Today's Review: The Snaffling Pig Co. Ham & Colman's Mustard Pork Crackling

I've grown partial to a bit of pork crunch lately, although I'm still a bit on the fence with the whole pork scratching thing, they're a bit tooth-breakingly hard. Here we have a bag of pork crackling, which I guess sits somewhere in the middle of the scale. This one's a little different, it's flavoured with ham and Colman's mustard, which promised to give it a bit of spice, and some meatiness, instead of fattiness I suppose. 

I thought I'd get on with this stuff, but the truth is it's pretty gross. It does exist in the realm between scratching and crunch, but not in a good way. Some parts of this stuff are solid, while others give way easily to a lump of cold grease. I'm not sure if those are pockets of flavour or what, but I couldn't really identify the mustard all that well, there was a bit of spice but it was overwhelmed by the moist fat pockets that seem to be spread throughout. Not a great bag at all, I think I'll stick to the more traditional stuff.

My rating: 0/5

Today's Review: Manomasa Serrano Chilli & Yucatan Honey Tortilla Chips

I've tried a couple of flavours of these Manomasa tortilla chips, but apparently I've yet to review any. That changes now, after I found this new and interesting sounding variety in Asda. The chilli is a regular flavour occurrence in chips, but honey is a new one to me. I was promised sweet and spicy, and hoping that these would deliver.

Despite saying Serrano chilli on the front, apparently these also contain Scotch Bonnets, which makes sense, because these are some very hot chips. I love a bit of spice, and often find myself disappointed with the level of heat, but these deliver, giving a tongue tingling burn that lasts for quite a while. In fact, while often I can't make out much chilli when it's mixed with other flavours, these ones had the opposite effect. The honey wasn't really there, just the intense heat, and it only came out as I made my way through a few chips. When it did though, it was a lovely sweet undertone that took the edge off the chilli, but there was enough to provide a lingering spice that really is satisfying (or horrific if you're not a chilli fan). Coupled with the great quality of the chips themselves, this is a great bag with a unique flavour, and one I'll be picking up again. It's a little off in the flavour balance, but if you're after a bit of heat these are the ones for you.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: X-Treme Ketchup & Mustard: Lemon Candy

I have returned from my travels, and while I didn't venture far from the hotel on this holiday, I managed to pick up a few things from the nearest supermarket. Here's a quick review concerning this bottle of "mustard" I grabbed on a whim. As you can probably tell, it's one of those novelty squirty candy things, and the "X-Treme" name implied it was meant to be very sour.

I spent more time trying to get the foil lid off this than I did eating it. It's pretty vile. The taste is a barely passable lemon, and it's sufficiently tart I suppose. But the consistency, it's a thick gel that just isn't good at all, it hangs around too long on the tongue, which allows the initial slightly bearable flavour to give way to an acidic tasteless mess. So if you find yourself in a Spanish supermarket looking for a sweet treat, don't get this one.

My rating: 1/5

Today's Review: Breakfast Buddy S'mores Crunch

I do love an cheap brand American cereal, as you can actually pick them up for a decent price on import. I picked up this S'mores cereal in Sainsbury's for £2.50, and seeing as I love making s'mores (whenever I can find proper graham crackers), I was hoping it would translate well into cereal form. With this box you can pour yourself a bowl of chocolate and cracker cereal and tiny marshmallows.

Unfortunately, each part of this tastes quite off-brand. I was hoping for the delicious honey taste of Golden Grahams, and while there's a little hint in these pieces, they're pretty lacklustre. The marshmallows are fairly hard, although they soften up once the milk is in the bowl. The chocolate balls are alright, probably the most predominant part, but they're not particularly flavoursome. Mixed together they don't really taste like s'mores, but they do alright for an indulgent sweet cereal. I won't be buying them again though.

