Seabrook Disney Winnie the Pooh Honey Flavour Lentil Puffs (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

To celebrate Disney Winnie the Pooh‘s 100th birthday, Seabrook have brought out these Honey Flavour Lentil Puffs. Written by A.A. Milne for his son Christopher Robin’s toys adventures, Winnie the Pooh has been popular with people of all ages ever since.

Seabrook’s origin story is also quite interesting. Mr Charles Brook phoned the shop to arrange pick up of his photos, whilst leaving the name Mr. C. Brook in 1939. When he went to pick them up, they had written down Seabrook, as his name. War happened, Charles was in the navy, and afterwards he decided to buy an old chip shop in Bradford, and call it Seabrook. He also made snack food with the fryer, and delivered it to the locals.

Anyway, on opening these Disney Winnie the Pooh Honey Flavour Lentil Puffs had a very sweet honey aroma. In fact they made me think of a sweet breakfast cereal. On taste though, there was an initial sweet honey flavour, followed by lentil.

For me, I’d say they needed a bit more salt to balance the sweetness and detract from the lentils. Eating two of these Disney Winnie the Pooh Honey Flavour Lentil Puffs at a time seems better, as the honey flavour lasts longer. I think they will go well with a cheese meal, so that’s what I’ll do with my next packet.

Happy birthday Winnie the Pooh!

Information on the packet: Per 18g bag is 74 calories, with 2.4g of fat, 0.7g of sugar, 0.07g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Oreo BTS Brown Sugar Pancake Flavour (Tesco) By @Cinabar

Oreo have joined up with BTS, the Korean boy band, to introduce these Oreo BTS Brown Sugar Pancake Flavour biscuits. The flavour is based on a popular traditional Korean sweet street food and sounded fab. The biscuits are also bright purple in colour, which is the official colour of the BTS fan community.

I opened the pack and they are seriously purple. They are very bright! The biscuits all feature BTS logos and designs, and I have to say this feels like a proper collaboration rather than just a new-flavoured Oreo. The aroma is lovely and sweet, with plenty of vanilla. Inside, there are two cremes: brown sugar and vanilla pancake.

I gave one a try and these hit my sweet tooth at full blast. The flavour is pure sugary goodness, with lots of vanilla and caramel. There are also little sugar crystals mixed in, just to make absolutely sure maximum sweetness has been achieved.

I have a sweet tooth, so I loved these, and they were perfect with the contrast of a coffee. I’m not entirely sure about the purple colour. I do love the colour itself, but food-wise it implies a berry flavour. Then again, if they had gone with pancake brown, we’d basically be back to the ‘Golden Oreos’, and that wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.

I can see these selling out fast, but in the sleepy end of town where I live, there was a full card display case of them. So, if you want to give them a try and can’t find them locally, it’s worth looking a little further afield.

Yew Sparkling Water - Pickle flavour (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

Yes, you read the title correctly. This is Yew Sparkling Water - Pickle flavour. For my sins I have been hand picked to try this “Sparkling water with a splash of briny dill pickle, notes of fresh cucumber and a bright tangy finish.” Perhaps I didn’t step back quick enough in the line up.

Apparently this Yew Sparkling Water - Pickle flavour is all natural in its ingredients, has zero calories and zero sweetener. I mean, come on. I like pickled gherkins, but I wouldn’t drink the rest of the jar. Who does that? Who thinks of Sparkling Water - Pickle flavour anyway? Well, Yew did.

On opening the can, asides the fizz, it smells reminiscent of an empty jar of pickled gherkins. Apart from the super strong aroma of pickled dill and cucumber, you could probably fool someone into thinking that this is a glass of lemonade. Well, at least until they come within twelves metres of you and smell it.

On taste this Sparkling Water - Pickle flavour made my toes curl. There is an instant flavour of strong sour pickled dill and cucumber, with further sourness from the brine. Unfortunately this drink is not for me. With each sip it seemed to get stronger in flavour and sourness. I mean, I have to say it does what it says on the can. Well, replacing “bright tangy finish,” with “face twisting toe curling sourness,” anyway.

