St Pierre - Croissant Loaf - Toasted Croissants at Home [@NLi10]

 I've been a big fan of pastries ever since I was young - to the extent that when I got bored of the same old bread sandwiches at school every day I swapped to taking in a croissants and jam every day.

Britain has become less 'white loaf' obsessed as time has gone on and now instead of bread for every meal of the day (including bread pudding) there are exciting options.  St Pierre has added to that with this pastry loaf creation. 

It's essentially fat, sweet bread, but combined in such a way that it layers up and has a very different texture.  It's shelf life is also two weeks which is much better than our usual loaves.

It also has the trademark croissant swirl, which kind of hints that they made a giant one and dropped it in a loaf tin.

And it works with chocolate spread and strawberries?  Result.

All I have is upside down Welsh jam and vegan butter.

I toasted it a little more than it suggested

And pilled on the goodies.

And it's fantastic.  Child me would absolutely have accepted this in his tiny yellow lunchbox, although I'd still want to add the jam etc on site to prevent sogginess.

It has the right texture, the right smells and tastes, and it's so much easier than trying to toast a pre bough croissant (or the bake at home ones that while fantastic take ages).

I can't wait to get back from my holidays to have more of this - and I hope it's not a short term product and that I can get other similar things in the future.  Loaf od Pan Au Chocolate? Yes please!

Tango Sours Watermelon (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I do like watermelon. It can be pretty sour on its own, but in a fizzy drink it might make my face twist a little. This new sugar free Tango Sours Watermelon could be a refreshing way to wake yourself up after a big lunch.

On opening the can there was a good fizz and sharp watermelon aroma. A mad almost pink fluorescent colour, this Tango Sours Watermelon made my face twist and my toes curl with sour watermelon, and a fizz that threatened my nose hairs. I loved it. Definitely a waker-upper.

Lemon Meringue Fudge (Fudge Town) By @Cinabar

We are lucky to attend a lot of events and comic cons thanks to my other half’s business, and there are certain traders we always look out for. Fudge Town is one we regularly see at northern events, and I always enjoy browsing their range of fun and inventive flavours, from Irn Bru to Oreo.

They are long days at these events, so I like to pick up a bar of fudge as a little treat for afterwards. On this occasion, I went for Lemon Meringue.

The bar has a rich yellow colour, with visible pieces of meringue running through it. From the first bite, there is a lovely citrus burst that really stands out. The lemon flavour is zingy but still sweet, giving it a fresh and moreish quality. The meringue pieces add an extra layer of sweetness, and together it makes for a really well balanced and enjoyable treat.

Fudge Town never disappoints, and I am already looking forward to trying whatever flavour catches my eye next. Hopefully I will see them again soon.

If you are heading to a comic con in the north, they are well worth seeking out. If not, they also sell online.

Tango Sours Tropical (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

This one definitely grabs your attention on the shelf. The can is a bright, punchy design with an explosion graphic that makes it pretty clear what you are in for. Inside, the drink pours a golden colour with plenty of lively fizz.

It is worth noting straight away that this is a sugar free drink, so it is low in calories. As always, that will split opinion a bit depending on how you feel about sweeteners.

Going in for the first sip, the sour hit is immediate and pretty intense. To be fair, the can does not hide this, and it delivers exactly what it promises. It is the kind of sharpness that makes your tongue tingle and tighten slightly, and at first it feels very pineapple forward.

Give it a moment though and things start to settle. The harsh edge softens into something much more balanced and enjoyable. The tropical flavours come through more clearly, with apple and mango adding a sweeter, fruitier note behind the sourness. After a few sips, that initial shock actually becomes part of the fun. It turns into a refreshing, zingy drink that feels a bit different from the usual fizzy options.

There is also a sour watermelon version out now, which we will be trying soon.

Geeta's Green Herby Saag Tika sauce [@Nli10]

 We love curries so when I spot an unusual sauce or combo I like to try it out.  Unfortunately I don't know where we picked this one up!

