New Instore: Vegan Ben & Jerries, Cloudy Lemonade Jelly & More

Non-Dairy Ben & Jerry's: The much anticipated vegan Ben & Jerry's has finally hit the shelves in the UK. There are three flavours available: Peanut Butter & Cookies, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Chunky Monkey. So far spotted in Tesco - for £5.50p.

Hartley's Cloudy Lemonade Jelly: Spotted in two flavours; Elderflower Lemonade or Original Lemonade. Spotted at Tesco - £0.70p each. 

Tesco Black Forest Profiteroles: It's that time of year when all the festive party food starts to appear instores. Most of it is looking similar to previous years but I did spot these new Black Forest Profiteroles from Tesco. Hopefully there will be plenty more new products in the run up to Christmas. £2.00p at Tesco.

Nakd Limited Edition Lemon Drizzle: I know this flavour has been around for awhile but this is the first time I've seen it instore and in a multipack. £2.79p at Tesco.

Tesco Caramel Latte Cookies: An interesting new cookie flavour from Tesco and a bargain price too. Check out the review from A Review a Day. £0.99p at Tesco.

MOMA Porridge Almond Butter & Salted Caramel: A new flavour from MOMA Porridge that is dairy and gluten free. £1.29p at Tesco.

Vitalite Dairy Free Coconut: I only use Vitalite at home so I'm keen to give this coconut variety a try. Available at most supermarkets - spotted at Asda for £1.00p.

Müller Light Crumble Inspired: A limited edition Rhubarb Crumble & Custard Flavour Yogurt from Müller. Spotted at Iceland and Asda - £0.68p each.

Ben & Jerry's Berry Neighbourly: Also new from Ben & Jerry's is this Berry Neighbourly flavour described as - vanilla ice cream with cookie & blueberry swirls & white chocolate chunks. Spotted at Tesco - £4.20p.

Carthy & Black Yorkshire Gin Cream Liqueur: Made using an unique blend of Yorkshire cream and gin from the award winning Slingsby Gin. Spotted at Asda.

Thanks so much to Lucy W. for the last five photos and for such great finds. If you've spotted any new products instore then I would love to hear from you - send any photos to grocerygems@gmail.com or @grocerygems.

Review: Valsoia Gelato Ice Cream Sandwich (Vegan)

Ocado has recently started stocking Valsoia products which offer a range of vegan ice creams and frozen products from Italy. There is a vegan pizza, a vegan Nutella-style hazelnut spread and several different ice creams available. I decided to add the Valsoia Ice Cream Sandwich to a recent Ocado order just to test out the range.

There are eight ice cream sandwiches in the box and each one is individually wrapped. The ice creams all look very impressive, they're a decent size, with a golden biscuit outer and separate halves of chocolate and vanilla ice creams within. The biscuit layers are very soft and easy to eat with a lovely rich flavour. The ice cream is also very flavourful with a surprisingly creamy texture. The vanilla side is super sweet whilst the chocolate ice cream has a richer, darker flavour. I loved the combination of biscuit and ice cream here and the flavours are all spot on. These are perfect for vegans and non-vegans alike.

I also tried one of the Valsoia Magnum-style ice creams (no photos sorry - but see Ocado HERE) and although I enjoyed the dark chocolate flavour and creamy ice cream, I found the chocolate coating to be very brittle which made it quite difficult to eat. I'll definitely be sticking with the Valsoia Gelato Sandwiches but I'm also keen to try more from this range.

Grocery Gems Review: Valsoia Gelato Sandwiches

Rating: 9 out of 10.
Buy it again: Yes.
Purchased: Ocado.
Price: £2.69p for 8.

New Instore: Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough 'Wich Ice Creams & Mr. Kipling Cupcakes

A few more new products spotted instore:

Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough 'Wich: Many thanks to Luci J. who emailed me the photos of these new ice creams from Ben & Jerry's. I can't wait to try out a Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough 'Wich - they look so good! It's described as a vanilla ice cream with cookie dough sandwiched between chewy chocolate chip cookies. Purchased at Sainsbury's.

Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough  Son of a... 'Wich: There's also a mini version of these ice cream sandwiches available; the rather brilliantly named Son of a... 'Wich. Well played Ben & Jerry's. A big thank you again to Luci photos. Purchased at Morrisons.