My rating: 2/5

Today's Review: Magnum Caramel Crunch & Sea Salt Chocolate

Here's another variety of Magnum chocolate I'd yet to try, and it sounded a lot more interesting than the orange one. This is caramel crunch & sea salt, which basically equates to salted caramel, right? Well, unlike most salted caramel flavoured things I've tried, this one actually tastes salty. It's really good, especially mixed with the creamy chocolate, and the caramel is smooth and present throughout, with a nice little crunch to bring out the flavour. A pretty perfect bar of chocolate, it didn't last long. I'd say this is probably the best of the Magnum chocolates I've had.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Chocolate Buddy Peanut Butter Cups

Here's another treat I picked up from the world foods section at Sainsbury's, some peanut butter cups that aren't Reese's, and for only 50p a pack! I wasn't expecting much from these, but they promised some praline in the chocolate, so I was interested to see how that worked out. Turns out it's a pretty sweet peanut butter cup. The chocolate is thick, with a creamy, sweet praline flavour. I'd say it's actually better than the chocolate in a Reese's cup, but unfortunately the peanut butter isn't quite up to scratch. It's nice enough, a bit crunchy and salty, but it's not the best I've had. It all evens out to a fair contender to the Reese's throne, and they're worth trying out if you want something a little different in your peanut butter cup.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Magnum Orange Chocolate

I know my reviews over the last few days have been short, but I'm out of the country, so these are just some reviews I've set up to publish throughout the week. So bear with me and I'll come back to you with some more goodies next week. 

I found a couple of varieties of Magnum chocolate I hadn't yet tried in B&M, and this orange once seemed like it would be pretty great. I wouldn't say the Magnum chocolate quite reaches the heights of Dairy Milk or Galaxy, but we all know that the outside of a Magnum is pretty great. This chocolate is no exception, it's smooth and creamy, and the orange flavouring is mixed in pretty well. It's a nice fruity hint that isn't too strong, and while it's not spectacularly authentic, this does make for a good bar of chocolate. A good addition to the range.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Good Health Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels

Here's an interesting little snack I picked up from the world food aisle at Sainsbury's, little pretzel pockets with a filling of peanut butter. I was expecting to be disappointed by some dry cases filled with sub-par peanut butter, but it turns out these are actually really good. The pretzel shells are nice and crunchy, not too dry, and there's a plentiful sprinkling of salt that really brings out all the flavour. The peanut butter presents itself in nice thick splodges inside, creamy yet substantial, and a truly clean, healthy tasting peanut butter. These are really moreish, and it didn't take long before I finished off the whole packet. I don't regret it though, these are well worth scoffing.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Oasis Zero Summer Fruits

 

The Zero train keeps on rolling, diet drinks for all! Now you can get your zero calorie fix in still form, with this lovely light blue labelled Oasis. Well, there are a few calories, but apparently they can still say there are no calories. So how does Oasis fare without the sugar? Well, it's not great. The summer fruits flavour is there in essence, but merely an essence, it's mostly water with some sweetener thrown in, and the fruitiness is pretty dull and unappealing. I'd say this isn't worth it unless you're really watching your calorie intake, and even then you're better off with a Coke Zero or other fizzy number. Not a great effort.

My rating: 1/5

Today's Review: Jacob's Cracker Crisps Roast Lamb, Rosemary & Mint

I tried out the Jacob's roast beef Cracker Crisps last month, and found them much to my liking. Turns out they weren't done with the festive season though, as we have this roast lamb, rosemary and mint flavour. I can't say I was keen on having mint in my crisps, but I had faith after the last one turned out so well. Lo and behold, these taste like lamb, and like good lamb. A bold, meaty flavour that lasts throughout, paired with a great herby rosemary that doesn't overwhelm. The mint is subtle but effective, not strong, but enough to give that nice mint sauce effect. Everything comes together very nicely into a great roast dinner experience. Cracker Crisps are great at layering on the flavouring, and these are no exception, delicious to the bottom of the bag, and hard to stop eating apparently.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Fruit Salad Sour Softies

