Chia Pod

We've seen Chia Seeds and Chia Oats. Chia has well and truly made its mark in the superfood sector. And now it's Chia Pods. These are the perfect energy boosting breakfast, because each little 'pod' contains one full serving of sun ripened Chia seeds (very high in protein, omega-3 and tons of other healthy stuff) mixed with fruit and coconut milk. Cold processing has been used to ensure the full nutrition, taste and color of the fruit is retained, and pure coconut milk gives Chia Pods a thick creamy texture. They may be small, but the flavour is rich and they fill you up nicely. I should certainly hope so at £2.39 for a 170g serving. Available in mango, strawberry, banana, vanilla and blueberry, as well as lemon & date (intriguing....), coffee bean (in case your morning coffee isn't quite enough) and dark cacao (effectively chocolate), so there's enough flavours to have a different one for breakfast each day of the week! However, only mango and vanilla are stocked in Waitrose and Tesco, and they're wayyy too pricey for me to have regularly.

Elizabeth Shaw Bites

Following on from the success of Elizabeth Shaw's Flutes range, the timeless chocolate brand has extended its chocolate range to include Bites. These are smaller, bite-size, delicate layers of quality chocolate decorated with freeze dried raspberry, caramelised almond or cocoa nib pieces. Perfect for when you fancy a nibble of something sweet.

As well as introducing a new range to the collection, Elizabeth Shaw has redesigned its packaging. The bright and bold design has a more modern feel, thereby appealing to a wider range of consumers.
Bites are available in Sainsbury’s with an RRP of £2.50.

Maoam 'Rhuberry'

I love a word mashup (posh name is 'portmanteau'), as I'm sure you do too. And nothing beats an exciting new flavour or a 'limited edition'. Well guys, this has all three. Maoam is adding new Rhuberry flavour to its Pinballs range, in bags for a limited time only. Rhuberry is a new red Pinball that brings sour rhubarb and sweet strawberry together in perfect harmony! It still has the unique texture and zing found in these top selling treats. Maoam Pinballs with Rhuberry will be available for a three month period and it's available in a variety of pack formats including a 180g bag, price marked at £1.

All-American Hero Sharing Platter

If you're either American, have an American friend or are just looking for a reason to celebrate, then may I remind you that next Saturday is the 4th July.... Independence Day. So chow down on this new All American Hero Sharing Platter from Asda. It features stateside specials of shredded pulled pork in a barbecue sauce, mac & cheese, and Boston bbq cannellini beans with a tex mex sauce. 

£4.00

Forest Feast Street Food

I thought I was an adventurous snacker. I love trying new concepts and there's nothing more exciting that a new flavour combination. I'm sure you'd agree. But this new snack range spotted in Asda and brought to us by Forest Feast take adventurous snacking to another level. The three products on offer do their damn best to transport you to far-flung corners of our planet by replicating the authentic flavours and textures of street food worldwide. Take, for example, the 'Ir de Tapas' flavour..... 'Ir de Tapas', takes you bar hopping through Spain's original fast food haunts, Tapas bars. Spicy chilli, zesty citrus with hints of salt, paired with rich roasted nuts, crispy corn, beans and pulses. A fiesta of flavour. Koh Samui Thai Spice, on the other hand, is inspired by the sights, sounds & spices of the Thai tropical paradise of Koh Samui. A balance of spicy nutty flavours with  honey red pepper almonds & Thai Spice cashews with pineapple and coconut provide textures and aromas typical of Thai street food. If you'd rather have something a little more mellow, the Louisiana Hickory Barbeque take your taste buds on an all American road trip through this southern state. Hickory smoked almonds and sweet smokey barbeque green peas with jalapeno and honey & mustard sesame sticks.

£1.50 in Asda

Protein, protein and more protein.

With the trend for high-protein products fast encroaching on the breakfast aisle, Weetabix Protein Crunch has been launched to appeal to those looking to increased their protein consumption; one serving of with milk provides a whopping 20% of your recommended intake. The crunchy texture comes from the combination of wheat and oats. It is available in two flavours: original and chocolate. 