Warburtons Pizza Flavour Crumpets (Ocado) By @Cinabar

I’ve seen crumpets in all sorts of fun shapes over the years, from giant versions to bunny shaped ones at Easter, and even dinosaur themed ones. These are a standard crumpet shape, but flavoured with pizza, so I knew I had to give them a try.

When I opened the pack, the crumpets didn’t give away much visually, they look like regular crumpets in colour and appearance. However, the aroma was immediately Italian herbs, which became even stronger once they went into the toaster.

I added butter once they were hot and, as always with crumpets, it melted straight through. The taste was spot on, not too strong, but with clear hints of cheese and tomato alongside a lovely blend of Italian herbs. They made a really enjoyable lunchtime treat.

They are not quite as satisfying as a slice of pizza or a toastable pizza pocket, but they are still very tasty. At just 100 calories per crumpet, they also work well as an everyday lunch option. I would definitely be up for trying more flavoured crumpets, as these worked really well.

M&S Red Velvet Hot Cross Buns (Ocado) By @Cinabar

I have been loving hot cross buns this year, especially all the new varieties, and I have some great ones to write about. Starting off we have these Red Velvet Hot Cross Buns from Marks & Spencer.

To say these hot cross buns are a bit different is an understatement. For a start they are burgundy in colour. They do still have the traditional cross on top though. They are flavoured like red velvet cake, complete with chocolate chips throughout and a dollop of white chocolate icing in the middle.

I split one in half and could immediately tell these were not meant for toasting. I sometimes risk chocolate chips in the toaster, but the gooey filling felt like pushing my luck a bit too far. I was not even sure whether to add butter, but in the end I spread on the tiniest amount.

When I tried one the flavour was incredibly indulgent. The bun itself is sweet and soft, with the chocolate really coming through. Because I had added a little butter I also ended up spreading the icing throughout, which made it more evenly distributed. That added a sweet, creamy flavour that made the whole thing feel more like a cake than a traditional hot cross bun. It is definitely a proper treat. Even if they are not suitable for toasting, I am seriously impressed.

Walkers Sensations Chilli and Cocoa (Ocado) By @Cinabar

These new Sensations Chilli and Cocoa crisps are the latest limited edition Easter flavour from Walkers. I have no idea how they relate to Easter. Perhaps it is the cocoa, since Easter eggs are made of chocolate. The chilli addition is a bit more confusing. That said, chilli and cocoa is actually a very old flavour combination, dating back to some of the earliest uses of cocoa.

I do have to say I am impressed that Walkers have brought out such an interesting flavour. We decided to share these at lunchtime, which raised the question of whether they were crisps to have with sandwiches or more of a dessert crisp to eat afterwards. In the end we went with the sandwiches.

The aroma from the bag is very cocoa forward and quite chocolatey. I took a bite and they have the usual Walkers texture and crunch. The flavour is slightly sweet with a noticeable cocoa taste. At first the chilli is very mild, but as you eat a few more a gentle warmth builds, followed by a bit of heat.

My first reaction was curiosity, but a handful of crisps in and I was hooked. They are not too sweet and the balance of cocoa and chilli works surprisingly well. I also love that there is a brave new flavour on the shelves.

McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Hot Honey (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I love McVitie's Jaffa Cakes. I can happily eat a whole packet. I nibble around the edges of each one, bite off the orange jelly filling, enjoy the flavour, and then pop the rest of the cake in my mouth. I can't help it, I'm a bit of a child.

I saw these new McVitie's Jaffa Cakes Hot Honey flavour in our local supermarket. They are honey flavour, with a little orange juice and a kick of chilli. I take it's meant as a waker-upper for those who are falling asleep over their afternoon tea, or in a boring meeting at work.

On opening the packet there was an aroma of honey, a touch of orange, dark chocolate, and with a little of something else. I take it that 'something else' was the chilli. Of course, I ate my McVitie's Jaffa Cakes Hot Honey in the usual way.

On tasting the Hot Honey jelly, there was mild honey sweetness, whereas the added orange juice made it taste slightly of Manuka Honey, and a mouth warming medium chilli kick at the back of the flavour with the dark chocolate coating. These will be good in Autumn and Winter, which are fast approaching.

