What’s more refreshing in summer than that first sip of an ice-cold beer? From tart goses to tropical IPAS and fruit beers – check out some of our favourite summer brews
Looking for the best summer beers to drink in the park or at home? Check out our favourite winter beers, sour beers, British beers, lagers, IPAs and our guide to craft beers. For cocktail lovers, we also have our best beer cocktails. Are you the designated driver? You can still enjoy beers this summer with our round-up of non-alcoholic beers. Now discover our best picnic food ideas to enjoy with your beer, or browse our picks of the best summer cookbooks to buy for fresh recipe inspiration. Best summer beers to try St Austell Brewery Anthem session pale ale Available from Tesco (£4.50/4 x 440ml) Session beers are in hot demand and this release from Cornish brewery St Austell is a great choice for pale ale drinkers. Using four different British-grown hops, it’s flavourful and fruity, with assertive but well-balanced hoppiness. Available from: Tesco (£4.50/4 x 440ml) Vault City Triple Fruited Mango Sour Beer Available from The Whisky Exchange (£3.50/44cl) A fresh, juicy sour, crammed with mango flavours and aromas, gentle tanginess and a slightly saline edge. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£3.50/44cl) Brewgooder Fonio Session IPA Available from Waitrose (£6.65) This fruity, crisp IPA is a collab from purpose-led brewery Brewgooder and NYC brew legend Brooklyn, made using fonio – a West African heritage grain sourced from smallholder farms in the region. Sales go towards clean water initiatives and further investment in growers. Available from: Waitrose (£6.65) Sober Brummie Available from Birmingham Brewing Company (£2.85/330ml) We were really impressed with this award-winning 0.5% pale ale. Triple hopped, it's absolutely rammed with bold citrus and piney flavours that makes for one of the best non-alcoholic beers we've tried. Available from: Birmingham Brewing Company (£2.85/330ml) People’s Captain Legend APA Available from People's Captain (£20.99/8 pack) A classic American pale ale with a piney, citrus kick, this is great served with spicy summery food like tacos or kebabs. A percentage of each beer sold also goes to the People's Captain Foundation to support mental health initiatives. Available from: People's Captain (£20.99/8 pack) Siren Lumina Session IPA Available from Siren Craft Brew (£2.10/330ml) All summery tropical hoppiness, this winningly accessible IPA has a beautifully soft mouthfeel thanks to the addition of oats in the beer. Available from: Siren Craft Brew (£2.10/330ml) Related reviews Best stout beers and porters to try Best summer beers What is cider? Best craft beer to buy Best ciders to try Best beer subscriptions and clubs Best IPAs to try Best winter beers to try Best sour beers to try
Blind-tasted by our expert olive taste team, we’ve selected the best supermarket finds for your summer entertaining
Prepare to spice up your summer with a diverse range of new supermarket BBQ essentials, innovative spins on picnic classics and a sharing bread for the perfect spread. From king-sized kebabs to fish skewers and honey-glazed pork belly, we have everything you need for a summer of exciting entertaining. olive Summer Awards 2025 winners Best barbecue buys Best sausages Winner: Tesco Fire Pit 7 Jumbo Cheesy BBQ Pork Sausages A crowd-pleasing sausage with a subtle flavour twist from a hint of extra mature Cheddar, ideal for a big barbecue. These are well-seasoned with a hint of smokiness and with a plump appearance. Available from: Tesco (£4.75/595g) Highly commended: Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate Honey & Chilli Pork Sausages Add a touch of subtle spice to your barbecue with these chilli-infused sausages. Judges thought these had a good texture and balanced sweetness from honey to counteract the chilli. Available from: Aldi in-store (£3.49/480g) Best vegan sausages Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate No-Pork Sausages If you're looking for a meat-alternative style vegan sausage, try these from Aldi. Our judges were impressed by the meaty texture and authentic taste. Available from: Aldi in-store (£2.49/270g) Highly commended: Morrisons Plant Revolution Italian-Style Sausages These herby sausages are packed with flavour from basil, oregano, smoky paprika and tomatoes. The tomatoes and red pepper give an attractive appearance. The texture does not particularly resemble meat, if that feeling is something you prefer to avoid in a vegan option. Available from: Morrisons (£2.50/300g) Best burger buns Winner: Co-op Irresistible Soft & Buttery Brioche Buns A great option if you like a brioche bun for your burger. Judges appreciated that these come pre-sliced – handy for saving time if feeding a crowd. The buns are fluffy with a slight sweetness. Available from: Co-op in-store (£1.95/4 pack) Highly commended: Tesco Finest Buttermilk Rolls Not everyone loves a brioche bun at a barbecue. These versatile white buttermilk rolls are super soft and would work brilliantly for sandwiches on a picnic as well as at a barbecue – although the soft texture may not hold up for too long against super juicy fillings. Available from: Tesco (£1.80/4 pack) Best burgers Joint winner: Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Dry Aged Aberdeen Angus Burgers This is a classic all-rounder burger. After cooking, it had caramelised well around the edges for pleasing texture and still stayed juicy in the middle. It is well-seasoned and ready to be loaded up with your favourite burger toppings. Available from: Sainsbury's (£4.25/pack of 2) Joint winner: Tesco Finest Wild Garlic Beef Burgers These burgers provide a good herby hit for some added flavour on your BBQ, and are well-seasoned too. They remained juicy after cooking and have a super soft texture. Available from: Tesco (£4.50/pack of 2) Highly commended: Lidl Deluxe 2 Aberdeen Angus 6oz Beef Burgers These are another classic thick, chunky burger – no smashburgers here! They caramelise well around the edges but judges thought they could have more salt, so season well before cooking. Available from: Lidl in-store (£3.95/pack of 2) Best veggie burgers Winner: Waitrose Vegetarian Aubergine & Feta Burgers Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will enjoy these burgers. They're filled with veg and a generous amount of feta gives salty tang. The veg-forward texture almost reminded judges of soft falafels. Available from: Waitrose (£2.95/pack of 2) Best vegan burgers Winner: Lidl Vemondo Vegan Burgers Beetroot adds vibrant colour as well as a good earthy flavour to these vegan burgers, offering a hit of veg. Load up with some crunchy toppings or a toasted bun to add some texture to the soft burger. Available from: Lidl in-store (£1.89/250g) Highly commended: Tesco Plant Chef 2 Sri Lankan Inspired Burgers A good choice if you're looking to replicate the appearance and texture of a meat burger. There is a subtle sweetness from the peppers and sweet potato, with a slightly artificial aftertaste that could be balanced out by adding your own toppings. Available from: Tesco (£2.20/pack of 2) Best meat or fish kebab Winner: Morrisons The Best Tandoori Chicken King Kebab Juicy chicken is always a crowd-pleaser at a barbecue. This has a mild tandoori marinade that keeps the chicken super tender and juicy after cooking, with a sweet drizzle of mango chutney and nigella seeds to finish that add crunch. Available from: Morrisons in-store Best BBQ hero for entertaining (meat or fish) Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Coronation Chicken King Kebab Another crowd-pleasing chicken kebab option. The coconut sauce is rich and creamy with mild spice and aromatic toasted coconut. Make this the centrepiece of a summer lunch and surround with salads, naan breads or herby grains. Available from: Aldi in-store (£5.49) Highly commended: Co-op Big on BBQ Hot Honey Pork Belly Slices These look simple and are an enjoyable budget addition to your next barbecue. The pork belly is marinaded in honey which provides a sweet, sticky glaze for the soft and tender meat. Available from: Co-op in-store (£4/340g) Best BBQ hero for entertaining (fish or seafood) Winner: Tesco Fire Pit Mango Coconut & Lime Fish Skewers These tropical-inspired skewers make it easy to serve fish at your next barbecue. The juicy fish has a good level of chilli heat, with enough coconut, sweet mango and zesty lime to balance out the spice. Available from: Tesco (£3.75/6 skewers) Best coleslaw Winner: Co-op Irresistible Deliciously Rich Coleslaw Every barbecue needs a classic coleslaw. This traditional style coleslaw is well-balanced and seasoned: balancing out the creamy and acidic elements of the dressing, surrounding veg that still has good crunch. Available from: Co-op in-store (£1.95/300g) Highly commended: Lidl Deluxe Premium Coleslaw Another traditional style coleslaw with good crunch and pleasant tang from the dressing. Available from: Lidl (£1.29/300g) Best picnic buys Best sausage roll Joint winner: Co-op Irresistible Perfectly Seasoned Ploughman's Sausage Rolls For a sausage roll with a subtle twist, try these chunky ploughman's-inspired sausage rolls from Co-op. Cheese and sweet onions are mixed into the flavourful filling, with deep golden pastry and an extra onion crumb to finish. Available from: Co-op in-store (£3.50/4 pack) Joint winner: Lidl Chef Select Sausage Rolls A classic long sausage roll – bring these to a picnic, add to a lunch box or pack for a long train journey or road trip. The sausage filling isn't that generous but it is well seasoned, surprisingly moreish and has a good hit of black pepper. Available from: Lidl in-store (£1.69/360g) Best vegetarian picnic pastry Winner: Co-op Irresistible West Country Cheddar & Habanero Chilli Jam Pinwheels These have an attractive pinwheel design and spicy chilli jam filling to add to a picnic spread. They are ready-to-eat, but judges felt they would be even better after a quick blast in the oven to crisp up the pastry. Ideal for serving with summer drinks in the garden. Available from: Co-op in-store (£3.50/88g) Best picnic centrepiece Winner: Lidl Deluxe Quiche – Maple Bacon A classic quiche using quiche Lorraine flavours. The bacon topping adds a pleasing saltiness that cuts through the luxuriously cream and rich filling. Can be eaten cold or reheat in the oven to crisp up the pastry, if having a picnic in the garden at home. Available from: Lidl in-store (£2.99) Highly commended: Tesco Finest Greek Feta & Spinach Quiche Bring the flavours of Greece to a classic French quiche with this feta and spinach filled option. It looks attractivge for a picnic centrepiece, with a smart crimped edge to the pastry and juicy cherry tomatoes. The filling is well seasoned with plenty of herbs. Available from: Tesco (£4.25/400g) Best sharing bread Winner: Aldi Rosemary & Rock Salt Sharing Focaccia A thick and fluffy foccacia ready to tear-and-share and dunk into dips at your next picnic. It has a fragrant sprinkling of rosemary on top, classic olive oil flavour and soft white bread underneath. Available from: Aldi in-store (£1.99/220g) Highly commended: Sainsbury's Harissa & Honey Flatbreads A packet of flatbreads is a versatile summer buy: use to wrap grilled meats at a barbecue, tear into crispy croutons to scatter over salads or simply dunk into dips. Judges enjoyed the gentle spice of the paprika dusting here. Available from: Sainsbury's (£1.90/pack of 2) Best antipasti platter Winner: Waitrose No.1 Italian Grazing Platter This grazing platter is a great one-stop buy to ensure your picnic has variety, saving you buying lots of different pots and tubs. It has a varied selection of tastes and textures for everyone to enjoy. The high-quality meat selection is a highlight with pork salami and garlicky coppa. Unusual additions include large caper berries and pickled onions. Available from: Waitrose (£10/380g) Best hummus Winner: Waitrose No.1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Houmous A well-executed ready-made houmous that has everything we look for in this classic dip: good chickpea flavour, smooth and fluffy texture, balanced olive oil and garlic notes. Available from: Waitrose (£2.75/170g) Highly commended: Aldi Specially Selected Extra Smooth Classic Houmous A scattering of chickpeas and herbs elevate the appearance of this simple houmous. Judges enjoyed the complex, lemony flavour of the dip. Available from: Aldi in-store (£1.49/170g) How we chose the winners The olive team chose 16 categories, having researched the products that you, our readers, would be most likely to buy this summer. We invited all the big supermarkets to select the products they wanted to nominate (just one entry per category, so they had to choose carefully). Our expert panel of judges blind-tasted them, rating each on taste, texture and appearance. We then awarded winner accolades to our favourites.
From trending blonde chocolate to coffee chocolate, discover our picks of the best luxury Easter eggs for 2025
If Christmas means mince pies and gingerbread, Easter equals chocolate in all varieties. Here at olive we have tried and tested some of the best luxury eggs on offer – from coffee-chocolate delicacies to lavishly decorated smooth milk chocolate eggs. We focussed on their taste, texture and overall appearance to guide you on your perfect Easter chocolate this season. If you are looking for more than an Easter egg to bring to friends and family, browse our carefully curated list of our best Easter gifts, or for more Easter egg inspiration check out our guide to the best supermarket Easter eggs. If you have been designated chef this Easter, we have our list of the best Easter recipes to inspire you, whether you want to roast the perfect leg of lamb or make our easy no-knead hot cross buns for a simple but delicious brunch. Looking for the best hot cross buns? Check out our favourite supermarket hot cross buns to buy. Best luxury Easter eggs to buy at a glance Best all-rounder luxury Easter egg: Chococo giant half & half egg, £47.50 Best extravagant Easter egg: Hotel Chocolat extra-thick milk to caramel Easter egg, £34.95 Best for gifting: Selfridges The Malt Ball Blonde Chocolate Egg, £22.99 Best duo egg: Fortnum & Mason Dark & White Chocolate Coffee & Vanilla Easter Egg, £35 Best luxury Easter bunny: Lindt 1kg Easter bunny, £65 Best for coffee fans: Rave double layered coffee Easter egg, £27.95 Best crowd-pleasing luxury Easter egg: Melt Acorn Easter egg, £38.99 Best grown up Easter egg: Betty's vegan Venezuelan dark chocolate egg, £25 Best luxury Easter eggs to buy 2025 Chococo 50/50 half milk, half dark egg Available from Chococo (£47.50) Best all-rounder luxury Easter egg Can't decide between milk or dark chocolate? You don't have to, thanks to the return of Chococo's half and half Easter egg – that comes in at a whopping 500g of choc. With an intricate hand-painted design, this combines one half of 72% Ecuadorian dark chocolate with one half 47% Columbian milk chocolate. Plus, inside you’ll find a range of Chococo’s chocolates – buttery Dorset sea salt caramels (our favourite), orange gems, crunchy honeycomb and nutty roasted almond clusters. Available from: Chococo (£47.50) Hotel Chocolat extra-thick milk to caramel Easter egg Available from Hotel Chocolat (£34.95) Best extravagant Easter egg The walls of this Easter egg are extra thick, in sweet and smooth 40% milk chocolate on one half, and caramel-milk chocolate on the other half. The egg comes filled with an indulgent selection of pralines, caramels and chocolates. We love the striking (and 100% recyclable) new packaging too. Available from: Hotel Chocolat (£34.95) Selfridges The Malt Ball Blonde Chocolate Egg Available from Selfridges (£22.99) Best Easter egg for gifting We love this new creation from Selfridges for Easter 2025. It first introduced its malt balls at Christmas and has now put them to great use in its Easter egg. Available in milk or blonde chocolate, we tested out the blonde egg. Thick and creamy caramelised chocolate is studded with plenty of malty eggs – we love the extra crunch from the mini biscuit balls, too. For a luxury egg, it is a great price, too. Available from: Selfridges (£22.99) Fortnum & Mason Dark & White Chocolate Coffee & Vanilla Easter Egg Available from Fortnum & Mason (£35) Best duo Easter egg Why choose between dark or white chocolate when you can have both? This elegant egg is inspired by an affogato dessert - taking the concept of vanilla ice cream and hot espresso and transforming into chocolate. The white chocolate side is flecked with vanilla and is decadently creamy, while the dark chocolate side is infused with Fortnum & Mason coffee for a contrasting bitter note that is pleasantly balanced. Available from: Fortnum & Mason (£35) Lindt Gold Bunny 1kg Available from Lindor (£65) Best luxury Easter bunny A Lindt bunny is a staple at Easter, but this luxury option has been supersized to a mega 1kg bunny. The smooth Swiss chocolate still comes complete with the gold foil and red ribbon, plus arrives in a special delivery box. This would make a great Easter gift or prize in an Easter egg hunt. Available from: Lindor (£65) Rave double layered coffee chocolate Easter egg Available from Rave (£27.95) Best for coffee fans An egg that is guaranteed to get people talking, if you can bring yourself to share. Already memorable from the striking eco-friendly packaging, the handmade egg inside lives up to the looks. The outside is a smooth milk chocolate shell, then inside discover blonde caramelised chocolate infused with Rave's signature coffee, for a generous 300g egg overall. The coffee flavour comes through strongly for a rich, creamy result that is almost like a bold butterscotch coffee icing, in the best way possible. Available from: Rave (£27.95) Melt Acorn Easter egg Available from Melt (£38.99) Best crowd-pleasing chocolate Easter egg Made with incredibly silky chocolate, this best-of-both egg is perfect for those who can’t choose between dark or milk. It also comes embedded with shards of almond and a novel candied orange stem. Available from: Melt (£38.99) Betty's vegan Venezuelan dark chocolate egg Available from Betty's (£25) Best grown-up Easter egg This is an elegant-looking and complex-tasting dark chocolate Easter egg, with notes of cherry and coffee that linger on the tongue. A well-tempered geometric shell has a satisfying snap and smooth flavour. Available from: Betty's (£25) Find more Easter inspiration below... Easter biscuits Easter cookies Easter dessert recipes White chocolate Easter cake Easter dinner recipes Easter lamb recipes
This hedgerow liqueur is a classic winter tipple that's perfect for Christmas. Discover our favourite bottles, and follow our recipe tips for how to make it yourself
Looking for the best sloe gin to serve to guests this Christmas? Read on to find the best sloe gin to buy. For more seasonal inspiration, try our plum recipes, blackberry recipes and our other autumn recipes. What is sloe gin? Sloe gin is made up of sloe berries, caster sugar and gin. Want to make your own sloe gin? Sloes, white caster sugar and dry gin are all you need to make our classic sloe gin liqueur, perfect as a fruity sipper or a gift. what are sloe berries and where to buy them. Best sloe gin to buy at a glance Best smooth sloe gin: Sipsmith sloe gin, £23 Best balanced sloe gin: Hayman's sloe gin, £20.95 Best organic sloe gin: Gibson's organic sloe gin, £26.95 Best sloe gin liqueur: Two Birds sloe gin, £39 Best fragrant sloe gin: Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Sloe Gin, £37.99 Best sweet sloe gin: Pickering's sloe gin, £20.99 Best classic sloe gin: Warner's sloe gin, £24.99 Best sloe gin to have with cheese: Sacred organic sloe gin, £38.85 Best sloe gin to buy 2024 Sipsmith Sloe Gin Available from John Lewis (£25), Waitrose Cellar (£23), Amazon (£23), Majestic (£25) Best smooth sloe gin This sloe gin has a slightly spiced flavour with notes of almond. With a smooth mouthfeel, it reminded us of mulled wine. Available from: John Lewis (£25) Waitrose Cellar (£23) Amazon (£23) Majestic (£25) Hayman's Sloe Gin Available from Master of Malt (£20.95), Amazon (£20.95) Best balanced sloe gin Haymans have been making gins since 1863, and this sloe gin uses hand-picked sloe berries, steeped in their London dry gin. This winning sloe gin had a nice balance of sweet sloe berries and a gentle hit of alcohol. It had a rich, fruity flavour without being too sweet. Available from: Master of Malt (£20.95) Amazon (£20.95) Gibson's Organic Sloe Gin Available from Gibsons Organic (£24.95), Abel & Cole (£25.65) Best organic sloe gin A mixture of organic gin, sloe berries, sugar and blackcurrant liqueur, this had a mellow sloe flavour with citrussy notes. Available from: Gibsons Organic (£24.95) Abel & Cole (£25.65) Two Birds Sloe Gin Available from Amazon (£39), British Honey (£39) Best sloe gin liqueur Hedgerow sloes steeped in London dry gin makes for an accessible, easy-going sloe liqueur. You can still pick up piney juniper from the gin, as well as lively red fruit notes. Try adding a dash to sparkling wine. Available from: Amazon (£39) British Honey (£39) Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Sloe Gin Available from Amazon (£37.99), The Whisky Exchange (£45.50), Master of Malt (£45.49) Best fragrant sloe gin Monkey 47 has macerated Black Forest sloe berries into its acclaimed gin, and the result is gorgeous – a super-fragrant, complex nose, with earthy juniper, heady spice and rich dark fruit notes. One for those who prefer less syrupy sloe gins. Available from: Amazon (£37.99) The Whisky Exchange (£45.50) Master of Malt (£45.49) Pickering’s Sloe Gin Available from Master of Malt (£20.99) Best sweet sloe gin One for fans of sweeter sloe gins, this festive number has subtle spice, rich red fruit and distinctive cherry bakewell notes – sip this alongside a slice of stollen. Available from: Master of Malt (£20.99) Warner's Sloe Gin Available from Master of Malt (£31.74), Amazon (£24.99) Best classic sloe gin If you're looking for a classic sloe gin, this is a great value one to buy. It has a dry texture and rich flavours of cherry and spice. We also detected notes of coffee. Available from: Master of Malt (£31.74) Amazon (£24.99) Sacred sloe gin Available from Sacred (£38.85) Best sloe gin to have with cheese Like a cross between PX sherry and tawny port, this sloe gin is perfect for those with a sweet tooth. There are notes of liquorice and lingering spice, too. Try with a cheeseboard. Available from: Sacred (£38.85) Best sloe gin recipes Sloe gin Make the most of the sloe season with this classic and easy-to-make liqueur. Enjoy this fruity alcoholic drink over the festive season or give it away as a gift. Sloe gin fizz Use your own homemade sloe gin in this festive spin on a classic gin fizz. Sloe gin cheese Check out our impressive homemade sloe gin cheese. Fruit cheeses are set fruit pastes that are ideal partners for cheeseboards. Try this with a strong blue cheese such as stilton. Sloe gin and plum crumble Our sloe gin and plum crumble is a twist on a classic and much-loved British dessert. Pair with a scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream to really take advantage of the cinnamon and mixed spice notes. Sloe gin cake Team sloe gin with plums and make an autumnal layer cake with wow factor. It's sure to impress your friends, and best of all it's an easy recipe too.
