Beauty And The Beast Afternoon Tea

When my friend asked if I wanted to go to the Beauty and the Beast afternoon tea how could I refuse especially when there was only a few spots left and I knew how hard people were finding it to get spaces but little did I know this wasn't the afternoon tea in London but literally only a 10 minuet drive from my front door at Old Down Manor.

I had been to Old Down Manor previously for a works summer do and the house and the grounds are beautiful and would make the most perfect location for this afternoon tea and saved me money on travelling to London.

It couldn't have been the most perfect afternoon, the weather was perfect and the views across to the seven bridge were beautiful especially sitting in one of the rooms with the big bay windows overlooking.

When we arrived and were invited in to the main room the decorations were beautiful and perfectly themed for the afternoon tee. Not long after we sat down our food was brought out accompanied by a Mrs Potts which was full of tea which was a super cute touch.

The afternoon tea included a range of classic finger sandwiches and scones with jam and cream but that wasn't all they had some super cute theme Beauty and the Beast treats which included a white chocolate and rose dessert, salted caramel chocolate pot, Cogsworth shaped chocolate fudge cake, rose macaroon and a coconut snowball truffle in honour of the classic snow ball fight scene.

Everything that came with the afternoon tea was well presented and tasted amazing, I think my favourite had to be white chocolate and rose dessert there was just something about combination that made it taste beautiful.

After finishing our food we were surprised with a visit from Belle herself, we had seen online she was there select days but had no clue it would be when we were there so that was a great added bonus so we took some photos and later on she even came around and sang for us which was beautiful.

Overall this was an amazing afternoon out and for only £25 per person which was worth the money for the amount you got. I can't compare this to the one in London but in my eyes it was just as good. Over the christmas season they were doing a Frozen themed one so who knows if this year they may come back with some other themed events.

Review: July 2017 DokiDoki Boxie

So this is all very exciting, a new Japanese candy/snack subscription box for me to review this month but you may be wondering is there going to be the usual Tokyo Treat review? Sorry everyone but this month I'm afraid there won't be with the costs of these boxes being £25/£30 each I can't get more than one a month.

So you all must be wondering why I've changed boxes? and who DokiDoki Boxie is? Well the main reason I have decided to give another box ago is because since Tokyo Treat made some changes to they're box for the second anniversary I haven't been 100% convinced.

The first thing that I'm not 100% happy with is that they have replaced 2 to 3 of the bigger items for a pack of 5 smaller items which means we get more snacks in the box but if I am honest I would rather have the bigger snacks. Also they have changed the shape and size of the box although apparently its meant to be bigger it really doesn't look it and because of this I have found the snacks they are providing are of smaller size due to the box difference.

So WHO are DokiDoki Boxie?
Well DokiDoki were a Japanese candy and snack subscription service that provide monthly boxes all the way from Japan direct to you front door.

I said they were a subscription service not because they are no longer doing these boxes but because from the 1st of June they scrapped this and changed it so that you could just order one of the boxes when ever you felt like it rather than being tied down to a plan which I think is great. Instead when a new box is available they let anyone know who has brought one before that a new one is out via email.

Boxes:
Over at Doki Doki Boxie they offer two different boxes for you to choose from the Okashi Box which is snacks and candy and the Anime Box which includes a variety of Anime items.

The Okashi Box which is the one I've gone for comes in two different sizes;

Chibi Box: £20.39

• 15/16 Full Sized Japanese candy and snacks
• Free Shipping Worldwide with tracking number and insurance
• 1 Entry Ticket to Monthly DokiDoki Boxie Raffle
• Downloadable PDF of Snack Description Pamphlet
• Does not include Extra Premium Candy/Snack or Extra Anime/Game item option

Deka Box: £27.42

• 20/21 Full Sized Japanese candy and snacks
• Free Shipping Worldwide with tracking number and insurance
• 1 Entry Ticket to Monthly DokiDoki Boxie Raffle
• Downloadable PDF of Snack Description Pamphlet
• Extra Premium Candy/Snack or Extra Anime/Game item option

I decided to go for the Deka Box as this is a very similar cost to what I pay for my current Tokyo Treat subscription and its only a couple of pounds more. 

