Overview
This blog post is up later than planned due to not getting around to upgrading my blog plan for a while. I have also had a lot of work on with the neurodivergent social enterprise I create content for and I have been busy preparing for an exciting new chapter in my life.
I have since cancelled my Love Free From subscription (my last box was the July 2025 one), but I will continue to publish the backlog of blog posts as and when I can.
Although this month’s box didn’t seem to mark a particular occasion, it had the following recipes in its leaflet:
- Curry Flatbreads
- Teriyaki Beans on Toast
- Custard Toast
While these recipes sound very intriguing, I didn’t get around to trying them.
Here are the products I received in the August 2024 Love Free From Box:
Schär Gluten-Free Mini Calzone Bites
I received a coupon to get £1.50 off a box of these in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons or Waitrose. I purchased them in Tesco.
Although I mostly eat lactose-free cheese (I am not sure if I am lactose intolerant or not but lactose-free products are easier on my stomach), I thought I would make an exception and try these mini calzone bites for the purpose of this blog post.
Upon buying these, it said there were 9 in the box. When I opened the box, I actually saw there were 10 inside (I didn’t get to photograph all 10 of the mini calzone bites).
The mini calzone bites were quite crispy on the edges with plentiful stretchy mozzarella and a rich tomato sauce. The tomato sauce overpowered the taste of that of the mozzarella.
One way I ate some of these mini calzone bites was with some vegetable crudités and quarter of a Sandwich Sandwich gluten-free coronation chicken sandwich.
I ate some more mini calzone bites with some turmeric and garlic rotis that I made with The Panda Pantry Co. Tumeric & Garlic Roti Mix that I have also reviewed in this blog post.
Rating: 9/10
The Panda Pantry Co. Turmeric & Garlic Roti Mix
I have always been intrigued to try rotis, so I was excited when I received this kit.
I made the roti mixture according to the packet’s instructions although I found that I needed to add a bit more coconut milk. Because I didn’t roll the rotis in between 3 sheets of baking parchment/greaseproof paper, they looked quite rustic. I baked my first rotis in the oven alongside the Schär Gluten-Free Mini Calzone Bites. The rotis cooled down quickly and had a doughy texture.
Although the roti mix appears to be unavailable as of November 2025, I found a recipe for Garlic & Turmeric Panda Flour Roti on The Panda Pantry Co. website.
When I ate the rotis, the most prominent flavour was cumin, although I could taste the garlic in my throat.
As above, I ate the first rotis with some Schär Gluten-Free Mini Calzone Bites. I feel that I could have eaten these with some salad to balance them out more.
I made my second lot of rotis into roti sandwiches with lactose-free Cheddar cheese, bear-shaped turkey sausage slices and red pepper from a jar. Before I fried my rotis instead of baking them, I added some xanthan gum and gluten-free flour to make them easier to roll out. Frying them was a bit disastrous because they stuck to the pan a bit, but they still tasted delicious with the cheese, the turkey sausage slices and the pepper.
My second attempt at making my cheese, turkey sausage and pepper rotis was more successful than my first.
Rating: 8/10
That’s it’s Apple + Blueberries Bar
While I liked the chewy yet soft texture of this bar, I thought it tasted more of apples than blueberries.
Rating: 8/10
Proper Chips Salt & Vinegar Lentil Chips
After having received some Proper Corn (which I donated to a food donation point) in a previous box, I was pleased to receive these Proper Chips Salt & Vinegar Lentil Chips in this month’s box.
I could only find 2 chips that were intact because the rest of them must have got crushed in transit while I was travelling from London to Newport or Newport to Swansea and back to Newport.
Although these lentil chips had the classic salt and vinegar taste we all know and love, they had a slight aftertaste of lentils. They were also a bit dry in texture and burnt my lips and tongue a bit.
Rating: 8/10
Nojo Sesame Sauce
I use sesame oil in Eastern Asian-inspired dishes, so I thought this would be a great alternative.
I used this sauce with rice noodles with peanut butter and frozen stir-fried vegetables and Sarah Howells’s (AKA The Gluten Free Blogger) Chicken Noodle Soup. Even though the sauce’s most dominant flavour was sesame, it complemented both dishes very well.
Rating: 8/10
Vive Fruity Nutta Jaffa Orange
I had already tried this bar when I bought it along with other varieties of Vive bar at the 2024 Allergy & Free From Show.
The bar has a lovely orange jam centre and quite a strong hazelnut flavour despite hazelnut not being listed in the ingredients.
Rating: 8/10
BFree Gluten Free Stone Baked White Pitta Breads
This is one gluten-free product I have tried many a time.
Since I intended to publish this blog post over a year late, I can’t remember how I used the pack of pitta breads I received in the box. I will review the product I have purchased myself.
Although this gluten-free pitta bread isn’t quite as good as the Warburtons Gluten Free Soft White Pittas, it is closer to more traditional pitta bread. Upon taking one bread out of the packaging, it was slightly cracked on one side.
I toasted this pitta bread. Although it stayed warm for a little while, it was quite chewy. I ate this pitta bread with some homemade houmous and raita, some cooked chicken and some salad vegetables.
Rating: 8/10
Boundless Sweet Chilli Nuts & Seeds, Eleat High Protein Chocolate Triumph Cereal, Güsto Apple Crisps, The Skinny Food Co. Chip Shop Curry Skinny Sauce and Vow Protein Rocks Salted Caramel Flavour
These are the products I didn’t try because I donated them. I thought the Boundless Sweet Chill Nuts & Seeds and the Güsto Apple Crisps would be too spicy for my liking. I donated The Skinny Food Co. Chip Shop Curry Skinny Sauce because I thought it would have a sickly sweet aftertaste like other The Skinny Food Co. products I had tried.
I also donated the Eleat High Protein Chocolate Triumph Cereal because I thought it was only above-average when I received it in the May 2024 box and I tried it.
As with The Protein Ball Co. Salted Caramel Natural Energy Balls I received in my May 2024 box, I gave the Vow Protein Rocks Salted Caramel Flavour to my parents. I don’t know if they got around to trying them or not, so I can’t give their verdicts in this review.
I also received a flyer for The Plant-It Food Co. despite not receiving any of their products in my box.
Final Verdict
Despite having to donate a few items, I was very pleased with the products I had received in this box overall. My favourite products were the Schär Gluten-Free Mini Calzone Bites and my least favourite product was probably the That’s It Apple + Blueberries Bar. The rest of the products I tried were altogether very good.
Overall rating: 57/110
I have also filmed an unboxing video for this month’s box. I will embed it here when I get around to editing it and uploading it.
Disclaimers
This is not a sponsored blog post. All opinions expressed are my own.
All photography is my own.
List of brands and products included in the August 2024 box
Schär Gluten-Free Mini Calzone Bites
That’s its Apple + Blueberries Bar (USA link – the product is available on various U.K. stockists)
Nojo Sesame Sauce (The packaging has changed since I received this product)
Vive Fruity Nutta Jaffa Orange
BFree Gluten Free Stone Baked White Pitta Breads
Boundless Sweet Chill Nuts & Seeds
Eleat High Protein Chocolate Triumph Cereal
Güsto Apple Crisps (Amazon U.K. link)
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