Want to add a touch of blush to your weekend gin fix? Explore our best pink gins, from sweet liqueurs to delicate dry spirits
Looking for the best pink gins to buy? Read on for our recommendations. Want to try more gins? Click here for our round up of the best British gins, or try making your own pink gin with our rhubarb gin recipe. To create a pretty pink-hued cocktail, check out our collection of pink cocktail recipes. From rosé to vermouth, blush-coloured drinks have soared in popularity in the last few years, particularly when it comes to gin. Using a variety of botanicals and flavourings to colour the spirit, pink gins range from fruity and sweet liqueurs to delicate dry numbers. They’re surprisingly versatile – use them in G&Ts, spritzes and negronis. Our drinks expert has tried and tested the best pink gins to buy, from raspberry, rhubarb and grapefruit flavoured gins to classic pink gins with citrussy or floral notes. Read on for our final selection of the 10 best pink gins to buy. 10 best pink gins to buy at a glance Best pink gin for gifting: Mirabeau Dry Gin, £27 Best raspberry gin: Tarquin's Rhubarb and Raspberry Gin, £34.99 Best pink grapefruit gin: Chase Pink Grapefruit & Pomelo Gin, £28.95 Best classic pink gin: Chapel Down Pinot Noir Gin, £45.06 Best for a sweet tooth: Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Gin, £25.99 Best budget pink gin: Gordon’s Premium Pink Distilled Gin, £17.95 Best pink gin for sipping neat: Kyrö Pink Gin, £30.95 Best floral pink gin: The Cotswolds Distillery No.1 Wildflower Gin, £37.55 Best citrussy pink gin: Hensol Castle Blood Orange Zest Gin, £30 Best rhubarb gin: Slingsby rhubarb gin, £31.50 10 best pink gins to buy 2024 Mirabeau Dry Gin Available from Amazon (£27), Waitrose Cellar (£32), The Whisky Exchange (£32.75) Best pink gin for gifting Côtes de Provence rosé wine producer use their own grape spirit and Provençal botanicals to create this elegant pale pink gin. Soft and rounded in character, it's heady with floral tones of rose and lavender, subtle juniper and layers of citrus and herbaceous notes. Try in a delicate martini. Latest Deals Tarquin's Rhubarb and Raspberry Gin undefined Best raspberry gin This Cornish gin is deliciously tart and fruity, with a hint of appetising bittersweetness. We think it would make a delicious pink negroni with rosé vermouth and Campari. undefined Chase Pink Grapefruit and Pomelo Gin Available from Amazon (£28.95), Waitrose Cellar (£30) Best pink grapefruit gin Created by distilling Chase gin with grapefruit and pomelo peel, this is a super-fragrant spirit, full of zesty tartness and well-balanced bitter notes. Available from: Amazon (£28.95) Waitrose Cellar (£30) Chapel Down Pinot Noir Gin Latest Deals Produced using distilled pinot noir grape skins left over from vineyard Chapel Down’s grape harvest, this is a smooth, juniper-led number that has a delicate nose and a rounded flavour with light fruit and vanilla notes. One to choose if you prefer a classic gin rather than a flavoured one. Latest Deals Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Gin Available from Amazon (£29.50), John Lewis (£29.50), Master of Malt (£25.99) Best for a sweet tooth Sweet enough to treat more like a liqueur, this had an appealing sweet-shop-like rhubarb and custard character, with subtle ginger heat. Enjoy served neat, over ice. undefined Gordon’s Premium Pink Distilled Gin Available from Master of Malt (£17.95), Ocado (£18.50), Amazon (£19) Best budget pink gin A berry-led gin with prominent strawberry flavours, this had a dessert-like aroma and a syrupy mouthfeel – best for those who like their pink gins super sweet. Available from: Master of Malt (£17.90) Ocado (£17.50) Amazon (£17.50) undefined Kyrö pink gin Latest Deals Best pink gin for sipping neat This rye-based gin hails all the way from Finland. It’s slightly sweeter than traditional gin, with delicate red fruits, tangy rhubarb and a nice creaminess. Try sipping it neat over ice. undefined The Cotswolds Distillery No.1 wildflower gin Available from Master of Malt (£37.55), Amazon (£40.95) Best floral pink gin This vibrant gin adds lavender, cornflowers, orange and rhubarb root to the brand’s original (and excellent) London dry base spirit. Expect juniper, but also a heady floral character and almost bitter, zesty orange that ends in a marmalade-like finish. In hue and taste, it’s not dissimilar to a bitter Italian aperitif, and accordingly, the suggested serve is spritz-style with tonic water. We’d also suggest topping it up with sparkling wine, or using it in a negroni or in place of Campari in an americano. Available from: Master of Malt (£37.55) Amazon (£40.95) undefined Hensol Castle blood orange zest gin Available from Hensol Castle (£30), Amazon (£29.90) Best citrussy pink gin Bittersweet blood orange is the star of the show in this nicely balanced, flavoured gin, bursting with sunny citrus notes and juniper from the underlying base spirit. Try in a spritz with a wedge of blood orange. Available from: Hensol Castle (£30) Amazon (£29.90) undefined Slingsby rhubarb gin Available from Waitrose (£31.50), Master of Malt (£36.99), Amazon (£28) Best rhubarb gin This fragrant gin, made using Yorkshire rhubarb, has a deliciously tart and intense flavour. Use to give your standard G&T a fruity twist. Available from: Waitrose (£31.50) Master of Malt (£36.99) Amazon (£28) undefined Related gin reviews Best gins to try - our favourite bottles Best gin subscriptions and clubs Best British gins to try Best American gins to try Best gifts for gin lovers Best savoury gins to try Best international gins Best citrus gins to try Best flavoured gins to try 5 of the best Welsh gins The best UK gin experiences
olive plant-based supermarket awards 2024
The must-buy winners of our first plant-based supermarket awards, including dairy- and meat-alternatives and sweet treats
Welcome to olive’s plant-based supermarket awards 2024. Our team of experts blind-tested plant-based supermarket foods across 11 popular categories to bring you our favourites vegan staples. Make your life easier when shopping vegan by looking out for the winners and runners-up in our awards, from milk alternatives to sweet treats. For more in-depth taste tests check out olive's guide to the best oat milk, the best almond milk, the best vegan mayonnaise and the best supermarket vegan wine. If you're looking for your favourite foods made vegan, browse our guide to the best vegan chocolate, vegan comfort food recipes and the best vegan pizza. Wanting some guidance on Veganuary? Look at our list of easy vegan meal ideas for a gentle introduction or, alternatively, treat yourself to a great variety of vegan snacks from our pick of the best vegan hampers. To find out more about meat alternatives, listen to our olive podcast on the 10 things you need to know about meat alternatives. For more supermarket awards, check out the olive summer supermarket awards 2024. Best supermarket vegan foods at a glance: Best chicken alternative: Waitrose PlantLiving: No Chicken Kyiv, £3.40 Best vegan mince: Sainsbury's Plant Pioneers Meat Free Mince,<a href="https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-vegetarian-mince-500g?utm_medium=cpc&cmpid=cpc&catalogId=10241&utm_content=shopping&productId=1032502&utm_campaign=20333793068&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&storeId=10151&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7ZO0BhDYARIsAFttkCi-tuTQ91aLB2MdgU0o28kzlhKtptgwsiMdjVxUXyA8HohKYZ2vTskaAsFYEALw_wcB&utm_custom1=&langId=44&utm_source=Google&krypto=LErHB0dDolFVdHryAf6GL0enREFyLdz6DONKnXTJKYX4PsMYXdrkMVh6VWGHrHUA%2BQuNVu3Uotnv24iDhYtmyj2Q1S1I71y18%2Bwn8O%2Fil%2FIoM4neovoBBLZ6Ar7R%2FSvwyDgVtS5NjoWbT6PUul0RiAinXEPjLmB2IEsIWvkAMYAl3jP%2BVyJCSwZykDLFLRUcgjtNitN76juHHdC%2BnfSv%2FgwcreBjSe0kJwWHKQvNWjhWwPkhb8OZnaVqy0W65U4Ei7913tGL3IgDw2FfsjG2Td4rxmil9ZlE%2FEfqoMIZomjH7w%2BUmf%2F%2FgQw%2FyUIjGu0FLexexW8JWCkvzNP1MvlEEQJUo6qOjFO0m4o2nmwvFPtqG91eqHQVCbBBqyk0FvCrNq%2BQ5VI9%2F1J4CcyJ%2FDwhvOn5vkGYkAlnzMaaqhjFgYceB10SGlig5v%2FP9hairA4K&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Fsainsburys-vegetarian-mince-500g" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> £1.86 Best nuggets and goujons: Waitrose PlantLiving: Southern Fried No Chicken, £3 Best vegan meatballs: Sainsbury's Plant Pioneers Vegan Meatballs, £1.42 Best cheese alternative: Asda Free From Garlic & Herb Soft Cheese Alternative, £2.25 Best alternative milk - Coconut: Tesco Coconut Drink Sweetened, <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-100565798-16998092?sid=olivemagazine-138433&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tesco.com%2Fgroceries%2Fen-GB%2Fproducts%2F300118119%3Fsc_cmp%3Dppc%2AGHS%2B-%2BGrocery%2B-%2BNew%2AMPX_PMAX_All_OT_Click%252BCollect_Online%2BBudget_1011017%2A%2A300118119%2A%26gad_source%3D1%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwkJm0BhBxEiwAwT1AXEaDB_SRpzx2OBADHUg-BmshRZogU8Czj9Sr-WXqC9b9ZRGF_mylsxoChFIQAvD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">£1.25 Best alternative milk - Oat: Asda Oat Barista, <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-100565798-15742042?sid=olivemagazine-138433&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroceries.asda.com%2Fproduct%2Foat-nut-drinks%2Fasda-oat-barista%2F1000326338147%3F%26cmpid%3Dppc-_-ghs-_--_-google-_--_-dskwid-_dc%26s_kwcid%3DAL%2111432%213%21%21%21%21x%21%21%26gad_source%3D1%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwkJm0BhBxEiwAwT1AXKr09v22VXRq_gLB3hB5aGvt_aiyWRSXfZ3lER0KrOTUjnIK-ZQ43xoCP44QAvD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">£1.45 Best alternative milk - Almond: Aldi Acti Leaf Almond Unsweetened, £0.99 Best vegan mayonnaise: M&S Plant Based Vegan Mayonnaise, £1.80 Best vegan eating chocolate: Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Vegan Block, £1.85 Best vegan ice cream: Asda OMV! Deliciously Vegan 3 Peanut Crunch Ice Cream,<a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-100565798-15742042?sid=olivemagazine-138433&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroceries.asda.com%2Fproduct%2Fice-cream-party-desserts%2Fomv-deliciously-vegan-3-peanut-crunch-ice-cream%2F1000346923195%3F%26cmpid%3Dppc-_-ghs-_--_-google-_--_-dskwid-_dc%26s_kwcid%3DAL%2111432%213%21%21%21%21x%21%21%26gad_source%3D1%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwkJm0BhBxEiwAwT1AXGADR3n-198KUHKXmkJpd7OF1W12m9-CGxy9lMpHUJeRHH5bSGtDiRoCw4oQAvD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds" target="_blank" rel="sponsored"> £1.75 Best chicken alternative Winner: Waitrose PlantLiving: No Chicken Kyiv (250g), £3.40 These ‘no chicken’ Kyivs were celebrated for their rich, buttery filling bursting with herbiness and garlicky flavours. A bit more crispiness to the breadcrumb would have elevated these Kyivs further, but they are a great plant-based chicken alternative. Available from Waitrose (£3.40) Best vegan mince Winner: Sainsbury's Plant Pioneers Meat Free Mince (500g), £1.86 This vegan mince features a remarkably meaty texture and a rich, umami flavour, subtly enhanced with hints of mushroom. Its taste is well-balanced, making it perfect for a variety of culinary creations, particularly traditional bolognese. <a href="https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-vegetarian-mince-500g?utm_medium=cpc&cmpid=cpc&catalogId=10241&utm_content=shopping&productId=1032502&utm_campaign=20333793068&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&storeId=10151&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7ZO0BhDYARIsAFttkCi-tuTQ91aLB2MdgU0o28kzlhKtptgwsiMdjVxUXyA8HohKYZ2vTskaAsFYEALw_wcB&utm_custom1=&langId=44&utm_source=Google&krypto=LErHB0dDolFVdHryAf6GL0enREFyLdz6DONKnXTJKYX4PsMYXdrkMVh6VWGHrHUA%2BQuNVu3Uotnv24iDhYtmyj2Q1S1I71y18%2Bwn8O%2Fil%2FIoM4neovoBBLZ6Ar7R%2FSvwyDgVtS5NjoWbT6PUul0RiAinXEPjLmB2IEsIWvkAMYAl3jP%2BVyJCSwZykDLFLRUcgjtNitN76juHHdC%2BnfSv%2FgwcreBjSe0kJwWHKQvNWjhWwPkhb8OZnaVqy0W65U4Ei7913tGL3IgDw2FfsjG2Td4rxmil9ZlE%2FEfqoMIZomjH7w%2BUmf%2F%2FgQw%2FyUIjGu0FLexexW8JWCkvzNP1MvlEEQJUo6qOjFO0m4o2nmwvFPtqG91eqHQVCbBBqyk0FvCrNq%2BQ5VI9%2F1J4CcyJ%2FDwhvOn5vkGYkAlnzMaaqhjFgYceB10SGlig5v%2FP9hairA4K&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Fsainsburys-vegetarian-mince-500g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available from Sainsbury's (£1.86) Best vegan nuggets and goujons Winner: Waitrose PlantLiving: Southern Fried No Chicken (227g), £3 These vegan chicken nuggets offer an impressively authentic texture and taste, closely mimicking the qualities of traditional chicken with a delightful bite and well-balanced seasoning. Available from Waitrose (£3) Best vegan meatballs Winner: Sainsbury's Plant Pioneers Vegan Meatballs (380g), £1.42 Discover the versatility of these vegan meatballs, an excellent all-rounder for any meal! They offer a satisfying bite, are visually appealing, and have a texture that resembles traditional meatballs. While the flavour is neutral and plain, making them perfect for various dishes, their subtle seasoning complements any sauce or seasoning you choose. Available from Sainsbury's (£1.42) Best cheese alternative Winner: Asda Free From Garlic & Herb Soft Cheese Alternative, (170g) £2.25 This garlic and herb soft cheese alternative is perfect for bagels, crackers, and more. The subtle hint of chives adds an extra layer of flavour, making it a versatile choice for various dishes. Available from Asda (£2.25) Best alternative milk - coconut Winner: Tesco Coconut Drink Sweetened, (1 litre) £1.25 This light and refreshing alternative milk is perfect for those who love coconut. Delicious on its own, or a great addition to iced lattes and flavoured coffees. <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-100565798-16998092?sid=olivemagazine-138433&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tesco.com%2Fgroceries%2Fen-GB%2Fproducts%2F300118119%3Fsc_cmp%3Dppc%2AGHS%2B-%2BGrocery%2B-%2BNew%2AMPX_PMAX_All_OT_Click%252BCollect_Online%2BBudget_1011017%2A%2A300118119%2A%26gad_source%3D1%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwkJm0BhBxEiwAwT1AXEaDB_SRpzx2OBADHUg-BmshRZogU8Czj9Sr-WXqC9b9ZRGF_mylsxoChFIQAvD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">Available from Tesco (£1.25) Best alternative milk - oat Winner: Asda Oat Barista, (1 litre) £1.45 This oat milk is perfect for those seeking a versatile dairy alternative. It's a delightful addition to your daily routine with a subtle oaty flavour and a smooth texture. Its neutral taste makes it a great choice for drinking alone or adding to your favourite recipes. <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-100565798-15742042?sid=olivemagazine-138433&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroceries.asda.com%2Fproduct%2Foat-nut-drinks%2Fasda-oat-barista%2F1000326338147%3F%26cmpid%3Dppc-_-ghs-_--_-google-_--_-dskwid-_dc%26s_kwcid%3DAL%2111432%213%21%21%21%21x%21%21%26gad_source%3D1%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwkJm0BhBxEiwAwT1AXKr09v22VXRq_gLB3hB5aGvt_aiyWRSXfZ3lER0KrOTUjnIK-ZQ43xoCP44QAvD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">Available from Asda (£1.45) Best alternative milk - almond Winner: Aldi Acti Leaf Almond Unsweetened, (1 litre) £0.99 This almond milk is perfect for nut lovers as it has a distinct nutty flavour. Its slightly salty taste will make a great addition to sweet drinks as a contrasting flavour, like in smoothies. Available from Aldi (£0.99) Best vegan mayonnaise Winner: M&S Plant Based Vegan Mayonnaise, 250g ( £1.80) For an exquisite and velvety vegan mayo, your search ends here. It boasts a luxuriant, smooth texture and a flavour profile reminiscent of classic mayonnaise, enhanced with a delicate tartness and a subtle hint of sweetness. Available from Ocado (£1.80) Best vegan eating chocolate Winner: Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Vegan Block, (100g) £1.85 With rich cocoa notes and subtle fruity aromas, this balanced dark chocolate offers a strong and authentic chocolate flavour. Its excellent shine and satisfying snap reflect its high quality and provide a premium experience with every bite. Available from Sainsbury's Best vegan ice cream Winner: Asda OMV! Deliciously Vegan 3 Peanut Crunch Ice Cream, (3 x 90ml) £1.75 These delicious vegan peanut crunch ice cream sticks offer a great, affordable alternative to a magnum. Incredibly moreish, they’re perfect for enjoying at the end of a barbecue to cool off. <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-100565798-15742042?sid=olivemagazine-138433&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroceries.asda.com%2Fproduct%2Fice-cream-party-desserts%2Fomv-deliciously-vegan-3-peanut-crunch-ice-cream%2F1000346923195%3F%26cmpid%3Dppc-_-ghs-_--_-google-_--_-dskwid-_dc%26s_kwcid%3DAL%2111432%213%21%21%21%21x%21%21%26gad_source%3D1%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwkJm0BhBxEiwAwT1AXGADR3n-198KUHKXmkJpd7OF1W12m9-CGxy9lMpHUJeRHH5bSGtDiRoCw4oQAvD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">Available from Asda How we tested We invited six supermarkets to submit their best summer products across 10 categories. Packaging was completely removed and judges tasted all items blind. Comments and a score out of 10 were submitted for each product in the category via anonymous online judging forms. The entire judging process was overseen by an independent adjudicator. This year, the team tested over 100 products. This review was last updated in July 2024.