Spinach & Coriander sounded fantastic so we gave it a try

Unfortunately I didn't spot that is a pretty mild recipe and really needed that chilli chutney that they mention here

It looks and smells fantastic, it really worked well with yesterdays potatos added to the mix like all good saag curries should.

I just wish I'd added a little chilli oil to the mix and really livened it up.  I couldn't fault the flavour and quality on offer here though so I'll try this one again.

And I have paratha back in stock too for that.

Arbor Transpacific IPA Beer (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

It’s a hot day here today and I fancy something refreshing. I fancy an India Pale Ale with my beef sandwich for dinner. I have a comic con tomorrow, a long drive ahead, and a big day of hopefully selling toys to the masses.

This Arbor Transpacific IPA is a 6% in volume mix of American hops and Antipodean hops, from Australia and New Zealand. On opening the can there was a floral aroma of hops with pale malts behind it. This is a very hazy almost milky golden IPA.

On taste, Arbor Transpacific IPA had a bitter bite of floral and herbal hops, with a little citrus and tropical hops following, and then sweet pale malts into the aftertaste. What a joyous jumble of hops, no fighting here, just lots of flavour backed up refreshing malted barley. Yum.

Poppi Raspberry Rose Soda (Tesco) By @Cinabar

I first spotted this drink in an Instagram advert and didn’t think much of it at the time. It was one of those taste test campaigns trying to get people to swap their usual soft drink. The can calls it a soda, which still feels very American to me. I’d always call this fizzy pop, but as the brand started out in a Dallas kitchen, that probably explains it.

Poppi positions this as a lower calorie soft drink with added fibre, so it is clearly aiming for that “better for you” fizzy drink space. I picked up this Poppi Raspberry Rose flavour in Tesco as it sounded a bit different from the usual options.

Flavour wise, raspberry and rose is right up my street. I like floral notes, Turkish Delight being a favourite, so this had promise. Pouring it out, the drink has a lovely soft pink colour and a decent level of fizz. It is sweetened with fruit juice and stevia, which keeps it on the lighter side without tasting overly artificial.

Taste wise, this is a really pleasant surprise. The raspberry is fruity without being too sharp, and the rose adds a gentle floral note rather than anything overpowering. Together they create a balanced, refreshing combination that feels quite summery. It is sweet, but mellow, and easy to drink.

If you are looking for a low calorie fizzy pop that feels a bit different from the usual supermarket soft drinks, this is a good one to try. The raspberry and rose pairing works well, and it stands out from more standard fruity flavours.

Overall, this is a solid option and one I can easily see myself picking up again from Tesco, especially on a warm day. It is a perfect refreshing can of pop, or soda depending on where you are from.

McDonald's Card are the Latest Gambling at Lunch Craze [@NLi10]

 At work we go to lunch as a group and take it in turns to choose where.  I've not minded the McDonalds trips recently as there were some interesting drinks on offer (now sadly gone) but there are collectable cards - which is a fun idea.

 

Except you have to buy very specific things

Which means I got a large Big Mac Meal as the least disappointing option

You get a pack of 4 cards, and it's presumably 18+ because of encouraging childhood obesity.  But - wait - prize every time, collect and redeem sets.  Oh no...

This isn't fun trading cards - this is stealth gambling!

There are 24 cards in the set - and as you can see you can get within pack duplicates.

As you can redeem sets of 4 specific things for a prize though that means that 6 of the cards must be rarer.  And as the prizes on mine are £50, and 52 free Medium meals (one a week for a year) that means that at least those two sets won't be things most people can actually finish.

Indeed the card to complete the £50 set is currently selling for £63 on eBay

For the years food? £500 for one where someone has USED the code so you can't get the prize.

My blue card gives me a free fish-burger or half a portion of nuggets.  I guess that you are supposed to redeem that and buy another meal at the same time.

It all feels a little exploitative.  Granted it's a bonus on top of the disappointment that a Big Mac meal is almost £10 now, but I can see why this wasn't that heavily advertised.