Mr Kipling Cupcakes: Also new are these single pack Mr Kipling Cupcakes which are available in three varieties; Apple Pie Cupcake, Angel Cupcake and Cherry Bakewell Cupcake. They cost £1.20p each but are also available in a large 12 pack for £8.00. Thanks to Lucy W. for this photo. I believe these are currently exclusive to Tesco but let me know if you spot them anywhere else!

Many thanks again to Luci J. and Lucy W. for these great finds and photos. As always, if you've spotted any new products in store then I'd love to hear from you - email grocerygems@gmail.com or tweet @grocerygems.

Review: Magnum Double Peanut Butter

As a peanut butter fan I was happy to find that the Magnum Double Peanut Butter has finally been released in the UK. It's a gorgeous sounding offering of peanut butter flavoured ice cream with a chocolate flavour coating and peanut butter sauce. 

The first thing I noticed is just how small this new Magnum ice cream is. Unilever announced earlier this year that all it's British ice cream brands (Magnum, Cornetto, Feast) would be reduced in size by up to a third, to bring them under a 250 calories limit, and it's made a noticeable difference to the Magnum Double. 

It doesn't feel all that much bigger than a Mini Magnum but I'll have to buy a pack of those to do a proper size comparison. In terms of numbers a Magnum Classic is now 110ml, this Magnum Double Peanut Butter is 88ml, whilst a Magnum Mini is 60ml.

Inside, the Magnum Double Peanut Butter consists of twin layers of chocolate filled with a peanut butter 'sauce' It doesn't have the consistency of a peanut butter but instead is more like a smooth caramel. I would have preferred the texture to be thicker and more peanut butter-like. The flavour itself is nicely nutty but is much sweeter than a peanut butter and without the salty edge. The inner ice cream is super creamy, with a sweet peanut flavour that works well with the rich outer chocolate. Overall, The Magnum Double Peanut Butter is not exactly what I was expecting in terms of having a full-on peanut butter flavour. It's more of a chocolate & peanut offering but it's still an enjoyable and tasty ice cream. 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Magnum Double Peanut Butter

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 245 calories.
Purchased: Tesco
Price: £2.00p for a box of 4 ice creams. 

Review: Cornetto Caramel - Limited Edition Retro Pack

In the summer months I usually keep a box or two of Cornetto ice creams (or the supermarket own brand equivalents) in my freezer and I always look out for any new flavours. The Cornetto Caramel Limited Edition Retro Pack caught my eye on a recent trip to Asda. From the "retro" inspired packaging I assume it's not a new variety but it's still not one that I've tried before. I know there is a Cornetto Enigma Caramel and also a Caramel flavour in the Mini Cornetto packs, but they are both quite different to this one. 

The Cornetto Caramel is a combination of vanilla and caramel ice creams, with a caramel core centre, topped with a chocolate coating and decorated with caramel flavour white chocolate curls. The flavours are all fairly simple but I immediately liked the caramel curls on top alongside the vanilla ice cream and solid chocolate coating.

However, it was only when the inner caramel core and caramel ice cream were revealed that the Cornetto Caramel became more interesting. I really enjoyed the thick and gooey caramel centre with it's sweet and buttery flavour. It doesn't run all the way through but there's enough of the caramel sauce to make an impact. When it comes to the ice cream, I was pleased to find that the caramel ice cream actually has a distinctive caramel flavour that contrasts nicely with the vanilla ice cream. Overall, it's still a simple flavour combination but one that provides a satisfying caramel hit. 

Grocery Gems Review: Cornetto Caramel

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 215 calories.
Purchased: Asda.
Price: £1.89p (box of 6).

Review: Minion Ice Cream Lollies

With the UK currently basking in a mini-heatwave I made a trip to the supermarket just to stock up on ice cream and ice lollies. Since I've reviewed quite a few Minions related products already I though it was about time to give the new Minion Ice Cream Lollies a try.

I was actually surprised by how cute the ice lollies are - sure their mouths look a bit weird but they're a lot more recognisable than previous character ice lollies I've reviewed (anyone remember the Star Wars Stormtrooper Ice Lollies?). They really do look like Minions and the eye being an actual hole in the ice cream is quite a cute touch. The texture of the ice cream is very light and fluffy, almost airy, so they do melt quite quickly. The flavours here are surprisingly good, I was expecting bland, but instead there is a strong vanilla flavour at the top and a clearly differentiated fruity flavour on the bottom. It's a fairly simple ice cream overall but the kids really enjoyed them (and so did I!). 