I found this bag of sweets in Asda the other day, and was surprised I hadn't tried them yet. I don't know how long they've been out, but they seem to have slipped under my radar. In the same vein of the amazing Squashies, these Softies are a soft, chewy version of the classic Fruit Salad sweets, and this bag introduces a sour element. They only come in two flavours, but hey, sometimes less is more. You have the classic raspberry & pineapple, as well as blackcurrant & lime. Both sweets taste like their real life fruity counterparts, and the classic flavour are particularly reminiscent of the chewy sweets. The sour element is present, not particularly strong, but there's a certain tang to them that's pretty good. The texture of these isn't quite as good as the Squashies, they're slightly more chewy, but still a good bag of sweets. Definitely worth checking out.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza Bianca Deliciosa

I was recently sent a voucher to try out this new limited edition Dr. Oetker Ristorante pizza. I'm partial to a Ristorante anyway, so I was happy to oblige. I'm a big fan of the pollo variety, among others, but this one sounded particularly great. It's a bacon and onion pizza, with mozzarella and edam cheeses, but with white sauce on the base instead of tomato. Intriguing, and well worth picking up. But how does it taste?

Pretty amazing actually. The bacon pieces are small, but juicy, and combine well with the onion. Less is more with these toppings, there's less distraction from the goodness underneath. It's a great combination of cheeses, and the white sauce rounds it all off with a fantastic creaminess, making this one delicious pizza. Apparently white sauce pizzas are on the rise, and I'd say it's a trend I'm looking forward to seeing more of. In the meantime, pick up this pizza while it's still around, it's really good. You can grab it from Asda, Sainsbury's and Ocado, and I highly suggest you do.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Tesco Gruesome Muffins

It seems a while since Tesco brought out some unique baked goods, but Halloween is just around the corner, and Tesco have responded in fashion with these disgusting looking green muffins. Don't be fooled by the colour though, these muffins are toffee flavoured, and disguise a centre of sour apple, making it quite the fitting flavour for the autumn months. 

I wasn't too sure how these were going to work out, what with them being green and all, but I was pleasantly surprised. The sponge is nice and moist, and while it's perhaps a little too squidgy, it packs a good toffee flavour. As you can see from the picture, the filling is pretty plentiful, and it's got a nice tang to it, with a definite taste of apple. It blends in nicely with the sponge, creating a sour toffee apple flavour that, while a little sickly at times, is a pretty unique combination for a muffin. These are pulled off quite well, and it seems they'll probably only be around for a couple more weeks, so it's worth picking these up from the bakery.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Hunger Breaks Mixed Grill In A Can

You may know that occasionally I'll hunt down the most abhorrent looking food I can find during a shop. Why do I do this to myself? Well, partly because it's nice to be able to warn you in case you were ever thinking of picking up such delights as this mixed grill in a can, and partly because it's nice to write about something that isn't "really good" or "pretty good". Sometimes it's just nice to tear something apart, because, let's face it, no one, not even those who made it, thought that this was a good idea.

Just look at it! What even is that? Well, let me enlighten you. While the can clearly lies about it being a "delicious mix", it does assure me that the stuff on that plate is a combination of beans, diced potatoes, sausage, chicken nuggets and lamb chop. Yes, a lamb chop in a can, what a time to be alive. To be fair, the beans are alright, passable as far as beans go. The potatoes are just mushy and have a weird taste, and so does the meat to be honest. The chicken nuggets don't change in colour or consistency throughout, and taste how I imagine those meaty chunks in dog food taste. The sausage just sort of squidged apart in my mouth, it's hard to tell whether it's processed meat or water with a little bit of fat mixed in. The lamb chop was the most interesting, I was wondering how they got one into a can, but then I realised they did it by not making it resemble a lamb chop in any way. Dubious meat in a chicken dipper shape, with a vague yet horrifying hint of lamb-like flavour. 