Maybe they'll iron out the kinks in future years (easy solution - the foil 4th card in every set also has a regular version which doesn't give the prize - now your set is actually playground collectable).

Fox’s Rocky Stack’d Chocolate Cream Flavour (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

I do like a chocolate bar when I’m out and about to eat after my lunch and Soreen Bar. I am always in favour of finding new chocolatey lunchbox treats. I like something not too big, something crunchy, and not too high in calories. These new Fox’s Rocky Stack’d Chocolate Cream Flavour certainly look like they fit the bill.

It says on the back of the packet that these Fox’s Rocky Stack’d Chocolate Cream Flavour bars are; a milk chocolate flavoured coated sandwich bar with chocolate flavoured cream filling. I have been informed by Cinabar that “milk chocolate flavoured coating’, means there’s not enough cocoa to call it milk chocolate.

On opening the wrapper there was definitely a decent milk chocolate aroma. On taste these Fox’s Rocky Stack’d Chocolate Cream Flavour are certainly crunchy. I liked the mixture of milk chocolate flavoured coating, the crunchy biscuit inside, and then the creaminess from the chocolate cream flavoured filling. Very nice indeed.

Information on the packet: Each 25g bar is 126 calories, with 6g of fat, 9.6g of sugar, and 0.18g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

McVitie’s Harry Potter Cookies Butterbeer Flavour (Ocado) By @Cinabar

With the Harry Potter series back in the spotlight after recent casting news, it feels like the brand is everywhere again. One of the most iconic treats from the books and films is Butterbeer, so it was only a matter of time before it turned up in biscuit form.

These McVitie’s cookies caught my eye online as they sounded a bit different. Butterbeer flavour is not something you see every day, so curiosity got the better of me. On closer inspection though, they are essentially butterscotch flavoured cookies with white chocolate chips, which does make a bit more sense.

Once opened, the first thing I noticed was the size. They felt a little smaller than expected, but that might just be my preference for a chunkier biscuit.

Flavour wise, they are pleasant enough. There are hints of vanilla and caramel coming through, giving that sweet, slightly creamy profile you would associate with butterscotch. That said, the flavour does not quite hit the richer, deeper notes I was hoping for. The white chocolate chips do a lot of the heavy lifting, adding both sweetness and a nice bit of texture.

I do have a sweet tooth, so these worked well for me, but I cannot help feeling they played it a bit safe. With a name like Butterbeer and the Harry Potter branding, I was expecting something a bit more distinctive or indulgent.

Still, a nice enough biscuit, just not quite as magical as the packaging suggests.

Pick N Marks Milk Chocolate Malt Balls (Marks and Spencer) By @Cinabar

When you think of milk chocolate malt balls, let’s be honest, Maltesers are the first thing that come to mind. I struggle to think of another major brand doing quite the same thing. This Marks and Spencer version feels a little more upmarket, which is exactly what you would expect.

These Milk Chocolate Malt Balls come in a dark pink bag and are part of the classic chocolate treats range called Pick N Marks, which is clearly a playful take on Pick n Mix.

As soon as I opened the bag, the first thing I noticed was the size. These are properly big, a real treat rather than something you just mindlessly snack on. I took a bite and immediately loved them. The larger size makes them feel really satisfying and nicely chunky. The chocolate is Belgian, and you can tell. It is creamy, smooth and generous, coating a crisp, crunchy malt centre. The malt itself has a slight salty note, which works beautifully with the sweetness of the chocolate and gives them a bit of an edge.

I genuinely loved these and can see them becoming a regular treat. They take that classic malt and chocolate combination and push it up a level.

Purple Potatoes! Lay's Taro Chips - Lime Flavour [@NLi10]

2026 is the year of the root vegetable - with purple Ube drinks being the hotness - and purple Taro crisps close behind.