Grocery Gems Review: Minion Ice Cream Lollies

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 71 calories(per 60ml ice lolly). 
Purchased: Sainsbury's.
Price: £2.00 (box of 6).

Review: Cornetto Vanilla Shake Ice Cream Cone

The Cornetto Vanilla Shake ice cream cone is part of the Enigma range and I believe this one was first released last year alongside the Cornetto Cheesecake Glory. Despite that, yesterday was the first time I've ever spotted one instore (in a local newsagent) and I've still never seen them available as multipacks. Let me know if you've spotted them!

The ice cream itself has a classic Cornetto appearance - with it's swirled chocolate coating and nut pieces on top. The flavour is also quite similar to a regular vanilla and chocolate Cornetto Classico, but with a few changes (and an extra tall peak too). There are caramelised almond pieces on top, instead of the usual hazelnut pieces, which add a flavourful initial crunch. The ice cream is described as "Madagascan vanilla" and it does have a much sweeter and richer vanilla flavour than the Classico version.

As with the rest of the Cornetto Enigma range, there is a core of chocolate sauce that runs all the way through the cone. I was quite surprised to find that the core in this Cornetto Vanilla Shake is a dark chocolate, but it's still rich and sweet enough to complement the vanilla ice cream. Overall, it's definitely an ice cream that's worth a try - if you can find it!

Grocery Gems Review: Cornetto Vanilla Shake

Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition: 160 calories per cone.
Purchased: Local newsagent.
Price: £1.60 (for one cone!).

Review: Iceland Bellissima Chocolate Italian Gelato

I bought this a few weeks ago after blogging about the new ranges instore at Iceland. This Italian Gelato was particularly appealing to me as it's a combination of three different chocolate flavoured ice creams; White Chocolate, Chocolate & Cocoa, and Hazelnut & Chocolate. There is also a fruity version available too.

The ice cream looks gorgeous with it's swirly peaks and sprinkling of white chocolate curls decorating the top. It has a lovely creamy ice cream texture too, whilst still being quite light and fluffy. The flavours are all absolutely delicious too - I was seriously impressed with just how good all the flavours are here. I was expecting the "White Chocolate" portion to just taste like vanilla ice cream but instead it has a lovely melted white chocolately flavour. The Chocolate & Cocoa ice cream has a rich and intense chocolate flavour whilst still being sweet and creamy. However, it was the Hazelnut & Chocolate quarter that was my favourite, it's not quite Nutella in ice cream form, but it still captures a chocolate and hazelnut combination successfully.

Grocery Gems Review: Iceland Bellissima Chocolate Italian Gelato

RATING: 9 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.

Purchased: Iceland.
Price: £2.00p (for 850ml tub).

New Instore at Iceland: Authentic Italian Gelato, Walls Big Bite and more!

I popped into Iceland today and spotted so many new ranges of ice creams, bakery products and summer treats. Here's a round up of my top picks.

Iceland Lemon Delights & Coconut Delights (photo above): Years ago I used to buy a product like this from Costco that included lemon, orange and coconut icecreams in their shells. Sometimes Lidl has a coconut version, but I'm really pleased to find them easily available in the UK. I'll have a full review soon. £2.00p - pack of 2.

Iceland Bellissima Italian Gelato: I couldn't get a decent photo of these but they look absolutely gorgeous. Each tub has several different ice cream flavours. There are two varieties available: a fruity combination and a chocolate version. The fruity version is a quartet of Peach & Mango , Strawberry, Cherry and Lemon iced fruit desserts with sauce and white chocolate curls. The chocolate variety is a combination of White Chocolate, Chocolate & Cocoa and Hazelnut & Chocolate ice creams with a rippled sauce and white chocolate curls. £2.00p each. 

Iceland Prime Italiano Ice Cream: There is also a great looking range of authentic Italian ice cream in several different flavours; Mint Choc Chip, Cherry Ripple, Raspberry Pavlova, Vanilla and more that I can't remember! £1.50p each.

Iceland Solo Ice Lollies: Fans of Solero ice lollies may be interested in this similar looking version from Iceland. There are two varieties available; Exotic Burst and Berry Burst. Each ice lolly has 94 calories. £1.00p - pack of 3.

Iceland Ice Cream Biskits: My kids are big fans of the Oreo ice cream sandwiches and these look very similar. I picked up a box so I'll have a review soon. Also pictured are the new Mini Ice Cream Donuts which look quite interesting. Both £2.00p - pack of 8.

