The Sconnoisseurs

   Lately I've noticed that I seem to be revisiting things I never really liked. I mentioned that I never liked flapjacks as a child because of the oats, but now I love them, I also never used to like nuts and would avoid them at all costs and not eat them at all, and just yesterday I said the words "I love walnuts". And now it seems to be scones. I never used to like them, either, but mostly because I didn't like clotted cream. Which I also now like. It seems I've finally become an adult. Though I still hate coffee. But scones - both sweet and savoury - are new on my list of favourites! They're perfect any time of the day and don't have to be unhealthy, either. It's all about the ingredients, when it comes down to it.

   I also rather love to romanticise little ideas. Such as a little afternoon tea in a box, a convenient little collection of teas, scones, jam and clotted cream - just enough for one light but luxurious afternoon.

   And that is what Sconnoisseur offers. Afternoon tea in a rather flashy box, with some seriously luxurious scones.

   How fabulous is this idea?! It's perfect for if you're having a friend or two over or just relaxing with your partner or taking some time out by yourself! Each gorgeous little Sconnoisseur box contains four traditionally made and freshly baked scones in a variety of sweet flavours from as simple as fruit and lemon & poppy seed to dark chocolate orange and white chocolate & raspberry, as well as two tea pyramids and two tiny jars of preserve, all in flavours of your own choice. The tea is available as earl grey, black tea, English royal and fruit, so there's something for everyone's taste, and the preserve is available in 4 different fruity flavours, too! So the boxes are wonderfully customisable which is a pretty big win - teas are all very different, and preserves are usually very rich in flavour, so being able to choose the flavours and tea-types is quite an important detail that, frankly, would easily be overlooked by most companies. Fortunately, Sconnoisseur was aware of this from the start, and as someone who only drinks fruit and green tea, I'm quite pleased. If there wasn't a choice I think earl grey would have been the default tea choice for all boxes, and that wouldn't really appeal to me at all.

   

   I got some lovely raspberry & white chocolate scones and some rose water scones, and they're gorgeous. Scones can be quite dry, which is, in part, why you have them with clotted cream and/or jam. Think of them like tiny dense sponge cakes! But while I did use the cream and the jam, I didn't smear them in it and bit around the edge first to see if they were as dry as some scones I've had in the past have been. And they weren't! They were actually perfect. But, of course, the jam and cream did make them only better.

   And a note about the white chocolate chunks in the raspberry & white chocolate scones: usually chocolate in these kinds of things gets quite hard and dry and doesn't really resemble chocolate anymore in either taste or texture, but the chocolate in these was nothing like that. The chocolate remains soft and tasted exactly how white chocolate should, which surprised me, if I'm honest. They're truly top-quality scones!

   The tea was gorgeous, too - strawberry & kiwi fruit tea which complemented both scones wonderfully! One bag brewed a good, strong teapot, too, so one standard scone box will serve four easily. The tea also comes with brewing instructions - water temperature and steep time - and the scones also come with a list of ingredients and nutritional information, which is helpful when you count your calories or have allergies.

   The standard boxes contain 4 scones, 2 tea pyramids and 2 fruit preserves and costs £19.99, and the larger boxes contain 6 scones, and 3 tea pyramids and preserves, and costs £22.99, but you can get 10% off with the code club10, and, yes, they ship worldwide. So get yourself some scones for your afternoon get together, sit outside in the sunshine and knock off one of your 30 Days Wild with Sconnoisseur like I did!

Disclaimer: I was sent this product to review by the brand itself. The quantity and precise products sent were their choice, not my own. All opinions and images are my own, and all appropriate research has been done by myself from a range of sources rather than relying entirely on the product's website, especially where health products are concerned. I do not accept a product to review if I do not believe it is safe or worth my own time, regardless of any kind of reimbursement. I trial the products for an appropriate amount of time before writing reviews to check for wear-and-tear on physical items and side effects from edible (be it supplements or food). If I have negative points to voice, I will voice them, and I never, ever accept product reviews or reimbursement on the promise of a positive review. My reviews are and will only ever be honest.