I love a good delivery box, one that is well thought out, contains quality products and those that you might not necessarily be able to get from your local supermarket. That’s part of the fun of the growing market that is the subscription service boxes: throwing in some of your recognisable favourites coupled with a few surprises, introducing you to newer brands or things to try that you might not have come across before. Delivered straight to your door, getting a package full of treats is exciting, right?
Let’s say hello to The Cereal Club, a newly launched premium ‘cereal by post’ subscription service aimed at health conscious consumers who want variety and convenience at breakfast time. I don’t know about you, but breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and the one which I feel I have most excitement and inspiration for – but it’s nice to be offered the chance to try something new.
What I like about The Cereal Club is it’s traditional, family-run background based in North Yorkshire where I’m originally from. All the mixes are produced in small batches, with an emphasis on using only wholesome ingredients combined with superfoods like linseeds and chia seeds, then portioned out to make it easier for subscribers to manage their daily calorie intake. As it says on one of the cute cards as part of the delivery:
I couldn’t tell you how many calories are in my usual breakfast but I think it’s a little less (I like to eat little and often), but it’s useful to know so you can then base your meals around this number if you’re conscious of calorie intake.
So let me take you through the box and how it works: Subscribers sign up via The Cereal Club website and for a bi-weekly fee of £11.99, you receive 10 portioned bags of cereal (one for each week day) and sent out to your chosen address in the UK. You receive tips on how to make an amazing breakfast with complimentary recipes and topping suggestions, plus a reusable plastic ‘kilner jar’ to take your cereal on the move with you (this is included in the first package after sign up). Note that subscription can be paused or cancelled at any time as there is no contract – phew!
£11.99 every two weeks might sound pretty pricey – especially when you have to buy the additional ingredients like almond or coconut milk (depending on your preference), fruits, nuts and seeds to jazz your cereal packets up. However each time The Cereal Club sends out a new mix they will be including a small gift from another brand they love, like a tea sample or healthy snack.
Plus I guess you’re paying for the luxury of convenience, uniqueness and high quality ingredients – as founder, Samuel Leather says: “The Cereal Club ethos is to create a quality product and service which offers something unique from what is currently available in the breakfast cereal market, both in terms of product and convenience.”
Did I like what arrived in my sample box? I’m won over by any kind of kilner jar, so immediately liked that touch, along with the postcards encouraging social media interaction. It’s a shame that I couldn’t have the Cacao Overnight Oats because of the inclusion of wheat flakes *sad face* but here’s what I thought of the other two, and how I used them:
ACAI & COCONUT PORRIDGE
Ingredients: Porridge oats, organic acai powder, desiccated coconut, chia seeds, cinnamon
As you can see from the ingredients, very clean and no nasty sweeteners or sugars. I’m all about bulking out a dish with fruits and veggies so I feel like I’m eating more without adding too many calories, so I added half a grated courgette while cooking in my favourite The Coconut Company coconut milk on the hob for about 10 minutes. This adds a delicious natural sweetness and is a great dairy-free option – but you could use whatever milk you want.
Because the weather is so nice at the moment, I’m all about chilled breakfasts so I made this the night before, allowed it to cool, then kept in the little pot in the fridge, so in the morning it was ready to grab straight after my workout. Topped with raspberries, a sprinkling of Kaizen Living cacao nibs and a drizzle of Choc Shot (honestly if you’ve not tried it, you’re missing out), this left me feeling satisfied and full for the morning. You may want to add a little vanilla extract or stevia/coconut sugar to sweeten, but other than that, I enjoyed this one.
PISTACHIO & GOJI BERRY GRANOLA
Ingredients: Jumbo oats, pistachio kernals, goji berries, coconut flakes, coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon
Again, great to see only natural, unrefined ingredients used in the list unlike so many other ‘healthy’ *ahem” breakfast cereals out there, which puts me off massively. Crunchy, the right level of sweetness and packed with a generous amount of the dried fruits and nuts, I actually ate one of the packets alone as a snack!
Another way I used it was as a topping for a beetroot, banana, pineapple and spinach smoothie, whizzed up with coconut water and Kaizen Living acai berry powder. A delicious crunchy addition which again, satisfied my sweet tooth and kept me going until lunchtime.
OVERALL VERDICT
The ingredients and inclusion of superfoods gets a big thumbs up from me. I think The Cereal Club is definitely a good option for those who lead super busy lifestyles and don’t have the time or inspiration when it comes to creating a good breakfast. Ideal for travelling and on the go, some may think the cost is a little pricey, but you won’t be disappointed with the quality and health focus of the ingredients. I personally prefer to make my own breakfasts, but it’s a nice novelty to have and the option available from a good quality service such as this one.