Craving a kombucha but don’t know where to start? Check out our guide to this funky, flavourful and gut-friendly drink
Looking for the best kombuchas to buy? Read on to discover our favourites, then check out our best tea gifts and best coffee gifts. What is kombucha? Tangy, funky and fizzy, kombucha is a fermented sweetened tea that’s exploded in popularity in the last few years as drinkers embrace its distinctively sour yet refreshing flavour. Find out how to make your own. Is kombucha good for you? As kombucha is a product of fermentation, it is a good source of probiotic bacteria. This bacteria helps balance the gut, aiding good digestion. Depending on the quality of the tea used to make it, kombucha may also provide antioxidants, as well as a range of vitamins and minerals. Best kombuchas to try Holos classic kombucha Available from Amazon (£32.99/pack of 12) Green and black tea combined with yerba mate and rooibos provides a well-balanced yet complex flavour profile to this funky kombucha. With notes of vanilla and tomato on the nose followed by floral flavours on the tongue, this is an all-round refreshing drink. Available from: Amazon (£32.99/pack of 12) Jarr original kombucha Available from The Whisky Exchange (£3.50/330ml), Dry Drinker (£24.52/8 x 330ml) Organic oolong and green tea, fermented with filtered water and organic cane sugar give this kombucha a strong acidic tang. A well-balanced, refreshing drink, with a lingering flavour. Available from: The Whisky Exchange (£3.50/330ml) Dry Drinker (£24.52/8 x 330ml) Biona Organic kombucha Available from Amazon (£15.95/pack of six) Thanks to fragrant mate leaves, lime blossom and lemon verbena tea herbal extracts, this original kombucha has a distinctive and gently sweet floral flavour, with notes of honey on the nose. With a gentle fizz, it’s a lighter booch option. Available from: Amazon (£15.95/pack of six) MOMO organic raspberry-hibiscus kombucha Available from Ocado (£3.90/330ml) A small-batch kombucha produced by hand in 10-litre glass jars, and bottled unfiltered for flavour and conservation of the live cultures needed for gut health. Try the raspberry hibiscus for a zingy morning pick-me-up, or use in a cocktail. Available from: Ocado (£3.90/330ml) Remedy peach kombucha Available from Holland & Barrett (£2.19/250ml) Fruity, light and refreshing, this kombucha tastes like ripe peaches – it’s hard to believe it’s zero sugar! It makes a great non-alcoholic drink option for summer picnics. Available from: Holland & Barrett (£2.19/250ml) LA Brewery sparkling English rosé kombucha Available from Ocado (£10/750ml) A champagne-inspired kombucha that has delicate bubbles, floral rose and elderflower notes with a gentle background funk. Drink chilled as a booze-free aperitif. Available from: Ocado (£10/750ml) REAL Peony Blush sparkling tea Available from Dry Drinker (£9.48/750ml) Made from white peony leaves from Fujian province in China, this blush-coloured sparkling fermented tea is crammed with summer berry notes and gentle funkiness. Drink chilled on its own or use as the base for a non-alcoholic sangria with chopped cherries, strawberries and raspberries. Available from: Dry Drinker (£9.48/750ml) Ama Brewery lemongrass BI sparkling tea Available from Selfridges (£28.99/750ml) Ama Brewery in the Basque Country create sparkling kombuchas that are aged in the bottle for a minimum of six months – akin to a pét-nat wine or champagne. The brewery is headed by Dani Lasa and Ramón Perisé, former and current R&D chefs at famed two-Michelin-star restaurant Mugaritz in San Sebastian, and their kombucha is made with tea from the Rare Tea Company and spring water from the Basque Country. BI, made with wild lemongrass, is gently bubbly and sweet with lime and white blossom notes. Available from: Selfridges (£28.99/750ml) Blighty Booch Available from Amazon (£38/pack of 12) A light and fruity beverage with a delicate effervescence and well-balanced sweetness. Blighty Booch’s kombucha is brewed with organic black tea from Hunan in China, resulting in a refreshingly tangy flavour profile. As well as the original, we also especially enjoyed their organic ginger flavour, whose warming, spicy notes perfectly balance the tea's astringency. Available from: Amazon (£38/pack of 12) Holos sparkling oolong premium kombucha Available from Holos Kombucha (£21.99/2 x 750ml) Fermented using loose-leaf oolong, this has a lovely clean, fresh character, gently sweet with floral elderflower and delicate fruit notes, and sprightly acidity. Available from: Holos Kombucha (£21.99/2 x 750ml) Related reviews Best sparkling teas Best non-alcoholic spirits Best non-alcoholic beers Best tea gifts
21 best coffee subscriptions to buy in 2024
We've reviewed the UK's top coffee delivery services, catering to every budget and taste, to find the best coffee subscriptions on offer
For many of us, that morning cup of coffee sets us up for the day, giving us a moment to breathe. So why not get your specially-selected caffeine kick delivered to your door and support small businesses along the way? Coffee delivery services have exploded in popularity over recent months, with roasteries and independent shops adapting to online life. We have found the best coffee subscriptions and boxes for you to try out. Whether you need beans for your machine or filter coffee to suit a brand-new aeropress, there's a delicious coffee subscription to suit your needs and taste. Treat yourself or a fellow caffeine aficionado to one of the coffee subscriptions below for a little luxury you can enjoy every day. Once you've found your perfect pre-ground mix, read our guide on how to make the perfect cup of coffee at home. Taking your coffee on the go? Read our review of the best reusable coffee cups or discover the best Black Friday coffee machine deals available right now. Coffee doesn't just taste delicious in your morning mug, explore coffee in the kitchen with our best ever coffee recipes. Treat yourself to the full experience and serve your coffee in one of our favourite espresso cups and coffee mugs. Best coffee subscriptions at a glance Best for next-day delivery: Pact Coffee, from £7.95 Best subscription with additions: Rise Coffee Box, from £13.25 Best coffee from micro roasters: Batch Coffee, from £17.99 Best for seasonal coffee: Fireheart Coffee, from £9.58 Best independent roaster: Quarter Horse Coffee, from £10.50 Best unique coffee flavours: Blue Coffee Box, from £9.39 Best organic coffee: Kiss the Hippo, from £9.90 Best tasting beans: Balance Coffee, from £10.99 Best variety of beans: Good Brew, £21.99 Best high-end coffee subscription: Allpress, from £10 Best for bold flavours: Cartwheel Coffee, from £17.50 Best for fresh coffee: Artisan Coffee Co., from £9.35 Best filipino coffee: Kapihan, £46 Best for cold brews: Origin Coffee, from £9.20 Best social-conscious subscription: Coaltown Coffee, £9.50 Best for compostable coffee pods: Rave Coffee, from £7.95 Best simple coffee subscription: Outpost Coffee, from £8.95 Best for new coffee drinkers: Perky Blenders, from £8.90 Best letterbox-friendly subscription: Rounton Coffee Roasters, from £12 Best for irregular coffee drinkers: Stewarts Coffee, from £7.50 Best for coffee geeks: 200 degrees, £8 Best coffee subscriptions to try in 2024 Pact Coffee Available from Pact (from £7.95) Best for next-day delivery Pact's biggest selling points are the flexibility to have coffee delivered next day, and its focus on supporting farmers and sustainable sourcing. Pact buys its beans through direct trade, meaning it skips as many unnecessary steps in the supply chain as possible, to ensure farmers get fairer than Fairtrade prices for their product. Choose your letterbox-friendly package from 13 rotating coffees and try a range of coffees with hints of everything from greengage plums, to caramel, blackcurrant, orange cream chocolate or candied fruit. Once you've chosen your grind range, you can choose from the 'House', 'Select' and 'Micro-Lot' coffee options, depending on whether you want a reliable roast with similar flavours each time or a more premium option featuring unique and unusual flavours. Opt for the most popular select roast, which has hints of chocolate malt milkshake sweetness', or branch out to a fruitier roast from Honduras with citrus acidity and a lingering cherry aftertaste. You'll get a card with some tasting notes to peruse over your afternoon cuppa and a quote from the grower. Your beans are also shipped within seven days of roasting to keep your brew as fresh as possible. Frequency: 250g bag anywhere from every 2 t0 60 days Available grinds: whole bean, coffee pods, espresso machine, Aeropress, moka pot, drip, V60, Chemex, cafetière, cold brew, clever dripper Rise Coffee Box Available from Rise Coffee Box (from £13.25) Best subscription with additions If you’re bored with standard serves, this handpicked selection sent in eco-friendly boxes from independent roasters across the UK is for you. As a tasty bonus, you’ll also receive some treats as well as your monthly brew, from fruity teas to snacking nuts or vegan chocolate bars. Your coffee also comes with handy brewing tips, recipes to help you get the most from every bag and stories from the roasters themselves. All the partners source their beans sustainably, pay fair wages and the delivery box is recyclable. We love the variety and the addition of a surprise bite to enjoy with our morning cuppa. Frequency: 2 x 227-250g bags weekly, fortnightly, bi-monthly, monthly Available grinds: whole bean, cafetiere, aeropress, espresso, Batch Coffee Available from Batch Coffee (from £17.99) Best coffee from micro roasters Batch are all about bringing you micro-roasters and small UK coffee brands with top quality beans. Each box contains two different grinds, slurped and selected by the Batch team. Everything they try gets added to their own extensive online coffee reviews archive, so you can read their expert descriptions and learn more about each individual roastery. Founder Tom Saxon also outlines the review process for total transparency and the site has handy guides for every brewing method. Choose from a bi-weekly or monthly coffee subscription and enjoy two hand-selected coffees to expand your caffeinated horizons. We loved that each bag comes with a QR code which you can scan to learn more about the coffee and what the team enjoyed about it. If you want to try before you commit to a subscription, you can always order a one off taste box of two speciality coffees. They dispatch their coffee in plastic-free, fully recyclable packaging every other Tuesday to ensure it reaches you at peak freshness. Frequency: 2 x 200g bags Available grinds: whole bean, cafetiere, pour over, stovetop, aeropress, espresso Fireheart Coffee Available from Fireheart Coffee (from £9.58) Best for seasonal coffee Fireheart is a collaboration between Paul Tocher, Russel Stinson and coffee roaster Thomas De Garnham, who founded Fireheart with the goal to champion seasonality and simplicity in coffee. They are also committed to sourcing beans ethically, paying 50% above Fair Trade value. These are roasted and ground to order to minimise waste. Once a blend goes out of season, the Fireheart team recommend newer options to try so you're never bored of what turns up at the front door. Its joyful coffee bags bring a modern pop of colour to the kitchen cupboard. For anyone with a coffee-pod machine, there's also a compostable pod subscription on offer. The Palace Blend, created from Columbian and Ethiopian beans, is a brand staple packed with hits of Morello cherry and dark chocolate, but rare showstoppers like the Ruffatti blend mean even the most adventurous coffee drinkers will have a treat awaiting them. Frequency: 250g bag every 7, 14, 30 or 45 days Available grinds: drip, espresso, cafetière, whole bean, biodegradable coffee pod Quarter Horse Coffee Available from Quarter Horse Coffee (from £10.50) Best independent roaster This independent Birmingham-based roaster sources beans from all over the world for its cafe and subscription service in the UK. It also prides itself on relationships with farmers and cooperatives that support sustainable growth, ethical trading and pricing. No intimidating coffee jargon here, just a selection of premium beans, roasted to order in its coffee shop. Founders, Brummie-born Ameeta and Nathan Retzer, originally from Chicago, want everyone to feel as welcome in their cafe as they would in their own living room. Sample aromatic and creamy Salvadorian beans or a medium-roasted Kenyan bean with notes of vanilla and tropical fruits. Simply select a filter, espresso or whole bean subscription and wait for interesting single origin coffee to drop onto your doormat. Frequency: 250g bag every week, fortnightly, three weeks or four weeks Available grinds: filter, espresso, whole bean Blue Coffee Box Available from Blue Coffee Box (from £9.39) Best unique coffee flavours If a pack of pastel-packaged coffee focusing on unique flavours sounds up your street, Blue Coffee Box could be for you. They work with over 300 roasters around the UK to get a huge range of beans from 22 different countries. Your coffees will be selected depending on the flavour profile you pick when building your selection; opt for a light, medium or dark roast (or let their coffee concierge surprise you). If you're not a fan of the coffee selected, get in touch and they will find an alternative. Beans are sourced from farmers and local cooperatives, cutting out the middleman and ensuring farmers are paid more than the Fairtrade price. The simple compostable packaging is letterbox-friendly, so no need to worry about potentially missing deliveries. If you fancy flexing your barista skills, you can also log on to the online Coffee School for brewing methods, reviews and pieces written by guest roasters. Frequency: 227g bag every 2 weeks, monthly or two months Available grinds: whole bean, cafetière, dripper, Aeropress, espresso machine Kiss the Hippo Available from Kiss the Hippo (from £9.90) Best organic coffee You're unlikely to forget the name of this London-based coffee brand. Look for the bag with the characteristic red hippo and expect mouthwatering pre-ground coffee inside. Pick from blends or single origin beans, sourced in season and roasted in small batches to be delivered to your door. Offerings reflect seasonal availability of the coffee and each lot is consumed before the next harvest is roasted, so enjoy your batch while it's at its peak. Kiss the Hippo aims to focus on quality over quantity, with a maximum of around 6-8 coffees available at one time from direct trade farmers. In house, the organic certified roastery is powered using 100 per cent renewable energy, making all coffees carbon neutral. There are also compostable pods available for machine users. You might receive a dark chocolatey blend with hints of pecan, or a delicate Indonesian brew with notes of peach and mango. Frequency: 250g bag weekly, fortnightly or monthly Available grinds: whole bean, French press, drip, espresso Balance Coffee Available from Balance Coffee (from £10.99) Best tasting beans As the name might suggest, Balance prides itself on a balanced brew with a clean flavour profile, showcasing the unique flavour profiles of its beans. It uses a medium-light roast in order to let the flavours of the beans shine through. The coffees are rotated every time your bag arrives, so you'll try seasonal varieties from around the world every month. The coffee is ethically sourced and sustainable but also more unusual than your average americano, as every batch is sourced from the top 5% of coffee farms worldwide. If there's a cuppa you fall in love with, you can request it in your next order or buy a bag from the online store. Try the Stability Blend for a sip of creamy milk chocolate or a fruity San Lorenzo from Colombia, with notes of slightly sweet raisin and tart raspberry. The colourful packaging is recyclable once you've finished brewing. Frequency: 250g, 500g or 1kg bag weekly, fortnightly or monthly Available grinds: whole bean, French press, filter, aeropress, stovetop, espresso Good Brew Available from Good Brew (from £21.99) Best variety of beans Top quality beans and variety are the two pillars of Good Brew coffee. You’ll get around 16 cups of coffee per bag, plenty of caffeine to keep you going ‘til your next delivery. Your recyclable cardboard box will arrive with two bags from independent roasters, complete with the brand’s own funky packaging. Your brew box will also include a card with tasting notes, brewing method tips, more information about the roasting partner and the coffee itself. You’ll get handy guidelines to enhance your coffee experience, like ‘try this one black to accentuate the acidity and hints of pineapple’. If you’re a fan of a particular bag, you can also buy your favourite brews from their online shop. This subscription service is simple, uncomplicated and most importantly, the coffees are interesting and full of flavour. Frequency: 2 x 200-250g bags delivered monthly Available grind: whole bean, espresso, filter Allpress Available from Allpress (from £10) Best high-end coffee subscription If your idea of heaven is a weekend brunch spent around the kitchen table with the family, you'll feel right at home with Allpress. This Kiwi roasters encourages all its customers to take a moment to relax with a cuppa on a lazy Sunday morning. Roasting technique is key to all brews; the hot air roasting method dissipates any burnt aftertaste and elevates the unique character and flavour of the beans. Choose between three classic medium to dark roasts; the Allpress Espresso Blend, A.R.T Espresso roast and The Good Brew, or try something a little different with the Discovery Brew Bundle. The focus is on quality over quantity, so keep an eye out