Nescafe Instant Creamy Tiramisu Latte (Ocado) By @Cinabar

This tub of instant coffee is designed to make a creamy latte at home, and the flavour instantly appealed to me, tiramisu is one of my favourite desserts.

When I opened it, I peeled back the plastic lid to find the foil seal underneath. There was a small metallic tab to pull, so I tried… only for the tab itself to snap off, leaving the foil firmly in place. I was still staring at it in confusion when Spectre wandered in, jabbed a knife through the seal, and peeled it off the old-fashioned way. Problem solved.

The instructions recommend three to four teaspoons per mug. As my mugs are on the larger side, I went with four heaped spoons, though it does use up a fair bit of the tub. After adding hot water and stirring, I followed the next step on the label: wait 20 seconds, then stir again. I’ve never understood what difference that makes, but I always do it.

The drink mixed easily and developed a pleasant froth on top. The flavour was lovely, with a richness that reminded me slightly of Irish Cream. I suppose that makes sense, tiramisu is all about mascarpone and a splash of alcohol, so the notes aren’t too far apart. It wasn’t overly sweet, and the indulgent tiramisu twist worked beautifully.

I really enjoyed this latte and am looking forward to finishing the rest of the tub. I love how the change of season always brings new comforting autumn drinks, and this one definitely hits the spot.

Pumpkin Spice Latte (Tim Horton’s) By @Cinabar

As we edge into October, it feels like autumn is officially upon us. Some people call it spooky season, others cosy season, but whatever name you give it, it’s the time for pumpkin spice everything. So it felt only right that my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year should make an appearance, and this time I picked one up from Tim Horton’s.

Naturally, I went all in and had mine topped with whipped cream. It arrived looking the part, with a generous swirl of cream dusted in pumpkin spice. The topping had plenty of cinnamon and other warming spices, and I couldn’t resist starting there. The cream itself was sweet and spiced, and it set the tone perfectly.

The latte underneath had a smooth coffee base, and the syrup added those classic autumnal flavours. It was sweet, but the balance was spot on, never tipping into being sickly. The cinnamon and spice mix gave a comforting warmth that just worked so well with the season. This drink ticked every box for me. I love cinnamon, so this was an instant hit, and while the days are getting colder, at least we have cosy cups of autumn spices to look forward to.

Kiwi Berries - A New Fruit??! - Aldi [@NLi10]

 Everyone is coming up with new brand and ideas these days, and it turns out that Mother Nature is joining in and has 'dropped' a new fruit!

How odd!  I almost didn't buy these as they are a little off-putting

They look more like tiny wrong pears than grapes or kiwis as suggested - lets have a bite!

Oh - so it IS a kiwi - just a very small or maybe under ripe one.

They taste just like a watery kiwi, and a lot less strong.  Quite refreshing though.

Not as sweet as a grape so less compulsive, I've only been eating one at a time.

Apparently these are a hardy vine growing thing from Russia/Asia and have been around there for ages - it's funny what turns up.  I don't think they will be a hit as they are too expensive and not exciting enough - but as a one off 'have a look at this' it's quite healthy compared to most New products.

McVities Penguin Caramel Flavour (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

A McVities Penguin chocolate bar was one of those treats my mom would give me, whilst I watched cartoons after I returned home from school. I have eaten many Penguin bars since, and it's nice to see a new flavour.

This McVities Penguin Caramel Flavour is a chocolate and caramel flavoured cream filled biscuit bar, with a milk chocolate coating. On opening the bar there was a milk chocolate and sweet caramel aroma. Good start.

On taste this McVities Penguin Caramel Flavour biscuit bar did not disappoint. It was gorgeous. In fact I liked the edition of caramel more than the original Penguin bar. In my opinion the addition of sweet caramel to the chocolate cream filling enhanced the bar, and made it all the more moreish. If that's a phrase.

Information on the packet: Each of the 7 McVities Penguin Caramel Flavour bars have 130 calories, 6.7g of fat, 10.2g of sugar and 0.05g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate Bar (Lindt Store) By @Cinabar

Pistachio seems to be everywhere at the moment, but I’ve never really been on board with the trend. I’m not sure why, but it just doesn’t feel as wholesome a flavour as hazelnut, which I think my tastebuds are more attuned to. Another thing I dislike is Angel Hair chocolate, that delicate, shredded texture has never been for me.