What I really liked about this box is that when you put through your order you have the option to choose a DIY kit or another snack which for me is perfect as if you have read my Tokyo Treat reviews you will see that I hated them so its nice to have the option to skip this. With both boxes you also get the option to choose which raffle you would like to be entered in to.

When ordering the Deka box you are also given the option to choose whether you would rather have a premium candy or snack, anime item or a kawaii item included which is another thing I am really pleased about as for me I would rather have the extra snack than an item that would not be any interest to me. 

Items Received:

So usually before I show you the items I have received I would post a photo of the pamphlet that is provided detailing whats inside but from the 1st of June DokiDoki Boxie decided to go paper free and send out a digital download instead which I have taken a photo of and already you can see its jam packed with goodies!

PuchiPuchi Fortune Telling Candy - 5/5

These candies are super cute and super fun to open with each bit on the foil having a different fortune. I originally thought they were chocolate type smarties but they are actually three different flavoured hard candy and so far I haven't picked a bad luck one.

Ikattara - 5/5

This is dried fish covered in some sort of seasoning which is apparently meant to be spicy although I didn't think this at all unless Japanese taste buds are different to ours? These were overly fishy and they smelt it as well but I loved them and they didn't last long.

Pillow Fruit Ramune - 5/5

Ramune Candy? Well thats a win win for me as you know because I love any Ramune styled candy especially the ones that fizz on your tongue and dissolve as well!

Black Thunder - N/A

I actually had one of these in a Tokyo Treat box a few months back and it wasn't really my cup of tea so gave this to my partner to have this time around.

Garibori Ramen - 2/5

Funny thing about these is I opened them and wasn't really all that impressed they kind of tasted a bit bland I thought they may of had a strong flavour but I still ended up eating them!

Mochi-Chan Dango - 5/5

How cute is the packaging for these little mochi's? I have had proper mochi before and they are nothing like the real thing but you get the idea. I think they were all meant to be different flavours but if I'm honest they all tasted the same but still very nice!

One Punch Man Crunky - 3/5

The reason I have given this a lower score is because I thought it was going to be like a white chocolate bar with oreo type cooking pieces which it kind of was but had a very floral taste which I didn't like. I love the packaging for this chocolate bar as its one of my partners favourite shows.

Rich Orange Biscuits - 5/5

These are incredible! They are like these biscuits called Oreo's that we have in the UK but 100% better as the orange filling tastes like Terry's Chocolate and both of these things are my favourite shame I had to share them though :( or they need to put more in the box ha!

Hiyashuwa Ramune Candy - 5/5

More ramune you say? These are hard soda flavoured candies that all have slightly different textures and one random watermelon flavoured one as well. I do love hard candies but I wish these were chewy sweets instead.

Cream Collon Lemon - 3/5

I usually HATE anything that is lemon flavoured food wise not drink wise but I don't know what it is but I just don't like the taste. When I opened these there was an over powering citrus smell but the taste wasn't that strong at all. I still think these will be something i'll give to my partner but they aren't as bad as I thought.

Texas Corn (Potage) - 5/5

When I first had a cream potage snack over at Tokyo Treat I had no clue what so ever what it was but it tasted AMAZING! When I saw these included in the box it was one of the first things I dived in for although I'm not sure where the Texas corn bit comes from?

Umaiwa (Takoyaki) - 5/5

So apparently these are Takoyaki and Octopus flavour? They taste more of the Takoyaki flavour than octopus and aren't very fishy which is great not that it would have been an issue as I don't mind the fishy flavoured things. I love corn based snacks and looking at the back of the packet there is so many of them to try so hopefully we shall get some more in another box.

 Wasabeef - 5/5

These crips are to die for, there is just something so nice about Japanese crisps the texture and flavour of them. These ones are beef and wasabi flavoured which I wasn't sure I was going to like but was I wrong. I can't really taste much beef more of the strong wasabi flavouring.

Bino (Salted) - 3/5

I was a little sceptical trying these only because I've had so many of these snacks in the UK and they are something I wouldn't buy as a snack for myself. These actually tasted really nice and completely different to the versions we get here in the UK. They weren't really salted but more soy sauce flavoured.

