As the countdown to Christmas gets underway, a nice hot coffee can be the perfect accompaniment to the cold winter weather. Starbucks, like many popular chains, have reintroduced their festive menu, giving people plenty of options over the holiday season.
New additions this year include a praline hot chocolate, which consists of mocha sauce and steamed milk combined with a variety of sweet and nutty flavours. Another new option is the toffee nut cream cold brew, a drink involving toffee foam with a touch of vanilla.
Returning favourites this year include the eggnog latte, gingerbread latte and the festive feast panini, which consists of turkey, bacon, gravy, sage and onion stuffing and cranberry sauce. I decided to get a mixture to see how much of a difference the festive menu made to Starbucks.
Read more: I tried pigs in blankets from Aldi, Asda and Tesco - and cooked them all in my air fryer to save money
I went with the eggnog latte, pigs under blanket roll, red velvet loaf cake and chocolate tree brownie. A rookie error had already been made by deciding to eat in...
Eggnog latte
£4.60
It doesn’t make a difference in taste, to some people it doesn’t make a difference at all, but my latte came in a lovely mug instead of the red cup. A minor mistake on my own part, but for me, the red cups help add an element of festive charm to the drink.
Whilst I made a mistake in selecting to eat in, I made no mistake with my drinks order. The latte instantly hit me with a perfect amount of sweetness, it was instantly delicious.
Steamed eggnog and signature espresso blended well and the aftertaste carried it on. The aftertaste of nutmeg ended the drink the same way it started, it was joy in a mug and I would recommend it to anyone.
8.5/10
Pigs under blanket roll
£5.30
The pigs under blanket roll consisted of pork sausage, bacon, sage and onion mayonnaise, cheddar cheese and cranberry chutney. If it sounded a bit like a Christmas dinner, it certainly tasted like it.
The main flavours of this hearty roll was not in the meat, it was the stuffing and cranberry which helped make the roll memorable. If you’re a fan of both of these, feel free to try it because those were the most dominating flavours out of everything.
That’s not to say the meat was of poor quality, it did its job in a secondary role well with the texture of the bacon adding an extra crunch. Like with the latte, I would recommend this, but I'm not sure if the price is justified.
7/10
Red velvet loaf cake
£2.50
Not everything is going to be for everyone, and for me the red velvet loaf cake was not a hit. Considering it is returning this year, I’m confused as to why.
A red velvet cake is one of the best cakes around in my opinion, it shouldn’t be bland or dry. But this one was both.
At least the icing cream and sprinkles on top helped save the score from being even lower. It is definitely one I won't be trying again.
At least I had my eggnog latte to get the dryness out my mouth.
4/10
Chocolate tree brownie
£2.40
By this point, I was starting to get full but I’m glad I was able to end it on a high. The chocolate tree brownie looked the part and it did not disappoint.
Textbook flavours of chocolatey goodness and softness is what makes a brownie great - and it was more of the same here. The white chocolate on top to design the tree was a nice touch but it wasn’t as noticeable as the chocolate on the inside unfortunately.
Overall, a solid brownie and one to cap off a mostly enjoyable festive menu.
7.5/10
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