You may have gathered just from the title, but don't buy this. If you ever find yourself considering picking up a mixed grill in a can, I'm not sure anything can save you. This just provides solid evidence for the fact that if you're putting your meat in a tin, you're doing it wrong.

My rating: 1/5

Today's Review: Mentos Sour Pop Ins

Here's a wackily designed packet of Mentos I found in the world foods aisle of Sainsbury's. They're Pop Ins, and the text is placed into a large cartoon mouth, so I can only assume they're for popping in your mouth. These ones are sour, and while I know sour Mentos are a thing, I'm not sure I'd tried them before.

Well, now I have, and they're alright. These ones only come in four flavours, there's blueberry, apple, orange and lime, with the lime one being yellow, because green is already taken... Anyway, these are pretty much regular Mentos. They're a bit sour, but I was expecting a lot more. The fruit flavours are authentic enough, but it takes a lot of effort to chew down to the point where the sourness comes through. So yeah, I'm disappointed, but these are still worth a go for the Mentos fans. Something a little different.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Tesco Finest Crinkle Cut Four Cheese Crisps

Tesco may be revelling in the oddity that is their candy cane crisps, but they also have some more traditional offerings for the festive season. Here we have some crinkle cut crisps flavoured with not one, but four cheeses. The more cheese the better, I say, so I was pretty excited to find these contain cheddar, Wensleydale, Stilton and Camembert. They're actually pretty impressive too, creamy, cheesy crisps that are packed with flavour. The cheeses are a little at odds with each other, the Wensleydale and cheddar are sometimes lost, but the Stilton and Camembert flavours are bold and authentic, and make for a a different and effective bag of cheese crisps. Well worth picking up for the coming months.

My rating: 4/5 

Today's Review: B&M American Style Hot Dog Kit

B&M has a fair amount of questionable food items lining its shelves (I have a particular tinned treat I'm trying to hold off experiencing). I thought I was out of the woods after the first couple of rows and yet, on the other side of the store from the food aisles I found that the fun wasn't over. Sitting amongst the Christmas decorations was a stand in the middle of the floor, boasting these hot dog kits. Now, I'm normally used to seeing hot dogs in the refrigerated sections, or packed into dubious cans elsewhere. But never before have I seen them in blister packs alongside buns and sachets of sauce. I guess this is one for all you budding survivalists to put in your bunker, as long as the apocalypse is going to happen in the next few months anyway. The instructions are simple. Snip the end off the hot dog packet, blitz them for 15 seconds, stick them in the buns and microwave for a further 30. There's no more convenient way to get your hot dog fix, but is it worth it?

Here they are in all their glory(?) Notice that weathered look on the buns, like the dry, chapped and dusty hands of a manual labourer. I'm imagining they don't taste dissimilar either. The buns were so dry that one of them snapped as I attempted to put the hot dog in it. Once they were blitzed I suppose they weren't awful, but by no means is this nice bread. The hot dogs aren't great either, but at least they're not slop. There's some semblance of meat in there, and overall I'd say these are simply barely passable hot dogs, rather than the gastronomical punishment I was expecting. They're helped along by the nice little Heinz sachets too, to cover up the disappointment of what lies beneath. So if you're desperate for a hot dog and this is the only option, its not going to kill you. But it's not enjoyable either.

My rating: 2/5

Today's Review: Cadbury Dairy Milk Chopped Nut

How do you like your nuts? If your answer wasn't "whole" you were out of luck as fair as Dairy Milk bars were concerned. But now there's another choice, in the form of this chopped nut bar. Following in the footsteps of the chopped fruit and nut that came out last year, this is pretty much the same, but without the fruit. But are whole nuts really that much of a problem? Or are Cadbury just chopping up their nuts so they can shove smaller pieces throughout a noticeably thinner bar of chocolate?