What I do love, however, is Lindt. So when I spotted their take on a Dubai-style chocolate bar, I had to give it a go. At £4 this isn’t a large bar, but compared to other Dubai chocolates I’ve seen (and at much higher prices) it feels very reasonable. For a luxury brand like Lindt, it’s actually good value.

Inside, the chocolate squares are neatly embossed with the Lindt logo. Breaking into one revealed a pistachio filling that was green, but not alarmingly so. The outer coating is classic Lindt: thick, rich, and with that deep cocoa melt that feels properly indulgent. The filling itself is sweet and nutty, with a texture that combines a praline smoothness with a subtle crunch, that signature contrast Dubai chocolate is known for. It’s balanced, satisfying, and yes… surprisingly delicious.

I may not be completely sold on the pistachio trend, but if any brand could change my mind on Dubai-style chocolate, it’s Lindt.

Bonne Maman - Chocolate & Orange Spread [@NLi10]

 More luxury spreads! This time from the French brand Bonne Maman which roughly translates to Sexy Grandma, and is a superb chocolate & orange spread.

Even the jars are classy

I mean - it's > 40% sugar as it's 40% oranges, so it's basically just that Australian thing where you put sugar on your bread

but brand name luxurious orange sugar - mmmmmm

I mean - it flows and spreads so nicely.  Luxury PG in the background!

Very unsexy in pictures, but smells and tastes so great!  Like the pistachio spread I think this deserves to be used with cakes and puddings, but as a tester this worked well. So dark, so orangey, a little Christmassy.  Fab.

Nik Naks Tangy ‘n’ Cheesy (Cost Cutter) By @SpectreUK

I like the original Nik Naks. They can be an acquired taste, and are not for everyone. I've heard people stating that some of the other Nik Nak flavours, such as Rib 'n' Saucy are reminiscent of the result of mixing too much wine, spirits and cider on a Saturday night.

Nevertheless, I like all three flavours of Nik Naks, especially the original flavour and the Scampi 'n' Lemon. So what could go wrong with these new Nik Naks Tangy 'n' Cheesy. Well, it started with the smell on opening the packet.

I can still smell the smell of the packet next to me after eating them. I don't know why I ate the whole packet of Nik Naks Tangy 'n' Cheesy. It's a smell that keeps on giving right through to the aftertaste, and into the series of gassy repetitions. Like the smell of cheesy feet.

At first I was a little put back when Cinabar refused to nibble on my Cheesy Nik Naks. I wasn't all that surprised though. She asked what was meant by 'Tangy'. I figured it was probably the combination of onion, garlic, cayenne pepper and white pepper in the ingredients.

On taste these Cheesy Nik Naks reminded me after a long day out and about, I like to soak in a hot bubble bath to ease my age old aches and pains. I often fancy a quick Ped Egg of my sore feet before soaking them in hot water to sooth them. There is a possibility that essence of Ped Egg shavings was what the seasoning was trying to resemble. So, if you like strong pungent cheese, these Nik Naks Tangy 'n' Cheesy are likely for you.

Information on the packet; The 75g bag contained 170 calories per 30g serving, with 11g of fat,1.1g of sugar, and 0.30g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Kelly’s Millionaires Shortbread Ice Cream (Iceland) By @Cinabar

Kelly’s is a brand I always associate with Cornish cream, and this tub proudly carries that badge. The difference here is the packaging, it’s not in the classic rectangular tub I usually expect from Kelly’s, but a smaller, rounder one more in line with what you’d see from Ben & Jerry’s. That instantly sets the tone, because this isn’t just plain ice cream, it’s packed full of extras.

The base ice cream is wonderfully creamy, with that signature shortbread flavour running through it. What really makes it, though, are the generous add-ins. There are ribbons of rich caramel sauce, crunchy shortbread pieces, and plenty of chocolate chips scattered throughout. I was impressed that the shortbread pieces kept their crunch, which made them really stand out against the smooth ice cream. The chocolate bits gave a nice extra bite too, making the texture varied and fun.

The caramel sauce was thick, sweet and indulgent, bringing everything together into a proper millionaires shortbread experience. It’s one of those tubs where you find yourself going back for “just another spoonful” until you realise you’ve eaten a lot more than you meant to. Overall, this is a really enjoyable and indulgent ice cream, and a great twist from Kelly’s. Definitely worth picking up from Iceland if you’re a fan of sweet, loaded ice creams.

