flowing with this Rocking Rudolph. Brewed by Greene King, in Bury St. Edmond's, this 4.2% in volume ruby ale is described as malty and fruity, with a refreshing finish.

We had a voucher through the door from Uber Eats for 40% off the next five takeaways until the 23rd of December (using the code DEC40EATUK). So, I have curry and chips tonight, and probably four other takeaways next week of varying kinds.

On opening the bottle there was a beautiful beery malted barley aroma from this ruby red ale. Rocking Rudolph had an initial sweet biscuit malted barley flavour with light refreshing bitterness from herbal hops, followed by more sweet malts into the aftertaste. Yum. 

Merry Christmas.

Festive Gingerbread Flavour Hot Chocolate (Asda) By @Cinabar

I could not decide what hot chocolate to open tonight. It took longer than it should have, and the result is that there will probably be several hot chocolate reviews appearing here over the next week. After all that faffing, I settled on the Festive Gingerbread Flavour Hot Chocolate from Asda. It is one of their own brand options and it is designed to be made with hot milk, which already makes it feel a bit more indulgent.

I used three heaped teaspoons, poured over the hot milk and was pleased to see it blended smoothly straight away. No lumps, no gritty texture, nothing to fight against with the spoon. The drink looked rich and inviting, so I took a first sip and found it instantly comforting. The base is a soothing milk chocolate flavour, but the gingerbread twist is what makes it feel seasonal. It brings a sweet, treacle like warmth with it. The ginger is present but not fierce, more like the soft spice you get in a gingerbread biscuit rather than anything fiery. It adds character without overpowering the chocolate.

The drink is definitely on the sweet side, which suits me completely. If you prefer a strong ginger kick, this will feel gentle, but if you enjoy a cosy, pudding like hot chocolate, this fits the bill.

Next time I make it I plan to go all in with whipped cream, a mini gingerbread figure and maybe a few sprinkles for good measure. It feels like the sort of drink that deserves a bit of decoration. It is an easy festive treat and one I will happily have again.

KFC Christmas Dinner Tower Burger [@NLi10]

It's allegedly the most wonderful time of the year - the tabs have been knocked in on the KFC tower burger meaning another special version! 

Also I got a free wrap on the spin thing, but it was an odd small thing with plastic cheese and very little salad so I can see why people wouldn't claim those.

Chips still good though.

And here we have the main event, a lovingly over-cooked chicken and stuffing Christmas Dinner Tower burger!  One of the rare occasions I should have gone for the KFC gravy, but overall they tasted like they were supposed to - and the giant Lipton tea made up for the dryness.

Surprisingly I'd have this again, but I think there might be other festive things with the stuffing added to try instead.

Nestle Milkybar Chocolate Crumble (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

This is an interesting one. I love Nestle Milkybar, however this new Nestle Milkybar Chocolate Crumble is covered with Milkybar white chocolate, and has a creamy crumbly biscuit centre, with a milk chocolate base. I genuinely don't know how I feel about that. Don't get me wrong, it sounds great, but part of me may just wish the whole chocolate bar was Milkybar without the extra gubbins.

As you can see from the photograph, on opening this Nestle Milkybar Chocolate Crumble does indeed have a milk chocolate base, with a creamy crumbly biscuit centre. It tastes amazing, I have to admit it. It's easily one of the best combinations of white chocolate, biscuit and milk chocolate I've ever tasted. Although having said that, I can't recall many in the past.

There is the creaminess from the Milkybar coating, followed by the creamy crumbly biscuit, which provides a little body to this chocolate biscuit bar, and then the milk chocolate base adds further creamy chocolaty flavour. Nestle Milkybar Chocolate Crumble is a triumph really. I don't know what I was worried about.

Information on the wrapper: The 84g bar contains 92 calories per 2 pieces, with 5.4g of fat, 8.9g of sugar, 0.03g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.