Ethan and I were gifted the Taffy Mail Box for us to try and review. We have thoroughly enjoyed eating / testing all the different items. We have also had fun rating what we loved the best. Our box included a lot of items so I’ve given a breakdown of what we had and our overall review.
2 x Rice Krispie Treat Bars
The Rice Krispie treats were everything that I remembered and more. They took me straight back to my childhood packed lunches and they tasted amazing! The American version is much sweeter than the versions available in the UK but it was definitely one of my favourites in the box. Our local supermarket used to sell the huge slabs which were imported and it was never enough so this was a nice treat.
2 x Hostess Cupcakes (Orange)
Ethan’s verdict on the box was that it was amazing but what six year old wouldn’t say that about a box of sugar and treats! He did say the cupcakes were a little too sweet but he liked them anyway. I’m not a fan of orange items but the cupcakes were very much like a twinkies texture with an orange flavour. They are good for a treat but it’s not something either of us would have all the time for a snack.
Reeses Fast Track Bar
Ethan would live off peanut butter if he could so the Reeses bar was right up his street and he demolished it in about thirty seconds and then asked if I had another one. Reeses is always a winner in our house and I haven’t seen this one in the UK so was definitely a treat for him!
Sea Salt Rocky Road Bar
The rocky road sea salt was an experience as I wouldn’t have put those two items together but it works. It isn’t something I would buy again but that’s because I’m not a huge fan of salt in chocolate. Ethan didn’t want to try this one as he wasn’t keen on the idea of salt. It only works though because it’s dark chocolate probably wouldn’t work so well if it was milk chocolate.
Jiffy Pop
The Jiffy Pop was AMAZING and it reminded me of pretty much every 90s American film I’ve seen. It was such a different way to cook popcorn and not one that is done in the UK markets. Honestly loved it and Ethan enjoyed it despite panicking it was going to burst at various points. We had to do it at my parents due to us not having a gas hob so it was definitely a family experience. It’s something I would love to do over a campfire with Ethan one day as it’s great fun!
Big Red Drink
The Big Red drink is nothing like I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be cinnamon or have a fiery kick but it reminded me of cream soda. I did a bit of research into the product after as found out it is basically known as the American cream soda. I’m not a huge cream soda fan but this one was really nice and actually wasn’t too sweet which surprised me.
Squeeze Cheese
If you have never tried squeeze cheese then you need too. We used to be able to buy it in my local supermarket but they stopped it a good few years ago so this was a trip down memory lane. Ethan loves what he calls fake cheese so this was like all his dreams come true. I find it hard how they can even call it cheese but it does taste weirdly good especially on burgers as we found out. It’s also microwaveable so it’s perfect for nachos!
Sour Jacks, DinoRex Sweets and AppleHeads
We tried the smaller packets of sweets in basically one sitting as we were both just too impatient to wait so the apple heads, dino rex and sour jacks were all mixed into a bowl and sampled from there. Ethan’s face with the sour jacks was a picture as he just didn’t know what to do. (Think of a sucking lemon face). He loved the dino rex sweets a lot so think I will be ordering more of them. It just happened to be his topic at school last term as well so we spent a good ten minutes working out the dinosaur names.
Mini Chips Ahoy Snack Size
The mini chips ahoys I wouldn’t class as American as we get them in Spain but they are still just as tasty and good so we weren’t complaining. They would have been perfect for his lunch box but they were demolished quite swiftly as a pre bedtime snack. He has since requested we get more for when he goes back to school as they are classed as a single serving.
Almond Joy
I find it strange to add almond and coconut together in a chocolate bar but it works in baking so I’ll roll web it. Against the odds it does work well especially with the whole almond on the top layer. It’s not something I would go out of my way to buy but it was an interesting one to try. Ethan said he liked it but he does like coconut more than me!
Swedish Fish
I love Swedish fish but never had such a big box of them! They remind me of the Haribo fish sweets you used to get for 10p each at a school disco! They are so easy to eat and the box didn’t last long! It’s one of my favourites and you can’t get them easily in my area so was 100% a treat!
Now Later Mini Pack (Apple)
The only way I can describe these to someone from the UK is they are like chewits but better. They last longer, the taste is stronger and despite the jaw ache you get from chewing you find yourself munching through the whole packet in minutes. I would of loved a couple of packets of these instead of just one but it was a bonus to find these at the bottom of the box. 25 cents a packet is a bargain too!
Nutter Butter Biscuits
Ethan’s face and my mums when they saw these as both had wanted to try them for so long. I grew up in the 90s so watched a lot of American Tv and these were always talked about. I’m not a peanut fan so left my Mum and Ethan to munch these and they LOVED them. They were full of peanut flavour and the biscuits were apparently not too hard. They smelt amazing but that’s as far as I got to tasting them! I think they both wanted more than the 4 cookies though and were left craving more!
Cheddar Fries by Andy Capps
When I first saw these I wasn’t sure what to make of them. They taste odd and I won’t lie I’m not sure if I like them but I keep eating them! They taste different almost a cross between cheese and onion crisps and sour cream and chive. They are light like chipsticks but have a crunch like a Pringle. Ethan couldn’t decide if he liked them either. They are a very strong flavour but that is because crisps in the UK are quite weak! I wouldn’t be hunting them again though!
The Prices and The Consensus
The box is available in lots of different prices and each one obviously has different products and sizes etc.
The basic box comes in at £7.49 a month and it is more of a sampler which allows you to try 4-5 items but it doesn’t include a drink or any premium items. This to me is good for a little gift for someone or just to tread the water with the subscription before you spend a lot.
The next one up is £14.99 it includes a can of drink and up to 20 American goodies which to me isn’t bad for that price. It also doesn’t include any premium items. Further down the pricing page it explains premium items:
Premium items include the likes of Twinkies and other cakes, American cereal, large packs of Oreo’s and other higher priced items.
So I can understand why they aren’t included in the lower priced boxes and the premium items are pricey. Just to give an example a box a lucky charms in my local supermarket is £5-£6!
The most expensive subscription box comes in at £24.99 but for this price you do receive a lot! You get up to 20 American goodies, at least one can of drink and at least one premium item so the extra spent there means you can receive a lot more!
Overall I think the subscription box is really good and well priced compared to some of the other boxes I’ve seen advertised.
You get a chance to sample foods and sweets that you wouldn’t be able to without going to the USA yourself. I’ve bought American sweets from the stores in London and for £25 you would only get a few items so this does work out fairly on price.
I will definitely be looking into signing up for the medium box and maybe even the larger one in the next few months. We have loved trying the items and can’t wait to sign up!