As you can see in the picture, I either have gigantic hands, or this bar is pretty small (hint: it's the latter). So yes, it's a small bar. But does the chopped nut give it an advantage? Let's ignore the fact that the packaging clearly shows the nut being delivered blunt force trauma via hammer rather than being chopped, and just say that no, it's not better. In fact, I think it suffers for it. The nut is spread throughout, sure, but the pieces are so small that the flavour isn't particularly noticeable. There's a slight nutty undertone, but it's mostly just chocolate with a bit of texture thrown in. At least with the whole nuts you get that definite hit of flavour, this one just has some crunchy bits that are nut-like. Still, the chocolate isn't bad, so it's not all for nothing. I just doubt I'll ever pick this up again.

My rating: 2/5 

Today's Review: Rustlers Gourmet BBQ Burger

You may think "gourmet" and "Rustlers" can't go together in the same sentence, but apparently you'd be wrong. Yes, there's a new range of microwaveable burgers that promise that gourmet experience, with only the finest ingredients, probably. I opted for this BBQ burger, which is served up in a brioche bun. It comes complete with streaky bacon, crispy onions and a smokey BBQ sauce. Just pop it in the microwave for a little over a minute and tuck into some fine dining.

Look at that gourmet goodness. You know, it turns out that when you're dealing with microwaveable burger buns, the difference between regular and brioche isn't that noticeable. I mean sure, this is a little smoother and sweeter, but it's still not a great bun. The burger is your regular Rustlers fare, a passable slab of meat that provides a quick hunger fix, and the cheese is just a slice of processed goodness. As for the other ingredients, they're not bad. The sauce is actually pretty good, nice and smokey, and there's a good amount of it to provide an even coverage. The crispy onions are a pretty good touch too, not the finest you'll find, but they elevate this burger above being completely mediocre. I would by no means call this a gourmet offering, but it's not bad.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Kit Kat Bites White Chocolate

I was exasperated when Kit Kat Bites replaced the awesome Pop Choc, although that aggravation soon faded when they brought out the peanut butter ones. Now we have another variety, this time in the form of white chocolate. I feel white chocolate doesn't get the love it deserves, so it's nice to see a classic chocolate bar covered in the stuff. We know Nestlé can do white chocolate after all, just look at Milkybar. Thankfully, the same stuff is used here, it's light and creamy, and it tastes awesome. Combined with the Kit Kat wafer, it's pretty perfect. The bitesize pieces make for more surface area for the chocolate to cling to as well, making these particularly creamy and lovely. I'm not sure I could choose between these and the peanut butter, they're both pretty amazing. Let's hope more Kit Kat Bites are on the way, they've certainly redeemed themselves in my eyes.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Salted Caramel Matchmakers

Matchmakers are filling up the festive aisles once again, but this year there's a new flavour in town. Move aside mint, salted caramel is coming through. I thought the salted caramel trend was dying down a bit, but it's nice to see more stuff tackling it, especially if they do it right. Thankfully, this is one of those times. I wasn't entirely sure how much I was enjoying these as I made my way through them, but it turns out it was quite a lot, because before I knew it the whole box had gone. Oops.

This is one of those salted caramel products that actually tastes like it has salt in it. Combined with the classic brittle Matchmakers chocolate, it's a sweet, smooth flavour, with a nice salty hint that goes well with the crunch contained within. I'm not overly keen on Matchmakers in general, but these ones are probably my favourite. It's not a perfect flavouring, the salted caramel does fade at times, but on the whole it's a good effort, and a very moreish one. Keep an eye out for these, they might not be around for long.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Mokate French Macaroons Instant Latte

I'm sitting here bathing in the afterglow of my KFC Double Down review, and I figured I'd whip up a coffee with this interesting little bag of instant latte stuff I picked up in Poundworld. It tastes like French macaroons, apparently, although sipping it while writing up my last review, I'm not convinced. I normally write these things on the day they're posted, and I'm normally quite good at remembering how things tasted. But I thought I'd scribble this one down while the taste is still fresh on my tongue.