Iceland Majestics Peach Melba: I've tried the Iceland Majestics range before (they're a bit similar to Magnums) and they've always been very good. I love peach so I can't wait to try these Peach Melba Majestics soon. £1.50p - pack of 3.

Walls Big Bite Ice Cream: A new ice cream tub from Walls available in two simple flavours; Vanilla & Strawberry or Vanilla & Chocolate. £1.00p at Iceland.

Iceland New Yorker Hot Dog Stuffed Crust Pizza: This was labelled as new in my store but I'm not really sure if it is or not. Let me know in the comments below! £2.00p each.

Iceland Nacho Quarter Pounder Burgers: These are described as beef burgers with tortilla breadcrumbs, mature cheddar and chilli. I'm sure Mr. Grocery Gems will be tempted to give these a try! £2.00p - pack of 4.

Iceland Summer BBQ Range 2015: There are plenty of new barbecue products as you would expect, such as an extensive range of summer inspired kebabs. 

Iceland Salt & Pepper Pork Twisters: I'm not sure what these things are but they certainly look different! If you've tried them then let me know what you thought in the comments below. £2.00p - pack of 6.

Iceland Pork Sausage Curls: I bet Mr. Grocery Gems is hoping that I bought these! £2.00p - pack of 5.

Iceland Stonebaked Bakery range: I also spotted an extensive bakery selection of part-baked frozen products. There is absolutely loads in this range - just in the photo above there is; Ciabatta, Rye Bread, Corn Bread, Sourdough Loaf, and a Cinnamon Raisin Loaf. Also available is also Pain Parisienne, Petit Pain Brown, and a Dinner Roll Selection, Yum! From £1.00p each. 

Iceland Patisserie Bakery Range: There is also a sweet selection of frozen bakery products available. In the photo above are; Belgian Vanilla Waffles, Belgian Chocolate Chip Waffles, Raisin Danish, All Butter Croissants. There are also Pain au Chocolat available. I'll be trying some of these for sure! From £1.00p each.

Let me know if you've spotted any other new products at Iceland or if you've tried any of the products above!

New Instore Megapost Part 2: M&S Summer Range, Ice Cream, & Yogurt

Another new instore post today as there were too many photos to fit into one post! Many thanks to Lucy W. for the following photos of new products spotted instore.

M&S Summer Trifle Cookies (photo above): I'm not really a fan of M&S cookies (they're a bit too hard and crunchy, although they're fine for dunking) but I do appreciate how regularly they come up with innovative flavours. A Summer Trifle inspired cookie is certainly unique. Available at Marks & Spencer - will update with price.

M&S Strawberry & Dorset Clotted Cream Pancakes: A very British inspired pancake flavour. This looks like a pancake with the toppings already included! Available at Marks & Spencer - will update with price.

Waffletops Vanilla Fudge The Strawberry Blonde: This looks very different, almost like it's an overseas product. It's a waffle that is topped with a vanilla fudge icing and strawberry sprinkles. There are quite a few other flavours too - see a review on Reaching for Refreshment. Available at Asda.

Rolo Dark: A dark chocolate version of the classic toffee filled chocolate cups. £1.59p at Asda.

Limited Edition Rolo Dark Dessert: The new Rolo Dark is also available as a limited edition layered toffee and dark chocolate dessert. £1.98p at Asda.

Licktator Doughnut Disturb - Cinnamon Doughnut Ice Cream: A cinnamon doughnut flavoured ice cream? Yes please! Mr Grocery Gems if you are reading this - your mission is codenamed: "FIND THE LICKTATOR CINNAMON DOUGHNUT ICE CREAM AND BRING IT HOME". Licktator also have other ice cream flavours including; Marshallow, Vanilla Custard, and Popcorn. £3.00p at Ocado (also available at Co-Op).

Müller Light Inspired by Fiji - Mango, Papaya & Banana: I only ever buy these types of Müller Light pots when there is a new flavour (I prefer their Greek Style Yogurts) and I'll certainly be looking out for this new Limited Edition. Mango and banana sounds like a great combination for a yogurt flavour! £0.68p each at Asda.

I have one more new instore post today so please do check back later! Many thanks again to Lucy W. for all the great photos. As always, if you've spotted or bought any interesting new products then I'd love to hear from you too - grocerygems@gmail.com or @grocerygems.