If you're feeling a little flaky... there's Fuel 10K Protiflakes High Protein Multigrain Breakfast Cereal Flakes (£2.69, Asda). It's a mix of 100% wholegrain high protein wheat flakes with added vitamins and iron. 
FUELYOUR10KHOURS has been created to inspire and support you in your 10,000 hours of effort. That's 20 hours a week, 1000 hours a year, for 10 years. This is the level of practice highlighted in academic study needed to become elite athlete or artist, businessman or musician. I think I'm going to need more than just cereal flakes to inspire me.

















In case you fancy your breakfast in a more liquid form whilst still packing a high-protein punch, Weetabix have got that covered too! They've re-formulated their 'on-the-go' breakfast drink to produce a high-protein line-up. Don't worry, the original isn't going anywhere. There are three flavours to choose from: Vanilla, Strawberry & Raspberry, and Blackberry & Blueberry.

But guess what? FUEL10K have also got your liquid breakfast sorted. A good source of fibre, low fat and high protein FUEL10K liquid breakfast will keep you feeling fuller for longer, we hope. Available in the standard banana, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavours, as well as a caramel latte. 
£1.49, Asda



If the summer isn't hot enough for you... there's always porridge. Sorry, I mean 'Protioats'. This Fuel10k concoction comes in original, apple & cinnamon, and golden syrup flavours. They also do 'porridge pots' of chocolate and honey nut & raisin flavours.

Queen Bohemian Lager: Don't hop me now

This year it’s the 40^th anniversary of Queen’s hit song ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Can you believe it? To celebrate, Queen are releasing Bohemian Lager, joining the ranks of bands with their own beers and following the release of Killer Queen vodka. It is, apparently, “golden” and “hoppy” and it will be brewed in the Czech Republic. There’s a rather tenuous link between Bohemian Rhapsody and lager history: though originally German, lager became closely associated with Bohemia – now part of the Czech Republic – in the mid-19th century, when the town of Plzeň became a centre of the brewing industry. A pale lager was developed there that became known as pilsner.

The bottle will carry Queen’s crest, designed by Freddie Mercury, and the image from the cover of A Night at the Opera, the album that originally featured “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The beer will start hitting shelves in Europe this summer, with a worldwide release to follow.

Beach Hut Sandwiches

With summer well and truly in the air, food to go brand URBAN eat has unveiled a new range of seaside inspired sandwiches and salads that are guaranteed to have you reaching for your bucket and spade.

Themed around the British Seaside with a mix of products to remind you of holidays at home and abroad, URBAN eat has gone all out to put the summery zing into your lunch or picnic. The range includes such delights as a BBQ Ranch Chicken Sandwich, a King Prawn & Sunshine Cous Cous Salad and even that truly British staple, the Egg, Tomato & Salad Cream Sandwich!

I love the unique nostalgic beach hut shaped packaging, but whilst the Beach Hut sandwiches are grabbing the headlines, other products in the range are just as much fun, with sub rolls and wraps in sunglasses and surfboard packs, and salads in sandcastle shaped pots.

Keep a look out for the range in your local convenience store or WH Smith.

Waitrose Pastries

If you're planning a picnic this weekend but are devoid of inspiration, then take a look at this new selection of pastries from Waitrose. I like how they've used classic, timeless flavours (tomato & mozzarella, olive & feta, butternut & pesto, and harissa lamb) so they are simple yet effective. Interest is added with the unique pastry shape of each variant. They can be found in the chilled aisle, and of course can be eaten cold. However, the packs also provide cooking instructions in case you fancy them hot. So why just keep them for the picnic hamper.... surely your Friday night TV snack needs a regeneration??!!
£2.69 per pack.

Old El Paso Restaurante

Meal kits are not new for Old El Paso, but I spotted some new and fancier versions that I had never seen before in Sainsburys. They appeared to be a more premium range that the other El Paso kits, and that set me a-googling. I found out that this 'Restaurante' range is indeed more 'gourmet', but it isn't entirely new. At least, it has already introduced in America with great success, so they've just released it in the UK to see if it takes off. With a line-up of Baja Fish, Chicken Tinga and Steak Carne Asada (all inspired by regions of Mexico), I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be successful here too. 