This stuff is horrible. I should probably have expected that from the fact that it pretty much consists of sugar and flavourings, but I figured it would at least taste a little bit nice. It's as if they've attempted to emulate some kind of nutty, coconut flavour, but run out of money and just gone with the first one they found. The result is a bitter, barely milky, disappointingly flat coffee drink that's neither tasty or refreshing. The after taste is bad, and the initial taste is worse. I would have said it's handy that it comes with its own scoop so you can measure out the powder, but I resent anything that actually encourages me to make up this drink. Vile stuff, don't waste your time.

My rating: 0/5

Today's Review: KFC Double Down

It's here, it's finally here! I know I said that yesterday about the dairy free Ben & Jerry's, but I'd only been waiting for that for a couple of months, whereas I've been longing for a double down for seven years. But now, the legendary "burger" has made its way to the UK, for all to enjoy (or vilify, depending on your stance). If you don't know what the Double Down is, and you didn't guess from that picture up there, let me enlighten you. It's a burger where the buns are replaced with chicken fillets. So we have two pieces of boneless Original Recipe chicken, in the middle of which resides cheese, bacon and BBQ sauce. You're either disgusted or drooling right now, so let's push on with the review.

For all the hype this received about being the height of disgraceful burger decadence, I don't see what all the fuss is about. KFC have brought out burgers containing two chicken fillets before, and this is essentially that but without the bun. Therefore it's healthier, less carbs, more protein, and a good amount of fat too. I was worried that after this long a wait I would be somewhat disappointed by the taste, but I have to say this does a pretty great job. The fillets are great, a nice chunky offering with that signature skin, and there's a good amount of cheese plastered inside. It seems to be a different kind of cheese, somewhat more authentic and creamier, and the addition of bacon really pulls it all together, it's a meaty, cheesy delight. On top of that is some amazing smoky BBQ sauce, making this a messy yet satisfying "burger". Maybe it was just the lack of bun that pulled the focus more to the meat, but this tasted different to any other KFC burger I've had. The Double Down has been a long time coming over here, and I'll be grabbing some more in the short six weeks that it's available. I suggest you do too.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Ben & Jerry's Dairy Free Peanut Butter & Cookies

They're here, they're finally here! I know there's been a lot of excitement about the dairy free Ben & Jerry's, and I have to say that despite the fact that I'm not vegan, I was very intrigued to see how these turned out. Yes, the regular Ben & Jerry's ice cream has been replace with an almond alternative, which is also reflected in the absence of those famous cows from the packaging, and their replacement by these giant sketchy almonds. 

There are a few flavours to choose from here, including chocolate fudge brownie and chunky monkey, but the former was already sold out, and the latter didn't tickle my fancy as much as this peanut butter & cookies tub. For something that is non-dairy, they sure do chuck in a lot of elements that are regularly associated with dairy. Ice cream, peanut butter, and chocolate cookies, all vegan, and all in this tub. Let's see how that works out.

Let's start with the ice cream, as that's the most glaringly obvious thing that would perhaps suffer from the lack of dairy. I must say, it's not particularly fantastic, but it does a fair job. It's a little watery, but the texture is pretty good, and it does still feel like eating ice cream. The peanut swirls are really good, I managed to get some in every spoonful, although that made it hard to tell whether the nuttiness was coming from the ice cream or the swirls. Either way, it's a very nutty tub, and I'd be interested to see how much of the almond flavour creeps into the other varieties. The sandwich cookies are extremely plentiful, sizeable chunks that can be found all over the place. They're a little crumbly, but they do add a nice chocolatey hint overall. I'd say compared to the dairy Ben & Jerry's, this tub was absolutely crammed with chunks and pieces, and that was fine by me. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, but the ice cream kings have done it again. Vegans and the lactose intolerants rejoice, and everyone else might want to try it out as well.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Belmont Milkshake Biscuits

Enough of the ridiculous crisps, let's tackle something more on the normal side. I picked up these milkshake biscuits at Aldi the same day I grabbed the cosmopolitan crisps, and I'll be honest in that it was the word "milkshake" that dragged me in. I'm a sucker for a milkshake. They're basically biscuits covered with a milk and cocoa cream, and hey, as long as it's got milk, they can call it a milkshake, right?