Information on the box; The box contained ten cakes at 41 calories per cake, 0.9g of fat, 5.3g of sugar, and 0.03g of salt.

VIELE Angel Hair Strawberry Flavour Chocolate (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

The Morrisons website now features a label on some items that reads ‘As Seen On Social’, and that’s exactly what caught my eye with this: VIELE Angel Hair Strawberry Flavour Chocolate. Pistachio is having a moment right now and has become a major trend, largely thanks to the popularity of Dubai chocolate on social media. We’ve tried the odd product, but honestly, much of it is so expensive that it can be off-putting. Even this small bar of VIELE Angel Hair cost £5, which is more than some high-end bars.

When it arrived, I took a proper look at the packaging and ingredients. Inside is a pistachio cream, candy floss (aka cotton candy), and a Milky Cocolin coating. I had to look that last one up, it’s a type of chocolate made with other fats instead of or with cocoa butter. Odd, and not something I’ve come across before.

The bar was packaged in a cardboard pull-out tray and wrapped, though not sealed, in gold foil. It smelled strongly of strawberry and was thick and chunky, with a hint of green showing through. Although the pieces were marked out, it looked tricky to break, so I gave in and used a knife. The bar is hairy inside, with visible strands of candy floss poking out.

I gave it a try, and I genuinely don’t know how to describe what I tasted. There was strawberry, then a strange aftertaste, presumably pistachio, with salt, but also something woody, slightly sweet, and almost menthol-like. It reminded me a bit of pine. Apart from making it difficult to cut, the candy floss was too soft to affect the texture. I’m sorry, but I just didn’t get it. The only reason I went back for another bite was to try and figure out why it tasted so weird.

Lavender Velvet Latte (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

We stopped for coffee at the motorway services during the Easter break, and as usual, I went for whatever the current ‘special’ drink was. I have to admit I was a bit surprised they’d gone with a floral flavour, but I ended up ordering the Lavender Velvet Latte. I like lavender, it makes a lovely soap or bubble bath, but it’s not something I usually go for in food.

I watched as the barista made my drink. The base coffee had lavender and vanilla syrup, and there was more lavender in the cold foam on top. I’m not usually a fan of drinks with a cold foam topping, but they seem to be popular at Starbucks, and I wanted to try it as it was intended.

When it arrived, I took a little sip of the foam and could definitely taste the lavender. The topping was cooler, of course, but the flavour itself was delicate and thankfully not overpowering. Once I got to the main part of the drink, the flavour was stronger and sweeter. I know Parma Violets are technically violet and not lavender, but it still reminded me of them.

There was a smoothness to it, probably from the vanilla or the oat milk, that helped balance the floral notes. Overall, the Lavender Velvet Latte was okay. It’s not too garish or strong, but now that I’ve tried it, I think once was enough.

Crème Imperial Stout (Vault City Brewing) By @SpectreUK

It's Easter tomorrow and I'm looking forward to tucking into some chocolate eggs. My favourite snack this time of year is the Cadbury Crème Egg. This Crème Imperial Stout should wash down my Cadbury Crème Egg pudding a treat.

Produced by Vault City Brewing, at 14% in volume, this Crème Imperial Stout will certainly pack a punch. Served in a 330ml can there were malted barley, wheat and hops in the ingredients, as well as brown sugar, cholaca (liquid cocoa), and vanilla.

The back of the can stated this Crème Imperial Stout has a velvet texture, with flavours of chocolate and vanilla, and with the gooey flavour of a Cadbury Crème Egg, mixed with the caramelised sweetness of an Imperial Dessert Stout.

On opening the can there was the familiar aroma of Cadbury Crème Egg, sugar sweetness, creamy vanilla, and malted chocolate. This black Imperial Stout oozed into my glass. On taste Crème Imperial Stout certainly had the wow factor.

There was thick heady chocolatey goodness to begin with, cushioned with creaminess of vanilla, the mildest touch of herbal hops, followed by luscious malted chocolate into the aftertaste. Gorgeous. Happy Easter.