The Baja Fish kit includes 10 soft tacos, crusted fish seasoning and sauce to make your mayonnaise. You just provide the fish and mayo. The Baja California Peninsula on the western coast of Mexico is somewhat 

isolated from the rest of Mexico, and has developed a unique cuisine based on the fresh and abundant seafood. Fish tacos have become popular outside of Mexico due to the unique textures and flavours they offer crispy fresh white fish, crunchy shredded cabbage and a creamy Baja sauce 

The Chicken Tinga kit includes 10 soft tacos, tinga seasoning for your chicken breasts and chipotle sauce for topping. Apparently, Chicken Tinga is a popular street food throughout Mexico, especially during celebrations. The Tinga flavour is made with a mouth-watering blend of tomatoes, onions, garlic and smoked and dried jalapeño peppers known as chipotle chillies that give it a slight smoky taste.

Last, but not least, the Steak Carne Asada includes 10 soft tacos, steak seasoning and quacamole seasoning for you to blitz with avocados. Carne Asada literally translated means ''grilled meat'', most often beef. This style of taco is particularly popular in the northern states of Mexico. It is traditionally prepared by marinating the beef in citrus juice, spices and a pinch of salt. It is then quickly grilled over an open wood fire, creating the signature flame-licked charred beef flavour. Guacamole is the perfect accompaniment for the deep beef flavours of this taco.

£4.00 each in Sainsburys 

Bring It Back

I love new, inventive and inspired flavours. That's why I love the whiff of a new Walkers' flavour campaign. Walkers' latest flavour campaign, however, is somewhat different to previous years, but I think I'm going to love it all the same. The new campaign is called 'Bring It Back’. Can you guess what it's all about? Indeed. It gives crisp lovers the chance to vote for their favourite flavour to come back and join the Walkers range. Consumers can choose from: Barbeque, Lamb & Mint, Toasted Cheese, Beef & Onion, and Cheese & Chive. So if you fell in love with one of these, make sure you stock up. And if you missed any of them the first time, why not get yourself out of the salt and vinegar groove. 

The well-loved Marmite flavour will also be back straight away... no voting required. You'll be able to vote for the rest of the flavours from the 10th August via their website and social media sites. The winning variant will be brought back to the Walkers offering and all those that vote will have the chance to win £100,000, as well as an array of exciting weekly prizes. Bonus!

Posh Chocolate Spread

Recent years have seen a surge in the number and variety of chocolate spreads available to buy, and producers have become increasingly innovative with the growing realization that hazelnut is not the only flavour possibility. Prestat (the fancy choccie brand that I can only ever justify for ultra-special occasions) have now branched out into chocolate spreads, but in typical Prestat fashion, these are deluxe spreads: the creme de la cocoa of the chocolate spread world. The spreads in this new range are made with 72 per cent cocoa content chocolate and come in six flavours: Heavenly Hazelnut (well you can't have a chocolate spread range without this timeless favourite, just to be on the safe side!), Plumptious Cherry, Mango Fandango, Jiggy Fig, Rhapsodic Raspberry and Divine Clementine. I told you they were fancy! The pots are quite small, (200g) but when you try the stuff you’ll see why — it is rich, not too sweet and very much an adult treat. The fruity variants have a high proportion of fruit (44%, in the case of Jiggy Fig) and the mango even has real chunks of mango. Of course, these are way too posh for eating with plain old toast. How about croissant or even toasted brioche?!
£5.95 

Yet more Crisp Thins

Hot on the heels of Jacobs and Ritz, it's Walkers who are now rolling out a thin, crispy, baked biscuit. This new range, which has been named 'Crispy Thins' (I wonder how much they paid for someone to come up with that??!) is a version of their fancy Sensations line. The three flavours are ones that have already proved popular in the brand's existing line up: Thai Sweet Chilli, Mexican Fiery Chipotle and for that delicious and trendy blend of sweet and savoury...Caramelized Onion & Balsamic Vinegar. 
£1.99 for a 100g bag in Ocado, but bound to be released into other supermarkets very soon.

