News: Ruby Kit Kat Pink Chocolate to be released in UK!

Image: Kit Kat

A quick post with some exciting news that I just had to share - Nestlé UK is going to release their gorgeous looking Ruby Cocoa Beans Kit Kat bar in the UK next week! 

'Pink Chocolate' was first developed by chocolatier Barry Callebaut amidst claims that it was the first natural variety of chocolate since white chocolate was created. Apparently a unique way of processing the cocoa beans creates the distinct colour and an intense berry-like flavour.

This ruby chocolate Kit Kat collaboration was first unveiled in Japan and Korea but thankfully the UK will be the first country outside of that market to try the ruby treat. It's available from next week - Monday 16 April at Tesco. Who's excited? I know I am!

New Instore: Vegan Ben & Jerries, Cloudy Lemonade Jelly & More

Non-Dairy Ben & Jerry's: The much anticipated vegan Ben & Jerry's has finally hit the shelves in the UK. There are three flavours available: Peanut Butter & Cookies, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Chunky Monkey. So far spotted in Tesco - for £5.50p.

Hartley's Cloudy Lemonade Jelly: Spotted in two flavours; Elderflower Lemonade or Original Lemonade. Spotted at Tesco - £0.70p each. 

Tesco Black Forest Profiteroles: It's that time of year when all the festive party food starts to appear instores. Most of it is looking similar to previous years but I did spot these new Black Forest Profiteroles from Tesco. Hopefully there will be plenty more new products in the run up to Christmas. £2.00p at Tesco.

Nakd Limited Edition Lemon Drizzle: I know this flavour has been around for awhile but this is the first time I've seen it instore and in a multipack. £2.79p at Tesco.

Tesco Caramel Latte Cookies: An interesting new cookie flavour from Tesco and a bargain price too. Check out the review from A Review a Day. £0.99p at Tesco.

MOMA Porridge Almond Butter & Salted Caramel: A new flavour from MOMA Porridge that is dairy and gluten free. £1.29p at Tesco.

Vitalite Dairy Free Coconut: I only use Vitalite at home so I'm keen to give this coconut variety a try. Available at most supermarkets - spotted at Asda for £1.00p.

Müller Light Crumble Inspired: A limited edition Rhubarb Crumble & Custard Flavour Yogurt from Müller. Spotted at Iceland and Asda - £0.68p each.

Ben & Jerry's Berry Neighbourly: Also new from Ben & Jerry's is this Berry Neighbourly flavour described as - vanilla ice cream with cookie & blueberry swirls & white chocolate chunks. Spotted at Tesco - £4.20p.

Carthy & Black Yorkshire Gin Cream Liqueur: Made using an unique blend of Yorkshire cream and gin from the award winning Slingsby Gin. Spotted at Asda.

Thanks so much to Lucy W. for the last five photos and for such great finds. If you've spotted any new products instore then I would love to hear from you - send any photos to grocerygems@gmail.com or @grocerygems.

New Instore: Shreddies Max Protein, New York Bakery Cheese Bagels & More

A round up of some more new items spotted instore - this time with a few added Mini Reviews! 

Shreddies Max Protein: This new oat granola cereal is available is also available in a Cranberry flavour. It contains 10g of protein per serving as well as being high in fibre. It's a tasty enough granola with a crunchy texture and sweet flavour, and I'd buy it again if it was on special offer. Spotted at: Asda - £2.49p (for 400g).

Tesco Choco-Nut Malt Wheats: I don't usually buy chocolate cereals but this Choco-Nut flavour appealed to me. Is it wrong that I was secretly hoping it would have a Nutella-y taste? Anyway, the good news is that the combination of chocolate and creamy hazelnut does give this cereal that hint of Nutella that I was hoping for. Don't worry, it's not as super sweet or cloying as a chocolate spread, but these Malt Wheats do have a lovely chocolate and nut flavour. I also want to try the new Golden Syrup Malt Wheats in the same range - the price is great too! Spotted at: Tesco - £1.19p (for 500g).

Soreen Squidgy Cake Bites: Available in Chocolate or Toffee flavours. Each tub has 12 mini bites of squidgy cake. I don't usually buy these types of tubs - I prefer individually wrapped minis. Spotted at: Asda - £1.50p. 

Cadbury Mini Rolls Mega Roll Cake: There were quite a few new celebration cakes at Asda. I love the look of this giant Mini Roll - such a fun and simple idea. Spotted at: Asda - £6.00p. 

