Reviewed by
Evelyn
Degustabox is a popular monthly food and drink box with a difference. Whilst other boxes cater more towards the artisan/luxury end of the foodie subscription box market, Degustabox is much more affordable and includes products from a wide mix of brands (including household names and new startups etc) that are often readily available in your local supermarket. It’s a great box for families to receive and is also suitable for anyone who just likes to try out different food and drink products, many of which are new launches.
All of the products that you’ll receive inside the box will be a surprise every month, and Degustabox likes to include a good mix of soft drinks, healthy snacks, sweets and treats, cereals, cooking sauces and much more, so you get a really good variety. There’s also an option to receive alcohol in the boxes, which is the one that I’ve gone for, but you can choose an alcohol-free box if you’d prefer.
So then, shall we take a look at what’s inside June‘s Degustabox?
ENRJ Energy Juice – 1 x Apple & Berries and 1 x Mango & Passionfruit (RRP £1.49 each)
I haven’t heard of this brand before, but I love trying healthier versions of energy drinks – anything that will give me a boost during that 3pm slump is always welcomed! They’re basically 100% fruit juice drinks with no added sugar, artificial colourings or flavourings, and they contain Arabica Coffee Bean extract to give you a shot of caffeine when you need it the most. I received two bottles in different flavours; Apple & Berries and Mango & Passionfruit. Both were really nice and fruity, but my favourite was definitely the Mango & Passionfruit flavour as I love anything with mango in it. At less than 100 calories per bottle and counting as 1 of your 5 a day, these are a brilliant, healthier option for busy people!
Berrywhite Organic Drink – Lemon & Lime (RRP £1.39)
I’ve seen Berrywhite Organic Drinks in Holland & Barrett before, but I haven’t tried any of them until now and I loved this Lemon & Lime flavour. They’re made with just organic fruit juices that are blended with still mineral water and they don’t have any added sugar or preservatives or anything artificial in them. Each bottle counts as 1 of your 5 a day, so it’s another healthy option and was a lovely refreshing drink.
Light Bites Quinoa, Honey and Pumpkin Seeds Superfood Seed Bar (£1.25)
Light Bites are exclusive to Superdrug and you may have spotted them near the checkout tills. The range is focused on healthy, low-calorie snacks so they’re ideal for people who are dieting or want to watch their weight. This Superfood Seed Bar was really good – it’s got a light and chewy texture and has a little sweetness in it from Brown Rice Syrup. 99 calories per bar and high in fibre too.
Light Bites Mango with Vanilla Yoghurt Fruit Chips (RRP £1.49)
Another product from the Light Bites range were these freeze-dried pieces of mango which are covered in a light vanilla yoghurt coating. I didn’t like these as much as the Superfood Seed Bar above, but for only 46 calories per bag, I don’t think they’re too bad – just not the right flavour combination for me.
Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread Scottie Dogs (RRP £1.95)
For a sweet biscuit treat, you can’t go wrong with some proper Scottish shortbread and these little Scottie Dogs were almost too cute to eat! They have a delicious melt-in-your-mouth buttery sweetness and they’re the ideal companion to dunk into a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate when you’re taking a break. This pack didn’t last long in my house!
Haribo Summer Frenzy Starmix Berry Mix and Tangfastics Ice Cream Sorbet flavours (RRP £1 each)
Being a vegetarian, I passed the Haribo onto my housemates and these were quickly devoured. They’re the new Summer Frenzy flavours that include a mix of fruity Berry flavours in the Starmix, and Ice Cream Sorbet flavours in the Tangfastics. Everyone seemed to love them so if you have a sweet tooth, you may want to check them out in your local supermarket.
Westons Cider Rosie Pig 1 x Hand Brake (Sparkling Cloudy Cider with Damson) and 1 x Flat Tyre (Sparkling Cloudy Cider with Rhubarb) (RRP £1.99 each)
As I mentioned earlier, you can choose whether you want to receive alcohol in your Degustabox or not, and this month’s alcoholic treat was two cans of Westons Cider. Both of these flavours were really nice and refreshing and it was great to try out some different fruity flavoured ciders for a change. I would happily buy each of these again!
Original O’s Savoury Cumin and Sesame Nibbles (RRP £2.99)
June’s ‘product of the month’ is a box of Original O’s – a wheaty, crunchy, savoury o-shaped snack that’s flavoured with cumin and sesame seeds. They’re really good sprinkled on top of a bowl of soup instead of croutons or toast, or you can enjoy them as an everyday snack straight out of the box.
Capiscana Brazillian Chilli & Coconut Quick Cook Sauce (RRP £1.99)
I’m always looking for new sauces to try out as they always come in handy for a quick mid-week meal when you’re in a rush and too busy to cook from scratch. This one was from Capiscana and it was absolutely delicious. The combination of Chilli & Coconut was on point, and I used this pack to liven up a stir fry with some Quorn Chicken and fresh veggies – yum! I’ll certainly be looking into the other flavours that they do the next time I’m doing a grocery shop.
Schwartz Authentic American Flavour Sachets – 1 x BBQ Pulled Chicken and 1 x Spicy Buffalo Wings (£0.85 each)
These seasoning sachets from Schwartz offer a cheap and cheerful way to add some flavour to a meal and are free from artificial flavourings, preservatives, MSG and hydrogenated fat. We had a BBQ at home over the weekend which was the perfect opportunity to try out these flavours and both of them went down well with everyone! The meat eaters enjoyed the BBQ Pulled Chicken, and we used the Spicy Buffalo Wings flavour to spice up some potato wedges which turned out perfectly. I think these are great to have in the cupboard.
Spoon Apple & Peanut Granola (RRP £3.70)
I’m a huge fan of proper granola and this one from Spoon was a brilliant find for me. Made with simple natural ingredients such as wholegrain jumbo oats, crispy coconut chips, whole roasted peanuts, baked apple pieces and sweetened with a little honey and maple syrup – this granola is delicious and is free from refined sugar. I’ve been enjoying this with some almond milk as a breakfast, but it’s also great as a healthy snack to nibble on throughout the day.
Eisberg Sauvignon Blanc Alcohol-Free Wine (RRP £1.49)
The last product in this month’s Degustabox was a small bottle of alcohol-free wine from Eisberg. Now, I love a glass (or two) of Sauvignon Blanc at the weekend, so it’s never really occurred to me to try an alcohol-free wine, but I must admit this was pretty good. It’s made in the same way as a traditional wine, but the alcohol is removed at the end and it’s much lower in calories as a result, with just 22 calories per glass.