Sweet Summer Cabbage

Cabbage. Not the most appealing of veg, eh? And I wouldn't normally blog about it.  But if you're not a fan, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Tesco has developed Sweet Summer Cabbage with the aim of bringing out its appetising side, while doing away with the bitterness that cabbage is often known for. Not only will it appeal to parents of fussy children, but I also think it would be great in a coleslaw and other summery salads. With this, you might become a cabbage-convert. 

Summer Sweet Summer Cabbages cost £1 each and are for sale in selected Tesco stores now.

Limited Edition Marmite

Marmite: you either love it or hate it, right? Or that's what their slogan says. Marmite has now taken this further with a new limited edition jar, featuring a sixties throwback design inspired by Woodstock and the summer of love in 1967. There are two new designs: one labelled “summer love”, which features Marmite’s traditional yellow lid and summery floral graphics; while a second “summer hate” variant comprises a black lid, with illustrations of umbrellas and pouring rain. The new jars reference Britain’s notoriously unpredictable summertime weather and is in keeping with Marmite’s opinion splitting ways, the brand said, taking design inspiration from Woodstock and the summer of love in 1967. The designs are accompanied by a limited-time new recipe, made using 100% lager yeast for a lighter and more summery blend. The spreads will be available between July and September, but only while stocks last. 

Heston's Spicy Mary Tomato Sauce

Heston Blumenthal doesn't do ordinary. Far from it, in fact. His partnership with Waitrose has seen him produce snail porridge, popping candy chocolate cake and malted milk and marmalade ice cream. His latest offering is yet another off-the-wall product. Well, to be honest it's a complete re-invention of the humble tomato sauce. 

Inspired by the brilliant hangover cure, the Bloody Mary, the Michelin-starred chef has used a base of passata, and blended it with dashi (Japanese stock), creamed horseradish, balsamic vinegar, Worcester-style sauce and dark muscovado sugar to create his Spicy Mary Tomato Sauce. It’s rich, thick, not as sweet as normal ketchup and has a smoky, barbecue taste with a kick from the spices.

The Heston from Waitrose sauces are on introductory offer of £1.11 (RRP £1.49) at Waitrose.

New Sensations Flavours

With the existing fancy Sensations range from Walkers, we're taken to Mexico, California, China, India and beyond... Most recently, however, Thailand and Morocco have joined this list with the two latest additions to the Sensations family. Moroccan Spices with Sweet Tomato has aromatic spices which mingle with the sweetness of tomato, before giving way to a lingering spicy kick. The Gently Infused Lime with Thai Spices flavour has an intense tang of lime to awaken the taste buds, followed by a medley of spices which combine to leave a delicate heat. As always, the flavours of Walkers Sensations are inspired, refreshingly unique and of good quality. The crunch of the crisps is also incredibly satisfying and well worth paying that little bit extra for.
150g bags, £1.99 in Tesco

Fox's Candy Bear Sweets

A new generation is being introduced to the Fox's brand with the launch of Fox’s Candy Bear.

Taking on the gummy sharing bag market, the exciting new range features 5 products with a cool (literally) arctic theme running throughout. This is totally appropriate, considering that Fox's logo has a Polar Bear on it, and it makes the products refreshingly different from other confectionery. 

The range includes:

· Shivering Sharks

· Freezing Frogs

· Ice Burgers

· Polar Bears

· Snowy Seals

· Perishing Penguins

The new pack design will appeal to the younger generation as uses a modern, cartoon-character style take on the much-loved bear remembered in TV advertising for Fox’s Glacier Mints as well as the Candy Bear paw-print stamp on every pack tick-boxes the five key guarantees (no artificial colours etc...). Spotted in B&M. Apparently listings are also confirmed for W H Smiths and 99p stores.

Prestat Yuke Sake Truffles

Prestat is one of those brands that you only buy on really special occasions or perhaps as a present for someone you're trying to impress. But this new box of  Yuzu SakeTruffles is tempting, so I've got to try and find a really special occasion to warrant me buying it. It's bursting with the exotic, zesty flavours of the Japanese superfruit yuzu, splashed with the rice wine sake. 
£12 a box, which may seem steep, but itself is a work of art. It is designed by artist, painter, set-designer, tapestry-maker and ceramicist Kitty Arden, who has designed packaging for Prestat for the past 15 years.