The Wagyu Burger (Burger King) By @Cinabar

I’d been seeing the adverts with Gordon Ramsey saying Burger King’s new Wagyu Burger is good enough for a high-class restaurant, so I felt I had to give it a try. The marketing also makes a big point of it being made with 100% British Wagyu beef, which surprised me. I’d assumed Wagyu was all imported.

The first thing that caught my attention when ordering was the price. A meal with the Wagyu Burger came to £13.50. I don’t normally mention prices much here, but as this is both fast food and Wagyu, it felt worth noting. For comparison, my usual Chicken Royale meal is £8.59. Paying more than a tenner for a Burger King still feels strange to me (though I’m sure this comment will look cheap in a few years). The burger’s ingredient list made it clear this was going to be a love letter to onions. Inside you’ll find caramelised onions, pink pickled onions, crispy onions, and even an onion mayo. Fortunately, I do like onions. There’s also rocket, which adds its distinctive bitter pepperiness, all served in a seeded brioche bun.

When my order arrived I was a little disappointed with the presentation. It didn’t get special packaging. My burger came in an Aberdeen Angus wrapper with “Wagyu” scrawled on it in wax crayon. Maybe my branch had run out of the proper ones, but for the most expensive burger on the menu I expected something a little more premium.

That said, once I unwrapped it, it looked impressive. The glossy brioche bun, the vivid pink onions, and the fresh green rocket all stood out nicely against a seriously thick beef patty.

The taste matched the appearance. The beef was juicy and packed with flavour, and the mix of onions gave it depth and sweetness that paired well with the creamy richness of the meat. It still had that smoky flame-grilled note that Burger King is known for, but elevated. Every bite was delicious.

Was it worth it? Honestly, yes, it was a very good burger. But I’ll admit I still have a soft spot for the Chicken Royale, and at a few pounds less it remains hard to beat. This Wagyu Burger is well worth a try if you love beef.

Rana - Tuscan Ragu Pappardelle - lunch inabox [@NLi10]

 I decided to stock up on bigger lunches for when two slices of bread isn't quite enough - and the first of these is this Rana Tuscan style Pappardelle

It's essentially a very basic meal kit but as everything is in the box that's fine

You can even queue for the office microwave and make this in 5 mins, and all your co-workers will hate you!

But at home it's easier in the pan. plus this seems messy to make in public in the tray

Only 3 pouches though - what could go wrong?

Oh - ragu goes in first - not pasta - whoops

That's better, it's a lot meatier than it looks here - good thick sauce

Gravy's up nicely and the fresh pasta has a great texture.

You can add all the cheese if you are mad, I added a sprinkle, but I think it's balanced for the salt - so maybe not so mad.

Lovely thick sauce with deep flavours.  I'll be having this one again.

Worth noting the date on this was great - it's been in the fridge waiting for weeks and was still in date.  Win!

Tuborg Fiçi Lager (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I've tried lots of different ales and lagers from lots of different places. I can't recall drinking a Turkish lager before. I have a Katsu Curry tonight, so I'm hoping this beer will wash it down rather well. Lager has a habit of washing a good curry down, so I reckon this will be an end of week treat.

Tuborg Fiçi is a bottom-fermented lager beer. At 5% in volume, it states 100% malt on the rather fetching shaped bottle. It has water, hops and yeast in the ingredients too, so I'm left wondering what they mean. I'm guessing; no wheat or oats, as they are not in the ingredients.

On opening the 500ml bottle there was a strong sweet biscuit malted barley aroma. On taste there was a sweet malted barley flavour with a crisp light herbal hop bitterness, that smoothed out into the aftertaste with all that lovely biscuit barley. Not too fizzy, this Tuborg Fiçi tasted more like a good strong ale rather than a lager, which is probably why I liked it so much. 

Nutella Muffins (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

This is a twin pack of new Nutella Muffins, and as a long-time fan of nuts and chocolate, I couldn’t resist picking them up.

I spotted them in the freshly baked aisle at Morrisons. They come in branded bags and look very appealing, with their lovely golden colour showing through the packaging.

Once opened, I peeled back the paper wrapper and noticed my hands were a little greasy, which shows just how moist the sponge is. The flavour is mostly a sweet vanilla sponge, with a nice baked taste. There are light traces of Nutella at the edges, but the real star is the generous dollop in the centre. It’s packed with chocolate and hazelnut flavour, and it turns the muffin into a proper treat.

