Overview
In 2022, I had very bad anxiety. This wreaked havoc on my digestion. I felt that certain foods, especially those containing gluten and dairy and spicy food, aggravated my symptoms. In July that year, I decided to go on a gluten-free diet and reduce my dairy intake. There were a few occasions on which I accidentally ate gluten-containing products, such as gravy, a vegetarian or vegan sausage and instant soup, but I stopped eating them once I read their ingredients. I soon found gluten-free versions of these products. Since going gluten-free and reducing my dairy consumption, my symptoms were reduced and I felt that this also helped me maintain my weight (I hardly ate anything for about a couple of months in 2022 due my anxiety affecting my appetite and I lost weight dramatically).
I decided to subscribe to the Love Free From box after having seen some good things about it on Instagram. Before subscribing, I saw a ‘Spin to Win’ spinning wheel upon visiting the website. I entered my e-mail address, spun the wheel and got 20% off my first box.
There are several different types of monthly subscription box on offer. They include the standard gluten-free box, the gluten-free and dairy-free box, and the gluten-free and oat-free box. There are also vegetarian and vegan options available. I chose the gluten-free and dairy-free version. Each of these boxes costs £23.00 a month plus £2.99 for delivery within the U.K. A bi-monthly Mini Kids’ Snack Box is also available for £9.99.
In addition to the items in a box, I received a flyer for Just Live a Little gluten-free granola (which includes a discount code to get 20% off their online shop) and a leaflet of recipes and tick-boxes for each brand that was featured in the box.
Here are the items I received in the March 2024 box and what I thought of them:
Just Live a Little Maple & Toasted Pecan Granola
I really like granola cereals, so I was content to receive this one. Although the cereal’s most dominant flavour is cinnamon, it had a pleasant crunch. I first tried some with almond milk, dried apple rings and crunchy peanut butter. There are three other varieties of this cereal in the range, so I would also like to give them a try with the discount code.
Rating: 8/10
Clearspring Organic Wholegrain Rice Cakes
I usually like rice cakes, but these ones had an unusual slightly soapy aftertaste and they also tasted a bit too salty. Luckily, I enjoyed these a lot more with smooth peanut butter, dried apple slices and banana chips on them.
Rating: 5/10 on their own, 7/10 with peanut butter, apple slices and banana chips.
Willy’s.ACV Natural Remedy Apple Cider Vinegar
Since I already have a bottle of apple cider vinegar from a different brand in stock, I decided to give the Willy’s.ACV one to my mother after we spotted a bottle of it in her local Sainsbury’s when I stayed with her in Spring 2024. Upon trying it, my mother thought it was supposed to be good for gut health but it made her stomach feel a bit sore, she found it tasted very strong and it caught her throat a bit.
My mother’s rating: 5/10
Itsu Prawn Crackers Sweet Chilli Flavour
I am not overly keen on sweet chilli, so I gave these to my friend, Susie, who loves sweet chilli sauce and other products with a sweet chilli flavour.
Here is what Susie thought of them:
“Overall, I enjoyed the ‘Itsu Sweet Chilli Prawn Crackers’. They were very light on the tongue, and they were moreish and extremely appetising. I was surprised at the flavour, however, as they more closely resembled a conventional prawn cracker, or perhaps a shrimp flavour, than the advertised ‘Sweet Chilli’, but I wasn’t disappointed, because, personally, I preferred the flavour. They were also much smaller in size than conventional prawn crackers and, therefore, easier to eat.
I would award the product 9/10 overall.”
Calbee Harvest Snaps Sour Cream & Chive Flavour
I’m a big fan of sour cream and chive flavoured snacks. When I tried these however, I was dissatisfied because they tasted a bit like washing up liquid and had a peppery aftertaste despite pepper not being listed in the ingredients. They had more of a sour cream and chive taste after I had finished eating them.
Rating: 5.5/10
Noisy Snacks Crunchy Broad Beans Pulled Pork Flavoured, Crunchy Broad Beans Beef Brisket Flavoured and Air Roasted Peanuts Pickled Onion Flavoured
I had already tried a similar product to the Crunchy Broad Beans (Nudie Snacks Roasted Broad Beans Sour Cream & Chive), so I was intrigued to receive these in the Love Free From box. Despite being suitable for vegans, the Pulled Pork ones had a realistic pulled pork flavour. Although they were a bit dry, I also liked their crunchy texture, hence the brand name Noisy Snacks.