Vegetable cereal

There's no denying the veggie boom, but can you handle it at 7am in the morning? Will your bleary eyes welcome the sight of beetroot in your cereal bowl?
Asda's new Good & Balanced cereal has two variants: Pumpkin & Mango Granola which is an oat and wheat base granola with mango puree and pumpkin concentrate, pumpkin seeds and freeze dried mango pieces. The second is Beetroot & Apple Crisp, which is a mix of oats, cereal crispies with concentrated beetroot juice, dried apple pieces and sunflower seeds - guaranteed to turn your milk bright pink.
£1.98

Perfect World Ice Cream

In a perfect world, ice-cream would be good for you. It would taste and feel like a premium ice-cream, boast numerous health benefits and have zero added sugar. Well hey guys, that perfect world exists. Perfect World's ice-cream is now stocked by Ocado, which makes ithis (almost) sinless treat  hugely more accessible. Ocado stocks four flavours:  Belgian Chocolate Brownie which includes pieces of wheat and sugar-free brownie, Banana Walnut Chip which includes chocolate chips and walnut pieces, Loads of Strawberry which contains 25% real strawberry, and my personal fave... Taste of Carrot Cake which includes sultanas and walnut pieces.

£4.79 for 500ml tub in Ocado. Also sold in mini one-serving tubs if you don't think you can manage a bigger tub (although I'm not sure why that would be!)

Bubblegum Drumsticks

Sweet manufacturer Swizzels has launched a new variant of the drumstick; that chewy brace-wrecking, filling-busting lolly. The new flavour is bubblegum, which is slowly but surely growing in popularity as a flavour in its own right. It is striped, like the original, but this time it's a rather funky pale blue and pink stripe, which will give it a unique identity. It is launching in two sizes: standard and mega, and its arrival comes more than 50 years after the birth of the very first drumstick lolly. Can you believe that the original drumstick has been in existence for more than 50 years? And if it's taken Swizzels that long to produce a second variant, we are in for a long wait for the next!

Carlsberg non-alcoholic lager...and body lotion!

Policemen can pack away their breathalyzers this summer, as the trend for alcohol-free versions of our favourite tipples continues. Kopperberg's non-alcoholic cider has been a big hit, judging by the amount I've seen on various supermarket shelves. Now it's larger's turn for the non-alcoholic treatment: Carlsberg 0.0%. This has exactly the same taste as the brand's traditional larger and still uses the natural ingredients of hops, malt and water. However, it now means that you can have as many as you want and drive home legally.

If that doesn't excite you, then maybe this will.....

In case drinking beer is not enough, men (and women) can now slather it all over their body and use it to clean their hair. This pricey line of men's grooming products is made from - you guessed it - beer. Each item in the Beer Beauty collection - shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion—purportedly contains 0.5 liters of real Carlsberg beer. According to Carlsberg, the barley, hops and yeast found in beer contain helpful stuff like Vitamin B, Silicium and Riboflavin. 

The adverts for this are launching on 22nd June:the day after Fathers' Day. Is that bad timing or what?!

Milkshake Malties

You know that chocolate-flavoured milk that you get at the bottom of a bowl of Coco Pops? The very reason you used to/still eat Coco Pops? Well it just isn't milkshake-y enough for some people. Asda's new range of Milkshake Malties ensures that you have the milkshake experience from the very instance that you open the packet. The cereal itself is milkshake flavoured and your sleepy senses are hit by the sweet waft of milkshake the minute you open the packet. And if you even eat cereal straight from the box (ahum!), you have the milkshake flavour without even adding milk. Genius. The flavours in this new range are....You guessed it.... the three typical milkshake flavours of chocolate, banana and strawberry.
£1.18 for a box, Asda

New at The Diner

It’s worth making a trip to London-based restaurant chain The Diner sometime soon for some awesome new American-inspired dishes. In fact, if you don’t live in London, it’s worth making a special trip to the city especially for these new menu highlights. The Diner team spent six months eating their way round the USA, visiting Miami, Chicago and New York to come up with their new dishes (dream job, eh?), and have come back with some seriously yummy sounding new combos.