Torotto Chocolate - 5/5

So this was my snack I was given instead of having the DIY kit which I've actually had before and these taste as good as I remember. They are pretty much just brownie bites but not very gooey like it shows on the packet but very chocolatey and yummy.

Veggie Taberu - 5/5

I wasn't sure I was really going to like these as they are corn puffed vegetable flavoured crisps but actually I really loved these although I couldn't tell what the flavours were exactly. I love that they were also heart shaped which was really cute.

PukaPuka Tai (Strawberry) - 2/5

I've had the chocolate versions of these a few times now in different variations but I have to admit the Strawberry one was not one of my favourites when you opened the packet it smelt really strong but the taste was very artificial and a fake strawberry taste that fut me off.

Bisuko (Fermented Butter) - 5/5

These taste so good kind of like sweet and salty and as my partner put it like a ritz biscuit but sweet with a yummy creamy centre. Not sure what it means by its fermented butter? but it tasted amazing anyways and probably won't google it to see what it means!

Super Ottotto Umashio - N/A

I haven't opened these this time around as these were included in a Tokyo Treat box a couple of months ago. If I recall rightly I did like them but they weren't my favourite. 

Gudetama Custard Choco - 5/5

These have to be one of my favourite items within the box and also my premium treat for this month and the bag is huge and filled to the brim. I love that these are a mix of white and milk chocolate although you may think the white chocolate would be runny its not its solid chocolate.

I love Gudetama and think the packaging is really cute even the wrappers on the chocolate as well have different egg faces. 

Wow! What a box this has truly been filled to the brim with a huge variety of snacks and candy all the way from Japan. My first impressions of this box just from looking at the snack sheet was incredible then to actually received and open the box was even better. 

The box itself is of a decent sized and not one gap is left empty. As mentioned above what I love is the choices you can make when selecting your box whether to have extra treats or DIY kits or a special item. The only thing that I feel is missing is a drink and its a shame you can't pay an extra couple of pounds to get one included. 

I love that the box included so many different packets of crips or corn based snacks and that there was still loads of variety. 

Comparing this to the changes Tokyo Treat have made this year I have to be honest I would rather buy this box moving forward even my partner agrees that there is way more being included in this one and less in Tokyo Treat. Even though I have a £5 off code for Tokyo Treat this box would only be £2 more and if I didn't have the code this box it would actually be cheaper and better value for money.

So overall I would give this box a 9/10 only because I feel a drink option would make it better otherwise its better value for money, a bigger box, more variety and more treats included. 

I won't be buying another now until the end of September as I have a few busy months coming up so you can expect to see another Doki Doki review in October!

Thank you for reading. I purchased this with my own money and was NOT paid to review this by Doki Doki Boxie.

Review: June 2017 Tokyo Treat Box

So this months box is full of snacks that are perfect to be enjoyed when its raining outside as this months theme is Rainy Day Snacks although for me I will eat any snack what ever the weather hehe.

For once I've been really excited about receiving my box this month as I've seen some spoilers of the treats included and they look awesome especially the DIY kit. I've been a bit unsure since they changed the boxes and replaced two of the bigger items with a pack of smaller treats but we shall see.

As always here is a photo of the outside and the inside of the booklet they provide which details all the items included within the box in English, because if you are like me and cannot read Japanese then this is a great help.

Items Received:

Dagashi Bag/Wagashi: 
I think this actually has to be one of my favourite Dagashi bags so far as this month as there were more of a variety of treats rather than them being all savoury.

Main Box:
Chip Star Mild Salt (5/5)
These are essentially Japanese versions of Pringles but these tasted so much better that's for sure as they were a mild salt flavour rather than a really salty flavour like ready salted crisp are like in the UK.

Super HimoQ - Grape and Muscat Flavour (5/5)
We have actually had one of these in a previous box but it was Cola and Ramune flavoured but this time it was two different flavours of grape. I love Grape gummy sweets and the fact that it was really long was awesome.

Marble Chocolate (5/5)
Japanese version of Smarties here over in the UK apart from some of these had cute pictures on and the packet included a cool little sticker.

Shimi Choco Corn Soft Cream (5/5)
We have had these before in a chocolate flavour but in this box they were a soft cream flavour which kind of reminded me of vanilla ice cream. Only thing that disappointed me was the fact that back was barley full compared to the last time we had these the bag was mostly air.