for the more experimental beans that crop up in the regular rotation. Frequency: 250g delivered weekly Available grinds: whole bean, filter, plunger, stovetop Cartwheel Coffee Available from Cartwheel Coffee (from £17.50) Best for bold flavours Cartwheel are a small Nottingham-based team, focused on finding flavourful brews with unique characteristics from individual farmers. They’re all about bold flavours, shunning humdrum one-note brands and supporting small producers with top-notch crops. The basis of their business is traceability and transparency. You won't be bored with your brews; there are 50 new coffees every year including one-off runs and coffee specially selected for subscribers. If you happen to be in the East Midlands, you also get free access to cuppings at their roastery and access to their online barista training courses to expand your skills. In our subscription box, we were treated to a nutty Mexican brew with notes of rich muscovado sugar, and a honeyed Rwandan coffee with hints of light tropical fruit. Their coffee bags are 100% recyclable and their cafe menus are produced from recycled coffee cups. Even the waste from their roastery goes into compost for local allotments. Frequency: 2 or 4 x 250g bags fortnightly, monthly or every other month Available grinds: whole bean, espresso, cafetière, filter Artisan Coffee Co. Available from Artisan Coffee Co. (from £9.35) Best for fresh coffee Artisan Coffee Co, are on a mission to elevate your daily brew, making speciality coffee accessible to everyone. They’ve done so by taking a flavour-focussed approach to their coffee and creating six characterful, layered blends that underpin the whole brand. These range from The Big Shot – rich, chocolaty and crowd-pleasing – to the bright and delicate Enigma with notes of dark fruits. Another USP is that ground coffees are packaged in individual 30g servings designed to ensure maximum freshness and aroma, so you can enjoy a perfect cup every time. They’re also available in coffee bags, pods and as whole beans. Artisan Coffee Co is the passion project of ex-The Fat Duck chef Ashley Palmer-Watts, as well as a Q grader (the coffee industry equivalent of a sommelier) and a coffee research scientist – so you know you’re in safe hands. You can dive straight in with a coffee box subscription, but Artisan Coffee Co. encourage you to try a tasting pack first so you can discover which blends you like best. These come with a range of delicious chocolate flights (created by Ashley) designed to complement each coffee – you can buy these separately as well. Each blend can be used in most brewing methods – from moka pot to V60 – and the website helpfully has a range of step-by-step guides for each style. Once you’ve picked the flavours you like, setting up a subscription is pretty straightforward. For ground coffee, for example, you can choose from one to five boxes of 12 single-serve sachets delivered monthly. One small point to note is that at the moment some of the packaging for the single-serve sachets isn’t recyclable, but Artisan Coffee Co. are currently developing recyclable alternatives so watch this space. Frequency: fortnightly or monthly Available grinds: ground, pods, bags, whole beans Kapihan coffee subscription Available from Kapihan coffee subscription (£46 a month) Best filipino coffee This sibling-run Filipino coffee shop serves modern Filipino bakes and coffee to its Battersea neighbours. David, Nigel, Rosemary and Plams are dedicated to exploring their heritage and sourcing the Philippines’ most desirable beans. The weekly blends in Kapihan’s coffee subscription are kept as a surprise (the grind is the only variable in the subscription), but there are some superb coffee bags available. The house blend combines beans from the North Island of Luzon, South Island of Mindanao and West Java Indonesia, resulting in a deep, rich blend with plenty of malty chocolate notes and a sweet toffee finish. Add on some freshly-baked treats to enjoy with your coffee, including sweet, brioche-like pandesal with a chocolate hazelnut filling and crisp outer shell, or chorizo and cheese-studded swirls. Frequency: 250g bag every week Available grinds: French press, whole bean, espresso, V60 Origin Coffee Roasters Available from Origin Coffee Roasters (from £8) Best for cold brews Origin pair sustainability with speciality coffee. Choose from espresso, filter or decaf roast and decide whether you want to sample their classic ‘mainstay’ flavours or more unusual feature flavours. Their coffee is sourced through direct trade, with a focus on ethical practices and exploring the stories behind each cup. You can also switch up your usual serve and try a cold brew subscription. You’ll find a wealth of consistent, comforting flavours, from their stalwart aptly named ‘resolute’ with notes of dark chocolate, to their zesty ‘ataka’ blend, with hints of blueberry and caramel. Origin also offer educational courses for both professionals and keen enthusiasts if you’re looking to expand your coffee making knowledge. If you like something sweet with your caffeine pick-me-up, try their coffee x chocolate subscription, which pairs aromatic roasts with quality bars. Subscriptions start from £8.00 for 250g bag weekly. Frequency: Every week, 2 weeks or 4 weeks. Available grinds: Whole beans, espresso, aeropress, pods Coaltown Available from Coaltown (£9.50) Best social-conscious subscription South Wales-based roastery Coaltown was originally set up with the purpose of bringing an industry to the mining town of Ammanford, employing local people to create a delicious product. Its single origin beans are sourced directly from farmers, with a focus on transparent and sustainable trade. Roaster and barista work together in the cafe, which is also the home of a training academy, designed to share techniques and tricks of the trade. Small roasted batches deliver bags filled with personality and diverse flavours. Try a selection of the house beans, single origin or decaf in your subscription, from a nutty and biscuity Black Gold blend, to a single origin Rwandan roast filled with notes of dark chocolate and raspberry wine. Frequency: 227g bag delivered weekly or monthly Available grinds: whole bean, cafetière, filter, espresso, pods Rave Available from Rave (from £7.95) Best for compostable coffee pods From freshly-roasted whole beans to pre-ground and even compostable pods, Rave offers a wide range of ethically sourced beans. Your coffee subscription box delivery also comes with tips and a booklet of techniques for every brewing method, so you can flex your barista muscles. Choose from rich, traditional roasts best enjoyed with milk, or take the ‘discovery’ option to try lighter roasts, best enjoyed black. You can also choose your brewing method to get the right grind and select how many bags you’d like a month. Rave says its packaging isn’t as ‘sexy’ as other brands, as the business believe ‘the coffee is what you should pay for, not the box it might come in’, but the stripped back minimal styling and hand-written font fits the brand to a tee. It’s also recyclable and comes in a letterbox-friendly package. We tried a full-bodied Colombian brew with a light fruity aftertaste and malty biscuit notes, and a light Rwandan roast with red fruits and bubblegum sweetness. Rave roasts five days a week and aims to deliver you its most recent roast to make sure it’s as fresh as possible. Frequency: 250g bag delivered monthly Available grinds: whole bean, cafetière, Chemex, drip machine, Aeropress, V60, drip, stovetop, espresso Outpost Coffee Available from Outpost Coffee (from £8.95) Best simple coffee subscription Outpost is a speciality small-batch roasters, that focuses on sourcing stand out beans, supporting growers and training industry professionals. You can also sign up for a home brewing masterclass at its East Midlands roastery to take your barista skills to the next level. Sign up for a subscription and you can expect two pale pink packages of unique coffees through your door every month. Described as 'perfect for the coffee explorer', these specially selected lots are a real everyday luxury. The filter coffee is for those who like their beverages black, the espresso roast is best if you enjoy your coffee with milk. The filter selection is filled with subtle flavours and perfectly balanced sweetness and acidity. Characteristically, the espresso subscription is a slightly longer roast, showcasing deeper flavours. Your coffees will be switched up seasonally and you'll receive brewing tips and more info on how the coffee's been processed. We recommend the fudgy Ichama roast from Kenya, or brand-new La Samaria, a rich and chocolatey Nicaraguan coffee. Frequency: 2 x 250g bag, fortnightly or monthly Available grinds: filter, espresso Perky Blenders Available from Perky Blenders (from £8.90) Best for new coffee drinkers Hailing from East London, Perky Blenders is a family-owned business which started life as one small coffee cart. Determined to rid coffee of any secretive snobbery, everyone from French press fanatics to first-time brewers will find something to tickle their tastebuds. You can choose your coffee from its selection of blends, try a one-off subscription or go for their four-week Variety Club for a taste of everything on offer. We recommend the sweet and floral Acacia blend with a spiced cinnamon bun – an ideal way to start the day. For the more adventurous, try the coffee of the month subscription for a seasonal brew available for a limited time. All the elements of the coffee bags are oxo-degradable, or, if you happen to live near the cafe, simply bring a container and they'll fill it up for you. Frequency: one 200g bag every 1,2,3 or 4 weeks Available grinds: espresso, whole bean, French press, Moka pot, Chemex, V60, Aeropress, cold brew Rounton Coffee Roasters Available from Rounton Coffee Roasters (from £12) Best letterbox-friendly subscription This Yorkshire-based speciality roasters aims to support coffees that guarantee a fair cut for everyone working at the beginning of the chain. Quality and sustainability is at the forefront of the selection and it stocks coffees from across the globe, shipped to you in letterbox-friendly packaging. Try a 'smooth' or 'fruity' subscription to receive coffees with a specific flavour profile or sign up for a three-month subscription to get a taste of their favourite seasonal roasts of the moment. If you're looking for exciting offerings with plenty of complexity, go for the fruity selection. If tried and tested staples are more your thing, head for the smooth single origin subscription. Either way, you won't be disappointed. From the hazelnutty granary blend, the great all-rounder, to the rarer Peruvian beans from Roger Chilcon Flores with juicy orange marmalade flavours, there's plenty of variety to be had. Check out its Youtube videos for handy brewing tutorials and tasting tips. Frequency: 250g bag delivered weekly, fortnightly or monthly Available grinds: whole bean, cafetière, filter, Aeropress, espresso Stewarts of Trent Bridge Available from Stewarts Coffee (from £7.50) Best for irregular coffee drinkers This Nottingham-based company has been roasting in the UK since the ‘80’s, founded by Stewart Falconer after sampling coffees from around the world on his travels abroad. The business works closely with importers to understand the sustainability of their beans. Each eye-catching, recyclable bag comes stamped with the name of the farmer cultivating the crops and a line or two about their family, the tasting notes for your coffee and the date it was roasted. Sign up to ‘The Coffee Lounge’ subscription, where a coffee is selected each month by the team, or choose your own subscription pack. You can also skip shipments if you’re still working on a bag of coffee. Try a chocolatey Colombian cuppa or a creamy, fruity blend from Burundi with notes of marmalade. Frequency: 500g bag every month Available grinds: Aeropress, espresso, filter, stovetop, cafetière, whole bean 200 degrees Available from 200 degrees (from £8.45) Best for coffee geeks 200 degrees describes itself as a business of 'unashamed coffee geeks', who revel in the science behind every cup. The name comes from the temperature of its roast, designed to give a smooth, full-bodied taste. Beginning life in its roast house in Nottingham, they now have coffee shops and barista schools across the UK. 200 degrees aims to offer customers as much information as possible about the beans and who grows them. Beans are delivered weekly to maintain freshness and taste, and all coffee is despatched with a 'roasted on' date. Choose from the signature Brazilian love affair beans, (a fruity all-rounder), try a new blend, or even grab a small batch roast exclusive to subscribers. You'll also receive helpful tips on brewing and methods for your roast. You might be lucky enough to receive a limited seasonal bean like the treacly Indian Ratnagiri Estate. Frequency: 250g bag weekly, fortnightly or every four weeks Available grinds: whole bean, espresso, cafetière, moka pot, Aeropress, V60, Chemex, filter How we tested We tested at least two different types of coffee on offer from all the coffee subscription boxes. These were either delivered as whole bean or ground for aeropress specifically, or a mixture of both. Each coffee was made in a home setting, brewed using an aeropress, soft water type, temperature that was just below boiling point and aeropress grind across all samples, unless it came as whole beans, in which we ground the beans at home. Want to learn more about becoming an expert at-home barista? Read our guides here: Celeste Wong's guide to becoming an overnight coffee expert Celeste Wong's guide on how to make iced coffee Celeste Wong's best moka pots Celeste Wong's best coffee grinders Celeste Wong's best gooseneck kettles to try Celeste Wong's best decaf coffee to try Celeste Wong's best reusable and compostable espresso pods Celeste Wong's best cafetières to buy Celeste Wong's best coffee bags Related reviews: Best coffee pod machines Best bean-to-cup coffee machines Best espresso machines Best Nespresso machines Best greens powders to buy
Discover the best Irish creams and cream liqueurs to buy this Christmas, from classic Baileys to flavoured varieties
Looking for the best Irish cream liqueur to serve to guests this Christmas? Read on to find our favourites, then check out our best Baileys Irish cream recipes and best chocolate liqueurs. Irish cream liqueur usually combines cream with Irish whiskey. Traditionally, it's served on the rocks or added to hot drinks for an extra kick, like in our boozy hot chocolate, and it's usually served around the festive period. Why not make your own Irish cream with our super-easy recipe? Try our simple homemade Irish cream, perfect for the festive period... Now discover the best Irish holidays. 8 best Irish creams and cream liqueurs to try Kyrö Dairy Cream Liqueur Latest Deals This modern cream liqueur comes all the way from Finland. Gin and whisky distillery Kyrö have used their rye spirit and whisky, plus local milk and cream, for this highly enjoyable liqueur. With well-balanced sweetness, it's got an enjoyably spicy kick from the rye. Try in a white russian. Latest Deals Tesco Finest Gingerbread Latte Irish Cream Liqueur Available from Tesco (£13) This has the right level of sweetness to alcohol, with warmth from the gentle gingerbread flavour – a good twist on a classic. Available from: Tesco (£13) Baileys the Original Irish cream liqueur Latest Deals Baileys Irish cream is made by Gilbeys of Ireland, a combination of cream and Irish whiskeys from various distilleries. A classic and the most recognisable brand when it comes to Irish creams, it's smooth and easy going. Latest Deals The Norfolk Nog cream liqueur Latest Deals The English Whisky Company has created an opulent, velvety marriage of its single-malt whisky with cream. Pour in a hip flask for winter walks, or enjoy a dram in a cup of coffee. Latest Deals Five Farms Small Batch Irish Cream Liqueur Available from The Bottle Club (£27.49) The clue’s in the name here – this is made with fresh cream sourced from five family-owned farms in County Cork. The end result is delicious, velvety smooth and luxuriously creamy, with inviting butterscotch and coffee notes, and a kick from Irish whisky. Sip in place of dessert after dinner. Available from: The Bottle Club (£27.49) Black Lines Oatnog Available from Black Lines (£18), Origin Coffee (£20) This dairy-free twist on a festive classic, eggnog, is worth buying whether you’re vegan or not. Made using Oatly Barista oat milk, East London Liquor Co. Rarer Rum, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla – it’s deliciously velvety, creamy and full of warming spice. Gently heat through on the hob or serve over ice, garnished with a little ground nutmeg. A generous splash in coffee would also work or use in a white Russian cocktail. Available from: Black Lines (£18) Origin Coffee (£20) Mozart Chocolate Cream liqueur Available from Amazon (£16.99) While not strictly an Irish cream, we fell for this decadent liqueur which features Belgian chocolate, cream, cocoa and Madagascan vanilla. Well-rounded and not-too-sweet, with a nice boozy edge. Essentially it tastes like alcoholic chocolate milk – what’s not to like? Available from: Amazon (£16.99) Tesco Lebkuchen flavoured Irish Cream Liqueur Available from Tesco (£13) Christmas spices dominate in this innovative festive liqueur: delivering a resounding gingerbread and salted caramel flavour. We also enjoyed the balance of creamy and toasty notes. Available from: Tesco (£13) Looking for Irish cream recipes or alternative boozy bakes? Click here to see our best ever Irish cream recipes including Baileys chocolate tiffin and our best ever boozy bakes...