Since trying the Pulled Pork Crunchy Broad Beans, I had ordered some more alongside the Beef Brisket Broad Beans and the Pickled Onion Peanuts where I used a discount code over Easter to get 15% off. At this point, I forgot that I had signed up to get 15% off my first order, but I’m glad I used the Easter discount code.
The Beef Brisket Broad Beans were not quite as strong in flavour as the Pulled Pork ones and were also a bit dry, although I still liked their crunchy texture.
The Pickled Onion Peanuts were nicely roasted and had a realistic pickled onion flavour.
Rating for the Pulled Pork Broad Beans: 9/10
Rating for the Beef Brisket Broad Beans: 7/10
Rating for the Pickled Onion Peanuts: 8.5/10
Jealous Sweets Tropical Wonder
One type of Jealous Sweets I have already tried was their Grizzly Bears, which were very good. I enjoyed these tropical sweets just as much despite not being a grapefruit fan. The flavours were true to life and the sweets had a softer texture than their gelatine-containing counterparts.
Rating: 8/10
Bear Xtreme Sour Strawberry Yo Yos
I already enjoy the original Bear Fruit Yo Yos, so receiving the sour version was very exciting at first. Unfortunately, this excitement didn’t last long because the sourness of the Yo Yos overpowered the sweet strawberry flavour that I was expecting. Despite this, I liked the fact that the Yo Yos came with a free collectible card.
Rating: 5/10
Nākd Cashew Cookie Bar
My favourite variety of Nākd bar is the Cocoa Orange one. The Cashew Cookie variety was rather bland. Despite the ingredients saying there are 51% cashew nuts and 49% dates, I could taste the dates more to begin with but I could taste the cashew nuts afterwards.
Rating: 7/10
Deliciously Ella Apple & Raisin Oat Bar
I have already tried these bars, so I was content to receive one in my box. Like with the Just Live a Little granola, the most prominent flavour is cinnamon, but I can still taste the tangy apple bits.
Rating: 8.5/10.
Tribe Choc Raspberry Triple Decker Bar
This bar had three distinctive layers: a granola base, a peanut butter middle and a chocolate top. The most prominent flavour was raspberry, which overwhelmed the tastes of the peanut butter and the chocolate.
Rating: 7/10
Angelic Safetylicious Chocolate Chip Oat Square
One Angelic product I had already tried was their Double Chocolate Cookies and they were actually very good for gluten-free and vegan cookies. Unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed with this square because it mostly tasted like an average flapjack and I could barely taste the chocolate chips here.
Rating: 6/10
Wibble Forest Fruits Jelly
I had not had jelly for a long time, so I was initially excited to receive this box. It had a strong forest fruits aroma when I made it up and had that same taste when I first tried it, but it soon tasted bland with an earthy aftertaste. One positive point of this jelly was that it set very quickly.
Rating: 7/10
Final Verdict
While I was initially pleased with the selection of products in my first box, most of them were rather average when I tried them. My favourite product was the Noisy Snacks Pulled Pork Crunchy Broad Beans and my least favourite was the Bear Xtreme Sour Strawberry Yo Yos. Despite finding most of the products average, I still look forward to receiving future boxes and trying new products.
I liked being able to tick what brands I liked and repurchased and cross what brands I didn’t like as much and didn’t repurchase.
Overall rating including those from Susie and my mother as well as those for the Noisy Snacks Beef Brisket Broad Beans and the Noisy Snacks Pickled Onion Peanuts: 105.5 – 107.5/130
You can watch the unboxing video below:
Disclaimers: This is not a sponsored blog post. All opinions expressed are my own apart from my mother’s opinion of the Willy’s.ACV Natural Remedy Apple Cider Vinegar and Susie’s little review of the Itsu Sweet Chilli Prawn Crackers.
All photography is my own unless otherwise stated.
List of brands included in the March 2024 box
stompgal87.blog 