Legends in Birmingham has loads of Chinese products and is my main source of Pocari Sweat - but I spotted these from the international brand Lays

And they are pretty alien looking.  My Grandmother (98) was very freaked out by it and pulled some amazing faces.  She did try a second one too though.

Ingredients a bit faded, but it's basically just Taro, Palm Oil (boo) and lime flavour

And look at the close up.  I've no idea why it's both brown and purple, I'm sure someone can explain.

The lime flavour is not a British one.  It's both sweet and sour, and not in expected ways.  It's kind of like eating a boiled sweet crisp - and it's great.

I'm not sure you'd sit and eat a bag - but to share it's a great conversation starter and to see some funny faces.

And I have a pepper flavour one to try later!

 

Tango Zero’d Thirst Trap (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

I haven’t written about pop or soft drinks for a while. I say ‘pop’, because that’s what we generally call soft drinks in these parts.

I noticed Cinabar had bought this eight pack of Tango Zero’d Thirst Trap, which is sugar free. ‘Sugar free’ helps keep my calorie count down so I can eat more chocolate. I have a few Easter Eggs I need to polish off.

This new Tango Zero’d Thirst Trap is an apple and peach drink, with orange pineapple flavouring. On opening the can there was a predominantly peach aroma from the pink fizzy liquid inside.

On drinking this pop is strong in sweet peach and pineapple, with a light sourness from the apple and a little orange at the back of the flavour.

This is a very thirst quenching pop drink to rival other fizzy tropical drinks on the market. It certainly has a different flavour to the others. It tastes almost like it could be a child’s chewy sweet. I reckon It’s great as a drink all the same.

Reese’s Dipped Pretzels (Morrisons Daily) By @Cinabar

Friday snack duty kicked off early today. The plan is a film later and probably some games, so I was on the lookout for something easy and snackable. I only made it as far as Morrisons Daily, but that was enough to spot something new: Reese’s Dipped Pretzels.

This is a sharing bag, though I’m not convinced it will survive long enough to be properly shared. Inside are small pretzels coated in a peanut butter layer and finished with milk chocolate stripes. They actually look really neat, almost too good for a random corner shop find. First impressions after trying one: very good crunch. The pretzel has that proper snap to it, which works really well against the softer coating. Flavour-wise, it is heavily peanut butter led, as you would expect, but the saltiness of the pretzel comes through nicely and stops it being too sweet. The chocolate adds an extra bit of balance rather than taking over.

The main issue here is how easy they are to keep eating. I only meant to try one and somehow the bag is already open properly. They are definitely moreish, which is a polite way of saying they are disappearing faster than planned.

Safe to say, if these are meant for sharing, someone is going to have to be quick.

£20 Waitrose Easter Egg - The Cracking Pistachio [@NLi10]

 I saw this online way before Easter and thought - well we are having that one!  And we happened to be in Waitrose that same week and picked it up.  Then I saw it in the Motorway services Waitrose for £20 - I think we paid £15 which is frankly still a lot.  But people do like the reviews - so we went ahead with it - but unfortunately we decided to eat all the cheap eggs first so have only just cracked this open.

So - what is it?

Stealthy white chocolate outer, but with caramel in it - and the inner claims to just be pistachio chocolate.

It comes in a safety sphere, and looks like something from the film Alien

The chocolate is thick - and it costs as much as two eggs because it really is just two eggs.

The outer layer is like a light Caramac.  Not too sickly like standard white chocolate, and very sophisticated.

The inner is the main event - bright green and full of nuts.  This isn’t hopping on the Dubai trend so much as showing why most of those bars are a bit naff.  This is the quality stuff.

I’ve not looked online to see if these ended up in the sales like we’d usually risk for the Christmas range (they always over order locally - what a shame) but even if they are only reduced to £10 this feels like a steal.  Perfect for parents and partners alike - especially as both are likely to be generous and give you a bite.

The Curators Pork Puffs Chilli Lime (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

I miss pork scratchings. I broke a tooth on one some time ago, and very rarely dare to have a packet of pork scratchings just in case I break another. I do love pork puffs as an alternative.