Asda Donut Cake: Another cute and appealing cake. This one is shaped like a massive doughnut complete with pink icing and sprinkles. Spotted at: Asda - £8.00p. 

Ghostbusters Cake: This is one of those cakes that made me happy and annoyed at the same time. This would have been so useful for my husbands birthday last year which was Ghostbusters themed! Spotted at: Asda - £10.00p. 

Asda Extra Special Muffins: I spotted two interesting new flavours of these savoury muffins; Mild Red Cheddar and Ancient Grains. If you've tried these then I'd love to know what you thought in the comments below! Spotted at: Asda - £1.00p. 

New York Bakery Co Cheese Bagels: I buy bagels regularly so I'm always on the lookout for new flavours. These Cheese Bagels have been an instant hit with my kids and I'll definitely be buying them again. Each bagel has a cheddar cheese topping which is full of flavour and compliments an array of savoury fillings. Spotted at: Asda - £1.00p.

Warburtons Protein Range: Warburtons has a new range of products that are high in protein and fibre. I saw a Wholemeal Loaf with a blend of pulses, Wholemeal Thins and Wholemeal Soft Wraps in the range. Spotted at: Asda - £1.00p each. 

As always, if you spot anything new instore and fancy sending me a photo then let me know via email: grocerygems@gmail.com or Twitter: @grocerygems.

New Instore: Tesco Free From Choc Stick Ices, Twix Spread & More

Thank you to Lucy W. who sent me all these great photos of her new finds this weekend.

Tesco Free From Choc Sticks: It's fab news that Tesco are expanding their Free From ice cream range. They successfully launched the Tesco Free From Strawberry & Vanilla Cones last year and have now added Free From Toffee & Vanilla Cones and Choc Sticks to the range. I've also seen online that there are Free From Fruit Splits available too. I'll be tracking these down soon! £2.00p at Tesco.

Eat Natural Bars: A new Apple, Ginger & Dark Chocolate flavour which looks very tempting! £2.00p at Tesco for box of three.

The Collective Dairy Choccy Orange: A big pot of Collective Dairy yogurt which features a dark chocolate infused with orange flavour. Available at Asda and Sainsbury's - £2.00p. 

Alpro Go On Blackcurrant Soya: A new alternative to strained yogurts from Alpro Soya. The Alpro Go On range is available in three flavours; Blackcurrant, Mango or Passion Fruit. I buy a lot of Alpro Soya 'yogurts' so I was really pleased to hear about this new range. I'll try to review these soon. Spotted at Asda.

Arla Protein Snack Pot: I can't find any information about these online but from the photo these consist of a portion of thick Arla yogurt with a crunchy topping. There are two flavours; Mellow Vanilla or Warm Ginger. £1.25p each in Asda.

Twix Spread: The latest addition to the Mars range of chocolate bar themed spreads turns the Twix bar into a chocolate and caramel spread. The range already includes a Bounty Spread and a Maltesers Spread so it makes sense that Twix was next. Available at Asda.

Bioglan Raw Bites: Lucy said she usually buys this brand in Holland & Barrett but she actually spotted this new Cacoa+Coffee+Coconut flavour in Tesco. This combination really appeals to me - it sounds delicious. £1.99p at Tesco.

A massive thank you to Lucy W. for all of these great finds and photos - she's an absolute star! If you spot anything new instore and fancy sending me a photo then let me know via email: grocerygems@gmail.com or Twitter: @grocerygems.

Tesco Banana Bliss & Berry Blast Fruity Bars Review

I spotted these new Fruity Bars in the cereal bars section of my local Tesco. They're described on the box as being 'cold pressed fruit and nut bars with dates' that are also milk free. They look like a supermarket version of Nakd bars so I had to give them a try.

The Tesco Fruity Bars are great value (I bought both boxes on a 2 for £2.00p offer) and contain four bars per box. The bars are slightly smaller than a Nakd bar at 26g for the Banana Bliss and 28g for the Berry Blast bars (compared to 30g for Nakd). 

Tesco Banana Bliss Fruity Bar: The main ingredients here are a mix of dates, soy protein crispies, raisins, cashew nuts and banana. Each bar is 87 calories and is high in protein with 5.3g per bar. I really enjoyed the flavour here - it's very sweet with a lovely ripe banana taste. Overall, they're very similar in flavour to my favourite Nakd Banana Bread bars so I'll definitely be buying them again. Rating: 9 out of 10.

