Mantry is a subscription box that describes itself as “the modern man’s pantry.”
Each month they ship gourmet food items in their signature wooden crate.
Mantry sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Mantry
The Cost: $75
The Products: Artisan foods for the modern man’s pantry.
Ships to: US only.
Check out all of our Mantry reviews and the Food Subscription Box Directory!
This month’s theme is “Island Time.”
Each box comes with a fold out card detailing the producers behind the food included and where in the country they’re based.
This box also included a note from Mantry’s curator.
Granola Jones Pistach-A-Colada (10 oz.)- value $6.99
I like that this is an everyday item that still aligns with the island theme. Mantry recommends jazzing up this granola with slices of banana and a drizzle of pineapple gum syrup.
Black Pepper Macadamia Nuts by Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company (10 oz.)- value $11.99
Macadamia nuts have been planted on Hawaii for centuries, and, Mantry explains, they’re still grown by small producing farms that are run by local families. These Hamakua nuts are dusted with salt and black pepper. They’re great on their own, but Mantry suggests also using them to make Macadamia Nut Crusted Fish Sandwiches.
Jule's Gourmet Jamaican Jerk Sauce (12 oz.)- value $7.95
Jule’s Jamaican Jerk Sauce is made in NYC. It’s a blend of ginger, scallions, spices, and scotch bonnet pepper. I used it to marinate some chicken and was absolutely blown away. It provides a ton of flavor and a nice, manageable level of spice. (Apologies that I don’t have a picture of the chicken to share. It got a little overly charred on the grill and therefore didn’t photograph well. It looked like an indistinguishable blackened lump but still tasted incredible!)
Island Teriyaki Pork Jerky by Fusion Jerky (3 oz.)- value $6.99
Jerky pops up regularly in Mantry boxes. This jerky from Fusion Jerky is soy marinated and paleo-friendly. It’s very tender, and I really like the flavor!
Reed's Crystalized Ginger (10 oz.)- value $6
I love candied ginger! I would happily nibble on these bites straight from the tin, but Mantry suggests stacking them on toothpicks and using them as a cocktail garnish.
Liber & Co Pineapple Gum Syrup (8.5 oz.)- value $8.00
This Pineapple Gum Syrup is made traditionally with gum arabic, which adds “a high viscosity and unique silkiness” to the syrup. It also contains pineapple juice and cane sugar and helps provide cocktails with a tropical, creamy sweetness.
Each month, Mantry posts recipes on their website that incorporate some of the ingredients they include in the box. This month, I decided to use the Gum Syrup and Candied Ginger to make Barbados Rum Punch.
In a medium pitcher, I combined lime juice, water, rum, Angostura bitters, and Liber & Co Pineapple Gum Syrup. I stirred the ingredients together and then poured the punch into glasses filled with ice and slices of lime. I garnished the glasses with spears of candied ginger.
This punch was delicious! The combination of flavors immediately transported me out of the city and onto an island beach. While sweet, the bitters and lime juice added a really nice complexity that kept the punch from seeming too syrupy. I loved the ginger garnish, too. I’ll be picking up more pineapple syrup, I think, and hopefully making this punch again soon!
Verdict: Mantry does a great job curating boxes around a theme. I’m always excited to see what theme they’ll pick and which items they’ll feature. I also like that they come up with relatively easy recipes that utilize their products in fun and creative ways. Even though it’s marketed for “the modern man,” I think Mantry is great for women too. I certainly always enjoy it! As for value, this month’s items total about $48. Mantry doesn’t normally break even with its cost, and this is within the range I’ve come to expect from them. I really enjoy this subscription, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a high-value food box. If you are interested in subscribing, it’s good to know that Mantry will occasionally release a discount code.
What do you think of Mantry’s Island Time box?
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