Reviewed by
Caroline
When I received my first La Gourmet Box I was excited to open it up and was surprised by the weight of the box itself, and also that it had only taken a few days to be transported from France. La Gourmet Box offers a wonderful selection of French or Spanish food and drink all ready packed and boxed and the beauty is you can opt to buy as a one off or a gift, or you could subscribe to receive a monthly box to enjoy.
Each of the boxes which are ordered are lovingly put together by Anais and Benjamin the founders of La Gourmet Box, and you can tell they have a passion for good food and wine as every detail is catered for and the presentation is excellent. I like the understated nature of the box which the hors d’oeuvres were delivered in, and once opened it was good to see that all the components were carefully packed to ensure there were no breakages in transit. Having such a great interest in food and wine, Anais and Benjamin ensure that every addition to each of the gourmet boxes have been personally tested and approved before they make the cut to the final boxes. This gives you the chance to sample authentic and very high quality food and wine from either France or Spain depending on your choice, and this really set’s this foodsubscription service apart from the rest, and gives you a wonderful way to sample real tastes of France or Spain in the comfort of your own home.
What a luxury subscription to have arriving every month and if you are searching for an extra special food box to start or perhaps gift to someone special – this is a wonderful place to begin. Our box was the hors d’oeuvres box and straight away I thought it would be a really lovely idea for a special picnic with a loved one or a thoughtful gift to a real foodie. I already have an idea who I could gift one to this year as one of my close friends is a head chef in a prestigious London restaurant and would love the authenticity of the contents, likewise my mum who likes to sample different foods which you can’t readily buy in the usual stores and supermarkets, and this is another reason this food subscription service is so unique as it offers specially selected authentic items that you just can’t find in any UK shops or stores.
The day after the hors d’oeuvres box was delivered we settled down to sample the contents and really made it something of a special meal. Having the wine and array of hors d’oeuvres gave us a sumptuous feast and this really is a favourite way to eat of mine, lots of little tasty food items with a bottle of wine especially chosen to complement the food. I will go through the contents of the hors d’oeuvres box which we received but i’m sure that each box will have a different array of items dependant on the time of the year, availability and of course the specific choice by Anais and Benjamin.
We enjoyed the 2014 bottle of Sancerre (Domaine Bailly Reverdy) which went beautifully with all the contents, and the savoury almond croquets and goats cheese (Le Croquet De Charost) we tried with all the spreads. The Tapenade (Le Voyage De Mamabe) was made with black olives, olive oil, capers, a garlic and spices and this was a real favourite of mine and was also really good on toast and in a salad. Organic chestnuts, goats cheese, sweet onions and cream (Le Berger Cueilleur Chataignade Cevenole) make the spread so tasty on bread or the savoury coquets supplied. Grain fed pigs are the source of the sausage meat spread (Rillettes De Tours Cuites Au Feu De Bois) and the spread has a really distinctive smoky flavour from the sausages being baked over a wood fire. The whole duck fois gras (Biraben Foie Gras De Canard Entier Du Sud-Ouest) was a real treat and totally authentic and a classic French dish which was a pleasure to sample and tasted wonderful with some french bread we had bought especially.
The hors d’oeuvres box wouldn’t be complete without a quality salami and the all natural ingredients in the Saucisson Sec is just delicious and a world away from any that I have tried in the UK. Lastly the coarse salt ( Fleur De Sel) was a perfect accompaniment to all the savoury elements and to finish the hors d’oeuvres with a sweet note the caramelised and slightly salty coated walnuts are really delicious ( L’attelier De Clisson Noix Du Perigord Caramelisees) and a lovely sweet ending to the array of hors d’oeuvres. I mustn’t omit the little extras in the box that are very charming and essential for a meal for two, the corkscrew/bottle opener, wooden knives, napkins and a sweet little ‘cheers’ on a long cocktail stick which is personal and a lovely touch. Not too mention the personalised hand written note and postcards that make this food box feel as if it were curated especially for you as a gift.
By Evelyn 