I have tried most of the Curators’ pork puff flavours. My favourite flavour so far has been the Salt & Vinegar. I haven’t tried this new The Curators Pork Puffs Chilli Lime, with Tajin chilli lime.

I decided to try these The Curators Pork Puffs Chilli Lime with a pork and apple sauce sandwich for my lunch. On opening the packet there was a salty pork puff aroma from the reddened puffs inside. I was pretty surprised, as the pork puffs themselves looked like they were on fire.

On taste there was an instant chilli heat from the crunchy pork puffs. There was also a lip-smacking sourness from the lime that quickly mixed with the chilli burn. Gosh, these The Curators Pork Puffs Chilli Lime are tasty and exceptionally moreish.

Information on the packet; The 25g bag contained 130 calories, with 6.3g of fat, 0.2g of sugar, 17g of protein, and 1.2g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Iced Coconut Strawberry Matcha Latte (Costa) By @cinabar

There is a lot on social media about the health benefits of matcha. I have seen everything from it fixing your skin to giving you an energy boost. It does contain antioxidants, which are good for you, but I have no idea how valid most of these claims really are.

The main point is that matcha has become popular online, even though it has quite an acquired taste. It is very leafy and almost grassy. Some people love it, but this feels like Costa aiming for people who do not. The approach here seems to be to soften the matcha by adding plenty of flavour, and that is exactly what this drink does with coconut and strawberry.

The drink itself looks great, with distinct layers. Red at the bottom, white in the middle, and green on top. I was not sure whether you are meant to mix it or drink it as it is, so I just went straight in.

The first hit was strawberry, with a strong jam-like flavour. Sweet, fruity and really enjoyable. The coconut added a creamy element, while the matcha was not too overpowering. It was slightly sweet, with that familiar fresh, leafy taste.

I enjoyed this one. The strawberry was the standout for me and helped balance the bitterness of the matcha. This definitely feels like a matcha drink for people who are not fully sold on matcha yet.

Kenco Chocolate Hazelnut Latte (Iceland) By @cinabar

I do love a flavoured instant coffee, so when I spotted these labelled as new, I couldn’t resist picking up a box. Made by Kenco, you get eight sachets inside, which is fairly standard for this kind of product.

While the “new” label might suggest something adventurous, chocolate and hazelnut is about as classic as it gets. That’s not a bad thing. Sometimes simple is exactly what you want. Kenco have tried more unusual flavours in the past, but this feels like a deliberate step back to something safe and familiar.

Preparation is as easy as you’d expect. Empty the sachet into a mug, add hot water, and give it a stir. It mixed smoothly with no lumps, and even produced a light frothy layer on top, which always makes it feel a bit more like a proper latte.

The flavour is genuinely comforting. You get that base coffee taste, but it’s softened by a sweet chocolate and hazelnut blend that really does lean into Nutella territory. It’s not overly rich or sickly, just nicely balanced and very easy to drink.

It might not be the most exciting flavour on paper, but there’s no denying it works. Sometimes the classics stick around for a reason.

7Days - Oreo filled Crossaint [@NLi10]

 My 'corner shop' often has some interesting imports because the owners like crazy stuff as much as I do.  Case in point is the large range of 7Days pastries.  These are essentially buns masquerading as croissants but close enough that they aren't disappointing - and occasionally are amazing.

This one is the standard model - bun is filled with brand-name - this time Oreo!

As ever thats a lot of ingredients that no-one will ever read.

And it looks like a disappointing bun, but they are always pleasingly soft and light and fluffy.

And this one is genuinely gooey in the middle, unlike some which have gone hard on the trip here.  And - much to my amazement it actually tastes of oreo creme. The biscuit adds a dirty grain to the paste, but not in a negative way.  The sauce itself adds a needed sweetness to the (lets face it) bread that surrounds it.

Overall as a little treat its filling enough that I'm happy to keep trying these as long as the owner is happy to keep buying the odd ones.