Universal Yums is a snack subscription box that sends out snacks and candies from a different country each month. Choose from the Yum Box for $15 a month, the Yum Yum Box for $25 a month, or the Super Yum Box for $39 a month.
This review is of the Yum Yum box, which is $25 a month.
This month’s box takes us to the United Kingdom! Let's dive in and discover this month's Yums!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Universal Yums
The Subscription Box: Universal Yums
The Cost: $25 a month + free US shipping
The Products: The contents of the boxes change each month as they highlight the best snacks from each featured country. However, you can always expect a mix of flavors: salty, sweet, spicy, fruity, and more. Only authentic snacks from the featured country.
Ships to: The U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and Israel
Universal Yums “United Kingdom” June 2020 Review
Universal Yums is always exciting, with this month in the United Kingdom being no exception! We have discovered many of the activities we look forward to in the summer have been canceled, which has led to a lot of disappointment, but receiving this box has helped keep our spirits up. How did the snacks from the UK fare? Check out below to see!
Upon opening the box, we are greeted with a bright, fun, animated sheet that welcomes us to the United Kingdom! Big Ben is standing tall and proud, along with a hot air balloon, and facts about Ireland, Wales, England, and Scotland! The back features a "Yum Scoreboard" (which now has room for all tasters), the items that were this month's "rejects," and a vote to decide where the next box should come from. I am voting for the Netherlands!!
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Next, we have a detailed pamphlet jam-packed with information about our United Kingdom snacks. Not only are there interesting little summaries about each snack in this box, but they also included nutritional information, a recipe, a playlist, a trivia challenge, games, and more! The back page features items they sell in the Yum Shop, but no spoiler! If you want to know where they are going next, you will have to follow them on Instagram or Facebook for a tricky clue!
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Mackies Honey & Mustard Potato Crisps - Buy a 4-pack for $5.60
These interesting morsels feature fairly flat potato chips that gently curve with a hefty thickness. Upon first bite, I was greeted with a spicy mustard zip followed by a slightly sweet honey flavor to round out the spiciness. I tend to like my potato chips a bit saltier, but these were quite tasty. Being a bit thicker, they were perfectly crunchy and crisp and unlike any flavor I have ever tasted before. My kids tolerated the spiciness, but did have a glass of water on standby!
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Grandma Wild's Toffee Flapjacks - Buy a 3-pack for $4.80
When I saw "flapjacks" I was thinking pancakes, but this oat bar tasted nothing like a pancake at all! I found the chewiness of the oats to be delicious in taste and texture with the perfect amount of sweetness from the brown sugar. The toffee frosting on top added a caramelly richness that was very filling and delicious. We all enjoyed this treat, as it was atypical from other packaged snacks we have ever tried!
Bristow's Sherbet Lemons - Buy a 105.8 oz. package for $38.20
The description states that these are 'fizzy lemon hard candies' so I was secretly hoping they would actually fizz in your mouth, but I didn't experience that. Although I didn't notice any bubbling, I did enjoy the flavor of these hard candies. The lemon flavoring was sweet without being too tart, and reminded me of a nice tall glass of lemonade - and a lot easier to carry in your purse!
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Bristow's Buck Fizz Chews - Buy a 105.8 oz. package for $38.70
These fizzy orange and champagne chews were absolutely tart and delicious! I loved the powerful orange flavor - it almost had an orange zest note, so not super sweet, but paired perfectly with the fizzy, sweet, chewiness of the champagne flavoring. While I'm not sure it necessarily tasted like champagne (I found it to have more of a Sprite flavor) these babies were yummy!!
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Johnny's Pickled Onion Rings
I am a 'Funyuns' fan, but I do not like dill pickle chips, so how did I feel about this pickled onion potato ring combination? Oddly enough, I LOVED it! The first bite was extremely potent and both the onion and dill were almost pungent, but they were so salty and powerful tasting that they were just plain addicting! The crunchiness of the ring was followed by an almost melting in your mouth sensation, and left me wanting more. My kids absolutely hated these, but I accidentally ate the entire bag! Heed the warning: these pickled onion rings will make your breath horrendous- I do not recommend eating these before a first date!