Discover the best recipe box delivery service to suit you, from family-friendly subscriptions, to specialist organic delivery boxes and curated health plans
If you're looking for quick and easy ways to cook dinner every night, recipe boxes might be the convenient solution. Recipe subscription services let you pick your meals before delivering direct to your door with ingredients portioned up and ready to get cooking, minimising food waste and saving you on shopping. We've tested out a range of recipe delivery services, from the most well-known to bespoke organic, nutritionally balanced or restaurant-inspired options. A fan of having things delivered direct to your door? Read our reviews of the best coffee subscriptions to start your mornings right, or treat yourself to an afternoon tea delivery or best online cake delivery for a special occasoin. If a one-off meal delivery would suit you better than a regular subscription, take your pick of our favourite restaurant kits, from DIY burger kits to the best vegetarian meal kits and boxes. Want to make your own recipes using seasonal produce? Get fresh veg delivered to your door with a produce subscription box. Choose from our tried-and-tested veg boxes here. Best recipe box deliveries to try Gousto Available from Gousto (from £24.99 for two) Best recipe subscription box for variety Founded in 2012, Gousto’s premise is to ‘make it joyfully simple to create delicious meals at home’. Boxes can contain two to four recipes and arrive with pre-measured, fresh ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes that should suit any skill level. Gousto offers an impressively wide choice of 60+ recipes in its weekly changing menu, making it an easy long-term meal-planning solution without repetition. From a speedy 10-minute stir-fry to an hour-long stew, there are options for busy midweek meals as well as more relaxed weekend options. Recipes can be easily filtered by healthy choices, dietary requirements and number of servings. Although there are a range of recipes to suit various occasions, Gousto mainly focuses on everyday wholesome meals, useful for busy professionals and families looking for convenience. It is also ideal for beginner to intermediate cooks who are looking for new recipe inspiration to liven up their culinary repertoire. All the ingredients are high-quality, especially the British-sourced meat and seasonal veg. Refrigerated components are kept fresh in an ‘eco chill box’ – the first of its kind in the UK. Ingredients are clearly labelled and recipe card instructions are easy-to-follow, with pictures for guidance. We enjoy all finished recipes; our favourite is a flavourful vegan chickpea curry. Portion sizes are generous and the extra herb and seed garnishes are a nice touch. Recipe box deliveries are managed by the Yodel service, which sends regular text updates and allows you to choose a safe place for the box to be left. You can customise the chosen delivery day as well as frequency (weekly, fortnightly, monthly or temporary halt). Gousto state that ‘most of the packaging’ used in its recipe boxes is ‘fully recyclable, or biodegradable’. All cardboard originates from FSC-certified sustainable sources, while other recyclable elements include the plastic pots, tins, recipe cards and ice packs. Although there is still quite a lot of plastic around smaller food items, Gousto is continually updating packaging; in the last year, its amount of plastic for sauce packets was reduced by 50 per cent and for herbs by 25 per cent. Gousto is affordable and the more you order, the better value it is per portion – for example, a box of four meals for four people is the lowest price at £2.98 per serving, compared with £6.25 for two meals to feed two. Available from: Gousto (from £24.99 for two) Mindful Chef Available from Mindful Chef (from £22 for 2 meals) Best healthy recipe box Since 2015, Mindful Chef has been delivering healthy recipe boxes (think minimal sugar and refined carbs) across the UK. The name 'Mindful' applies to both its approach to healthy eating and its values – it uses only ethically sourced produce, is a certified B-Corporation, and donates a school meal to a child living in poverty for every meal it sells. There’s an impressive variety of meals to choose from (with plenty of vegan and pescatarian options), and you can add up to five recipes per box (plus whether to serve two or four). Meals feature 100 per cent grass-fed, free-range meats and sustainably sourced fish, and produce from ethically minded small farms and independent producers. Everything in our recipe box is fresh and high-quality, and perishable ingredients are kept chilled with eco-friendly cotton insulation and ice packs. Recipes are easy to follow and the end results are delicious and heartily portioned. These are recipe boxes for those who want interesting, varied healthy meals that don’t compromise on quality. Pricing is reasonable and not much more than you’d pay for a supermarket ready meal. Read our full review of Mindful Chef recipe boxes here. Available from: Mindful Chef (from £22 for 2 meals) HelloFresh Available from HelloFresh (from £31.98 for 3 meals) Best for different recipe ranges A giant in the recipe box industry, HelloFresh is one of the leading recipe box brands, delivering simple meals with quality ingredients. HelloFresh has a large selection of recipes to choose from and a variety of ways to customise your delivery to suit your tastes, including vegetarian, quick or family boxes. You can customise the portion size from two to four people and the number of recipes from three to five – requiring a higher commitment than some of the other services, which let you start at just two boxes. The ingredients are top-quality and perfectly fresh. Cooking is simple and stress-free, with detailed instructions suitable for beginners. We enjoy the variety of dishes and flavour combinations that we wouldn't necessarily think to put together ourselves, with the only ingredients not included being oil, salt and pepper. The ingredients arrive perfectly chilled in insulated packaging, which was mostly recyclable. It's worth noting that not all the ingredients recommended for the fridge come in the chilled pack, so be sure to double-check all the packaging for anything else that needs to be refrigerated. Overall, HelloFresh is great value for money, particularly for novice chefs or busy families. Read our full review of HelloFresh recipe boxes here. Available from: HelloFresh (from £31.98 for 3 meals) Riverford organic recipe box Available from Riverford (from £12.45 for one meal) Best organic recipe box Guy Singh-Watson’s organic farm in Devon has long been supplying fresh fruit and veg boxes direct from the farm to your doorstep. Recently, the business has gone one step further and now offers seasonal recipe boxes for a true farm-to-plate experience. Riverford’s boxes are ideal for two people or families who want to eat seasonally, while being adventurous and healthy. Though there aren’t many recipes to choose from, the dishes are diverse. There are three vegan and three vegetarian options, plus two meat, one prime-cut meat and two family meal choices (the latter serves four, whereas all others serve two). You can select if you want a one-off delivery or opt in for every week, fortnight or month. Portioned out pieces of meat and high-quality organic veg are kept cool until arrival, nestled beside bespoke Riverford pots of the exact amount required of oils, seeds, pulses and other dried goods. The cooking instructions, complete with clear images, are clear to follow and portion sizes are very generous. Due to environmental commitments, the boxes are delivered on specific days depending on your postcode. There is minimal packaging, and, as with its veg boxes, Riverford collects the boxes the following week when in the area to recycle and reuse. Though at the more expensive end of the scale compared to other recipe boxes, the portion sizes are generous and the quality of produce is very high, making this a great-value recipe box. Read our full review of the Riverford Organic recipe box subscription here. Available from: Riverford (from £12.45 for one meal) Kurami meal plans Available from Kurami (from £39.40 per day) Best luxury meal delivery service Kurami is a premium meal delivery service offering eclectic menus that are nutritionist-approved (with a focus on gut health), chef-crafted and freshly prepared. We try the ‘signature mealpath’ which offers everything you need for a full day of eating: breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack and drink. This option comes in at around 1,600 calories, or there's an alternative calorie-controlled plan (1,300 calories). All of Kurami’s meals are free from gluten, dairy and refined sugars. Each meal offers an enjoyable variety of grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. If you’re eager to try some new flavours such as sorghum, teff and turmeric milk, you’ll certainly find them here. While the meals are satisfying – we especially recommend the teff pancakes – the calorie count is on the low end, and we do find a few extra snacks are needed to keep sustained throughout the day. Meals are delivered every morning, and the beautifully crafted box feels luxurious. All of Kurami’s packaging is 100 per cent recyclable and the company is certified plastic neutral. The signature mealpath is £39.40 per day, but you can reduce your number of meals for a less expensive option. Kurami is certainly a more premium service, but for those who might be struggling with certain food intolerances or gut health issues, the Kurami meal plans could be a great way to explore new flavours while learning how to manage your health requirements. Read our full review of the Kurami meal delivery service here. Available from: Kurami (from £39.40 per day) Planty Available from Planty (from £6.50 per meal) Best plant-based meal delivery service Planty is a meal delivery service providing 100 per cent plant-based, chef-prepared meals designed to help their customers to eat more plants. Customers build their own Planty box, choosing six, eight or 10 plant-based meals from its online menu. Meals are fresh-frozen and delivered to your door on your chosen date. They can then be stored in your freezer and simply reheated in the oven or microwave as desired. The company offers a good range of meal options, including classics like shepherd’s pie to more unusual combinations like butternut mango madras or BBQ banana blossom burrito (one of our favourites). The meals are simple, tasty and we appreciate the clear nutritional signposting. Quite a few of the meals are on the spicy side, which we enjoy but might not be to everyone’s taste. It’s also worth nothing that for a main meal, some of the options are on the lower protein end, so it’s important to be aware of this within the context of your daily requirements. All of Planty’s packaging is 100 per cent recyclable, compostable or reusable, and the company allows you to return packaging free of charge so that it can be reused. Prices start at £4.95 per meal as a subscription or £5.45 per meal as a one-off purchase. Read our full review of the Planty meal delivery service here. Available from: Planty (from £6.50 per meal) Related reviews Best online cake delivery services Best afternoon tea delivery services Best wine gifts Best beer gifts Best chocolate gifts Best gifts for coffee lovers Best cheese gifts Best tea gifts Best champagne gifts Best BBQ gifts Best housewarming gifts
Whether you like your cocoa silky smooth, pepped up with fragrant ginger, or frothy and milky, these are the best hot chocolates to hunker down with this winter
Want to make the perfect hot chocolate using hot chocolate powder? Read on for the best hot chocolates to make at home, and try our hot chocolate toppings ideas. We've tested the best hot chocolate flakes, hot chocolate powders and hot chocolate beads so no matter how you like to make your hot chocolate, we've got an option for you. From luxury Fortnum & Mason tins to budget powders to please a sweet tooth, there is something for everybody. Looking for more inspiration? See the best coffee subscriptions, our favourite tea gifts and the best coffee mugs. What is hot chocolate? Hot chocolate, also known as drinking chocolate, comes as a powder, flakes or beans, and is mixed with either hot milk or hot water to produce a drink. Sugar is often added as a sweetener, and other flavourings, such as spices and fruit zest, may also be included. Best hot chocolate to try at a glance Best hot chocolate flakes for the family: Green & Black’s Fairtrade organic hot chocolate, £4 Best luxury milk hot chocolate: Fortnum & Mason ultimate milk hot chocolate, £19.95 Best thick hot chocolate flakes: Chococo 70% Madagascan hot chocolate flakes, £9.50 Best luxury dark hot chocolate: Pump Street 85% drinking chocolate, £13.65 Best white hot chocolate: Whittard crème brûlée white hot chocolate, £10 Best hot chocolate powder with water: Aero instant hot chocolate, £2.65 Best classic hot chocolate powder: Asda Extra Special Fairtrade indulgent drinking chocolate, £2.75 Best powder for cocoa flavour: Tesco Finest indulgent drinking chocolate, £2.25 Best spiced hot chocolate: Divine spiced hot chocolate, £5.99 Best hot chocolate beads: Sainsbury's Taste The Difference dark hot chocolate beads, £3.50 Best hot chocolate to try 2023 Green & Black’s Fairtrade organic hot chocolate Available from Ocado (£4), Sainsbury's (£4), Green & Black's (£3.99), Amazon (£4.65) Best hot chocolate flakes for the family A great option for children, the well-rounded chocolate flavour mixes with milk for a silky smooth drink. Top with whipped or squirty cream for extra indulgence. Available from: Ocado (£4) Sainsbury's (£4) Green & Black's (£3.99) Amazon (£4.65) Fortnum & Mason ultimate milk hot chocolate Available from Fortnum & Mason (£19.95) Best luxury milk hot chocolate The high price tag means this isn't an everyday treat, but these sweet chocolate flakes are rich in flavour, and, when mixed with milk, produce an indulgent mug of smooth hot chocolate. Salted caramel and vegan flakes are also available. Available from: Fortnum & Mason (£19.95) Chococo 70% Madagascan hot chocolate flakes Available from Chococo (£9.50) Best thick hot chocolate flakes We love this high-quality chocolate, with the dark, bitter flavours that these flakes are made from. It’d be great made with cream for a thicker, champurrado-style drink. Available from: Chococo (£9.50) Pump Street 85% drinking chocolate Available from Pump Street (£13.65) One of the most luxurious hot chocolates on offer, this drinking chocolate from Pump Street Bakery is well worth a try. We love the silky-smooth texture and deep flavour profile of the artisan chocolate flakes. Available from: Pump Street (£13.65) Whittard crème brûlée white hot chocolate Available from Whittard (£10 for 1), Amazon (£18 for 2) Best white hot chocolate While Whittard’s classic <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whittard-Luxury-White-Chocolate-Pack/dp/B086MYW2LT?tag=olivemag-21&ascsubtag=olivemagazine-98263" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-geniuslink="https://buy.geni.us/Proxy.ashx?TSID=114620&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FWhittard-Luxury-White-Chocolate-Pack%2Fdp%2FB086MYW2LT%2Fref%3Dbmx_dp_4d22iien_5%2F260-7801584-3811146%3Fpd_rd_w%3DEUHzq%26pf_rd_p%3Deb113e0f-8c39-4b39-8cfa-62247fe4355e%26pf_rd_r%3DQXCWTXQZ4EH99F3EZQMS%26pd_rd_r%3De15b4cc5-9fba-4c1b-89c9-69e8a33b7874%26pd_rd_wg%3DikFx8%26pd_rd_i%3DB086MYW2LT%26psc%3D1%26tag%3Dbbc00-21%26ascsubtag%3Dbbcgoodfood-673860&dtb=1">white hot chocolate (£22.65 for two, Amazon) is delicious enough on its own, take things to the next level with this crème brûlée flavour. It’s creamy and sweet but not sickly, as many white hot chocolates can be. Available from: Whittard (£10 for 1) Amazon (£18 for 2) Aero instant hot chocolate Available from Asda (£2.85) Best hot chocolate powder with water This instant hot chocolate powder has an impressive frothy head and sweet flavour. It’s not quite as thick as some others, but it’s easy to make at work (or on a camping trip) as it only needs hot water. Available from: Asda (£2.85) Asda Extra Special Fairtrade indulgent drinking chocolate Available from Asda (£2.75) Best classic hot chocolate powder This affordable option produces a luxurious drink. The decadent dark chocolate mixed with milk gives a high-quality, creamy finish. Buy this if you want a classic hot chocolate experience. Available from: Asda (£2.75) Tesco Finest indulgent drinking chocolate Available from Tesco (£2.25) Best powder for cocoa flavour If you’re after a bittersweet powdered hot chocolate, buy this bargain pot which creates a well-blended drink with a prominent cocoa flavour and smooth mouthfeel. Available from: Tesco (£2.25) Divine Fairtrade spiced hot chocolate Latest Deals Best spiced hot chocolate This festive hot chocolate has a silky-smooth texture and fragrant hints of stem ginger and orange. It would be great spiked with a tot of spiced rum. Latest Deals Sainsbury's Taste the Difference dark hot chocolate Available from Sainsbury's (£3.50) Best hot chocolate beads With bitter dark chocolate notes, this rich hot chocolate has a smooth mouthfeel and creamy texture. Try pepping it up with a pinch of dried chilli flakes for a grown-up twist. Available from: Sainsbury's (£3.50) Other hot chocolates we tried Bettys hot chocolate caddy, £14 (250g), Bettys Charbonnel & Walker Original Chocolate Drink , £7.99 (300g), Lakeland Galaxy instant hot chocolate, £3 (370g), Tesco Cadbury original drinking chocolate, £2.20 (250g), Ocado Clipper Fairtrade instant hot chocolate, £3.20 (350g), Ocado If you want to make your own from scratch, try our luxury hot chocolate with mix 'n' match toppings More reviews Best chocolate gifts Best mixing bowls Best coffee gifts Best cafetières to buy Best silicone baking mats Best tea gifts Best teapots Best coffee mugs Best espresso cups
Discover the best apple cider vinegar to buy, as decided in our expert taste test
We put branded products to the test so you know which ones to choose. This month, we tried different apple cider vinegars to see which came out on top. Looking for the best apple cider vinegar to buy? Read on to find the results of our expert taste test. Looking for apple cider vinegar recipes? Try our apple salad and celeriac and apple remoulade. What is apple cider vinegar? Simply put, it’s vinegar made from fermented apple juice. The juice is fermented into cider, after which a vinegar mother (a gelatinous blob of friendly bacteria) is added. This feeds on the alcohol and sugars, creating acetic acid as a by-product. Apple cider vinegar is often advertised as being sold ‘with the mother’ – this means it is unfiltered and will contain more of the enzymes and gut-friendly bacteria. How we tested We tasted each vinegar on its own, looking for a pronounced apple flavour, smoothness, balance of sugar and acid, and its ‘length’ – how long the flavour stays on your tongue. The results of the best apple cider vinegar taste test <a href="https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&productId=1273600&langId=44&istCompanyId=1e096408-041f-4238-994e-a7cf46bf9413&istFeedId=689af7a8-5842-4d88-be59-1ee5688a81b5&istItemId=wmrrrxwii&istBid=t&&cmpid=cpc&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=15424330555&utm_content=shopping&utm_term=%7Bsku%7D&utm_custom1=129852755749&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&gclid=Cj0KCQjwspKUBhCvARIsAB2IYuv0zuyX4w2KpRWQQUKbyKUqe5RaI-SSYfAz6afHiKkZenw-L9ku85YaApJ6EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Winner: Willy’s organic apple cider vinegar, £6.95 (500ml), Sainsbury's Score: 9/10 This has a kombucha-like, fermented smell on the nose, with a real roundness. A big punch of apple cider flavour, excellent balance of sweet and sour, and the best length of the bunch. A stand-out winner. <a href="https://waitrose.pxf.io/c/1236178/872508/12163?utm_source=google&utm_medium=GoogleSurfaces&utm_campaign=Shopping+Feed&utm_content=Free+Google+Shopping+Clicks&gclid=Cj0KCQjwspKUBhCvARIsAB2IYuv-lVINngS2w9D0aFQBNVrGQUjQKT741JKrBUPRYK0jhKbWDJDKkQ4aAjRqEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&subId1=olivemagazine-177549&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waitrose.com%2Fecom%2Fproducts%2Fosu-apple-cider-vinegar%2F759378-745377-745378%3Futm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3DGoogleSurfaces%26utm_campaign%3DShopping%2BFeed%26utm_content%3DFree%2BGoogle%2BShopping%2BClicks%26gclid%3DCj0KCQjwspKUBhCvARIsAB2IYuv-lVINngS2w9D0aFQBNVrGQUjQKT741JKrBUPRYK0jhKbWDJDKkQ4aAjRqEALw_wcB%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">Osu apple cider vinegar, £7 (500ml), Waitrose Score: 8/10 We juggled with whether to include this or not, as it’s actually apple cider vinegar mixed with juice. But its flavour swayed us: sweet, sour and syrupy like balsamic vinegar but with deep apple flavour. Great with oil for dipping bread into. Bragg organic apple cider vinegar, £6.99 (473ml), Holland & Barrett Score: 7/10 A good vinegar. Strong cider aromas on the nose, with a deep, long flavour. A big initial hit of vinegar that then mellows, with a touch of sweetness. Biona Organic cider vinegar, £2.69 (500ml), Biona Score: 6/10 This has an aroma and initial flavour of Breton cider – oaky, with farmyard and fermented notes. Sadly, that fades to a very vinegary flavour – almost malt vinegar in its profile. <a href="https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/aspall-raw-cyder-vinegar--organic-500ml?utm_medium=cpc&catalogId=10241&productId=1077798&utm_campaign=15424330555&storeId=10151&gclid=Cj0KCQjwspKUBhCvARIsAB2IYusszJJTw3tlBqg8UL-9m3Vt5RJ53h0wTPuvTZLkZ0unAmmvVW37mvsaAmcJEALw_wcB&langId=44&utm_source=Google&krypto=hy0csER4n7dp%2BhPX1i4LkhXt1bhIfrGrVe5iRSvLp8Sv5Zgabwp3JeGiHkBoNgs6nMZFOUYqHeJ2d9obBhlab338MllDwwCLz4zdAEj7u3dBehcEW3OiEeMscmYCMvWu0vSPutu%2BScoJcuGVna6bunm%2F8OmCPWaZwmpny6K3dME5dE%2B3jfDbwSCxwfPvx%2Fcwibo9S%2Fgup04NQ%2BbZci33L%2Bi2Pt5ixjcozT6ExXE9PPWaCizQ7XPxl7QEYsH3MK41iIJMa1y4fYrWrzDSgfcnaXTfndBSy2MXcWyX94OJB7GhSzLXOZk1KdtazWqWEhIt2TI7osddYx3wWqqHocwsXU%2F%2BypN7YQpafBQUFVS5l9Dl%2BEnMtj0E4L0yxkASk%2F9mZhLPhPP0coka0ePgbdcVgbRYu5gh3oE96jc4QCvRextZ2N2jAP0UVoTML3GvTxQ6GAWI%2FkeLl4BybVaGdVIeF3znh0PaMN35zORSPVIXuXL2QD0S%2Blc3%2FR1hAykeHk7b68B26YGdx1xBIoBjBBNagQ%3D%3D&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Faspall-raw-cyder-vinegar--organic-500ml">Aspall organic apple cyder vinegar, £2.60 (500ml), Sainsbury's Score: 6/10 This has little apple flavour – if we didn’t know otherwise, we wouldn’t have known it was made from the fruit. But it is a smooth, balanced vinegar. RAW organic apple cider vinegar, £5.75 (1 litre), Superfood Market Score: 5/10 Very vinegary with little pronounced apple or cider flavour. Not a huge amount of sweetness, either. Other expert taste tests from the olive cookery team: Ginger beer taste test Honey taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Dark chocolate taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Pesto taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test
