Tesco Finest 0% Fat Greek Yoghurt

I don't usually buy Tesco Finest products, favouring M&S or Waitrose when I want to splash out, and I'm still not sure what prompted me to buy this yoghurt in the first place but I'm very glad I did.

Tesco haven't done anything unique or created something unusual with a fun flavour combination. It really is simply just Greek yoghurt but one of excellent quality.

The pack gives a source of Macedonia in Northern Greece, so this is a real Greek yoghurt, not like the bulk of "Greek style" yoghurts on the market. The packaging is quite simple but it looks very premium with attractive writing and a solid, good quality tub.

Opening it up, it has a very smooth, pure white colour that looks creamy and rich and that is uniform with no watery bits or any congealed bits. One thing that really stands out and showcases its luxury is just how thick it is - I could easily get a spoon standing up in it with no support!

I couldn't believe how thick and creamy this product tasted, considering it is 0% fat. And the removal of fat hasn't meant its suffered nutritionally elsewhere as there is nothing else in this and it has an extremely low sugar content - under 4g per 100g.

I made a rough and ready Bircher muesli using some oats and dried fruit as well as flaxseed and then topped with blueberries. This made a really refreshing summer breakfast that was light and healthy yet surprisingly filling due to the protein content.

I was really impressed by this yoghurt and will buy this quite often I think. It is a little more expensive but I loved its natural, unadulterated taste with a slight tang.

Price: £1.60
Available: Tesco

Pros: Utterly creamy. Simple and natural. Clean tasting. Filling. Low sugar and fat
Cons: A tad more expensive

Score: 8/10

Marks and Spencer's Coconut Water with Watermelon

After returning from holiday, I still desperately needed a sense of the sun and the tropical so went straight for this coconut water from M&S. This is something I've never seen before, even from my preferred coconut water brand of Coco Vita, so was eager to give it a try. Watermelon is also a very unusual flavour in anything and has yet not had its turn of being a trend.

The ingredients list is fairly simple and short. It‘s half coconut water and half watermelon mostly, although there are a few stabilisers and flavourings too.

Pouring it into a glass, it looked cool and inviting with its pink colour and sweet smell. However, I found the watermelon very overpowering. When Vita Coco release flavours, they only account for a small proportion of the drink. With watermelon accounting for nearly half the ingredients here, it lost the coconut water edge.

This might be good for those who find coconut water not to their tastes but I found the watermelon a bit strong and a little sweet, making it difficult to finish a whole glass.

Price: £1.99
Available: M&S

Pros: Unusual and unique flavour. Price is very competitive. It's much cheaper than all the big coconut water brands.
Cons: Watermelon dominates the drink and it loses any coconut edge.

Score: 6/10

Twinings Intensely Blackcurrent and Rhubarb

I found a free sample of this tea in a regular pack of Twinings Strawberry and Mango (which I also recommend). I'm not sure exactly how this infusion range is any different to the regular Twinings fruit teas but they cost £2.49 for 20 teabags, compared to the other fruit teas at around 1.50.

Opening the pack, I instantly got the aroma of rhubarb, which was really intriguing. It's a fruit I love, especially in a crumble, so it's interesting to see it in a tea.

This is also blackcurrent and vanilla flavoured so a real powerhouse of flavours. The blackcurrent comes through much more strongly when hot water is added and is the dominant flavour when drinking. The vanilla is very subtle in taste and although initially the rhubarb flavour does get a bit lost, it does provide a sweet aftertaste that lingers.

The tea had flavour and wasn't weak or watery but I don't see how it would justify the higher price tag when Twinings make a vast range of equally nice flavours at a lower price.

Price: £2.49
Available: Major supermarkets

Pros: Unique, new flavour concept. Sweet and refreshing. Healthy.
Cons: Overpriced with no justification for it

Score: 7/10

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Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramel Puddles

As I've said before, I came upon Hotel Chocolat pretty late and am now playing catch up on discovering just how delectable their range is. When I tried their Easter Selection box, it was the salted caramel egglet that I was particularly taken by. When I saw these salted caramel puddles, I bought them hoping to get the same taste intensity and experience.

Salted caramel is a pretty old trend now but it's still one I love as I like the depth and savouriness it brings to the sweet caramel. Like all Hotel Chocolat products, these look very nice. Effectively, they're chocolate buttons but still look very attractive. They're smooth and glossy and very uniform in appearance with a nice bit of engraving on the pack.

And taste wise, they're far superior to any chocolate buttons I've ever eaten. Hotel Chocolat chocolate is less sugary with more good quality cocoa mass. This gives the chocolate a nice natural sweetness that has more depth. The buttons melt in the mouth and are creamy with no bitterness.