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Dean's Shortbread Rounds - Buy a 5-pack for $5.00
I always enjoy a good old fashioned shortbread cookie, and after the flavor explosion of the pickled onion rings, I was ready for something more subtle in flavor. These pretty, round cookies were light and crumbly with the perfectly sweet taste of butter. While they were simple in flavor, it was a welcome change of pace, and we enjoyed them.
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Yummy Banana Toffee - Buy a 5-pack for $5.00
Check out this packaging! I love the "Whack THEN unwrap and enjoy" suggestion! My kids loved giving this toffee a whack and breaking it into smaller pieces! This chewy toffee had a lovely banana flavor that reminded me of a banana cream pie rather than a banana Laffy Taffy, thankfully. I found the flavor combination to be caramelly and sweet in a really good way! While my boys were able to chew right through these, I did have to be a bit careful as I have a crown on one of my molars, and felt the stickiness of this may rip it right off!
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Clotted Cream Fudge - Buy a 2-pack for $4.40
Clotted cream is a rich spread made when hot cream is slowly cooled, creating "clots" of cream. I had to look that up because the name sounds a bit unsettling, but was actually very delicious! These fudge squares were in a big package so I was hoping we would like them, and we did! They were a lot less sticky than the banana toffee, so they were much easier to eat...is that a good thing, though??? The soft and sweet texture had a rich, creamy flavor that just melts in your mouth. Plus, they look adorable in their fancy little wrappers in our candy dish!
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Welsh Potato Crisps Lamb & Mint - Buy a 3-pack for $4.80
Let me just say these have a very, very unique flavor. I found them to be very, very minty, which isn't something I look for in a potato chip...I'm not quite sure what lamb tastes like, but the vegetarian lamb seasoning just didn't come through the mint flavoring for me. The chip itself was very crisp and crunchy, I just didn't love the flavor. You could maybe pop a few of these in your mouth after eating the pickled dill rings though- they might help freshen up your breath!
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Chewy Bonbons Rhubarb & Custard - Buy a 2-pack for $4.60
Yay for another large bag of treats! The kids were so excited for these pink and yellow bonbons! Did they like them though? Heck to the yes!! The tartness of the rhubarb combined perfectly with the custard for a chewy, smooth candy that melts in your mouth. I haven't had a rhubarb candy before, but they absolutely nailed the flavor. With a patch of rhubarb right outside of my door, I think I have some experimenting to do...
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Kent Crisps Ashmore Cheese & Onion - Buy a 3-pack for $6.00
I am digging the sophisticated packaging of these Ashmore cheddar and onion crisps! Just opening the bag told me that these chips were definitely cheddar and onion flavored, and in a good way! The chips themselves have a nice thickness- a bit heftier than a traditional Lay's chip, with a delicious, deep crunch. The onion and cheddar flavoring balanced each other out for a great combination that wasn't too overwhelming. I found myself reaching for more!
Bristow's Chocolate Limes - Buy a 105.8 oz. package for $38.60
I love lime flavored candies, so I was really excited to give this chocolate lime candy a try. I found they reminded me a lot of the Tootsie Roll lime-flavored Fruit Chews, but disguised as a hard candy, and with a hint of chocolate in the middle. I really enjoyed them, but my kids weren't the biggest fans - more for mama!
The Verdict: We love Universal Yums, and were so excited to see it arrive this month. As I said before, most of our summer fun activities have been canceled, so experiencing these treats and slowly making our way through the UK at home has taken some of the sting out of that. The time and effort they put into this box is amazing, and I love the fact that not only do we get a geography lesson, but we learn so much about places that we have never been before, in a fun and engaging manner. This month we found the variety of snacks interesting, and while we didn't love everything, we had a lot of fun at least giving everything a try. I do hope, however, that next month contains more chocolate! We didn't receive a clue for where our July box is coming from, but I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for a spoiler on their Instagram page for my birthday month!!
Scorecard Picks:
- Best Yum: Chewy Bonbons Rhubarb & Custard
- Runner-up: Johnny's Pickled Onion Rings
- Worst Yum: Welsh Potato Crisps Lamb & Mint
- Most Unusual: Mackies Honey & Mustard Potato Crisps
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? No. Each month they ship your box no later than the 15th day of the month. The first month you will receive a box varies based on availability and may depend on the size that you order.
Value Breakdown: This box is $25.00 a month (including shipping). I received 21 individually wrapped snacks which averages out to $1.19 per item.
Check out all of our Universal Yums reviews and the best snack subscription boxes!
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