The olive supermarket awards are all about making your life easier. We created them to find the best ready-made products to ensure hassle-free summer entertaining, so check out the winners here
Looking for easy BBQ food to make al fresco dining easier this year? Check out the best supermarket summer food for summer BBQs and picnics (here are our favourite spots for a picnic in the UK). From BBQ chicken to hummus and the best vegetarian products, we’ve got summer entertaining covered. We also have our vegan supermarket awards, including dairy- and meat-alternatives and sweet treats. If you’re cooking yourself, here are our best BBQ recipes to try this summer. Best supermarket summer foods at a glance: Best sausage: Waitrose 4 Pork Chorizo & Manchego Sausage Whorls, £4.25 Best barbecue sharing centrepiece: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Flat Iron Beef Steak with Teriyaki Glaze, £8 Best summer seafood: Tesco Finest Garlic & Parsley Butter King Prawns, £6 Best burgers: Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate Burger, £2.69 Best meat kebab: Iceland Chiquito Mega Chicken Skewers, £6 Best ribs: Asda Ultimate Ribs, £9 Best chicken wings: Iceland TGI Fridays Crispy Nashville-Style Chicken Wings, £4 Best vegan burgers: M&S Vegan Steak Burgers, £5 Best veggie burger: Tesco Fire Pit 2 Quarter Pounder Halloumi Burgers, £2.20 Best vegetarian sausages: Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Cumberland Shroomdogs, £2.25 Best veggie kebab: Co-op GRO Cauli Shawarma Kebab, £3 Best sharing bread: Co-op Irresistible Hand Finished Rosemary and Rock Salt Focaccia, £2 Best sausage rolls: Waitrose No 1 Pork and Apple Roll, £2.75 Best veggie sausage rolls: Tesco Finest 4 Cheddar & Caramelised Onion Rolls, £2.30 Best pork pie: M&S Collections Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, £3.75 Best scotch egg: Co-op Irresistible Scotch Eggs, £1.50 Best hummus: Morrisons The Best Pesto and Parmesan Hummus, £1.75 Best handheld ice cream: Aldi Specially Selected Ice Cream Mini Pots, £2.69 Best summer showstopper: Booths Flower Celebration Cake, £38 Best sausage Joint winner: Morrisons The Best Italian Style Sausages (400g), £2 A classic, versatile sausage with a generous amount of herbs, perfect for hot dogs or toad-in-the-hole. Available in store at Morrisons (£2) Joint winner: Waitrose 4 Pork Chorizo & Manchego Sausage Whorls (360g), £4.25 These chorizo-style sausages are smoky and peppery with a hit of paprika. Available from Waitrose (£4.25) Best barbecue sharing centrepiece Winner: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Flat Iron Beef Steak with Teriyaki Glaze (560g), £8 A spicy, peppery crust, juicy meat and caramelised at the edges. Available from Sainsbury's (£8) Runner-up: Asda tomahawk steak An impressive-looking cut of meat, this is served on the bone, making it a showstopping centrepiece. It’s a plain steak that cooks well, so you can jazz it up at home with marinades, dips and interesting accompaniments – a great supermarket find. Available in store at Asda Best summer seafood Winner: Tesco Finest Garlic & Parsley Butter King Prawns (210g), £6 These plump prawns were juicy and firm with plenty of classic garlic butter to mop up with bread. Available from Tesco (£6) Runner-up: M&S wild Canadian scallops in an XO sauce, £9 (146g) A simple way to cook scallops at home. These are prettily presented for a stylish starter. The scallops are well-cooked, with the crunchy crust adding texture. Available in store at M&S (£9) Best burgers Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate Burger (340g), £2.69 For a classic burger, these were our pick – juicy, highly savoury burgers with a good flavour and texture. Available from Aldi (£2.69) Runner-up: M&S two chilli cheese beef burgers, £4.50 (300g) Try something different with these cheese and chilli burgers. The cheese runs through the whole burger without being overpowering, and we enjoyed the jalapeño kick. Available in store at M&S (£4.50) Best meat kebab Joint winner: Iceland Chiquito Mega Chicken Skewers (700g), £6 Really juicy chicken with crispy skin, these kebabs had a great balance of spice and sweet notes, and a sticky glaze. Available from Iceland (£6) Joint winner: Aldi Ashfields Grill Sweet Chilli Jam Beef Kebabs (400g), £2.69 The chilli jam adds pleasing sweetness and plenty of fragrant spices to these simple kebabs. Available from Aldi (£2.69) Best ribs Winner: Asda Ultimate Ribs (830g), £9 These had tender, juicy meat and were much less dry than others tested. The sweet, almost orangy sauce added great glaze and stickiness. Available in store at Asda (£9) Runner-up: Waitrose & Partners slow-cooked Korean-style beef ribs These beef ribs have really tender meat and would be an impressive summer centrepiece. The barbecue sauce is sticky, with slight soy notes. Available in store at Waitrose & Partners Best chicken wings Winner: Iceland TGI Fridays Crispy Nashville-Style Chicken Wings (600g), £4 A fun choice for chicken nugget fans, these battered wings had a crispy coating and gentle Nashville-style spicing. Available from Iceland (£4) Best vegan burger Winner: M&S Vegan Steak Burgers (340g), £5 A solid meat alternative, this thick burger had a very meaty texture and slightly smoky flavour. It would easily work with ketchup in a bun. Available in store at M&S (£5) Runner-up: Morrisons Plant Revolution Tex-Mex burgers, £3 (220g) If you don’t like meat substitutes, this vegan burger is filled with veg. It was good to see sweetcorn chunks, and judges could clearly taste the beans. It has pleasing char marks once cooked and light, sweet heat. Available from Morrisons (£3) Best veggie burger Joint winner: Tesco Fire Pit 2 Quarter Pounder Halloumi Burgers (228g), £2.20 This halloumi would work well layered into a veggie burger with grilled veg and salad. Available from Tesco (£2.20) Joint winner: M&S Masala Cauliflower Bhaji Burgers (240g), £3 This firm patty had nice chunks of chickpea, gentle spicing and subtle notes of coconut. Available in store at M&S (£3) Best vegetarian sausage Winner: Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Cumberland Shroomdogs (300g), £2.25 A good meaty texture, this herby, mushroom based option would work well in BBQ hot dogs. Available from Sainsbury's (£2.25) Runner-up: Tesco Plant Chef Cumberland-style bangers, £1.75 These have a texture similar to a meat-based sausage, with good herby, peppery flavour. Would be great for a veggie hot dog with ketchup and caramelised onions. Available from Tesco (£1.75) Best veggie kebab Winner: Co-op GRO Cauli Shawarma Kebab (240g), £3 These had a lovely light masala flavour, gentle spicing and a soft texture that would grill nicely on a BBQ. Available in store at Coop (£3) Runner-up: Waitrose & Partners Mediterranean-style vegetable and halloumi kebabs with lemon & oregano drizzle Admittedly, it would be simple to make your own version of these kebabs at home, but they're a quick solution if you’re having a last-minute barbecue. With fresh flavours and no prep time, they can be jazzed up at home with a marinade or tzatziki. Available in store at Waitrose & Partners Best sharing bread Winner: Co-op Irresistible Hand Finished Rosemary and Rock Salt Focaccia (300g), £2 A good crisp crust and light and chewy within. It’s generously flavoured with lots of strong rosemary. Available in store at Co-op (£2) Best sausage roll Winner: Waitrose No 1 Pork and Apple Roll (160g), £2.75 With very buttery, flaky pastry, this large sausage roll makes a hearty picnic main course. The coarse meat had a good flavour with a gentle sweetness. Available in store at Waitrose (£2.75) Runner-up: Iceland Cathedral City cheddar sausage rolls, £2.50 These are a twist on the classic, and delicious served warm. Flaky, herb-dusted pastry, juicy meat and an after note of melting cheese that's not too overpowering. Available from Iceland (£2.50) Best veggie sausage roll Winner: Tesco Finest 4 Cheddar & Caramelised Onion Rolls (188g), £2.30 Really good flaky, golden pastry, notes of mature cheddar, while the nigella seeds add light crunch. Available from Tesco (£2.30) Best pork pie Winner: M&S Collections Melton Mowbray Pork Pie (440g), £3.75 This had crisp pastry and good flavoured jelly, and the generous pork filling was well-seasoned with a satisfying texture. Available from M&S (£3.75) Runner-up: Asda small Melton Mowbray pork pie, £1.60 (140g) A traditional pork pie, with excellent dark golden pastry and firm jelly. The pork has warmth from generous black pepper spicing. Available in store at Asda (£1.60) Best scotch egg Winner: Co-op Irresistible Scotch Eggs (120g), £1.50 These had a thin breadcrumb coating with good flavour, nicely seasoned meat and a well cooked egg in the middle. Available from Co-op (£1.50) Runner-up: Waitrose & Partners pork onion bhaji scotch egg, £1.28 (120g) For a subtle twist on a classic scotch egg, these have onion seeds in the breadcrumbs for a boost of flavour, plus a sweet curried flavour throughout, reminding judges of coronation chicken. Available from Waitrose & Partners (£1.28) Best hummus Joint winner: Morrisons The Best Pesto and Parmesan Hummus (170g), £1.75 The strong basil pesto and smooth hummus worked together perfectly for a moreish dip. Available from Morrisons (£1.75) Joint winner: M&S Lamb Shawarma Houmous (450g), £5 The hummus is smooth and well seasoned, and the gently spiced, chewy lamb makes an interesting twist on the classic. Available in store at M&S (£5) Best handheld ice cream Winner: Aldi Specially Selected Ice Cream Mini Pots (4 x 110ml), £2.69 Highlights were the tangy blackcurrant and chocolate, and the smooth salted caramel. Available from Aldi (£2.69) Best sweet picnic treat Winner: Iceland TGI Fridays Mini Brownie Obsession (240g), £3.50 These molten chocolate cakes take just 15 seconds in the microwave for an irresistible snack. Available from Iceland (£3.50) Best summer showstopper Runner-up: Booths flower celebration cake, £38 For street parties or big celebrations, this giant cake looks incredibly impressive and would easily feed over 20 people. The hand-piped icing flowers are beautiful, while the light vanilla cake and sweet raspberry jam are simple crowdpleasers. Available from Booths (£38) How we chose the winners The olive team chose 23 categories, having researched the products that you, our readers, would be most likely to buy this summer. We invited all the big supermarkets to select the products they wanted to nominate (just one entry per category, so they had to choose carefully). Our expert panel of judges blind-tasted them, rating each on taste, texture and appearance. We then awarded winner accolades to our favourites.
Discover the best ginger beers for your summertime picnics and cocktails with the results of our taste test
For a soft drink that is more grown-up than cola and less sweet than lemonade, ginger beer could be your top pick. With a touch of heat and spice to balance out the sugary fizz and sweetness, it's a versatile mixer. A non-alcoholic soft drink that evokes strong memories of British summertime, ginger beer is characterised by its robust root ginger flavour, sweetness and carbonation. Ginger beer gets it name from the fermentation process that would historically mean it contained alcohol, but nowadays it is usually a soft drink (although some types still do contain booze). Different brands of ginger beer, as you will discover below, have either a clear or cloudy appearance depending on how it is brewed and how filtered it is. These processes also affect how spicy the ginger beer tastes. Also important to note is the difference between ginger beer and ginger ale, which are sometimes confused. The key difference is that ginger beer has a stronger ginger root flavour and is typically more carbonated. Ginger beer stands up better as a soft drink in its own right, as well as being a key mixer in drinks like moscow mule and a sunny side cocktail. For more cocktail inspiration, discover our easy cocktail recipes. We also have our best quick and easy canapés recipes if you're looking for something to accompany your drinks. For even more snack inspiration, discover our easy party food recipes. Want to discover more drinks guides? We've covered the best kombucha, the best tonic water and a number of spirits including best pink gins. Best ginger beers at a glance Best natural ginger beer: Belvoir, £4.80 Best traditional ginger beer: Fentimans, £32.08 (for 4) Best ginger flavour: Fever-Tree, £3.80 (for 4) Best with dark spirits: Bundaberg, £5.40 Best summer's day drink: Cawston Press, £3.50 Best nostalgic ginger beer: Old Jamaica, £0.50 Belvoir Available from Ocado (£4.80) Score: 9/10 Best natural ginger beer Tasters loved how light this ginger beer is. The flavour varies throughout drinking and is less unified than some ginger beers we tried. This is most likely due to the lack of xanthan gum that often acts as a thickener and binder in ginger beers, meaning that this Belvoir drink has some sips with more of a citrus flavour and others with a stronger ginger essence (from pieces of ginger root floating in it). Overall, it has a good spiciness and is not overly sugary with a homemade taste. The bottle is also a good sharing size for a picnic or barbecue. Available from: Amazon (pack of 12 for £28.37) Tesco (£2.95) Ocado (£2.95) Fentimans Available from Amazon (£32.08 for 4) Score: 9/10 Best traditional ginger beer Fentimans ginger beer has a complex, almost grown-up taste. Whilst it contains no alcohol, you would not be surprised if it did as it is very hearty and spicy. You could tell this has been fermented and it has lots of herbs like juniper to add to the flavour profile, as well as pear juice to cut through the spiciness and give it a bit of sweetness. Available from: Amazon (pack of 4 for £32.08) Fever-Tree Premium Available from Ocado (£3.80 for 4) Score: 7/10 Best ginger flavour Super-bubbly, sweet and with a strong ginger root taste, this one has an enjoyably complex flavour. The root made it punchy but a ginger powder taste leaves a lingering taste alongside the fizz. Available from: Ocado (£3.80 for 4) Bundaberg Available from Tesco (£5.40) Score: 7/10 Best with dark spirits This ginger beer has a well-rounded flavour. At first it has a strong sweet taste with a medicinal edge, similar to root beer. It is the most warming ginger beer of our selection. The liquid itself is very cloudy, showing its fermentation, and there are small pieces of real ginger that are not very noticeable texture-wise but give an extra-gingery hit. Tasters thought this could work very well in an ice cream float or mixed with some rum for a cocktail. Available from: Tesco (£5.40) Cawston Press Available from Waitrose & Partners (£3.50) Score: 6/10 Best summer's day drink Light and bubbly, this ginger beer is not aggressively sugary so you aren't left with an uncomfortable dry mouth. Instead, it has a crisp taste coming from the apple juice, with a dash of ginger. Tasters thought this would be a good introduction to ginger beer as it is not particularly strong. It would make a good drink for a hot day as it is refreshing. Available from: Amazon (£3.15) Waitrose (£3.50) Ocado (£4.60) Old Jamaica Available from Sainsbury's ( £0.50) Score: 5.5/10 Best nostalgic ginger beer This has a prominent taste of sweeteners but a good hit of ginger, too. It's not overly fizzy either. Our testers thought this would make a good general mixer as well as being a good thirst-quencher. Available from: Tesco (£0.60) Sainsburys (£0.50) How we tested All ginger beers were tasted at room temperature in order to taste all the flavour profiles. They were decanted into small glasses in order to see how they would look outside of their containers and to note whether there were any ginger pieces within the drink. Taste testers looked out for the type of ginger flavour (ginger root or flavouring), overall sweetness and the levels of carbonation to determine their preference and what would be the best ginger beer for certain occasions. Read more expert taste tests: Apple cider vinegar taste test Honey taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Pesto taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at oliveweb@immediate.co.uk.
Discover the best oat milks to buy, as determined in our expert taste test, plus try our cooking tips and recommendations
We put branded products to the test so you know which ones to look out for. This month, we tried different types of oat milk to see which came out on top. Looking for the best oat milk to buy? Read on to find the results of our oat milk taste test. Want to try other plant-based milks? Read the results of our almond milk taste test. What is oat milk? Soaked porridge oats are blended with filtered water (and often a dash of sea salt and oil) to make a dairy-free alternative to milk that’s ideal for use in vegan baking, eating with cereal or drinking. Oat milk is also sometimes fortified with extra vitamins and minerals and comes in different varieties: whole, semi (think of this like semi-skimmed cow’s milk), barista-style (good for foaming with a coffee machine) or UHT. With ever-increasing competition on the shelves in this area, we tried more than 20 oat milks to find the best. How we tested We tried the oat milks on their own and in a cup of coffee, looking for colour, consistency and creaminess. At a glance: Best soya-free choice: Oatly oat drink whole, £1.95 Best for an Americano: Califia Farms oat barista blend, £2 Best for porridge: MOMA barista-edition oat milk, £1.55 Best allrounder: Alpro barista oat milk, £1.80 Best for ice coffee: Glebe Farm PureOaty barista, £1.99 Best for foaming: Oatly oat drink barista edition, £1.75 Best semi-skimmed milk alternative: MOMA oat original, £1.50 Best for cereal: Jörd Nordic oat drink, £1.40 Best for hot chocolate: Tree of Life organic oat drink, £1.90 Best light oat milk: Plenish organic oat unsweetened, <a href="https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&productId=1280012&langId=44&istCompanyId=1e096408-041f-4238-994e-a7cf46bf9413&istFeedId=689af7a8-5842-4d88-be59-1ee5688a81b5&istItemId=wqxamqmwa&istBid=t&&cmpid=cpc&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=11354430451&utm_content=shopping&utm_term=%7Bsku%7D&utm_custom1=106571615210&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&gclid=CjwKCAjwkvWKBhB4EiwA-GHjFgCtVNTgKZPwCAc3LskjEORN9aaK2e8SOhuMpA_vn30Nc_JJAPFEWRoCjLwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">£1.75 Best for tea: Provamel organic-bio oat, £1.99 Best for a café au lait: Minor Figures barista oat, £1.80 The results of the best oat milk taste test Oatly oat drink whole, £1.95/1 litre Score: 9/10 Best soya-free choice Creamy with a smooth consistency and rich dairy milk flavour, with no powdery aftertaste. A hint of savoury saltiness was perfect in iced coffee or desserts such as rice pudding. This was the best-tasting oat milk on test, with superior flavour and versatility. We’d happily drink it on its own and in coffee – it adds great creaminess. Available from: Amazon (£2.10) Ocado (£1.95) Califia Farms oat barista blend, £2/1 litre Score: 9/10 Best for Americanos A light but silky-smooth milk with a roasted smell and sweetness that's reminiscent of a flapjack. There's added calcium and an overall dairy-like mouthfeel. It also looks and tastes the most similar to dairy milk, as it has a touch of fat – it's good in coffee, as both liquids combine well to create a tan colour. Available from: Sainsbury's (£2) Tesco (£2) Waitrose & Partners (£2) MOMA barista edition oat milk, £1.55/ 1 litre Score: 8.5/10 Best in porridge This oat milk has a nice, sweet smell, despite being unsweetened. It's thick and creamy on its own, and slightly more brown in colour than others. This oat milk feels indulgent, and when you add it to coffee, you can taste a fine grain that is not unappealing. Available from: Sainsbury's (£1.55) Amazon (pack of six for £8.44) Alpro barista oat milk, £1.80/1 litre Score: 8/10 Best all-rounder The most versatile milk, this Alpro oat milk has a roasted smell and flavour, with a velvety