I wouldn't say these remind me a whole lot of a milkshake, but that filling (topping?) has a nice creamy taste, with distinct cocoa and milk notes, and they work well together. Not quite a cream as it says on the box, and not quite chocolate either, something in between, and a good texture. Underneath is some pretty good shortbread biscuit. Not exactly your classic buttery goodness, but it's a nice crumbly biscuit with a good flavour. I didn't really know what to expect when I grabbed these, but they're actually some very nice biscuits. I'll be picking these up again.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Tesco Finest Candy Cane Crisps

Aldi: "I'm pretty sure we've come up with the most ridiculous crisp flavour this year"

Tesco: "Hold my beer"

Yes, you've read that right, these are candy cane flavoured crisps. I guess you can't get much more Christmassy than that, but it also feels like science has gone too far. Where alcohol, and even fruity crisps are becoming more common, I never thought I'd see a crisp flavour based on a confectionery. But here I am, having tucked into a bag of peppermint potato chips. The things I do for you guys.

I must say I was horrified and intrigued in equal measures when I saw these. I was pretty convinced they'd be an abomination, and I'm still not sure how I feel even after eating a few. What I can say is, these taste like candy canes. There's a bold peppermint flavour that's present from the first bite, and hangs around a fair amount in the aftertaste too, there's even a slight freshness to it. So I have a dilemma. On the one hand, even with no frame of reference, these are some good peppermint crisps. On the other, these are crisps, and they have no business being peppermint flavoured. Just because the flavouring's authentic, doesn't mean it works. The potato and mint are quite at odds with each other, and I can't say I enjoy these as much as I find these not entirely unpleasant. Another unique crisp flavour to tuck into this festive season, so by all means grab some, and horrify your friends and family. Just don't be surprised that they're not as awful as they sound.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Aldi Cosmopolitan Crisps

Alcohol flavoured crisps. You may not think that should be a thing, but over the years we've seen Guinness crisps, and Tesco's prosecco and rum flavoured attempts. Now it seems Aldi wants to throw their hat in the ring, and also crank it up to 11, with these crisps modelled after a classic cocktail. Because who doesn't want fruity alcohol potato chips?

The description sounded quite nice. "A fruity blend of lime, cranberry juice and orange liquer with smooth vodka". Then I realised that all that is in the form of a crisp, and I was at once disgusted and intrigued. Of course I picked them up, and of course I tried them, and, to be fair, they're not awful. Not good by any means, but as far as I imagined fruit and vodka crisps would be atrocious, these are actually edible. The vodka isn't particularly noticeable, the predominant flavours here are the cranberry and lime, with a little hint of orange. They're pretty authentically fruity, and I'd probably score them higher if they, you know, weren't used to flavour crisps. It's an odd combination, and certainly an acquired taste, but I'd say these are worth a try just for the experience. Maybe set up a bowl of them at your festive gatherings to bamboozle your guests.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Cadbury Break Bar

Not content with dominating the chocolate bar market, Cadbury have attempted to branch off into other snack food areas such as cookies, doughnuts and microwave puddings. Now it seems they've got their eyes set on those single serve breakfast bars, not that these are breakfast bars specifically, they're Break Bars. So I guess you can have them on your break. Basically, it's a biscuit bar with chocolate in the middle, and also on the bottom.