Pepsi Strawberry and Cream (Tesco) By @Cinabar

We have a small Tesco Express near us, which is perfect for picking up essentials, but it is not always the first to get new products. While popping in for the inevitable bread and eggs, something caught my eye near the till. Neatly stacked multipacks of Pepsi Strawberry and Cream in their pink packaging. It sounded like an adventurous new Pepsi flavour, so I made an impulsive buy.

Once home, I chilled a can in the fridge, ready to enjoy with our pizza night dinner. As I poured it into a glass, the sweet strawberry aroma was immediately noticeable. Taking a sip, I was impressed by the bold strawberry flavour, which reminded me of strawberry sweets. This was followed by a creamy finish before the familiar cola taste took centre stage.

The flavours are intense, seriously sweet and fruity. They might be a bit much for some, and I generally think acidic flavours like lemon or lime pair better with cola. However, this was a fun and different take that worked for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would buy it again.

Heinz (Scarily Good) Monster Munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo (Iceland) By @SpectreUK

Halloween is coming up and we're well into Spooky Season. Heinz have brought out this (Scarily Good) Monster Munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo just in time for the weird seasonal snacking to commence. I have dipped crisps in salad cream and also mayonnaise since I was young. Many a movie or gaming night in the past has been fuelled with a few bags of crisps in a bowl with dipping sauce on the side.

My favourite flavour of Monster Munch is Pickled Onion. Some strange people don't like the flavour of a Monster Munch Pickled Onion, but the crisps have been present in many of those snacking nights, as well as accompanying many a cheese, cold meats and port meal. Here, Heinz (Scarily Good) Monster a munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo have done most of the job for me, and of course, I have my packet of Monster Munch Pickled Onion flavour to try it with. I have a feeling this is going to be good.

So, you can see from the photographs that I decided to mix this Heinz (Scarily Good) Monster a munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo in my tuna sandwich I usually have after weight lifting. On first tentative taste before mixing, this Pickled Onion mayonnaise does taste like Pickled Onion flavour Monster Monster mixed with mayonnaise. Not much of a shock there, however, it tastes great. Better than great. Just like dunking Monster Munch, but without the Monster Munch. For now…

Then, of course, I opened the bag and dunked my first Monster paw. Oh yes, the ultimate Pickled Onion dipped sauce has now been invented. Not only did this Heinz (Scarily Good) Monster Munch Pickled Onion Flavour Mayo go perfectly mixed with tuna in a sandwich, but it went scarily good with my Monster Munch Pickled Onion Flavour crisps. Keep this mayo coming by the barrel please.

HoneyBird Cinna-Bun (Hickory’s Smokehouse) By @Cinabar

Let me start this by saying that Hickory’s Smokehouse is one of my favourite restaurants. It is a small chain restaurant, mostly around the Midlands, and its theme is Southern Texan food and style. We go there regularly; Spectre is addicted to the Gumbo (spicy stew), and I love the Hot Dog (classic), but I have tried quite a lot of the menu items. They have a few sweet savoury options, for example, the chicken waffle that is drizzled in maple syrup, that work really well. This dish, though, is one that takes that sweet savoury mix a step further; here we have the HoneyBird Cinna-Bun. Effectively a cinnamon bun, with chicken served in the middle. I also love cinnamon but have sort of avoided this until now. 

When it arrived, it was served with nacho chips and slaw. The HoneyBird Cinna-Bun looked super dangerous to try and eat; there was icing and honey glaze on the top. I picked at the nachos before I decided to try to eat with a knife and fork!

I gave it a try and have to say I did like the flavours. I love sweet cinnamon, and it was good with the chicken; the red onions inside were definitely there to bring balance, and that helped. 

If I’m honest, even as a cinnamon lover, I think they force this to work, and it makes it a decent meal. However, in my heart of hearts, the maple syrup chicken waffle is by far the superior sweet savoury dish on the menu. If you are going for the first time, I still heartily recommend the Hot Dog, and apparently the Gumbo is also absolutely amazing. 

