Degustabox Review – A Monthly Subscription Food Box

16th February 2016

I have seen lots of people talk about Degustabox before – so when I was offered the chance to review a January’s subscription box I of course said yes – plus why would I say no to food.

Degustabox is a monthly subscription box containing a range of food and drink products for your to try for £12.99 a month. It’s a great way to try some new or different brands than you usually would, and it’s always fun getting a box full of surprises to eat and drink! In each months box you get between 9 and 14 products, some of which may be new to the market and each box will be cheaper than if you bought the products individually.

We received our well packaged box a couple of weeks ago and have been enjoying the contents ever since. This is what we got in our January box:

degustabox review

Here is a full list of what my box contained (boxes can very slightly):

degustabox january review

Yushoi Snapea Rice Sticks

I REALLY like the Yushoi Snapea Rice Sticks. The one’s I have are Soy and Balsamic Vinegar, and they are made from green peas and rice for a Japanese twist on a British classic. I love that they are better for you than normal crisps and I think they are really tasty. A and her Dad weren’t quite so keen though! They have no MSG, artificial colours of flavours and are made of 68% green peas. They are also suitable for vegetarians and vegans, are nut and dairy free, high in fibre and a good source of protein.

Amoy Asia Malaysian Laksa

These new cooking sauces from the Taste of Asia range allow you to prepare more authentic Asian dishes simply, at home. They look like they will be really quick and easy to use and make a really easy dinner, so I am looking forward to trying them.

Clarks Carob Fruit Syrup

Carob fruit syrup is a naturally sweet low GI syrup that is made by extracting the fruits from the Mediterranean Carob plant. It can be used everyday to sweeten drinks and can be used in baking. It is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. This is the kind of thing I often use in recipes when you need a bit of sweetness but want it to be a more natural and healthy, but I’ve never tried Carob Syrup before so this will be great to try.

Cold Press Golden Delicious Apple Juice

Coldpress Golden Delicious is cold pressed (not heat pasteurised) so it tastes fresher and retains more nutrients than conventional pasteurised apple juice. That means that you get more nutrients including Vitamin C and other antioxidants, which I love. I don’t really drink ready made juices anymore as I know they are full of sugar, and processed – so I like that this is cold-pressed, and it tastes really nice.

Conscious Organic Chocolate Bar

Conscious Chocolates are raw, organic, vegan, and hand-made, so this too is exactly my kind of thing. They actually taste exactly like my homemade chocolate, which makes sense, as the ingredients are very similar, and it shows how good quality these chocolate bars are. They certainly aren’t full of crap and I would definitely buy it myself (if I can’t be bothered to make my own!). The company say the chocolate bars are truffle-like – and they really are, they are kind of soft and fluffy but without being a bit airy-fairy. The flavours available are Plain Jane; a smooth, award-winning bar, Intense – a sophisticated bar balanced with vanilla, and Chili Hot bar is an immune system booster with all chocolate taste first and a warming chili tingle to finish. I’d be kind of interested to try the Chili one as I’ve tried a chilli chocolate from another brand before and really did not like it.

Finn Crisp Original Thins

Finn Crisps are made from 100% rye wholegrain, baked with sourdough, giving them a distinctive tangy flavour. They are rich in fibre, essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They make a great quick lunch with a topping on them, and I love that they are made with natural ingredients. I like to have alternatives to flour sometimes so these are a great option. They are very crunchy which is nice, and they are low in calories at 22 calories per crispbread.

Jordans Country Crisp Fruit & Nut

These are light and crunchy golden oat clusters with a generous handful of fruit and crunchy nuts. I have had this range of cereals before and enjoyed them, but I had never tried this flavour, and they are very nice with good chunks in them. I tend not to have cereals like this very often as they can have a lot of sugar in them, and they do taste a bit sweet to me now that my taste buds have changed, but I really like the crunchy clusters and the nuts, and they will get eaten.
january degustabox

Slim Noodles

These are apparently the UK’s No.1 Health Product, but they seemed a bit weird to me and there wasn’t much to them. They are made from organic Konjac flour and oat fibre (Juroat™),  so they are a healthy alternative to regular noodles and can help you lose weight. They have no carbs, are fat free and gluten free, are vegan and only have 9 calories per 100g serving.

I prefer my noodles to have more taste and more to them though, so they are not really for me, but I guess if you are being strict about your calories then they could be a good alternative as long as you are using a strong stirfry sauce I would say. The packet mentions using them in smoothies for breakfast – no thanks! It seems a bit of a strange suggestion – they are not going to add anything to the taste and they are low in calories, so it would seem like a bit of a waste to me.

Tsingtao Beer

Tsingtao is an incredibly smooth and easy to drink pilsner. Founded by The Anglo-German Brewery Co. Ltd in 1903 in the seaport of Qingdao in North Eastern China, it is still only ever brewed here using pure Laoshan Mountain spring water. Their master brewers select only the finest malt and hops and blend rice, from the paddy fields of Western China, to mellow the bitter aftertaste, making it one of the most ‘drinkable’ beers around.
I do like to have a beer occasionally, so this was a nice addition to my box.

Fit Fit Fruit Bar

Fit Fits are made by a simple clean process of using dried fruits and nuts. The fruit is ground to a paste with a little sulphur dioxide added to the Apricot for the colour affect, and the nuts are roughly chopped to small pieces. It is then cold pressed and formed to a disk like shape.

I liked the apricot one – it tasted just like dried apricots, which I like. I’m not really sure about the date and cacao one – it was kind of across between a fruity bar and a chocolate bar, which is slightly weird. I like that they contain no colouring or sugar added and are gluten and GMO free, but I wish they didn’t have sulphur dioxide in, especially just for colour benefits.

They aren’t that different to having some dried fruit really, and are probably more expensive for the amount – but I guess they would be a good thing to have in your handbag in case you get a bit peckish.

Degustaboxes are £12.99 a month or £11.99 if you pay bianually, and I think they are pretty good value for money. It is quite exciting getting a box of surprise food and drink items delivered to you, but I do think you would have to have some spare money to spend if you have quite a fussy family as you could be spending the money on products you know you like. It is a great way to try some new products though, and maybe broaden your tastes a bit.

Boxes are delivered by DPD which is great, as you are given a one hour slot for delivery and my DPD guy’s are always really reliable. I would definitely be willing to try another box and see what kind of products we would get next time.

We were provided with January’s box to review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

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