Mega Dutch Snack Review: Chocomel, White Chocolate Covered Oreos, Doritos Bits, Nutella B-ready, Fanta Grape, Looza Banana and Apple & Cherry Juice, Tony's Chocolonely, & Candy Koekje Biscuits (Dutch Snacks UK)

A couple of months ago I was left a very curious comment on one of my instagram posts, telling me that I must try Chocomel...

Chocomel? What on earth is Chocomel? I asked. 

I'm not sure if you are better clued up than me and already know about the famous Dutch drink, but I certainly hadn't heard of it. Cue a conversation with the manager of Chocomel UK (who also own Mr Shakes Bar and Dutch Snacks UK) and I soon learned that it's an indulgent chocolate milkshake that is extremely popular in The Netherlands. The lovely owner Amar offered to send me out some Chocomel to try -as well as some of the other Dutch treats available on their website- and I eagerly took up the kind offer. I wasn't expecting the huge box that arrived a couple of days later though -it felt like Christmas had come early in Hereford that day, I can assure you! 

Chocomel
"All you need is Chocomel."  

Amar guaranteed me that I'd fall in love with the chocolate flavoured milk made by Friesland Campina (the same people who make Yazoo). Chocomel can be drunk warm or cold, so I kept the cans in the fridge so that I could enjoy the drink both ways.

I can understand why people love Chocomel, it's a smooth and rich drink. It's not as thick as Frijj, but it's certainly more indulgent than Yazoo. When cold Chocomel slips down the throat like silk, and when warmed up (in the microwave for a minute or two) it becomes the ultimate in chocolate satisfaction. 

Doritos Bits (Honey BBQ and Sweet Paprika) 
Doritos are one of the most popular crisps in our house, but we never veer away from the Cool Original and Tangy Cheese varieties. Both Rob and I love them because they are always well flavoured (unlike Pringles or Hula Hoops more recently), so I was looking forward to trying out these little packs. 

They didn't disappoint either, and both flavours were equally scrummy. I loved the nibbly nature of the crisps, and Rob also loved them too! Paprika can often be a bit hit and miss, but these had a good balance between spice and sweet. 

Fanta Grape
I don't tend to drink a lot of sugary fizzy drinks, so I left this one for Rob to drink (hence the lack of a photo). He thought that it was unusual, and admitted that he probably wouldn't opt for it over his beloved Tango apple, but also enjoyed the change and wouldn't turn one down if offered. 

Looza Juice
Apple and Cherry was the first to bite the dust, and it was a lovely (albeit very sweet) fruit juice. It was the banana juice however that I was most looking forward to, so I saved it for Christmas morning. Boy it didn't disappoint either. I haven't had banana juice for many years and I enjoyed every little slurp up my green curly straw (everyone loves a curly straw). 

Nutella B-Ready
I've been kicking myself for a year or so now, because Farmfoods used to stock Nutella B-Ready sticks -but I never picked a pack up, and then *bam* they vanished. I've spoken a number of times about my love of the hazelnut chocolate spread, so I was thrilled that Amar had kindly included them. 

The bread shaped wafers contain three Nutella filled segments, and at only 96kcal per baguette they're the dieters friend. I must admit that I was a little disappointed at the lack of chocolate spread inside, but the combination of Nutella and wafer was still scrummy, and I'll be savouring every last B-Ready.

Candy Koekje
These looked very similar to Lotus' Biscoff biscuits, and indeed they were. If you've never tried caramelised biscuits (or spread) then I'm not sure we can be friends -until you try them of course. As with Biscoffs, candy Koekjes are utterly moreish, so it's a good job they're individually wrapped otherwise they'd have been munched in one go. I also tried them crumbled on top of Ben & Jerry's One Sweet World which -as you might have guessed- was utterly incredible. 

Tony's Chocolonely Milk Chocolate and Milk Chocolate with Caramel and Sea Salt
Ever the chocoholic I was delighted to discover these bars in my Dutch Snacks care package.

 

I'd not heard of Tony's Chocolonely before, but one of my Dutch friends on instagram (@snackgainz) saw my post of the milk chocolate bar and told me that the caramel one was to die for. Tony's Chocolonely is a company that aims to make the world a better place one chocolate bar at a time..

"Right now, slaves are working on cocoa farms in West Africa.
Many of them are children. Tony’s Chocolonely exists to change that.
Our vision is 100% slave free chocolate.
Not just our chocolate, but all chocolate worldwide."

That sounded good to me. Fortunately the feel-good chocolate also tasted good too. It was rich and silky, with a high cocoa content (32% compared to Dairy Milk's 23%).

 The bar that knocked my socks off however was the sea salt and caramel!

I was expecting your bog standard gooey caramel inside with a smidgen of salt, but Tony's Chocolonely have gone all out. The bar contained plenty of caramel crispy bits, whilst the sea salt flakes offered enough salinity to make the chocolate something really special.

This was one of the best chocolate experiences I've had all year -and that's really saying something considering I've posted 240+ reviews this year with the tag 'chocolate'!

White Chocolate Oreos
Undoubtedly, the item that I was most animated about in the Dutch Snacks parcel was the white chocolate covered Oreos. I have been dying to try them for as long as I can remember, so I  jigged across my kitchen with them in my arms when I opened the box! Surely the best way to enhance an Oreo is to cover it in white chocolate? I couldn't wait to find out.. 

Jeez, they were worth the wait. The sheer sugar heaven was almost more than I could bear. Actually, I lie, I could definitely sustain eating these each and every day. The white chocolate wasn't exactly the best quality, but it harmonised with the rich cocoa flavour of the biscuit within, providing a sickly sweet but completely comforting combination.

Suddenly I had a brainwave! What was the only way I could improve this ultimate biscuit eating scenario? Sandwich the Oreos with peanut butter of course!

I'm absolutely saving each 2-pack in the box for days when I need some serious cheering up. They're crazy good. 

Summary
The service, selection of goods, and selection of goods available from Dutch Snacks UK is second-to-none. If any (or all) of these treats sound up your alley then please pop on over to their website. If you're lucky enough to live in the vicinity of North Harrow, London, then head on over to Mr Shakes Bar, where you can buy all of these products at the same time as ordering a decadent milkshake or healthy smoothie -oh and order me a White Widow whilst you're at it please!