Reviewed by
Caroline
This month’s delivery of the delicious La Gourmet Box was from the West of France in Finistere-Brittany and with ten delicacies from the region to sample this month proves to be a sensational journey of the senses. If you are new to La Gourmet Box it is a foodie subscription box curated by its founders AnaIs and Benjamin who are passionate about curating authentic French regional food and drink for subscribers to enjoy. Not only do La Gourmet Box supply French food and drink boxes but they also have Spanish boxes available on their website to try out.
Each individual item included in the subscription boxes are hand selected by Benjamin and Anais for their perfect placement in the regional boxes, so much thought has gone into ensuring you experience the authentic taste of the French or Spanish region and that’s what makes this food box so very unique. You can choose to have a one off box or subscribe to a six month subscription and prices start from €45. I feel they make a wonderful gift for a foodie friend as well as enjoying yourself. The premium element to each month’s surprise delivery makes the box feel that extra bit special and the locally sourced farmhouse food and drink products are like no other I have tried in the UK. If you are looking for a tasty sample of authentic France or Spain, with local food and drink products showcasing the best of each province then this is the box for you.
On to this month’s taster box and I received the Finistere-Brittany Gourmet Box which displayed an array of food goods from the Western province to enjoy and is €54.00 Firstly I must talk about the delivery of the box, it’s fast and efficient from point of sale and each item is very carefully wrapped and boxed to ensure you have no breakages in transit. Ready and waiting for you to unwrap and enjoy the contents, perfect for two in fact there was more than enough for the two of us and we enjoyed it over two days.
First out of the box was the Finisterrae Semi-Sec Artisanal Cider 2015 75cl from an artisan producer in the Crozon peninsular a beautifully both sweet and bitter cider which is perfect with many dishes and ideal pairing with cheese. What a treat to sample a bottle of cider from the family run Rozavern house, we thoroughly enjoyed the cider with all the components of the Gourmet box.
Pasta is such an underrated dish and the Natural Black Tagliatellines 200g are sure to make a spectacular difference to a mid week meal. The pasta is naturally coloured with squid ink and made with semolina flour, and has the rustic charm of delicious handmade pasta. Such a different way to enjoy a pasta dish famous in the region.
The Jar Of Limpet And Razor Clam Persillade 90g is based on a traditional Breton recipe and the blend of garlic, oil, parsley, limpets and razor clams offer an easy to spread creamy mousse which is equally a culinary sensation as an accompaniment to any meal or as an appetiser. We enjoyed it as an appetiser with the Jar Of Scallop Rillettes With Rock Samphire 90g which was inspired by the beautiful Westerly surroundings of the Atlantic sea. The soft paté was just delicious with the Crisp Mini Toasts With Dried Algae 58g and the crisp and tasty mini toasts made such a perfect start to the meal. It is such an original marine taste and very refreshing to find something so different to enjoy as an appetiser.
Next is a product that will last you a lot longer, Dried Aromatic Marine Herbs : Sea Lettuce 30g which is harvested locally by hand at high tide, washed in sea water and dried naturally before being cut and packaged. You can use it in so many different ways to add a natural marine flavour to dishes, simply sprinkling on top of food is as easy as it gets and tastes delicious. You can also add it to sauces and spreads and cook into dishes but we found it tastes amazing simply sprinkling over a dish of food.
The Vintage Sardines In Organic Olive Oil 115g are the last savoury item in the box and are so charmingly presented in an authentic retro tin. The family run business has been operating since 1893 and flavour and tradition are close to their hearts. This is so apparent in the fresh tasting sardines in extra virgin olive oil which can be eaten alone or on toast, or however you choose – such a delicious change and not like any other I have tried.
The Caramel And Dark Chocolate Chip Breton Palets 40g are artisan Breton biscuits based on a traditional recipe, known regionally as a speciality to Breton households which is no surprise as they have a homemade deliciousness about them. Another biscuit treat in the box was the Breton Galettes Made With Beurre De Baratte 40g and have the same traditional homemade quality as the Palets. Served at breakfast time or tea time they are quite delicate and full of flavour.
Lastly the Carabon Jar Of Salted Butter Caramel Cream 110g is an artisan discovery which tastes sweet, rich and decadent and is perfect with ice cream, cake or even the biscuits included in the Gourmet Box. The caramel is made in the traditional way and is very concentrated so a little goes a long way, beautiful on many sweet dishes and we found it to be amazing with grilled bananas.
Another delicious discovery box from La Gourmet Box and yet again I am astounded that they can offer their customers so much for the price, I feel it’s amazing value for money. As with all the boxes I have sampled the authentic tastes and original local produce shines through and you really can feel the love and care that Benjamin and Anais put into curating each regional box, it’s a pleasure to receive and enjoy and I feel that is their brand aim. If authenticity in a food box is something you are looking for the Gourmet Box has it all for you and with so many regional boxes to choose from you will be spoiled for choice. Another wonderful selection from the La Gourmet Box team.
By Evelyn 
