Zoe from Writing Whimsy was one of the first people who mentioned this box to me, and I literally drooled over her blog reviews. This was previously a monthly subscription service, but the supply was so limited, and it was so highly regarded, that there were zero cancellations. Foodie Pages decided to cancel all the monthly subscriptions and change to a one-time-buy monthly box available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so more people could try the box. The box retails for $14.95 including shipping and it goes on sale on (or near) the 1st of every month starting at 12pm eastern time. There are only 50 boxes available each month.
I was lucky enough to snag an August box. Let's take a look to see what was inside!
I love the outer shipping box - the foodie pages stamp and crinkle paper dress up the box in a classy, yet rustic way. Very Canadian! :) The product card is also really well done - well designed and informative.
1. Full of Beans Deluxe Soup Mix
Full of Beans is a company based in Bornholm, Ontario. The deluxe soup mix contains black beans, green lentils, pinto, kidney beans, baby lima, yellow eyes, split peas, romano beans, white beans, and chick peas. I really like beans, and I've already used this beautiful mix to make a yummy soup. Even my hubby (who doesn't normally like beans) enjoyed the soup! :)
I soaked the beans overnight before cooking them, and they swelled up to double their size. I should have done a time lapse video. I know you can't see many of the pretty beans in this soup, so you'll just have to trust me that they're all in there. I added orzo pasta to the soup too... mmmmm!!
2. Manning Canning Spicy Tomato Jam
Manning Canning is based in Toronto, Ontario. The spicy tomato jam was delicious! It tastes like a sweet and flavourful homemade catsup with a hint of spiciness, which kicks the flavour up a notch. We ate the entire jar with roasted potatoes... I was pleasantly surprised when my hubby commented on how tasty it was.
3. Major Craig's Magnificent Mango Chutney
I love chutney, and this one is super delicious! The aroma from the cumin and the sweetness from the mango make me salivate every time I think of this product. Magnificent Mango is Major Craig's (based on Ottawa, Ontario) newest flavour. There are lots of mango pieces in the chutney, and they are super soft and creamy.
4. Feys+Hobbs Number Three Crisps in Sea Salt
Feys+Hobbs is based in Victoria, British Columbia. When I initially tasted the crisps, I was confused because the crisps were not very crispy. I tried one during the unboxing, and I was planning to try another before contacting Foodie Pages but never got around to it. I was surprised (and delighted) when both Erin from Foodie pages and David from Feys+Hobbes contacted me after watching my video to offer to send me another box of crisps! David indicated that when he watched my video, he knew right away that I had received an undercooked batch of crisps due to the colour... I was relieved to hear that only a small batch of crisps was affected. I am happy to report that the replacement box of sea salt crisps were flavourful and crispy!
In addition to the sea salt crisps, David also brought me a box of the Number Three Crisps in the Wheatfree Peppered variety and a container of Chocolate Espresso Almonds. I love the wheatfree peppered crisps - they have a bit of a different flavour to them due to the chickpea flour, but they were SO delicious... I even brought them to work the next day so I could snack on them. It worked out well because I prefer the wheatfree peppered variety and my hubby prefers the sea salt variety. The chocolate espresso almonds are crazy yummy.
5. The Newget Kompany Xpresso Nougat
Oh. My. Goodness. This confection is so delicious! I am a huge chocolate fan and an even bigger nougat fan, so this sweet treat was right up my alley. We received a small sample of the Xpresso Nougat - which contains white chocolate, espresso flakes, cocoa nibs, and roasted almonds. The texture of this product really stood out to me... it was the perfect combination of chocolate with a slight chewiness like nougat. I could have eaten a whole brick of this. The Newget Kompany is based in Edmonton, Alberta.
Overall, I loved my August Tasting Box!! I am so happy I got a chance to try this box, and I was over the moon with the customer service. I really appreciate proprietors who stand behind their products. I also love that this box features all Canadian foodmakers.
I was able to snag a September box, and I've actually already received it; however, my review is going to be extremely delayed as I am leaving for France tomorrow, and I'm very behind with my videos and blog posts. I will be reviewing the September box in early October.
Note: I purchased the August Tasting Box with my own money.