Tesco Berry Blast Fruity Bar: These are slightly different to the Banana Bliss bars above as they don't contain the soy protein crispies. Instead the main ingredients here are oats, dates, raisins, cashew nuts and cranberries. Each bar has 95 calories. The Berry Blast bars have a denser and drier texture. The overall flavour is very sweet with the  dates and berries coming through nicely. Even though these bars are pleasant enough, I much preferred the softer texture of the Banana Bliss bars. Rating: 7 out of 10.

Overall, it's great to see an alternative option in the fruit and nut bar range and I especially like the fact that these are dairy free. 

Grocery Gems Review: Tesco Fruity Bars Review

RATING: 9 out of 10 (Banana Bliss), 7 out of 10 (Berry Blast).
Buy them again?: Yes - Banana Bliss.
Nutrition: 87 calories Banana Bliss), 95 calories (Berry Blast).

Purchased: Tesco.
Price: 2 packs for £2.00p.

New Instore: Tesco Raspberry Doughnut Flavour Yogurt (UPDATED!)

In a recent New Instore round up post I featured the new Tesco Carrot Cake Flavour Yogurt and mentioned that there was also a doughnut flavoured yogurt available in the range. A big thank you to Luci J. who emailed me a photo of this new flavour!

Tesco Raspberry Doughnut Flavour Yogurt: Luci described this one as tasting like a normal raspberry yogurt when eating it but it does have a lovely jam doughnut aftertaste. She still really enjoyed it! I love raspberry so this sounds really good. £0.60p at Tesco.

UPDATE:

Tesco Marmalade On Toast Flavour Yogurt (bottom of photo): Thanks to Bronagh who sent me a photo of the final yogurt in this range - the Tesco Marmalade On Toast Flavour Yogurt. In fact she's bought the whole trio of yogurts in this range. Has there ever been such a unique range of yogurt flavours? If you've tried a wackier one then I'd love to know what flavour it was! £0.60p at Tesco.

Many thanks again to Luci, and Bronagh, for the great photos and description! Also thank you again to Lucy W. who first told me about this range. If you've spotted any new products instore then I'd love to hear from you - email grocerygems@gmail.com or tweet me @grocerygems. 

New Instore: Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns, M&S Christmas & More

A round up of new products spotted instore.

Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns: I finally found the new Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns ice cream. It's described as a caramel ice cream with cinnamon swirl and chunks of cinnamon bun dough. I've been waiting for a decent cinnamon themed ice cream for ages so I can't wait to try this one. Review coming soon. £4.49p at Tesco.

Ben & Jerry's Save Our Swirled: Also pictured in the photo above is the new Save Our Swirled ice cream. This one features a raspberry ice cream with marshmallows, raspberry and blackberry swirls, and chocolatey cone pieces. £4.49p at Tesco.

Carte D'Or Chocolate Hazelnut Winter Collection: This is a large celebration ice cream dessert that looks absolutely gorgeous. I enjoyed the similar Carte D'Or Raspberry celebration ice cream last year (we had it as a Christmas dessert and everyone loved it). This Chocolate & Hazelnut version will be at the top of my Christmas dinner shopping list for sure. £3.00p at Tesco.

Minion Cookies: The Minions invasion continues with these bakery fresh cookies featuring 'chocolate bean' decorations. £1.00p at Co-Op.

M&S Petrifying Pumpkins: M&S has it's usual impressive range of Halloween foodie products instore. I liked the look of these new Petrifying Pumpkins. These cheese flavoured puffed crisps are all pumpkin shaped which looks really unique. £2.00p at M&S (3 for 2 offer across the Halloween range).

M&S Christmas Whip: Of course there is also a wide range of Christmas products available at M&S already too. This giant Christmas Whip looks fun and would make a really cute gift. It doesn't seem to be Christmas flavoured in any way which is a shame, but it is well decorated, with holly and white icing to look like a Christmas pud. £4.00p at M&S.

M&S Katsu Curry Sticky Rice Chips: Japanese katsu curry is my ultimate favourite meal so I was pretty delighted to find these intriguing sounding chips in M&S. I'll have a review soon. £1.50p at M&S. 

M&S Dark Chocolate & Cherry Jaffa Cakes: I was disappointed in last years seasonal edition Cranberry & Chocolate Jaffa Cakes from M&S. I'm hoping this year's Dark Chocolate & Cherry Jaffa Cakes will be tastier. £1.50p at M&S.