Limited Edition Oreo Coca-Cola (Ocado) By @Cinabar

There have been quite a few different flavours of Cola over the years; many of them are fruity. I think lemon or lime with cola works like a dream, and I always favour those varieties, as the zesty tastes really work. This new Oreo Coca-Cola is quite a leap away from that; I’m genuinely not sure that I would have paired chocolate biscuits and cola, but I'm always happy to find out how it works.

I poured the can into a glass, and there was a lot of fizz. It is one of those smaller cans; it filled a smaller glass and was still an okay portion. The aroma was sweet like cola, but there was also a vanilla tone. I forgot about vanilla cola; that is a combination that works, so there is hope for this new one. I gave it a sip and have to say it works. The main taste is mostly sweet cola; there is the vanilla tone, and then rich chocolate comes through, which shouldn’t work, but it does. It actually made me smile. I didn’t think cocoa and cola went, but I was wrong. I’d happily pick up another can while this limited edition Oreo Coca-Cola is still around. 

Jude’s Blue Vanilla Spirulina Ice Cream (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

"You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream" a colleague in a previous workplace said that to me one hot summer. It's getting a little cooler presently, so I thought I'd try this Jude's Blue Vanilla Ice Cream before it gets colder. It's made with Spirulina, which is a blue-green algae, which was first eaten by the Aztecs for it's nutritional values. It's packed full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and protein. It's most recently been used by NASA for supplementing astronaut's diets on space missions.

 

Most people would say I'm pretty spaced out much of the time, so this Jude's Blue Vanilla Ice Cream should be right up my street. On opening the tub you can see from the photograph that the ice cream is certainly blue. I don't know why, maybe it was the mention of algae, but I was expecting it to be glowing or something. On taste the flavour is similar to vanilla, but not quite there. Creamy indeed and an unusual taste, I liked the flavour, and would have this blue ice cream again for its nutritional values. On the plus side, it went rather well with a bag of Maltesers I had for pudding.

Information on the box; Each 100ml tub is 98 calories, with 4.8g of fat, 6.5g of sugar, 0.1g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Special Edition (Tesco) By @Cinabar

Well, this is a bit of a different twist on a Jaffa Cake. Although we have had different flavoured Jaffa Cakes before (blackcurrant was awesome), I think this is the first non-fruity one. And it is a bit of a curious combination, too. Here we have Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Special Edition; yes, these ones are flavoured like the popular sweets. I’m not sure cola and a chocolate coating sound like they should go together, but I'm obviously happy to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I opened up the packet of Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Special Edition, and the minute the packet was opened, I could smell the playful aroma of cola bottle sweets. They did smell delicious. I gave one a try, and wow, they made this work. They shouldn’t have worked, but they did. The cola sweet taste was quite a sharp flavour, not quite zingy but more on the sour lemony side of things. This gave the flavour a fruity taste, and that made it work with the chocolate. There was such a nice contrast between the cola and the rest of the Jaffa Cake. They were zingy and moreish, one of the nicest limited editions they have done. They are even up there with the blackcurrant. Who knew this would work, but I think the lesson learnt is to never doubt a new variety of Jaffa Cake.

Harvey Nichols Bloody Mary Ketchup (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

I'm recovering from a particularly nasty bug, so I'm unfortunately off the booze at the moment. I'm hoping to feel better by next Saturday for some beer after my Birthday. Not off the booze completely though, as Cinabar found me this Harvey Nichols Bloody Mary Ketchup. It has a little vodka in it. It's £4.95 a bottle, so I'm hoping I'm going to like it with my scampi and chips tonight.

 

On opening the bottle the deep red sauce was runnier than regular ketchup. It smelt like a really good tomato soup. There was a juicy sweet and sour tomato flavour to start with, then a decent chilli burn followed by the kick of vodka. There was lots of different flavours like balsamic vinegar, mixed with other peppery spices. It was super flavoursome with chilli and a kick of alcohol at the end. It would make an amazing tomato soup with that kick to it.

If all Bloody Mary's taste like this sauce, I could quite happily drink them in a bar. It felt like I was wasting this sauce on my chips. So good I could drink it, this Harvey Nichols Bloody Mary Ketchup was an expensive treat, but well worth a try.

