Degustabox | International Box

I feel like I’m so late with this post, especially as this month’s box arrived last week. After the March Box, I was really pleased to see that this box was themed. I do prefer themed boxes – anyone else? The International Box had a wealth of worldwide goodies with offerings from Italy, India, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa, Germany and the USA.

So, what was in this month’s box?

·         A box of Barry’s tea

·         A selection of Cirio tomato products

·         A packet of Kinder chocolate with cereal minis

·         A packet of Kinder chocolate bonbons

·         A bottle of Kingfisher

·         Two packets of Schwartz curry mixes

·         Two packets of Veetee microwavable rice

·         Three packets of Nando’s crisps

·         A box of DeBeukelaer cookies

·         A can of Scheckters organic energy drink

·         Two cans of Idrinq enhancement drink

There were a selection of drinks in this box and even though I don’t drink regular tea very often, the box of Barry’s tea had to be pick of the bunch. When I do drink ‘normal’ tea, I like it strong with little milk, so I found this blend perfect, better than PG Tips and on a par with Yorkshire Tea. I’m not a beer drinker, other than the fruity ones I tried in Belgium, but with a drop of San Pellegrino Limonata, the Kingfisher beer was lovely, and complemented the curry also in this month’s box. I really dislike energy drinks, on their own or as a mixer, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Scheckters organic energy drink. There was no bitter or chemical taste; it was just like a sparkling pomegranate drink. At the other end of the spectrum, I wasn’t keen at all on the Idrinq enhancement drink and it’s not something I’d have again.

In our house, we always have quick and easy back-ups for midweek meals, so there was some great products in this box that my parents and brother could enjoy too. The Veetee microwavable rice always tastes good and we’ve had the jasmine and golden vegetable ones among others. I hate mushrooms, so had to give that to my mum and dad – but they said it was really nice. My brother and I shared the peri peri one with some chicken and salad. The Schwartz packet mixes are so simple to use and can create a hearty meal for a family of four in under half an hour. All you need is a handful of fresh ingredients to add to the blend of spices. I preferred the korma to the balti, but I’m not the biggest fan of Indian food. For a taste of Italy, the Cirio tomato fillets are perfect in an Italian-inspired salad, while the double concentrate puree is great as a pizza base topping, or as a pasta sauce. Both are a hit with my family.

Now for some sweet treats and the individually wrapped creamy cookies with praline centre by DeBeukelaer were, hands down, this month’s winner! They were incredible and a box of four just wasn’t enough. They were lush straight from the packet, but a minute in the microwave and boom; soft, gooey, chewy, wow! There were also two share-size bags of Kinder Chocolate – again, both individually wrapped. I preferred the bonbons to the cereal bites, but I love Kinder Chocolate.

And to end on a high, Nando’s crisps are back! I have no idea where they ever went to, but my local Sainsburys/Waitrose stopped selling them! There were three flavours in this box: sizzling hot, spicy chicken and peri peri salt. The hot ones were far too hot for me, but I loved the spicy salt and chicken varieties. Smoky barbecue were always my favourite though. I’m not even a fan of Nando’s (so overrated!) but these crisps are incredible, although a little greasier than the average crisp.

Want to try Degustabox? You can by following this link and receive £3 off your first box.