This is Cadbury we're talking about here, so the chocolate is good. The layer on the bottom is your standard Cadbury stuff, but the middle is something different. The box may says it's "melting middle", but it was clearly already melted by the time I bit into one of these bars. It's a smooth, creamy filling that almost has a chocolate-hazelnut taste to it, pretty good. If only the biscuit was as good, but alas, it is not. It's like they tried to make shortbread but didn't quite get it right. I'm not sure exactly what's wrong with it, it's a bit dry, the buttery flavour doesn't stretch far enough, I don't know, I guess it's a combination of things. But the biscuit isn't all that, and that's a large part of the bar. It's not awful, I'd just expect a lot more from Cadbury, especially since they've already proven they can do biscuit from the Snack shortcakes. All in all, it's pretty average. You might want to pick some up for your break at work, but you'd be better off picking up a multipack of chocolate bars. Unless there's some kind of stigma towards eating chocolate bars at your place of work, in which case, it's probably time to change your career.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Unicorn Froot Loops

Froot Loops are one of those rare cereals that have made the trip across the pond (I'm still waiting on Trix and Cap'n Crunch). Now, not only can you get regular Froot Loops, you can also get these unicorn Froot Loops! Look, there's a unicorn on the box! Also one on the back you can colour in! What else is different? Well, not much.

Holy glittering Froot Loops, Batman! Well, they look like they're glittering in the photo, and I was hoping they'd actually glitter a little because, you know, unicorns. But no, these are regular Froot Loops. Apparently they've been given more natural shades, but in reality they've just taken out a couple of the colours. These only come in purple, pink and yellow, and I think yellow's only there so they don't seem cheap. Or to emulate the horn, who knows. The Froot Loops themselves aren't bad. They're a little sickly sweet, but they have those nice fake American fruit flavours that it's hard not to like. It's just a shame it's lacking in some of the fruits entirely. This re-branding just seems like a money grab, the only things that are different are superficial. I'd stick with the originals.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: McVitie's Digestives White Chocolate Nibbles

It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas, and by that I mean things are starting to turn white. Christmas is a pretty good excuse to break out the white chocolate, and I'm all for it, I wish white chocolate was used more often. So here we have a lovely snowflake covered limited edition Nibbles bag, Digestives balls coated in white chocolate instead of milk, or dark, or both. There's not too much to say about them, apart from that they're good. The white chocolate is of pretty good quality, a nice creamy, smooth coating that works surprisingly well with the biscuit. It's not on Milkybar level, but it's a decent offering. The balance between biscuit and chocolate is good too, so they're not too dry. Just a nice crunchy, creamy chocolate biscuit ball. I'll be sure to pick some more up before they disappear. My only question is, where are the white chocolate covered Digestive biscuits?

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Fairfields Farm Heat & Eat Cheese & Chive Crisps

Are you tired of regular old crisps, want to shake it up a bit? Well, why not try some hot crisps? Yes, these are Heat & Eat,a bag of crisps you stick in the microwave, because why not? I was pretty intrigued when I saw these, although I didn't expect much. I went for the cheese ones, despite not being overly fond of cheese crisps, because it comes with a little pot of caramelised onion chutney to dip them in. Yum. Just rip open the bag, blitz for 30 seconds and they're good to go. I wouldn't microwave them for longer, lest they start to look like that picture on the packet there.

Hot crisps seemed a little bit of an odd idea to me, despite the fact that warm tortilla chips make nachos great. Still, despite my misgivings, these are actually pretty good. The half minute warm up time gives these an even level of warmth, and the flavour is pretty good too. It's the onion in cheese & onion that regularly puts me off, but it's substituted with chive here, so it's a pretty good creamy cheesy flavour with a nice little hint of chive flavour. The chutney is good too, although there's not too much of it, so I had to use it sparingly. Also, the uneven size of the crisps means some of them don't fit into the pot. Still, the combination of nice cheesy crisp and bold, sweet chutney makes this a surprisingly good bag of crisps. Maybe hot crisps are the new trend.

My rating: 4/5