Bonne Maman Caramelised Apple Spread (Ocado) By @Cinabar

I always used to just have butter on my toast. Boring, I know, but there we are. I have recently tried a chocolate hazelnut spread from the brand Nutini (just to see how it compares to Nutella) and just as something a bit different to try. Now that I’ve finished the pot, I’m not sure I can go back to just butter on my toast. I scraped every last scrap out of that pot. I found myself browsing jams and spreads on my last supermarket order, and I was a bit surprised by some of the spreads that are available. I managed to create a list of ones I wanted to try, then a shortlist, and now here we are opening this jar of Bonne Maman Caramelised Apple Spread. There are another two pots of different spreads waiting in the cupboard.

As a newbie to spreads on toast, should I be putting butter on first? I haven’t been; I would if it were jam, but chocolate spread doesn’t feel like it needs it. This is fruit-based and had me puzzled, but I left the butter and went straight for the spread. As I put the knife in, I was surprised by how soft the spread was; it was much softer than a chocolate spread or a jam. I spread it over my toast. I hadn’t expected the sauce to taste buttery, but it did. There was a sweet caramel flavour and then a sweet, fruity apple flavour running through it. I think the concept of liquidised toffee apple on toast springs to mind; definitely a win for someone like me with a sweet tooth. It probably doesn’t count as one of my five a day. I have to say I’m very pleased with the first jar of Bonne Maman Caramelised Apple Spread I’ve opened, and I can’t wait to try the other new spreads too. 

Heinz Classic Barbie-cue Mayo Barbecue Sauce (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

Oh my, what have I let myself in for now? This bright pink sauce is the new Heinz Classic Barbie-cue Mayo Barbecue Sauce in celebration of Barbie's big anniversary this year. I do love barbecue sauce, especially with burgers and chips. I also love mayonnaise, which goes well with pretty much anything from any flavour of crisps, to chips, potatoes and any meat and salad besides.

We watched the new Barbie film recently, and I'm sad to admit I wasn't a fan of it's surreal elements. Anyway, with my new Heinz Classic Barbie-cue Mayo Barbecue Sauce at hand, I decided to try it on a chicken and tomato sandwich to begin with. As you can see from the photograph, it's hard to miss the colour of this sauce.

I tasted this barbecue mayo sauce on my finger first and noticed its smokiness, sweet barbecue and mayonnaise flavour. It went rather well on my chicken and tomato sandwich, and left me with a really moreish taste in my mouth afterwards. Later I tried it with KFC style chicken and chips, and loved that too. I'll try it with a burger and chips next. Don't be out off by the colour, this is a great barbecue and mayonnaise sauce.

Caramelised Pineapple Drinking Chocolate (Hotel Chocolat @HotelChocolat ) By @Cinabar

It has felt like a bit of a slow period in terms of new hot chocolate flavours over Christmas, but Hotel Chocolat has gone for a very interesting-sounding new drink: Caramelised Pineapple Drinking Chocolate. 

The word pineapple triggers two things: one, a thought of tropical tastes, and two, an argument about whether it belongs on a pizza. It does, by the way. My taste buds have yet to find a pizza I don’t like; from ham and pineapple to pepperoni or meat feat, they are all good. 

Back to the hot chocolate. As I’m clearly not in the camp that has any aversion to pineapple, even I have to admit it sounds like a curious combination with chocolate in a drink. Inside the box are sachets, which you can either use in a hot chocolate maker or by heating milk on the hob. As a hot chocolate addict, I have a machine, so I added milk and poured in the sachet. It smelled amazing and was very fruity in aroma, and I couldn’t wait for it to finish so I could give it a try.

The drink itself isn’t quite as sweet as I thought it would be from the aroma. This drink is chocolate first and has gorgeous tones of cocoa, and the pineapple is well balanced. It is very much present and tastes zingy, tangy, and sweet, but the balance is in favour of the cocoa, which gives it an unexpected soothing tone too. This Caramelised Pineapple Drinking Chocolatedrink is a delight. It is different, but it works. Even the people who are anti pineapple on pizza might find they like it!