There's no actual caramel in these as they're flat buttons so there's no room for filling but the salted caramel flavour is very authentic and utterly delicious. It's buttery with lovely amber notes, with the merest hint of saltiness that brings it to life.

The little pack was only 40g but because the quality and intensity is so high, I was satisfied with this. Hotel Chocolat stuff is so good I'm more than happy to have quality over quantity.

Available: Hotel Chocolat

Pros: Smooth, high quality chocolate with an intense, delicious flavour
Cons: Price (but worth it)

Score: 8.5/10

Thomas J Judge's Fiery and Flavorsome Jalapeno Melts

Initially I only bought these crackers because Tesco was clearing them out but I'm so glad I did as these are a great little brand. Fudge's make premium biscuits and this is all evident with the funky, cool packaging with a retro image and some quirky bits of text.

Inside reveals a nice little box lined up with the golden crackers. They're very thin and petite and would be great for serving to guests either before or after a meal. The ingredients list is refreshingly short and natural. Nothing but products you recognise and would use if you made your own crackers.

The crackers have a lovely crisp and short texture that crumbles in the mouth beautifully. Made with cream and butter, they have the most buttery taste that isn't in the least bit greasy.

The cheese is powerful without being overpowering and best of all it's an authentic cheese taste from actual cheese, rather than flavorings. And behind the initial tangy cheese flavour is a really hot and tasty kick of jalapeno. I absolutely love the heat these provided. It's full of flavour, peppery and with a real kick. If you don't like chillies these will probably be too hot for you but I loved it.

Whilst £3 might be a lot for these, they make a really sophisticated nibble that is a little different to what else is out there.

Price: £2.99
Pros: Natural, real ingredients. Authentic taste. Lovely fiery jalapeno kick. A nice, light eat that's not too filling.
Cons: Pricey. Very high salt content

Score: 8/10

Montezuma's Dark Chocolate Lordy Lord with cocoa nibs

I much prefer dark chocolate to milk and love this treat but I do tend to stick only with Green and Black's 70%. Boring I know, but it's so good I can't see any reason to branch out usually. However, this Montezuma bar caught my eye, thanks to the inclusion of cocoa nibs.

The packaging certainly stands out. Unlike most dark chocolate slabs it comes in a cardboard box and is then wrapped in, what I think, is some pretty cool and premium looking foil. This is a really good pack design for me, as it means after you break a bit off it's easy to store away and keep fresh. Chocolate slabs usually end up crumbling everywhere and are difficult to wrap up again so this is a nice touch.

The bar is a lovely dark colour and has a lovely deep and rich cocoa smell. Taste wise, it has very different qualities to other dark chocolate I have eaten. It's a much firmer texture with a bit of snap and bite whilst eating so has less of a creamy mouthfeel and doesn't seem to melt in the mouth has much.

However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. It has its own smooth, distinct taste that feels richer and a bit more sophisticated. I also love the cocoa nibs. There's plenty of them and they add bite and crunch and really tickle your tongue with their pleasing, almost slightly bitter, nuggets of darkness.

This bar feels more premium than other dark chocolates I've had and I will definitely look to try out the brand again.

Pros: Lower sugar treat. Dark, rich and interesting flavour. Cocoa nibs make this very different. Cardboard box for freshness.
Cons: Doesn't melt in the mouth as much as other chocolate

Score: 7.5/10

Muller Light Skinny Cappuccino

Despite not being that impressed by the Bali Coconut and Lime Muller Light Limited Edition, I somehow ended up with the new skinny cappuccino flavour in my basket during my latest shop. I love anything coffee flavoured so it was an easy sell.

From a packaging perspective, I think it looks quite nice. Especially the lid, which mimics a cappuccino frothy top. The coffee flavour yoghurt is also sprinkled with little flecks of dark chocolate to further replicate the beverage in yoghurt form.

Unfortunately, I feel the product suffers the same drawbacks as the coconut and lime version I tried. Muller Light is low in fat and this is only 99 calories but means it loses creaminess and mouthfeel. The texture is too weak for my liking and particularly doesn't fit the cappuccino theme. Cappuccinos are milky, frothy and thick so this doesn't recreate the experience fully.

In its defence, the coffee flavour is distinct and the dark chocolate sprinkles add extra texture and flavour. However, the sweetners make this a little sickly sweet and unnatural for my tastes. If you like Muller Light, you will probably enjoy this but I think a cappuccino flavour would work better in a Muller de Luxe or as a mousse as I need that thick creaminess and velvety texture for something masquerading as a cappuccino.

Price: 68p
Available: Major supermarkets

Pros: Low in calories and fat. Large portion size. Obvious cappuccino flavour.
Cons: Disappointing texture. Too watery. Little overly sweet.

Score: 6.5/10