Chocobi Space Parfait (5/5)
I wasn't 100% sure if I was going to actually like these they are corn puff star shaped snacks that come in a variety of fruit flavours but actually these tasted really nice although I couldn't quite tell what the different flavours were as they all tasted the same as there was no colour difference to help make out which one was which.

Mix Fruit Soda Ramune Candies (5+)
By now you should all know that anything ramune flavour will always get a big thumps up from me. I really liked the design of this packet because they made it to look like a little bottle of drink. These were 3 different flavours of candy and my favourite had to be the strawberry one.

Black Thunder Kaki No Tane (5/5)
Everybody always raves about these Black Thunder bars but after my first experience with one of these that tasted awful I was a little skeptical to try this one. After checking what flavour this one was I decided to give it a go and it tasted amazing better than whatever the first one I had was.

This flavour contained small pieces of salty pretzel which was really yummy mixed in with the chocolate and rice puffs.

Porippy Spice Peanuts (5/5)
These reminded me of Nobby's Nuts here in the UK with they're crunchy outside shell and peanut in the middle. They weren't over the top spicy but they did have a kick to them, I really like the pattern on the outside of the shell. Its nice to actually have some nuts in the box as since I've been subscribed something like this has never been included.

Pie No Mi - Pablo Cheesecake flavour (5/5)
I love these little pastry pies as they are so cute and small but still flaky like pastry. The first time I tried these were in Matcha flavour but these ones were based on a really popular Pablo Cheesecake flavour but if I am honest even those these ones still tasted amazing they didn't really have what I would call a strong cheesecake flavour to them.

Shinchan Puri Puri Pudding (N/A)
I haven't got around to do doing this DIY candy kit yet although I am hoping this one will be easy enough to do ... famous last words!

Kit Kat Sakura Kinako (5/5)
I have been loving all the Kit Kats that have been included in the last couple of boxes! Its meant I have been able to try loads of flavours that aren't available over her in the UK as we only have a few variations compared to the tones they have in Japan you wait till I come back next year hehe.

These had a very subtle Sakura flavouring to them but it tasted very creamy with a hint of caramel to it.

Tropicana Sakura Peach Taste (5/5)
After the last few fruity drinks that have been included in these boxes have tasted awful I wasn't really please to see yet another Sakura mixed drink had been included. Although I should have known with it being Tropicana it was going to taste lovely so I take back what I said.

I think because it was peach mixed with raspberries and cherries it wasn't over the top floral like the previous drinks have been like and was very refreshing.

One Piece Multi Colour Pen
Not a massive fan of One Piece but I won't complain at having another pen as you can never have enough of them. Although I am going to cut the strap of the top as it just gets in the way.

I've actually really enjoyed this months box compared to the last two since the change maybe because the variety of snacks have been different and not savoury heavy. July's theme is Beach Party so I am expecting some fruity flavours and hopefully some more gummy candy.

If you would like to read any of my Tokyo Treat reviews from 2016 then please click on the "Tokyo Treat" or "2016" labels in the labels column on the side.

Thank you for reading. I purchased this with my own money and was NOT paid to review this by Tokyo Treat.

Review: May 2017 Tokyo Treat Box

Only feels like yesterday that I received my April box due to the delays and bank holidays last month but here we are back to normal with my May box arriving within two weeks which is brilliant as it's given me plenty of time to write this post without rushing like last month.

As always here is a photo of the outside and the inside of the booklet they provide which details all the items included within the box in English, because if you are like me and cannot read Japanese then this is a great help.

With this months theme being Spring Fever the box is full of spring treats that are currently available for the season in Japan. I had seen some spoilers for this months box which included 2 limited edition KitKats which I was super excited to try as Japanese KitKats are amazing.

Items Received:

Dagashi Bag/Wagashi: 
I am still a little to unsure on these bags that are now included although it is a great way to try some of the smaller Dagashi penny snacks. This months box had a great variety of choice but I would like to see some more candy in them rather than mostly savoury.

Also it would be good if they could still tell you what the treats are included in these bags.

