THANK YOU!!!

I know this isn’t my usual style of post, but I felt that something needed to be said. I have been running this blog for six months now and there is so much more to it than just posts from me.

I have had so much support from my family and friends that it really is overwhelming. From the setting up of the website (and the great patience shown from one individual who explained how to set up my admin@foodstufffinds.co.uk email), and all the other advice given, through to the numerous readers who keep a look out for new or interesting products for me. Then there are the wonderful people that post comments and keep the community going, and the amazing items that family and friends get for me. For example the very nice man who sent me the Cajun Squirrel crisps when he realised that my local supermarket weren’t stocking them.


This gift of chocolates also needs a special mention as I would like to give huge thanks to the sender; it truly is a wonderful gift! And readers, this does mean that there are going to be a few more indulgent Milka reviews appearing here soon! Thanks again!

You are all amazing and I felt that it needed to be said – I really couldn’t do this without you all. Thank you all for supporting this blog and my insane obsession of trying new foods!!!!

Cadbury's Brunch Bakes – Fruit and Nut (Sainsbury’s)

Cadbury’s have bought out two new products, both in the same range and both with similar packaging. What is even more confusing is that they have such a similarity in name too, the other product is Cadbury's Brunch Breaks which I wrote about a few days ago, compare this to Cadbury's Brunch Bakes. Breaks and Bakes – it’s just confusing!
The names may only be subtly different, but the difference in product is more pronounced. Cadbury's Brunch Breaks are a type of cereal bar, but these Bakes are what I would describe as biscuits. They come stacked in a plastic packet, not individually wrapped and just how you would expect biscuits to be packaged. I mention this as the packaging does not use the biscuit word, which just struck me as being a little odd. Anyway, they have a thick cookie style base, which is soft rather than brittle, and packed into the base are hazelnuts, chocolate, oats and raisins. They have a good balance of flavours and textures, and are very morish. I recommended them dunked in coffee!

Crips Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper (Waitrose)

It is not a typo, the company who make this snack call themselves ‘Crips’ much to the dismay of my spell checker. The reasoning behind the name is explained on the packet as being “Like crisps, but better”.
They are actually a mix of potato and wheat flour which has been baked and seasoned. This avoids the unhealthy frying that is the traditional method of cooking crisps.
The ‘Crips’ have a lovely crunch and nice texture and are thicker than ordinary crisps. I felt that the cracked black pepper was a little too strong, and it left a bit of a pepper burn on my tongue. I might not have got on with this variety, but in principle they are a nice potato snack and I look forward to trying a different flavour. I also really like their strange but eye catching packaging.

Nestlé Peppermint Crisp (Australia Via Cybercandy)

This bar has a milk chocolate coating covering some bright green mint crystals. The bar is neatly marked into five pieces, but it isn’t worth trying to break it. I made this mistake and broke the first chunk off, and a shower of green mint crystals attacked me! What is it with these Australian bars and their crumbliness? The filling of the bar is made of pure green peppermint crystals, not peppermint embedded in chocolate, but pure fragile shattering crystals. Consequently the bar is rather crunchy, and the peppermint is quite strong, which makes for a strangely refreshing bar. Very different to anything I have had here in the UK and well worth hunting out.

Polo Mint O Fruit (The 99p Store)

When I first saw these I was sure that they were the clear fruit Polo sweets I know that I have had before, but I was very wrong. Opening the first individually packed sweet I soon realised that they were in fact opaque in colour and not just fruit flavoured, but mint and fruit flavoured.

• Lime Mint – This tasted almost exactly like a Citrus and Honey Strepsil throat sweet.
• Strawberry Mint – Better than the lime flavour as they were sweeter, but not enough strawberry for my liking.
• Cherry Mint – This one you could tell it was cherry flavoured at least, but it was reminiscent of a Cherry Tune.
• Blackcurrant Mint – My favourite of the selection as it had a good blackcurrant flavour, with just a hint of mint. I wish that the other flavours had focussed on the fruit and just included a gentle hint of mint.

Polo seemed to have mastered the flavour of making the sweets taste of menthol, even though there is no menthol present. The problem with them is that I associate that kind of fruit and strong minty menthol flavours with throat sweets. A strange combination, but it was fun to give them a try. Yet again I would like to say thank you to that very nice man from the NTSC-UK forum who sent me them.