texture that is drawn out in coffee. Tasters thought this oat milk was the most like dairy milk, and it creates a silky, creamy froth that's good for chai lattes. Available from: Tesco (£1.80) Glebe Farm PureOaty barista, £1.99/ 1 litre Score: 8/10 Best for iced coffee This is the sweetest oat milk of the bunch, but also resembles cow's milk the most, making it a good option for those trying to incorporate dairy-free milk into their diet. It also has a nice thickness, so it holds up well in tea, coffee and smoothies to lighten them up. Available from: Holland & Barrett (£1.99) Amazon (pack of five for £16.50) Morrisons (£1.80) Oatly oat drink barista edition, £1.90/ 1 litre Score: 8/10 Best for foaming On its own, this milk has a slight chemical flavour that's not masked by its slight sweetness, which tasters found disappointing. In coffee, the chemical flavour disappears and the milk becomes a thicker, more velvety liquid that does not separate and foams up very well. It would work in a cappuccino. Available from: Tesco (£1.90) Sainsbury's (<a href="https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/oatly-foamable-1l?productId=1078784&utm_campaign=15424330555&utm_medium=cpc&storeId=10151&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_4-SBhCgARIsAAlegrXLKPIS2qB-7K_byMOQTAHYQIh-w2I3bL0_YiAD1FIdDLxyzA46hd4aAl05EALw_wcB&catalogId=10241&langId=44&utm_source=Google&krypto=irjaeZ12biS77zjf2K7P8ySAsOWI4aRlGi5q6AkGXuC9b%2Fwjcqa%2BrNTdLIUZYXwYdp4bINxs4QyYm%2Bol%2F3USu94q3IUNtX0J8UAj7rbMfmYMbYalS5DlI%2Brk2T4%2BnFa4ILWlAuSvg6lN7nKHKwizko8jky6NTYbSsxcFmE8BgjnehsLFmZRNT0YhNg%2FmjOGQsSgIlbWMYIvmKbh%2FL0K%2FRkP4gVIcspnkN7lm0rUrSf2kYkUAtFzlpX0sKe8zm5Qudx%2BJm%2BPzvfeEAZpwEjN5k2JXHSTSRfjvrylFKEkUtv06ibo4EkaqXwaYL4znR8pPQmnjiPyJ8rtGbAsCecfJz4ZpMkbpQ75LY8lkhjCLO%2BUi%2BilwUCB1Bke%2BDe0uJAMeqX0908DX2ow7hAZ3p43hZ9aUTzwweHVuQ%2FisyVyv7A6QuBf6QsPwjX95nGTuboZ%2Bu9cVqP4addxoIuu5UFsb9VIhof6hZAC8WY%2FujN6fhY4%3D&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Foatly-foamable-1l" target="_blank" rel="noopener">£1.90) Amazon (pack of six for £10.50) MOMA oat original, £1.50/1 litre Score: 8/10 Best for a semi-skimmed milk alternative Slightly more watery than others, but this has a definite smooth, creamy oat flavour with a milky aftertaste. Great as an alternative to semi-skimmed cow’s milk in a cuppa. Available from: Ocado (£1.50) Sainsbury's (£1.50) Amazon (six for £8.55) Jörd Nordic oat drink, £1.40/1 litre Score: 8/10 Best for cereal One of the thickest milks in consistency, this is very creamy with a dash of sweetness in the aftertaste. We could imagine having this with cereal or drinking on its own. Available from: Sainsbury's (£1.40) Waitrose & Partners (£1) Amazon (£1.90) Tree of Life organic oat drink, £1.90/ 1 litre Score: 7/10 Best for hot chocolate Super-sweet, this oat milk tastes like the milk left at the bottom of a cereal bowl. This oat drink has the highest percentage of oats of the group at 14%, but tasters found it a bit thin. It tends to dilute coffee, but does draw out some more bitter of notes. Tasters thought this could work well in overnight oats, thick hot chocolate or smoothies. Available from: Ocado (£1.90) Amazon (£1.55) Plenish organic oat unsweetened, <a href="https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&productId=1280012&langId=44&istCompanyId=1e096408-041f-4238-994e-a7cf46bf9413&istFeedId=689af7a8-5842-4d88-be59-1ee5688a81b5&istItemId=wqxamqmwa&istBid=t&&cmpid=cpc&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=11354430451&utm_content=shopping&utm_term=%7Bsku%7D&utm_custom1=106571615210&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&gclid=CjwKCAjwkvWKBhB4EiwA-GHjFgCtVNTgKZPwCAc3LskjEORN9aaK2e8SOhuMpA_vn30Nc_JJAPFEWRoCjLwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">£1.75/1 litre Score: 7/10 Best light oat milk A no-nonsense oat milk with no oil (the only one on test to not contain oil) that's slightly more watery in consistency than others. But, it makes up for this in flavour. Fairly transparent in a glass, but great for smoothies or cereal. No artificial sweetness or chemical aftertaste, either. Available from: Sainsbury's (<a href="https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&productId=1280012&langId=44&istCompanyId=1e096408-041f-4238-994e-a7cf46bf9413&istFeedId=689af7a8-5842-4d88-be59-1ee5688a81b5&istItemId=wqxamqmwa&istBid=t&&cmpid=cpc&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=11354430451&utm_content=shopping&utm_term=%7Bsku%7D&utm_custom1=106571615210&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&gclid=CjwKCAjwkvWKBhB4EiwA-GHjFgCtVNTgKZPwCAc3LskjEORN9aaK2e8SOhuMpA_vn30Nc_JJAPFEWRoCjLwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">£1.75) Tesco (£2) Holland & Barrett (£2.99) Provamel organic-bio oat, £1.99/1 litre Score: 6/10 Best for tea Quite watery, but with a nice, smooth finish and no chemical aftertaste. Tastes like good-quality oats, with a refreshingly nutty flavour – a good alternative to skimmed cow’s milk if you prefer a lighter, less creamy milk for adding to teas or coffees. Available from: Holland & Barrett (£1.99) Sainsbury's (£2) Amazon (eight for £24) Minor Figures barista oat, £1.80/1 litre Score: 6/10 Best in a café au lait Very pale in comparison to the others, with a very milky smell. This would be great in a classic cup of coffee or to drink on its own. Available from: Waitrose & Partners (£1.80) Morrisons (£1.80) Holland & Barrett (£1.79) Other expert taste tests from the olive cookery team: Apple cider vinegar taste test Ginger beer taste test Honey taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Lemon curd taste test Crunchy peanut butter taste test Dark chocolate taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Anchovies taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Pesto taste test Smoked salmon taste test
Discover the best canned and jarred chickpeas, taste tested by the olive team
A key ingredient in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking, the humble chickpea is probably most eaten in hummus – a creamy dip made using tahini. Chickpeas also feature heavily in falafels and curries but once baked and crispy, they make an easy snack or welcome addition to a summer salad. These legumes are an excellent source of protein and a great source of multiple vitamins, including magnesium and potassium. A can of chickpeas is a storecupboard essential – great for effortless, quick meals. Whilst chickpeas come in five colours (red, black, brown and green), we have reviewed and taste-tested the most popular beige variety which come pre-cooked in a can or jar. We've found six top-quality chickpeas to try, so whether you're making hummus or looking for a bargain all-rounder, we've found the one for you. Here, at olive, we have a variety of ideas for using chickpeas. Discover some of our best recipes, including hummus. Chickpeas are also a star ingredient in curries, salads and pancakes. Check out our fattoush salad with crispy spiced chickpeas for a spring lunch or chickpea fritters for something filling but gluten-free. Persian food writer and chef Sabrina Ghayour also shares a recipe for chickpea and vegetable koftes with a tahini yogurt sauce. Now try our best bean recipes. Best chickpeas at a glance Best ready-to-eat chickpeas: Biona organic chickpeas, £1.43 Best for hummus: Morrisons Chickpeas, £0.55 Best for roasted chickpeas: Mr Organic Chickpeas, £1.30 Best all-rounder: Napolina Chick Peas, £1 Best for a salad: Epicure organic chickpeas, £8 Best for curries: KTC Chick Peas, £0.50 The results of the best chickpeas taste test 2022 Biona organic chickpeas Score: 9/10 Best ready-to-eat chickpeas Biona's chickpeas have a buttery mouth feel that are almost too good to blend. They are cooked to perfection, have a good amount of salt, and they are all consistently small in size making them good for everything from salads to wraps. Available from: Amazon (£1.43) Ocado (£1.30) Tesco (£1.10) Morrisons chickpeas in water Score: 9/10 Best for hummus A particular aspect of this can of chickpeas was the quality of the liquid: it was thick and glossy, which is good to note for quick hummus as the liquid can be used. The chickpeas themselves were quite big and they were not floury at all, but deliciously buttery and soft. They had an olive oil taste on their own, too. Available from: Amazon (£0.55) Morissons (£0.50) Mr Organic Chick Peas Score: 8/10 Best for roasted chickpeas These chickpeas were the least salty of the bunch. There was a nutty flavour and creaminess that came through and they were evenly sized with no floating skins or even visible skins. Available from: Amazon (£1.30) Ocado (£1.30) Waitrose (pack of 4 for £4) Napolina Chick Peas Score: 7/10 Best all-rounder These chickpeas generally have a little bite to them but they are a bit inconsistent in texture. They are not very salty, which is good if you want to add your own salt mix to make crunchy chickpeas or if you are looking to make your own hummus and keep an eye on the seasoning yourself. Tasters found a thin skin on these chickpeas, though this was easy to slip off. Available from: Amazon (£1.05) Tesco (£0.85) Sainsbury's (£0.90) Epicure organic chickpeas Score: 7/10 Best for a salad All the chickpeas in the can were even in size, generally soft inside but with a bit of a bite, and none had a leathery skin. The chickpeas and the salted water they were held in were neutral in flavour with only a slight salty aftertaste. Available from: Amazon (12 for £8) Ocado (£1.15) KTC Chick Peas Score: 6/10 Best for curry Tasters found these chickpeas quite inconsistent as some were darker then others and there was a little size variation. This means they're not the best for baking into snacks or putting into a salad. There was a neutral flavour with no strong after-taste and they were generally on the undercooked side, so could do with a bit more cooking in a tomato sauce or curry. Available from: Amazon (£0.50) Morrisons (£0.50) How we tested We chose the best canned beige chickpeas that would work for a variety of dishes. We looked for overall taste and balanced salt levels. In terms of texture, we tasted all of the chickpeas straight from the can and looked for those that would break down easily for a hummus (chickpeas that were already well-cooked) or some with a bit more bite that could work in a salad, oven-baked or cooked in a sauce, as well as those in between. We also noted the consistency in size and texture and whether the chickpeas had skins. Read more expert taste tests: Apple cider vinegar taste test Ginger beer taste test Honey taste test Cashew butter taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Pesto taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at oliveweb@immediate.co.uk.
Our experts have tried and tested the best runny, clear honey to spread on toast, add to flapjacks and more
Spread on toast, drizzled over porridge, baked into sticky flapjacks... a jar of honey is an endlessly versatile storecupboard ingredient. We've taste-tested the best runny honey to find the ultimate jar, no matter how you like to enjoy it. Honey is a natural sweetener that is typically eaten at breakfast or in bakes, but it can also be added to marinades and paired with cheese. It has a variety of flavour profiles, depending on the flowers that honeybees have collect the nectar from. Our expert cookery team have chosen the best runny, clear honey based on strict criteria, to find the best jars on the market. Discover the myriad ways you can use honey in our best ever honey recipe collection; we have used honey in baking recipes like our salted honey cheesecake, salted honey date cake, Russian honey cake and honey madeleines. If you are looking to use honey in savoury recipes, find some inspiration with our honey-sriracha glazed meat balls, deep-fried goat's cheese with pink peppercorn honey or honey sesame chicken. For more great storecupboard spreads, read our guides to the best marmalade, best lemon curd, best strawberry jam and best salted butter. Best honey at a glance Best for toast: Black Bee Honey British Summer honey, £6.18 Best all-rounder: Daylesford London honey, £14.99 Best with creamy foods: Morrisons Spanish forest honey, £3.60 Best with savoury foods: Hilltop British Blossom honey, £6 Best for baking: Rowse Dark and Rich honey, £3 Best for baklava: The Groovy Food Company Organic Mexican Wildflower Honey, £3.48 The results of the best honey taste test 2022 Black Bee Honey British summer honey, £6.18 Score: 10/10 Best for toast Made from British beehives, testers wondered if honey could get better than this. It smells like a summer meadow and has floral and fruity notes of violets and blackberries. They thought this honey would be good on toast to appreciate its premium taste. This particular honey would be a lovely gift, too. Black Bee Honey have a jar for every season. Available from: Amazon (£6.18) Ocado (£6.50) Daylesford London honey, £14.99 Score: 9/10 Best all-rounder Spiralling around a spoon well, with a silky, thick texture, this honey has a sharp, citrus taste that is similar to marmalade. This honey feels special and there is a nuttiness that would go well with oats or seeds. It is an overall versatile honey because of its fruity and savoury notes. Available from: Daylesford (£14.99) Morrisons Spanish forest honey, £3.60 Score: 9/10 Best with savoury foods One of the darker jars of honey, it has a roasted, nutty flavour profile, almost as if it has been matured in an oak barrel. Testers thought this would be amazing baked with chorizo, added to Greek yogurt or paired with a nice cheese. Its particularly dark colour and luscious viscosity means it would be good for drizzling over finished dishes, too. Available from: Morrisons (£3.60) Hilltop British Blossom honey, £6 Score: 8/10 Best in drinks Despite its pale colour, this honey has a deep flavour. Testers thought it had an autumnal flavour profile that reminded them of a forest. It has an umami quality with a sweetness that lightens it up overall. This British blossom honey could work very well in sugared nuts or in a cocktail. Available from: Ocado (£6) Amazon (£6) Rowse Dark and Rich honey, £3 Score: 7/10 Best for baking Giving a strong taste reminiscent of golden syrup and treacle, there are hardly any floral notes in this honey and a very slight bit of bitterness, from the background notes of aniseed. Tasters thought this flavour would hold well when baking and it would be a great alternative to sugar. Available from: Amazon (£2.50) Ocado (£3) Morrisons (£2.50) The Groovy Food Company Organic Mexican Wildflower Honey, £3.48 Score: 6/10 Best for baklava This Mexican wild honey is collected from the rainforests in the Yucatan peninsular. Due to its tropical origin, it has a distinct floral taste with a prominent flavour of rose that is perfume-like with a bitter after-note to cut through the sweetness. This could be a divisive honey, but our judges thought its flavour profile and amber colour would bring a sophisticated note to top a bake, like baklava, or to stir into lemon water in the morning. Available from: Amazon (£3.48) Tesco (£3.50) How we tasted We chose jars and bottles of clear honey that contained only honey, rather than added sugar or preservatives, and did not have any added flavourings. Testers looked out for any particular notes from the honey, whether floral or bark, and the origin of the honey. They also looked at consistency, viscosity and colour to determine its strengths and best uses. Read more expert taste tests: Apple cider vinegar taste test Ginger beer taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Pesto taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at oliveweb@immediate.co.uk.
Discover our picks of the best smooth cashew butters for your storecupboard
Cashew butter is a smooth, salty spread that is used in a similar way to peanut butter, but tends to be less sweet. Made from either raw or roasted cashew nuts, cashew butter is also generally creamier than its peanut and almond butter counterparts, and is gaining luxury status in the spread world. Cashew butter is perfectly good as it is on toast, but is also delicious swirled into sweet traybakes or added to curries for a nutty flavour boost. This nut butter is high in healthy fats and contains high concentrations of iron, magnesium and vitamin B6 – all of which are particularly good for those following a vegan diet. We put seven smooth cashew butters to the test, so you know which one works best for you. If you are looking for ideas on how to use cashew butter for more than just toast, try our prawn and red cabbage summer rolls with a cashew butter dipping sauce. Cashew butter works in everything, from salad dressings and curries, to recipes that traditionally use peanut butter. Best cashew butters at a glance Best for baking: Zeina cashew nut butter, £12.75 Best for dressings: Nutural World cashew butter, £16.12 Best for porridge: Prime Earth smooth cashew nut butter, £8.49 Best thick cashew butter: Biona cashew butter, £3.80 Best for cookies: Kape pure cashew butter, £6.99 Best for breakfast foods: Daylesford Organic cashew butter, £8.99 Best with chocolate: Meridian smooth cashew butter, £3.85 The results of the best cashew butters 2022 Zeina cashew nut butter, £12.75 Score: 9/10 Best for baking This cashew nut butter has a premium taste and texture. It's glossy, smooth, rich and creamy, with a dark tan colour that proves the deep roast of the nuts. The toasted nut flavour really comes through, and the butter doesn't taste oily at all. It would work well swirled through brownie batter or used in a vegan fudge. Available from: Amazon (£12.75) Nutural World cashew nut butter, £16.12 Score: 9/10 Best for dressings This cashew butter has a thin, runny texture that's similar in consistency to tahini. It has a buttery, more neutral cashew flavour (due to less roasting time) with a hint of almost caramel-like sweetness, making it ideal for salad dressings or dipping sauces. Available from: Amazon (£16.12) Nutural World (£4.20) Prime Earth smooth cashew nut butter, £8.49 Score: 9/10 Best for toast For a peanut butter alternative, this cashew butter hits the mark. It has a grainy quality and clean roasted taste that's similar to peanut butter. It's rich and has a deeply savoury and salty flavour, despite being salt-free. Available from: Amazon (£8.49) Biona Organic cashew nut butter, £4.80 Score: 8/10 Best thick nut butter This cashew nut butter has quite a bit of separation on opening (which is normal), with a neutral, nutty taste. In terms of texture, there's a slight graininess, but it's very thick and fudge-like. Available from: Ocado (£4.80) Abel & Cole (£4.95) Amazon (£8.48) Kape pure cashew butter, £6.29 Score: 6/10 Best for cookies Almost like hummus, this cashew butter has a mousse-like, whipped texture. You can taste the tang of raw cashews. It would work well in baked oats or simply as a butter alternative. Available from: Amazon (£6.29) Kape (£5.75) Daylesford Organic cashew butter, £8.99 Score: 6/10 Best for breakfast foods Daylesford's cashew butter has a well-roasted, rounded flavour that's a bit like a slightly spiced butter. It's not suitable for drizzling, but not too thick either, with a slight grain. It would work well blitzed into smoothies, dolloped into porridge or stirred into granola. Available from: <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1546147&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.selfridges.com%2FGB%2Fen%2Fcat%2Fdaylesford-organic-cashew-butter-230g_554-3005034-15020020%2F%3Fcm_mmc%3DPLA-_-Google-_-FOODHALL-_-DAYLESFORD%26POR%3DY%26gclid%3DCj0KCQjw0PWRBhDKARIsAPKHFGiXU-HT-O52lY0G71UauFu0DTx7-pX5dgDTJ23f16OJK3ra-0LH8XcaApl_EALw_wcB%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds%26_%24ja%3Dtsid%3A32619%257Cprd%3A78888%26cm_mmc%3DAFFIL-_-AWIN-_-78888-_-0RpXOIXA500%26utm_campaign%3Dna_na_na_na_na_na%26awc%3D3539_1648217324_99d38e88859e30b5d5e90fda5682142e%26utm_source%3Dawin%26utm_medium%3Daffil%26utm_term%3Dna%26utm_content%3D78888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Selfridges (£8.99) Ocado (£7.15) Daylesford (£7.99) Meridian smooth cashew butter, <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1546147&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ocado.com%2Fproducts%2Fmeridian-smooth-cashew-butter-59789011%3Fgclid%3DCj0KCQjw0PWRBhDKARIsAPKHFGgGP2voUGWRFWd3Fk6arzS1tFgW4ixFUAsBH6zf0-DvKV0Kbllk4uAaAggsEALw_wcB%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds%26utm_source%3Dawin%26utm_medium%3Daffiliates%26utm_campaign%3Dawin-affiliates%26utm_content%3DSkimlinks%26awc%3D22454_1648212255_46c86cfc2646388804a00a8e8090bbc6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">£3.85 Score: 6/10 Best with chocolate This is the darkest cashew butter of the test, with a deep, almost cocoa-like flavour. It could be mistaken for a smooth almond butter, and it's clear the cashew nuts have been roasted for a long time – there are some pleasant burnt notes. Latest Deals How we tested We looked for the overall taste of the cashew butter: we wanted the cashew nut to stand out and be the main flavour, rather than any oil. We noticed how roasted the cashew butters were and how that would affect the way we would use that particular brand. Overall, we looked for a creamy and smooth texture, and considered how the nut butter separated or how grainy it was. All the cashew butters we tasted were labeled smooth, palm oil-free and vegan-friendly. Read more expert taste tests: Apple cider vinegar taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Pesto taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at oliveweb@immediate.co.uk.
