This is where I like to share with you my new kitchen discoveries. I didn't get a chance to share my new foodie inspiration with you in December, so this will be a double whammy. I hope you enjoy it and do let me know if you have any new products you have discovered and enjoyed.

I've tried Higgidy pies in the past and enjoyed them, but this was my first try of this quiche. I loved the combination of cheese, onions and spinach topped with roasted red pepper and feta. Such great flavours and a really excellent quiche. I'm thinking of trying this flavour combo on pasta as it works so well.
RRP £3.90
Score 9/10
2. Borderfileds Rapeseed Oil
I use a lot of rapeseed oil for cooking now. Olive oil still has it's place, I prefer it for salad dressings and dipping bread into, but I like to cook with rapeseed oil. It's healthier, lower in calories and has a higher smoking point. Like most rapeseed oils, this one has a nutty almost earthy flavour. A good all rounder.
RRP £3.99 500ml
Score 8/10
3. M&S Mature Cheddar Cheese & Onion Melting Middle Crispbakes
Mashed potato filled with creamy oozing cheese and chive sauce and topped with a crispy breadcrumb. Mmmmmmm!
Comfort food at it's best.
These are great with a salad or vegetables. Cooper and I are going to have one with veggie sausages and peas later this week. It's on my to-do list.
RRP £4
Score 9/10
4. Chocolate Malt Soreen
You all know that sticky, malty loaf by soreen? The one that is great spread with butter. Well, they have a limited edition chocolate malt loaf. It's just as sticky and dense, but with a good chocolately flavour. Get it while it's still around! It's a great store cupboard standby.
RRP ?
Score 7/10
5. The Collective
I've had yoghurt from The Collective before, but I had the chance to try some new flavours when they personally dropped off a cool bag full of yoghurt to me one lunch time.
Now you know that Total is my go-to yoghurt, I use it to bake, make smoothies and plain with fruit, but if it is luxury I am after then The Collective is the best yoghurt around.
I do get fed up with yoghurt, but this stuff is seriously good. It is really decadent thick creamy yoghurt with little rivers of sauce. The yoghurt isn't too sweet and the sauce is rich and with great flavours.
The Passion Fruit and the Mango are my ultimate favourites from the range, they are so so fruity! The Lemon is rather lush too.
The Cherry and Pomegranate is good, but maybe my least favourite. Sweet Jane is rather more gentle on the pallet with a little honey to sweeten it and the Christmas Pud is more of a pudding, with sultanas, orange yest and spices added to the pot. This was of course their Christmas special, but they now have a Raspberry and Amaretto as their limited edition.
They are always changing their flavours, so there is no chance of getting bored.
I have my eye on their white peach and raspberry. Mmmmmmmmm!
Go buy some, you really won't regret it and you won't want to share!
RRP £2.39 500g tub
Score 10/10
6. Metcalfe's Skinny Topcorn
Delivery for Meldrum. Bloomin 'heck, a huge box of popcorn. Thanks Metcalfes!
I've had some of this popcorn before, but there were new flavours to try. Heat 'n Sweet and Sweet Cinnamon Spice. Heat 'n Sweet has the kick of chilli, but is also sweet and slightly fruity. Sweet Cinnamon Spice is a nice seasonal flavour with the taste of Christmas, but I still love the Sweet and Salt above all others. Unfortunately Graham feels the same way, so I have to fight him for them.
The popcorn comes in a range of flavours from 108 calories for a big bag of Sea Salt up to the more calorific 230 calories for the Chocolate Crackle.
RRP £1.49
Score 8/10
7. Ginger Juice
I've been using this little bottle of pure ginger juice from dropthejuice quite a lot recently. It's really handy. I drip some into smoothies. Well I do love a gingery kick and I've used it in dal when my fresh ginger has passed it's best. I'm looking forward to this reaching the supermarkets, as at the moment, the postage charge puts off, I'd have to buy a few bottle so I didn't resent the cost, I do highly recommend it other than that.
RRP £4 50ml bottle (£4.15 postage)
Score 9/10
.jpg)
I especially like the spoonettes, such a fabulous idea and a real professional look to canapes with little work involved. I'll definitely be looking out for these next time I have a party. I notice you can buy them on Amazon.
RRP Various
Score 8/10
9. Laurenti Champagne
Oh my this was good Champagne! I have tasted some really expensive champagnes and not liked them at all. This one rolls down rather nicely. Such a wonderful flavour!
It's a blend of Pinot Noir (70%) and Chardonnay (30%) and utterly delicious. It's also low calorie and low sulphates too, so no hangover. Perfect!! Happy Days! So now you know what to buy for your next special occasion.
RRP £34.99
Score 10/10
10. Bio Green Lassi
Lassi. Fruity and creamy yoghurt smoothies and Bio Green have it sussed. Their fruity Mango, Passion Fruit and Lychee Lassi are lush!
So easy to pull from the fridge and enough.
Need I say more?
RRP £1.60
Score 9/10
11. Fruity Babes
I love jelly sweeties, but it is often difficult to get good veggie jellies. These luxury jellies from Prestat are enrobed in chocolate. I've never had a jelly covered in chocolate before. It was curious at first, but I did like them. And the great thing.......... one was enough for a sweet treat, so they last for ages!