M&S Red Velvet Teacakes: A modern twist on classic teacakes. These feature a cream cheese flavoured mallow with a chocolate base and decorated with red sprinkles. £1.00p at M&S. 

M&S Billionaire Bullion Bar: This layered dessert just looks so M&S. It's an extravagant combination of salted caramel sauce, caramel flavoured mousse, chocolate ganache. shortbread biscuit and a golden chocolate shell. £4.00p (for two fairly small desserts) at M&S.

Hula Hoops Stars: There honestly aren't enough star shaped crisps in the world. Welcome back Hula Hoops Stars. Spotted at 99p Stores. 

Pom-Bear Snowmen: Probably the only thing cuter than star shaped crisps would be these Snowmen shaped crisps. Spotted at 99p Stores.

If you've spotted any new products instore then I'd love to hear from you - email grocerygems@gmail.com or tweet me @grocerygems. Thank you!

Review: Tesco Canadian Maple Syrup Pancakes

I was looking for a breakfast treat for my eldest sons recent birthday when I spotted these Canadian Maple Syrup Pancakes in Tesco. We've had a similar product from Asda before, although their Maple flavoured pancakes are much larger.

The Tesco Canadian Maple Syrup Pancakes have a lovely golden colouring and an immediate maple syrup aroma. Once toasted they're sweet enough to enjoy just on their own with a little butter - the maple syrup flavour comes through in the extra sweetness within the pancakes. Mr. Grocery Gems decided he still needed to pour maple syrup over the top and the result was deliciously syrupy.

Grocery Gems Review: Tesco Canadian Maple Syrup Pancakes

RATING: 7 out of 10.

Buy them again?: Yes.
Purchased: Tesco.
Price: £0.90p.

Snack Haul & Bring Back Banjo Chocolate Bar!

A while ago I was sent a gorgeous parcel of goodies from the lovely @BanjoChocolate who's running a great campaign to get Mars to bring back the much missed Banjo Chocolate Bar. More support is always needed so please take a look at the dedicated Facebook page and sign the petition HERE. Retro comebacks are growing in popularity all the time and I really do hope that the Banjo can have a new release too!

Here's a closer look at the amazingly tasty selection of snacks:

Eridanous Soft Nougat Selection: This was available during Lidl's "Taste of Greece" week. There are three flavours of soft nougat included; Cranberry, Strawberry & Hazelnut.

I've never really tried flavoured nougat before so this whole product was a real revelation to me. The nougat has a lovely soft and melt in the mouth texture without being too sticky. 

The different varieties were all incredibly good too, with plenty of added fruits and nuts providing plenty of flavour and crunch. My favourite was the super sweet strawberry!

Flipz White Fudge: If you read this blog regularly then you might assume that I've tried most the big-name confectionery from the US, but the truth is that there are plenty of popular snacks from both sides of the Atlantic that I haven't tried yet. One of those is the Flipz range of pretzels - it's one of those products that I keep meaning to try but just hadn't got around to yet.

And I'm so glad I finally tried them because they're just my type of sweet and salty treat. The white fudge coating on each snack is quite thin but still provides a super sweet contrast to the inner salted pretzel. These are just too good, I could easily have eaten the whole bag by myself.

Walker's Banana Split Eclairs: @BanjoChocolate described these as being similar to the long gone banana flavoured Toffo sweets. If you were a fan of the Banana Toffos then you really need to find these Walkers Banana Split Eclairs. They're soft buttery toffees with a delicious sweet banana flavoured filling - so delicious and perfect for any banana fans.

Tesco Crispy Seedy Nutty Bites: These are deliciously crunchy biscuits made with sunflower seeds, peanuts, sesame seeds, hazelnuts, oat flakes, honey and currants. I was expecting these to be quite hard in texture but the crunch is very satisfying without being too dense. The flavour is very sweet and sugary but so good at the same time. They're a bit like Sesame Snaps but with added nuts and currants - dangerously moreish!

Thank you so much to the wonderful @BanjoChocolate for sending me such an awesome selection (and I still have the Polish Limited Edition Lindt to try!). All these products were incredibly tasty and I thoroughly recommend giving them a try if you spot them.

Once again please take a look at the Bring Back Banjo Chocolate Facebook page - all Likes, Comments, and Shares are greatly appreciated!