Smooth, glossy and rich with sharp citrus flavour, discover the best lemon curd to buy, as decided in our expert taste test
We put branded products to the test so you know which ones to look out for. This month, we tried different types of lemon curd to see which came out on top. Looking for the best lemon curd to buy? Read on to find the results of our lemon curd taste test. Looking for lemon curd recipes? Try our best lemon cake recipes. What is lemon curd? A mixture of lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks and butter that's slowly heated until thickened, then cooled to make a smooth, glossy, rich condiment. It usually has a sharp, citrussy flavour, and can also be made with other citrus fruits, such as lime or grapefruit. Fold into whipped cream and layer with blueberries and meringues for an easy dessert, or make your own and spoon over buttered crumpets using our easy lemon curd recipe. How we tasted We tried the curds on their own to check the balance of lemon and sugar, also checking for consistency and texture. The results of the best lemon curd taste test Winner: Tiptree lemon curd, £2.50 (312g), Ocado Score: 9/10 One of the softer lemon curds we tried, with a really homemade flavour. It's full of citrus punch, but has an intense, creamy aftertaste – it’s made with egg yolks along with whole free-range eggs for extra richness. Perfect for spooning over sponges, using in trifles or spreading over toast. Hits a great balance of sweet and sharp. Mackays lemon curd, £3.99 (340g), Amazon Score: 8/10 A really smooth, creamy curd with lots of butteriness and richness on the finish, a juicy lemon flavour and no bitterness. It’s very thick in texture, so we would spread this over buttered crumpets or swirl into cream for a zesty pudding. Roots & Wings organic lemon curd, £3.35 (300g), Ocado Score: 8/10 A thick curd with a caramel-like texture – it's the darkest in colour of the curds we tried. It’s very creamy, made with Sicilian lemons for natural sweetness and has lots of juiciness that cuts through the sugar. There’s a lovely balance to this very rich-tasting curd. Stokes lemon curd, £3.45 (315g), Ocado Score: 7/10 Very thick in texture and pithy in flavour, the bitterness balances with the sugar well. Made with free-range eggs, this is a very zesty curd, with more bitterness and zest than the others. Great for baking or using in sweeter desserts, such as pavlovas or eton mess. Bonne Maman lemon curd, £2.60 (360g), Sainsbury's Score: is 6/10 This is very smooth, with a drizzling consistency. Slightly sweeter than the other lemon curds we tried and not as creamy as some, but still with a smooth, glossy texture and zesty finish. Other expert taste tests from the olive cookery team: Apple cider vinegar taste test Ginger beer taste test Honey taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Dark chocolate taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Pesto taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test
Sweet, nicely seasoned and a deep peanut flavour, discover the best crunchy peanut butter to buy decided by our expert taste test
We put branded products to the test so you know which ones to look out for. This month we tried different types of crunchy peanut butter to see which came out on top. Looking for the best crunchy peanut butter to buy? Read on to find the results of our crunchy peanut butter taste test. Looking for crunchy peanut butter recipes? Try our best peanut butter recipes. We opted to test crunchy rather than smooth peanut butter – just lightly roasted peanuts blended with a pinch of salt, and free from added sugar. We did allow any peanut butters stating they were using sustainable palm oil. These criteria gave us the clearest indicators of the best quality peanut butters. How we tasted We tried each peanut butter on its own and then on a small piece of toasted sourdough. We looked for a sweet, nicely seasoned, deep peanut flavour that wasn’t too salty. Texture-wise we wanted chunky peanut pieces well distributed through a smooth, creamy butter. The results of the best crunchy peanut butter taste test Winner: Manilife Original Roast Crunchy, £4 (295g), Ocado Score: 9/10 Incredibly smooth and creamy peanut butter with big chunky bits of peanut throughout. Nice balanced sweetness and plenty of salt – any more and it would be too much but it’s just enough to make the butter taste amazing and give a deep flavour and length on the palate. Pip & Nut Classic Roast Crunchy Peanut Butter, £3 (300g), Sainsburys Score: 9/10 Delicious and a very close second. A really well-balanced peanut butter. Perfectly sweet, salty, crunchy and creamy all at once. The texture is perfect, too – once the oil had been mixed back in it was the perfect consistency for spreading on toast. Yumello Crunchy Peanut Butter, £2.50 (250g), Ocado Score: 8/10 A really good peanut butter. Deep, nutty flavour with just the right amount of sweetness and saltiness. It is made with cold- pressed argan oil, which you don’t notice as a flavour but does add to its creamy texture. Biona Organic Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter, £3.25 (250g), Ocado Score: 7/10 Nice peanut flavour and well seasoned. Quite small on the chunkiness but this allows for plenty of creaminess. It gives a long peanut aftertaste. Not as sweet and salty as the others, which meant that it lacked a bit of flavour in comparison. Meridian Crunchy Peanut Butter, £2.50 (250g), Waitrose One for the purists. A very, very crunchy peanut butter without much creaminess. A deep peanut flavour – almost like eating them straight from the shell. It’s made without salt so it lacks some depth and length of flavour. Good if you like a strong peanut flavour or you’re watching your salt intake. Score: 7/10 Whole Earth Crunchy Peanut Butter, £3 (340g) A nicely consistent peanut butter, thanks to added sustainable palm oil. But this meant it was more set and lacked some of the runny creaminess of the others. A really deep peanut flavour with a good ratio of chunks to smooth butter. Maybe a touch too salty – but this did make it really delicious. Score: 7/10 Other expert taste tests from the olive cookery team: Apple cider vinegar taste test Ginger beer taste test Honey taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Lemon curd taste test Dark chocolate taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Pesto taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test
Balancing deep, dark and complex flavours with melt-in-the-mouth sweetness, discover the best dark chocolate to buy decided by our expert taste test
We put branded products to the test so you know which ones to look out for. This month we tried different types of dark chocolate to see which came out on top. Looking for the best dark chocolate to buy? Read on to find the results of our dark chocolate taste test. Looking for dark chocolate recipes? Try our best dark chocolate recipes. We selected all of the top brands of dark chocolate, with cocoa solids of around 70% and no added flavourings. How we tasted We love dark chocolate at olive, so we tried each chocolate on its own and looked for how it melted in the mouth, the balance of bitterness, fruitiness and sweetness, whether it had pronounced flavours and also the length of flavour. The results of the best dark chocolate taste test Winner: Original Beans Organic 75% Dark, £4.95 (70g) Score: 9/10 This is deeply fruity with cherry notes, smokiness, sweetness, bitterness, umami – the works. Each bite provides a new flavour to unpack. But as well as being deep, dark and complex, it is balanced and utterly delicious. Chocolate and Love Organic Rich Dark 71%, £3.50 (80g) Score: 8/10 This tasted like blackberries! An incredibly fruity chocolate with rounded bitterness and a roasted flavour. Great mouthfeel and a great length to the flavour. A top choice for fruity choc lovers. Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Intense Dark, £2 (100g) Score: 8/10 A great chocolate for those moving up from the world of milk to the complexities of dark. Deep caramel and coffee flavour with a little more sugar than others to round out any intense fruitiness or bitterness. A great melter in the mouth, too. Green & Black’s Velvet Edition 70% Dark Chocolate, £2 (90g) Score: 7/10 Fruity and bitter with a balanced sweetness. It has really great snap and mouthfeel. It lacks a bit of flavour when compared to some of the big hitters in this test. Montezuma’s Fitzroy Dark Chocolate, £2.60 (90g) Score: 7/10 This has a deep, complex flavour with plenty of fruitiness at the beginning that soon mellows. Not as ‘melt in the mouth’ as others but unarguably delicious. Other expert taste tests from the olive cookery team: Apple cider vinegar taste test Ginger beer taste test Honey taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Lemon curd taste test Crunchy peanut butter taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Pesto taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test
Bringing deep, savoury flavour to British dishes, from sandwiches to cauliflower cheese and jacket potatoes, discover the best cheddar to buy, recommended by our expert taste test
We put branded products to the test so you know which ones to look out for. This month we tried different types of mature cheddar to see which came out on top. Looking for the best cheddar to buy? Read on to find the results of our cheddar taste test. Looking for cheddar recipes? Try our best cheddar recipes. How is mature cheddar made? Cheddar has a long history with traditional British dishes, from sandwiches to cauliflower cheese. It’s made from milk, salt and rennet (either vegetarian or animal derived – check the label) and sometimes annatto for colour. Aging can vary from three to 24 months, which affects texture and flavour, becoming stronger the longer it’s left. How we tasted We tried the cheeses on their own to score for texture, crumbliness, saltiness and overall depth of flavour. The results of the best cheddar taste test Winner: Godminster British Mature Organic Cheddar, £3.25 (200g) Score: 8/10 This cheddar ticked all the boxes: relatively soft and pale in colour but lovely and crumbly when sliced, and melts in the mouth when eaten. A rich, buttery texture gives way to a slight crunch of salty crystals due to the maturity, and a deep umami flavour. This cheese needs no accompaniment, it’s well balanced and full of flavour. Wyke Farms Mature White Cheddar, £2.60 (300g) Score: 8/10 This cheese would be as good on a cheeseboard as in a sandwich. It slices well without crumbling, with a lovely creamy, smooth texture and a deep, rich, savoury flavour. It’s a strong cheddar without any of the bitterness that some of the other, stronger cheddars have. Lye Cross Farm Organic Mature Cheddar, £3.60 (260g) Score: 7/10 This one is a real tongue-tingler, with a punchy, strong, salty taste and pleasing, slightly bitter aftertaste. Smooth, firm texture and a good slicer, perfect for making cheese on toast or melted into cheese sauces to be poured over cauliflower and roasted for real depth of flavour. A good one for those who prefer cheeses on the stronger side. Davidstow Classic Mature Cheddar, £3.50 (350g) Score: 7/10 Gorgeous bite to this cheese with a lovely, strong aftertaste. The cheese has a slight crumble when sliced and packs a real punch with savouriness and saltiness. We liked the packaging on this, too, with its resealable pouch. Castello Tickler Mature, £4.20 (350g) This cheese has a slightly waxy texture that would lend itself to cheese and pickle sandwiches, or grated over jacket potatoes. It has a rich, creamy flavour and milder aftertaste which makes this a good all-rounder. Score: 6/10 Other expert taste tests from the olive cookery team: Apple cider vinegar taste test Ginger beer taste test Honey taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Lemon curd taste test Crunchy peanut butter taste test Dark chocolate taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Anchovies taste test Marmalade taste test Pesto taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test
Bringing strong umami notes to sauces, roast lamb and salads, discover the best anchovies to buy, decided by our expert taste test
We put branded products to the test so you know the ones to look out for. This month, we tried a range of anchovy brands to see which came out on top. Looking for the best anchovies to buy? Read on to find the results of our anchovies taste test. Looking for anchovy recipes? Try our best anchovy recipes, then check out our best tinned fish recipes and our podcast on the 10 things you need to know about tinned fish. All about anchovies Anchovies are small fish that are brined in salt and usually packed in oil, though sometimes pickled, dried or fermented. They bring strong umami notes to sauces, roast lamb and salads. How we tested We tasted the anchovies on their own, looking for texture, consistency, flavour of the oil, and quantity of visible bones. We then melted our top five into a simple pasta sauce to see which were best for cooking (after, check out our recipe for asparagus and anchovy pasta). Some anchovy stocks are more depleted than others. Check the Marine Stewardship Council for sustainability credentials at msc.org, and find out if the anchovies originate from an MSC-approved fishery. The results of the best anchovies taste test Winner: Ortiz Anchovies in Olive Oil, £4.45/47.5g Score: 9/10 These have a soft, silky texture that melts in the mouth. They’re consistent in thickness and length, and come in a neutral olive oil that lets the umami flavour sing. There are no bones, they’re not overly salty, and the taste is a pleasant flavour bomb without being too fishy. They don’t cook down as well as others due to the thickness, but they’re too good to melt away! Try in a caesar salad, or serve on sourdough with butter. Delicius Superior Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil, £3.99/58g Score: 8/10 We love that the anchovies are packed in a spiral, making them easy to remove one at a time, rather than being stuck together. They have a smooth texture, no bones and are easily melted. They come in flavourless oil and have fantastic fish flavour without too much saltiness. They’d work well in salads or green sauces. Epicure Anchovy Fillets in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, £1.69/50g Score: 8/10 With a really deep, rich flavour and slightly bitter, ‘beefy’ aftertaste, these are for the hardcore anchovy lover, or a recipe that requires a big savoury hit. Perhaps too strong and salty to eat in salads for some, they work well in stews, melted into pasta dishes, or pushed into the skin of roast lamb. Used sparingly, they’re a secret ingredient to keep in your cupboard to make savoury dishes sing. Kingfisher Anchovy Fillets in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, £1.99/100g Score 7/10 These are packed in extra-virgin olive oil, which adds grassy notes when eaten whole. They’re the only brand we tested with distinct flavour to the oil. The fillets are rich, melt well and have the classic profile for tapenade. They’re more subtle than some but have a sweetness that would be great in salads, canapés or creamy dishes. Cooks & Co Anchovy Fillets in Sunflower Oil, £1.35/50g Score: 7/10 These are great everyday anchovies with a wide appeal. Minimal bones, and a moreish, deeply savoury flavour. They’re slightly more ‘meaty’ and less silky compared to others but they lend umami notes without adding fishiness. They’d work well in quiche with caramelised onions, or on pizza. They’re packed in sunflower oil which keeps them fresh, and have a decent thickness, so they don’t break up when removed from the tin. Other expert taste tests from the olive cookery team: Apple cider vinegar taste test Ginger beer taste test Honey taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Crunchy peanut butter taste test Dark chocolate taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Pesto taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test
Use our expert taste test to discover the best dried spaghetti to buy. Plus, see our cooking tips and easy spaghetti recipes
We put branded products to the test so you know which ones to look out for. This month, find out which dried spaghetti came out on top. Once you've picked your favourite spaghetti, discover our selection of popular spaghetti dishes. What is spaghetti? Spaghetti pasta dough is made from milled wheat flour, often durum wheat semolina, pushed through a mould or die into long strings, and then dried. You may see ‘bronze die’ on some pastas – this means that the mould is made from bronze, as opposed to a synthetic material, which gives the pasta a rougher surface which helps sauces cling more easily to the outside. How we tested We tested eight varieties of dried spaghetti. We cooked 50g of each in two litres of boiling water with ½ tsp of fine sea salt following pack instructions for al dente. We ate a little of the plain pasta, then tossed each with 2 heaped spoonfuls of a simple tomato sauce and 1 spoonful of pasta cooking water, to see how the sauce clung to the pasta and affected the flavour and texture. The results for the best dried spaghetti taste test Winner: Rummo Spaghetti No 3, £2.20/500g Score: 8/10 Bronze cut with a deep golden wheat colour. Eaten alone it has a light wheat flavour and is a great sauce clinger. This spaghetti has a pleasing artisan roughness in the mouthfeel. The perfect pasta for a light tomato sauce – each complements the other. Biona Organic Italian Spaghetti, £2.69/500g Looks very pale in the pack but is less so once cooked. This pasta is bronze cut and, even pre-cooked, you can see how rough the surface of the pasta is. Little discernible flavour when eaten alone but is an excellent sauce clinger once tossed through. Score: 7/10 Sanmartí Spaghetti £3/250g Score: 7/10 This spaghetti is noticeably thinner than other brands. You can see little flecks of wheat in the pasta and, once cooked, it has a very good wheaty flavour. It lacks some clinginess, so this would be best used in a chicken noodle soup or with a delicate crab, lemon and chilli sauce. Garofalo Spaghetti Alla Chitarra, £2.49/500g Score: 7/10 Nice thick, golden coloured strands. Has a light roughness to the outside, too. A more prononounced wheat flavour than most but not overly distinct. A good clinger and a nice chewy texture. <a href="https://waitrose.pxf.io/c/1236178/872508/12163?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PPCGShopping&gclid=CjwKCAjwj8eJBhA5EiwAg3z0mzOAnkgh8TiPkgfVkIjqyFYh_S9kPJQPywoZPSJk89iHXpqHUVyK6hoC1QUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&subId1=olivemagazine-147484&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waitrose.com%2Fecom%2Fproducts%2Fde-cecco-spaghetti%2F008974-4285-4286%3Futm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dcpc%26utm_campaign%3DPPCGShopping%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwj8eJBhA5EiwAg3z0mzOAnkgh8TiPkgfVkIjqyFYh_S9kPJQPywoZPSJk89iHXpqHUVyK6hoC1QUQAvD_BwE%26gclsrc%3Daw.ds" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">De Cecco Spaghetti No 12, £1/500g Score 6/10 A good classic yellow colour once cooked but the pasta lacks flavour. The sauce clings quite well, although the spaghetti is smooth, so much of it slips off while eaten. Napolina Spaghetti No 6, £1.30/500g Score 6/10 Very smooth feel but a nice thickness. A very light wheat flavour but overall a little plain tasting. The sauce clings fairly well, and it has a pleasing texture but is let down by a lack of flavour. Other expert taste tests from the olive cookery team: Apple cider vinegar taste test Ginger beer taste test Honey taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Lemon curd taste test Crunchy peanut butter taste test Dark chocolate taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Anchovies taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Pesto taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test
The star of simple pasta suppers, discover the best pesto to buy, decided by our expert taste test
We put branded products to the test so you know the ones to look out for. This month, we tried different types of pesto to see which came out on top. Looking for the best pesto to buy? Read on to find the results of our pesto taste test. Looking for pesto recipes? Try our best pesto recipes. What is pesto? Pesto alla Genovese, as it’s often called, is named after its birthplace in Genoa, Italy. It’s made with parmesan, pecorino or a mix of both, plus basil, pine nuts (although other nuts such as cashews may be used) and olive oil. Traditionally, it’s made by bashing the ingredients together with a pestle, hence the name. It’s a versatile sauce but is often used in simple pasta suppers. It’s also great on boiled potatoes, tomato salads or grilled fish. How we tested We tried all the pestos on their own, looking out for consistency and balance of flavours and textures. We then tried the top six contenders stirred into al dente spaghetti. The results of the best pesto taste test Joint winner: Belazu Traditional Genovese Pesto, £2.85/165g Score: 9/10 With a high 45% basil content, this is really herby and fragrant. Dark green and thick with chunks of pine nuts, it has a great acidity balance and is creamy, which works well on pasta. It has a deeply savoury flavour from the pine nuts that’s cut with a mild lemon note, parmesan and extra-virgin olive oil. A great traditional pesto. Joint winner: Casalinga Basil Pesto, £3.50/160g Score: 9/10 This pesto is gorgeously garlicky, with a chunky texture from roughly chopped cashews and pine nuts, and a good amount of oil to make it spoonable. Drizzle this over pizza and bruschetta. Daylesford Organic Basil Pesto, £5.49/180g Score: 8/10 One of the thickest in consistency, this cashew-based pesto has quite a coarse, chunky texture. It’s a rich, glossy sauce with floral basil sweetness. There are big chunks of nuts and it’s flavoured with Parmigiano Reggiano for umami saltiness. A classic, perfect for pasta or tomato salads. Soli Italian Basil Pesto, £3/140g Score: 7/10 One of the freshest-tasting pestos, with a really good cheesy hit thanks to a mixture of pecorino and parmesan. There’s a hint of garlic and it’s not too nutty, but it has a smooth texture and is quite oily. This carries the flavour well in dressings or on potatoes. Dell’Ugo Fresh Basil Pesto, £2.99/120g Score: 7/10 Made with a decent amount of cheese, this smooth pesto packs a salty punch. It also features Genovese basil and extra-virgin olive oil, which provide floral, herby notes. It’s a great pesto to use in dressings and sauces as it has a hint of cracked black pepper for spiciness, too. Filotea Genoese Basil Pesto, £5.99/130g Score: 6/10 This was one of the smoothest pestos on test, and it has quite a lot of sweetness from a mixture of walnuts and pine nuts. But, a combination of Grana Padano and pecorino gives this a sweet-salty balance and smooth, pourable consistency. It’s excellent with pasta or swirled into soup. Other expert taste tests from the olive cookery team: Apple cider vinegar taste test Ginger beer taste test Honey taste test Chickpeas taste test Cashew butter taste test Lemon curd taste test Crunchy peanut butter taste test Dark chocolate taste test Cheddar taste test Tinned tomatoes taste test Marmalade taste test Anchovies taste test White miso taste test Salted butter taste test Strawberry jam taste test Hummus taste test Dried spaghetti taste test Oat milk taste test Smoked salmon taste test