I’m definitely looking forward to enjoying the second one from the pack.

Reeses Peanut Butter 'Tree' festive blob [@NLi10]

 It's that time of year again! Except it isn't - but because of oddly short dates Sainsbury's had these on special offer - I guess for people like me and reviews like this!

All the bits have to be covered up to hide that they just make it for everywhere at the same time.

Oh wow - that's not treatwise - cover it up again - quick!!

I wrecked the other sticker checking for hidden info, but it's just the ingredients for this recipe and the fact that in America this Orange is copyrighted - lol.

And inside we get this!  As usual the cardboard has failed to protect it at all - and the shape is blob.

Unusually though the cardboard underneath is so greasy it wrecked the cardboard box on my desk that I use as a laptop stand.  That's clearly where those 170 calories live.

They are odd little beasts.

Still - it's my own fault for keeping on buying them (at discount prices) as it's what American's think is peanut butter and salt and sugar coated in some terrible brown stuff.  Hooray.  Nice enough but more a calorie burst than actual food.

Chewits Xtreme Sour Jewels (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I haven't had Chewits for years. I remember the adverts with Godzilla in them back in the 80s. Everyone from then knows the only way to appease Godzilla is a packet of Chewits.

These new Chewits Xtreme Sour Jewels promise to be so sour they'd wrinkle even Godzilla's nose. These sour sugared chewy gummies were made with real fruit, and no artificial colours and flavours.

There were five different flavours in the packet, all very chewy, all had lots of sour sugar coating. Apple flavour was definitely very sour apple, face twistingly sour in fact, and tasted of very fruity natural apple. Orange tasted like sour orange juice, not as sour as the apple, but still really good. Pineapple flavour was more sweet than sour, and had a nice flavour. Watermelon was the light pink coloured Jewel, and was a bit more sour than the orange, and was fresh and juicy. I certainly enjoyed eating these with my big bowl of Raspberry Ripple ice cream.

I've never liked cherry sweets. Cherry was the dark pink coloured Jewel. It was very sour indeed and tasted of natural cherries, which I don't like either. It was certainly not my favourite sweet in the packet. I am just not a fan of cherry sweets. There was only one in the packet though. The things I do for blogging.

Information on the packet; The 125g bag contained 304 calories per 100g, with 0g of fat, 33g of sugar, 5.5g of protein, and 0.22g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Mr Kipling Breakfast Bakes Blueberry (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I admit that I was looking in the cake section of the supermarket for treats rather than the cereal aisle for breakfast goodies. These might sound like cakes, but they are clearly labelled, so when I ate one of these Mr Kipling Breakfast Bakes first thing this morning my conscience was clear.

When I opened the box I found there were four bakes inside, each individually wrapped. They are square in shape rather than the more traditional bar style.

The bake (for that is what it is) has visible blueberries and oats sprinkled on top. The texture is soft, and there are plenty of blueberries mixed in, giving a lovely flavour. They aren’t overly sweet, but just enough to still feel like a bit of a treat. The oats add a little texture, though the bake is mostly soft.

I really enjoyed this with my morning coffee, and I want to go back to see if there are any other flavours, just so I can mix up what I eat when I need a quick breakfast on the go.

Reese’s Dipped Peanuts (Tesco) By @Cinabar

These are a new product from Reese’s, made specifically for the UK market. A lot of Reese’s goodies are usually imports, but these have the price printed with a British pound sign right on the bag. That in itself is nice, it feels good to find a proper new UK Reese’s product. Admittedly, they are just dipped peanuts, which doesn’t sound all that exciting. Half of the bag has peanuts coated in milk chocolate, the other half has peanuts coated in, wait for it, peanut butter. Everyone knows peanuts are already pretty peanutty, but I was happy to roll with the extra flavour and give them a try.

On opening the bag, I found a real mix of sizes, some were just bits of peanut, some were whole, and a few were even doubles. First up, I tried a milk chocolate one. It was exactly as expected: sweet milk chocolate with that lovely nutty crunch, balancing sweet and savoury. A classic combo, but done well. Next, I tried a peanut butter one, and I really liked it, the salty edge boosted the flavour and made the peanuts feel even more indulgent.

These snacks aren’t revolutionary, but they are tasty. More importantly, it’s just nice to see a genuinely new British Reese’s product on the shelves.