Suffice to say, life has been super hectic of late; moving house, to another county with a rambunctious child, a whiny I-don't-want-to-sleep baby (what's up with him is anyone's guess) a bouncy dog and two desperate-to-escape cats is NOT recommended. So it's taken me a while to sit down get social (Hi, Twitter, I'm still here!) and write a post or two.
Luckily, the folks over at Ultimate English sent me some delicious fudge to try which has given me a much needed sugar boost to get me through the last few days of moving, unpacking, building flat pack, going to the tip and cleaning, each activity interspersed with the popping of a piece of soft, sweet rich sugary milky goodness (pop! another piece just found its way in).
I was sent four treats to try.
The Totally Luxurious Vanilla and Clotted Cream Fudge, my favourite and currently sat in front of me, is flecked with vanilla seeds and has a pleasingly grainy texture of the fudge I remember eating back in the day. It's also the richest of the four, meaning it's lasted the longest in this household
Up next is the Awesomely Smooth Salted Caramel Fudge which, true to its name, is awesomely smooth in texture with the slightest hint of salt that doesn't totally overwhelm. My mum, a salt hater actually said this was alright; my husband, a salt lover, said it was 'Amazing', only just understood through the mouthful of fudge.
The last fudge, the Simply Marvellous All Butter Fudge is so buttery you could spread it on toast. I wasn't over keen on the texture; somewhere between the grainy Vanilla and Clotted Cream and the smooth Salted Caramel varieties, I needed it to get off the texture-fence. Having said that, the sweet buttery taste, made with 16% pure butter no less, made it a hit with the three year old.
The Ultimate English range scored the most points when I looked at the Best Before Date. November. This year. Brilliant. I bought some fudge not so long ago that went off in over three years. This stuff is meant to contain butter and condensed milk FGS; if it lasts that long, it can't be good for you. If I'm going to be bad and eat loads of sweets, they'd better be natural and not full of E-numbers. Sure enough, the 'I'll last forever and screw your brain' fudge ingredient list started with an E; this fudge? Starts with Sugar, ends with Pure Vanilla extract (with more yummy stuff in between and nothing I don't recognise).
Where can you buy it, and how much for?
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| Totally Luxurious Vanilla and Clotted Cream Fudge |
I was sent four treats to try.
The Totally Luxurious Vanilla and Clotted Cream Fudge, my favourite and currently sat in front of me, is flecked with vanilla seeds and has a pleasingly grainy texture of the fudge I remember eating back in the day. It's also the richest of the four, meaning it's lasted the longest in this household
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| Awesomely Smooth Salted Caramel Fudge |
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| Simply Marvellous All Butter Fudge |
Finally, a non-fudge contender, the Unbelievably Wonderful Coconut Ice. I remember making and tasting coconut ice at school. Urgh. The manky texture, like chewing on blocks of damp sand, overly sweet, not at all coconutty - happily, not at all what you'll find here. I've not had coconut ice since that incident school put me off for life so I'm probably not the best person to review thanks to lack of comparison, but after eating all that fudge, the not-too-sweet coconut flavour and texture really hit the spot. The pink squares were not so pink you worry about what it could do to your stomach lining, just pink enough to make you wonder if that colour would look nice in your downstairs loo (that's a complement, by the way!). I'll buy Coconut Ice again, but only Unbelievably Wonderful Coconut Ice.
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| Unbelievably Wonderful Coconut Ice |
Where can you buy it, and how much for?
You won't find these treats in large chain stores, no siree; these beauties are the preserve of local delis, cafes, farm shops and independent retailers in and around Yorkshire, with over 300 outlets - head to The Ultimate English Website to find your nearest stockist, with prices at £3.99 RRP for a 180g box. Sadly, I couldn't find where to buy it online. Gutted that I scoffed the lot so quickly now that I can't replenish my stores. However, with the brand being only one year old, The Serious Sweet Company are rolling out a plan of sales support for premium independents at venues across the North West for Summer 2015 - so watch this space for your local stockist - Sorry, Londoners!
Share with me - what's your favourite English sweet treat?
Share with me - what's your favourite English sweet treat?
*Ultimate English sent these treats for me to ry and review. All views are my own (and my family's).
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