Unfortunately I was less than impressed with this box. I feel like I'm repeating myself in more and more of these reviews, but Degusta continues to repeat the same brands and same style products, and it's all getting a little tiresome now.
I noticed a pattern - they tend to go through whims whereby they will send a certain style/brand of product out for a handful of alternative months, then move onto something else. I've had many repeat drinks as well. Again, 80% of the food/drink will always be used but as a subscription service, I expect variety. You have to remember the idea behind subscription boxes, and this really isn't cutting it.
Lets take a closer look...
Barilla - Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta Sauce - £2
This is a mixture of 'authentic Italian tomatoes, ripe courgettes, plump aubergines and sweet peppers' - I'm not too sure I like the sound of this - both courgettes and aubergines is something I dislike, however as a sauce it may be ok. I will definitely give this a go and use in a pasta dish to see.
Crabbies Light Ginger Beer - £1.49
I've finally found a beer that I can drink (which is pretty good going if you knew how many drinks I dislike!) this is yummy, and would be perfect in the summer! If you like ginger ale/beer (non alcoholic) then you may like this. You can taste a slight hint of mild beer, but nothing overpowering.
Barilla Fusilli pasta - £1.50
What can I say about this? Pasta is pasta... unless mixed with a sauce all brands taste pretty similar to me.. Always a good staple to have in your food cupboard though. We always have tonnes of the stuff, all different shapes and sizes.
Compete Energy Bites (Lemon) - £1.99
I got a 4 pack of these 2 months ago in the DB. Because of what they're meant for (fuel for the body before working out) I give these to my boyfriend before he goes to footy training each week (simply because I don't work out enough!).
Chai Latte ('Gift')
This 'skinny chai latte' is 'spiced with a hint of clove for that everyday guilt-free fix'. Honestly? I've tried Chai latte before and it's really not for me, so I'll be passing this onto someone in the office that would appreciate it more than me.
Hip Pops (2 x £1)
These snacks are the healthy equivalent to crisps. I've tasted something similar before. They're nice, nothing overly special, but a better guilt-free option if you fancy something savoury!
Nothing But (2 x £1.69)
I've worked with Nothing But several months ago, so I've tried all of their range before, so I knew what to expect. For me, these snacks are the type of snacks I'd go if my cupboards were bare and this is all that remained. More and more dried fruit/veg snacks are being made and they do nothing for me. The texture, the taste, everything about them... and I'm no fussy eater!
Red Square Toffee mini (£1.99)
This bottle bought so many memories back.. I used to buy a large bottle of Red Square in my early twenties before a night out.. it was like my pre-drinks before hitting the town! Never seen a toffee version before, and I only wished I spotted the recipe that they included before drinking my Crabbies (they recommended to put the 2 together!). I definitely will try this with some lemonade at some point in the near future though!
Love Kombucha (Blueberry - £2.25)
This comes in a glass bottle, which ticks a box in the packaging department for me (small things.. small things..). However the taste was a different story. Yuck, yuck, double yuck. This had a slight fizz to it, but it had the most bitter tasting flavor to it - It reminded me of cheap bitter white wine. It was vile and went straight down the sink. Shame because I really wanted to like this - I was expecting sweet blueberry fruitiness, but no :-(
The Fabulous Bakers - £1.80
These mango and pineapple bars are good for lunch time I found. They are made with all natural ingredients, and contain no 'nasties or added sugar'. They're 'made with real fruit, slow release energy oats and they're high in fiber too'. I'm not blown away by them, and they did leave a strange after-taste, however I did find them very filling.
Betavivo - 2 x £1
These crispy oat cereals are 'proven to lower your cholesterol and blood glucose'. 1 serving per day provides 'the required 3g of beta-glucan from oats needed to reduce your blood cholesterol'. I'm yet to try these but they do intrigue me! I'm not quite sure if its just a case of adding milk with these as the packet is pretty small.. I need to research then I'll make sure I have them for breakfast in the morning!
Did you receive Decembers Degustabox? What were your thoughts on it?