RRP £16 for 200g
Score 8/10
Thanks to all the brands for sending me their products to try.
Have you tried any new products lately? Are there any you would like to recommend?
Disclosure: I was not expected to write a positive review for any of the brands who sent me products to try and any opinions are were my own. Thanks to food PR agency CLIP Creative and PR for the samples.
You are obviously born for better things Jac what with your champagne and luxury yogurt!
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes indeed. I would like to think so, but probably not :)
DeleteI use rapeseed oil for cooking as well and absolutely love it! Olive oil have it's place in my kitchen but I rarely use it for cooking :)
ReplyDeleteIt is good and great that it is generally British too! Some of the top chefs recommend rapeseed oil in cooking.
DeleteI love the sound of the raspberry and amaretto yoghurt - going to see if it's in stock at Ocado next week!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds good, but I would prefer the raspberry and peach.
DeleteHi, I like your new look! You have found some interesting products there; my newly-vegan daughter found a vegan pizza (I think ,made by Mama Cucina butnot sure) at Holland and Barrett which is delish!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, I will try that for Graham. I notice they do them at goodness direct too.
DeleteI love the look of the skinny pop corn.
ReplyDeleteIt's good, especially the sweet and salty one. First you get one flavour, then the other. I have often wondered how they do that.
DeleteRaspberry and Amaretto yoghurt? Oh my! I am not sure I have ever heard of a better flavour.
ReplyDeleteReally? That one isn't for me.
DeleteTHANK goodness you have only just shared these reviews now, as I have had most of these products too and am waaaay behind! VERY interesting post Jac! Karen
ReplyDeleteI know, I was pretty darn late reviewing most of these too. December isn't a good time for it.
DeleteThat Lassi looks rather good, I've never seen it for sale before - not that it is particularly difficult to make of course. I used the Pridy cases over Christmas, they were brilliant.
ReplyDeleteIt was really tasty!
DeleteVeggie cups and yoghurt sounds wonderful.Looks like your larger and fridge is full of goodies.
ReplyDeleteWell not now, pretty much all gone.
DeleteIsn't it interesting that we all accept and like different things? I've had some of these, and turned others down. Do you reckon that popcorn will carry on being the in thing this year in every flavour imaginable?
ReplyDeleteI know, I only say yes to the ones that sound yummy. No tea or coffee for me!
DeleteI love cooking with Rapeseed oil too, and Borderfields are fab... Have you tried some of the flavoured ones?
ReplyDeleteNo, I've not tried them yet. Any in particular that you can recommend?
DeleteI love the sound of that chocolate malt loaf! yum!!
ReplyDeleteIt was good, but has to be slathered in butter (in my opinion lol!)
DeleteScrumptious! I adore The Collective yoghurts - their Christmas Pud, and their passionfruit ones are simply, simply divine.
ReplyDeleteOh they are so, so good. I love them! There's something decidedly naughty about them
DeleteLovely set of goodies Jac, you lucky thing! I've not heard of The Collective yoghurts but I'm going to look out for them for my yoghurt fiend kids. I've recently tried Metcalfe's Topcorn too and loved the Sea Salt and Salt & Sweet....haven't come across the flavours you were sent but they sounds tasty. Shall look out for them, love my popcorn!
ReplyDeleteYou have to track down the collective yoghurts, you will love them. I get them in Sainsburys.
DeleteHey Jaq ur post abt Soreen brings back a very happy memory, my hubby and I took a vow for improving our fittness levels last year and one of them was trying to climb Peak Snowdon! we had for company the soreen buttery treats and they were life savers , we did make it to the top after a long scary trudge past a lot of fog and poor visibility but as they on the mountains the weather changes so often , we had spectacular views on our way down!Thanks for sharing these honest opinions :)
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that sounds like quite a challenge, I can imagine the soreen spread with butter would be great.
Deletegreat double whammy peek into your kitchen - I love the collective yoghurt (and seem to enjoy yoghurt more in summer) and melty cheese middles and any flavoured popcorn and hidggidy pies - chocolate malt loaf sounds amazing (as does christmas pud yoghurt)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you like all the same things as me Johanna :)
DeleteI love love the metcalfe's skinny popcorn - it's my 'not so' guilty pleasure haha! And I always see those collective yogurts but never bought before, might try them out!
ReplyDeleteOh buy them quickly. You will not be disappointed!
DeleteGreat round up of products, must try some of that popcorn.
ReplyDeleteJanie x
Thanks Janice :)
DeleteI love the sound of the chocolate malt soreen, sounds lush. I hope they stock this in my local supermarket x
ReplyDeleteOh it is good. It's a limited edition, but I think they should carry it on.
DeleteWow you have shared some great products Jac. I love alot of the products on your list but the especially the spinach, feta and roasted pepper quiche, will def buy that for a quick weeknight meal option.
ReplyDeleteLow calorie low sulphite champers, that doesn't give you a hangover? That sounds fab!
And I am so happy to see the Soreen's Malt Loaf on the list, my mum used to toast a slice for us when we got back from school with hot butter. Will have to hunt for the chocolate version.
Oh toasted, I never thought of that! Brilliant. I must try that.
Delete