Elizabethan – Orange, Honey and Ginger Marmalade (Kenilworth Castle)

I picked this up on a lovely trip to Kenilworth Castle (definitely worth a visit should you be considering it). I do have to say though that I have seen this variety of preserves in quite a few National Trust gift shops and have been meaning to purchase some for a while.
It is a good thick marmalade that actually requires a little effort with the knife to tease it out of the jar, but it does spread acceptably well. In terms of taste it is full of flavour and rather zesty. There is a nice hint of ginger in the main flavour that adds a pleasant spice and is balanced off by sweet honey in the aftertaste. If this is an original recipe from Elizabethan times, then it is fair to say the Elizabethans knew a few things about marmalade!

Smoked Tabasco Sauce – [140th Anniversary] Smoked Red Chipotle Jalapeños (Selfridges)

This sauce is a special edition brought out to celebrate 140 years of Tabasco sauce. Unlike the Tobasco sauce I know and love, this isn’t meant for splashing, it is a pouring sauce. So, unlike regular Tabasco it isn’t watery, it is thicker like a light Ketchup.
I decided to try it out with some cheese on toast. I poured a big dollop on the side of my plate and put a lashing of it on my fork. Then I tensed, if the sauce was as hot as I feared then I may end up looking for ice cubes, but nothing ventured nothing gained.
The heat from the chilli was not as bad as I suspected, it is a hot sauce, but good and tangy rather than eye watering. The sauce has a fantastic smoky flavour too, it’s not sweet like barbecue sauce, it is more edgy and flavoursome.
I did purchase this in Selfridges in their import section, but it is also available through Ocado for those of you who shop online. It is well worth seeking out!

Organic Seed and Bean Company -Lavender and 72% Cocoa bar (Deli on the Square, Ludlow)

Wow, when you open the packet there is a wonderful aromatic smell of lavender. I like the idea of a lavender bar, I like Turkish Delight so am by no means put off by flowers flavouring my choccies.
Tucking in I found that the cocoa is bitter and strong, and the chocolate has a pleasant flowery almost herby taste mixed in with it. The only thing I am not keen on though is the sharp sweet aftertaste that is left on the palette. It’s a strange tang that hits after a few seconds of chewing. It is too sweet to have come from sugar and it is almost peppery in flavour. It is nice to try something different, but the aftertaste on this bar just needs taming.

Kettle Chips – Roasted Tomato and Basil (Sainsbury’s)

There is some sunshine outside, Easter is over and cue a rather fantastic new wave of products. Kettle Chips' new seasonal flavour is Roasted Tomato and Basil. It is nice to see them trying something more interesting than their previous ‘new’ flavour of cheese and onion. Don’t get me wrong, the cheese and onion variety were tasty, but not adventurous. Tomato and Basil does feel more like summer to me. There is something about these Mediterranean flavours that just make you think of sunny long days.
The crunch is as ever with Kettle Chips good and strong, and they feel quite satisfying to crunch. The tomato flavour is sweet and wholesome, that blends well with the addition of Basil. The crisps themselves are full of flavour and have a nice slightly salty edge that works well with the crisps. A very nice pack and definitely one to seek out.

Kshocolat Little Black Box Mintettes (House of Fraser)

Well I found these choccies in a smallish box in a department store, and my first thought was that they were posh Poppets. Which reminds me, I am desperately seeking the new Poppets Choc Chip Cookie variety, which sound amazing!
Anyway, back on topic. These choccies come in several different varieties including chocolate coated coffee beans and honeycomb, and are in a small black snack size box. The product itself consists of a dark chocolate shell with a mint truffle inside. The contents consist of small round pieces, less than a centimetre apart and each one is quite firm. The truffle has a good flavour, but I still would have preferred it a little stronger. The dark chocolate is nice, but the chocolates are glazed which means if you suck them you become immediately aware of a layer on each chocolate. Pleasant enough as a product though, but not better than mint Poppets. I bought a couple of other boxes to try from this range. I will see how I get on with them and let you know.