Eggs Blackstone is The Diner’s American twist on the brunch classic eggs Benedict. So now your poached eggs, toasted English muffins and hollandaise come with grilled tomatoes and crispy bacon. Hangover’s don’t stand a chance.

But leave room for pudding. Or make that two:

Red velvet pancakes.

Yes, it’s everyone’s favourite cupcake flavour in pancake form. The Diner serves a stack of four plump pancakes layered with barriers and cream cheese frosting.

And, as every Jew will tell you, Cholla (a brioche-like bread traditionally eaten on Shabbat), is simply the most delicious bread ever. And now The Diner will be turning it into French toast, by soaking it in their homemade custard, frying it and serving it up with butter and maple syrup. French Toast will never be the same again.

Plango!

Yet another hybrid. However, it's a healthy one this time, not a cake/pastry combination! I'll give you a hint... it's a cross between two of our favourite fruits. Yes, this 'plango' is what happened when the plum and mango got together one night. And this little baby seems to have inherited the best genes from each parent... the colour of a mango, the edible skin of a plum, the sweetness of the mango and the softness of both! As you can imagine, it is mid-way between the size of a plum and mango and has a stone to negotiate gnaw your way around, but scientists in Thailand assure you that you won't be getting those mango-ey fibres stuck in your teeth. And I should certainly hope so, seeing as it taken four years to develop. Technically it is called the Bouea Macrophylla, but Plango is far more catchy!
£1 in Marks and Spencers

Pimm's Cider Cup

The latest incarnation of the British Pimm's is the Cider Cup. This is English cider 'infused' with Pimm's and flavoured with strawberry and cucumber. It's probably the most manly version of Pimm's that we're ever going to see. Serve over ice in a pint glass. Strawberries and cream is optional! £2.29 for 500ml in Tesco.

Manfood

Here's one for your Daddy (with Father's Day in mind).... Two great preserves from the new producer 'Manfood', that can be enjoyed with or without the bbq! 

Ale Chutney
A dark chutney made with Cambridgeshire Victoria plums when in season, this also uses a dark ale from Woodfordes in Norfolk.  This gives the chutney smooth, rich and rounded 'Old Ale' notes, apparently with hints of chocolate, treacle and liquorice. A preserve that I can't imagine the ladies down at the WI whipping up anytime soon. £3.95 in Ocado

Bread and Butter Pickles

A recipe inspired by the American deep South, this contains finely sliced cucumbers in a sweet and sour marinade.  The addition of chilli flakes, star anise and cinnamon give it a distinctly Asian inspired twist. £3.95 in Ocado

New at Nando's

If, like me, you got tired of eating your ever-so-standard half-chicken with medium-heat sauce, fries and coleslaw at Nando’s, and abandoned the restaurant entirely in search of something fresher, then you may want to consider returning sometime soon. Our old favourite peri-peri chicken spot had added four new dishes to the menu. Yes, you may have been loyal to your pitta burger or corn on the cob, but there are times in life where you have to make changes. And this is one of them.

The first new addition is the Churrasco Thigh Burger. This new burger, which Nando’s describe as ‘sweet and smoky’ includes a boneless chicken thigh served in a Portuguese roll alongside their new crunchy Fino slaw (more about that below), cheddar cheese and churrasco PERinaise (aka. bbq PERinaise).

Fino Coleslaw is anything but your average coleslaw. In fact, it is the new posh ‘slaw. Don’t panic, their original coleslaw isn’t going anywhere, but this is undoubtedly more adventurous and a little more refined. It features spring greens, beetroot and carrot mixed in a lightly spiced yogurt dressing.

Quinoa Salad 

This will delight those who are health-savvy. It’s super healthy and high-protein, packed full of the good stuff;  quinoa (obvs), sweet potato, avocado and a generous helping of feta cheese (for a little bit of naughtiness). Polish your halo.

Sweet potato wedges

Five HUGE sweet potato wedges, served alongside a creamy coriander sauce and roasted seed dip. Yum.

The icing on the cake? Chargrilled yellow pepper dressing.