Starbucks Vegan Wrap - Kale, Jalapeno and Slaw

Yet another veggie sandwich being tasted again. As soon as I heard about Starbucks' new vegan wrap, I had to try it on my next visit. Starbucks isn't my preferred coffee shop and I tend to go more to the likes of Pret and Leon so it's good to see a mass chain offering healthier options.

The wrap promises crushed corn, kale and jalapeno bites with a California inspired slaw with spinach and a hot chilli jam, surrounded by a plain tortilla wrap. It looks pretty impressive with lots of colour and things going on in there and it's always a pretty hefty wrap - it's an absolute beast of a sandwich.


I had mine with an almond milk latte (keeping it fully dairy free!) and I think it's probably the best sandwich I've had in a mass chain. It's not quite as fresh and natural tasting as the likes of Pret, which are made from scratch each day but for a prepackaged option, this is very good and miles better than the generic falafel option that vegans typically get offered.

I've said it already but this is a big wrap and I thought this was going to be a very messy affair. In some ways it was just because Starbucks have jam packed this with filling and veg but amazingly the tortilla holds together and it all held together perfectly during the entire eat. The bottom didn't collapse and whilst I did get a few bits on me, that was due to my clumsiness and this wrap really is bit to burst with filling. There is no skimping on ingredients here.

And the filling is delicious. The kale and jalapeno bites are a more interesting twist of falafel that are nice and moist and paired well with the crunchy slaw with cooling cabbage and carrot and some spinach. The chilli jam helps bring it all together with a nice sweet flavour, that has a nice mild bit of heat in it making for a deliciously sticky, spicy taste.

I'm really impressed with this offering from Starbucks and it would be great to see them trying to do more healthy Pret-style options.

Bought at: Starbucks
Score: 8/10

Starbucks Nespresso Pods - Guatemala Antigua Espresso

I absolutely love my Nespresso machine and its definitely one of my best purchases and gets a lot of use. I'm a bit of a coffee snob and nowadays only drink coffee shop coffee or pod coffee - definitely no instant coffee or those horrible instant cappuccino sachets. I pretty much only buy the Nespresso branded pods for my machine as any others I've tried that are compatible have never been as good. However, Starbucks have recently launched a range of Nespresso compatible pods and whilst I'm not saying Starbucks is the best coffee ever, I do like Starbucks and don't think it deserves the criticism it gets as I always enjoy any drink I get from there.

The box looks really smart with nice Starbucks branding on and opening it up, you get 10 attractively arranged pods. I was a little worried about how well the coffee would come out as I have found anything non-Nespresso doesn't flow quite as well in the machine. Even these did not flow out quite as well as the branded Nespresso pods but certainly wasn't a major issue with a lovely aroma and dark, rich colour as the coffee came out.

This is a medium roast with hints of cocoa and spice and it made a really gorgeous drink when I made as a latte, It's fairly strong with a deep and rich flavour that cuts through the latte's milk for a powerful, warm taste with the soft spice notes adding a delicious roasted taste. In all honesty it really did taste a bit like a real Starbucks latte.

I was really impressed with these pods and actually preferred them to a lot of the authentic Nespresso variants and I would definitely buy this one again as it's currently my favourite pod for my Nespresso machine.

Price; £3.00
Bought at: Tesco

Score: 8.5/10