Main Box:

Caramel Corn - Light Soy Sauce (Replaces Baby Star Panmen Olive and Salt) (5+)
Due to a potato shortage issue in Japan at the moment they have had to replace two items from with in the boxes for peoples boxes that are sent later in the month rather than earlier but I am not disappointed with the changes at all as I LOVE CARAMEL CORN! Even though I was little wary of the Soy Sauce flavour these tasted nothing like it and were amazing!

Shake Shake Yogurty Fruit Gummies (5/5)
I love it when they include gummies in the box and these were great fun as you had to shake a powder over the top to make them become yogurty. The powder didn't really taste of yogurt at all it kind of had a hint of ramune flavouring but it wasn't very strong and tasted amazing with and without the added powder.

KitKat Baked - Butter Cookie Flavour (5/5)
We decided to try these out both ways with there being 3 in a box. First we split one between us to try it not baked in the oven and it didn't really taste of all that much if I am honest it had a very bland creamy taste to it.

Although we have yet to toast this yet but I will update you once we have.

Melonpan Mini Cookies (5/5)
I cannot wait to get to Japan next year and try Melonpan properly but these little cookies gave me an insight in to what to expect when I do try it. Its a shame that they didn't make these soft like other bread type snacks we've seen before but they were still very yummy.

Pocky Mild Milk Cocoa (5/5)
The packaging on this Pocky is so cute and also seems to be associated with some sort of project that is going on in Asia looking at the back of the packet, It is defiantly a very mild cocoa flavour that is for sure but still tastes yummy all the same.

Waraku No Sato Yokan (2/5)
I was actually surprised at how bad this didn't taste if I am honest. When I picked it out the box it was very squishy and as I haven't tried red bean paste like this before I wasn't to sure. I'm not going to say that I would buy one of these if I had the choice or finish the one I do have but it tasted ok actually.

Taiyaki Chocolate Monaka (5/5)
I've had so many variations of these wafer chocolates in previous boxes and they all taste equally as good as the other. There is just something about the chocolate in these that taste amazing not sure what it is but the bubbly milk chocolate tastes so creamy and moose like.

Doraemon Chocolate Puffs (Replaces Doraemon Chocolate Snack) (5/5)
Another replacement due to the shortage. Even though I would have liked to have tried the other Doraemon snack I am happy enough with theses, at first I though it was a dipping pot but then realised it wasn't. These remind me of Malteasers but slightly different in texture.

Nectar Peach and Cherry Blossom Juice (0/5)
Now I was really looking forward to trying this out because we have had the Nectar Peach drink in a can before and it tasted delicious so I thought that this would be the same just with an added cherry blossom flavour but I was wrong it had an awful tang to it and kind of tasted like tea? Not really sure how to put it any other way but yes this was a wasted drink to us.

Hana Kappa DIY Gummy (Fail)
We all know by now that I HATE DIY kits unless they are easy and this one was just too much faffing around so didn't bother finishing it off.

Gochi Kiwi Gummy (3/5 then down to 1/5)
So you may have asked why my score changed? Well when I originally opened these I thought they were ok but not brilliant and would probably eat them anyways bur after me and my partner read the description of the product and googled what Collagen was after it saying it contained 350 grams of it I was put off haha him not so much so he can have the rest of these.

Calimero Mobile Phone Strap (0/5)
Such a lower score for this mobile phone strap and the reason being is I have know clue who this little guy is plus I have no use for a phone strap as you don't really put them on phones anymore. I know I could use this as a key ring but I see no point as I don't know the show although it is very cute.

KitKat Winter Edition Everyday Luxury (5/5)
Why are Japanese KitKat's so small? They taste amazing but they need to be bigger. These were individually wrapped which made it easier to share and out of the two I preferred the dark flavour more even though I love white chocolate but it tasted very fragrant.

With this being my second box since the new changes were made I am still a little unsure about one thing and that is the Dagashi Bag/Wagashi bags that are included. Only reason being is I would prefer two bigger snacks rather than 5 smaller ones.

I love new design of the box as it makes a great background and also the size of the box makes it easier to get a photo of all the snacks where as the old one was a lot taller.

If you would like to read any of my Tokyo Treat reviews from 2016 then please click on the "Tokyo Treat" or "2016" labels in the labels column on the side.

Thank you for reading. I purchased this with my own money and was NOT paid to review this by Tokyo Treat.