Shaken, Not Stirred | The New Caffè Nero Shaken Range
The weather this week has been scorchio! On Tuesday it was hotter in London than it was in Marrakech (and typically, we were actually in Marrakech). So while the country went back yard barbecue crazy and sun worshippers sizzled the beaches, Caffè Nero had timed it perfectly with their new shaken range. Also, their packaging this summer is very Moroccan-influenced, had there been a Caffè Nero in Marrakech, we would have been spoilt for choice with photograph backgrounds.
Now we’re not coffee snobs and we don’t proclaim to be coffee experts either. But we do know what we like when it comes to our daily hit of caffeine. When at home we use the ever changing varieties supplied by Pact – a bag of roasted beans delivered to our door weekly. When out and about, the only coffee chain we really frequent is Caffè Nero or a Change Please cart if there’s one nearby.
The Caffè Nero group is Europe’s largest independent coffee house and one of the world’s leading coffee brands. They must be doing something right as they are currently opening a new store at the rate of one every four days!
This summer Caffè Nero now has a choice of fifteen iced drinks, their Shaken menu includes the new, zero calorie iced tea and reduced sugar lemonade drinks. So we thought we’d try a few to see if my ridiculous theory that calorie free means taste free was right.
How many times have I told you not to draw on the walls? Photograph: Caffè Nero
First up was a Crushed Raspberry Lemonade (£2.95) made using a reduced sugar lemonade base infused with real raspberry purée. So refreshing and, as it’s low sugar, not too sweet. The raspberry purée really punches through but doesn’t overpower the Sicilian lemonade.
The new Black Tea & Peach (£2.95) iced tea from Caffè Nero‘s Shaken Over-Ice range contains zero calories yet tastes really good – blowing my theory right out of the window. The peach was fairly subtle, taking the bitterness away from the black tea.
Have a sip of this, it’ll wake you up! Photograph: Caffè Nero
All you coffee lovers fear not, Caffè Nero haven’t forgotten about you. Perfectly balanced, premium Italian espresso continues to be at the very heart of the summer drinks selection. Their highly popular iced coffees including the Iced Latte, Frappé Latte and Mocha Frappé Latte are, of course, still available.
Three of the best…
And to make the classic iced latte even better Caffè Nero have pimped them up and created the uber indulgent Frappé Crèmes – first we tried an Espresso and Caramel (£3.85), a house blend of coffee balanced with rich, sticky, sweet caramel – so basically exactly what it says on the tin.
If that wasn’t enough, we also ordered the Raspberry and Belgian White Chocolate (£3.85), made using real fruit purée (we should hope so too.) Partly as I love white chocolate and partly because the barista said it was her absolute favourite. Imagine that a Milky Bar and a raspberry milkshake had a baby, well this is it. More a dessert than a drink but who cares what it is when it tastes this good…. Warning this is very sweet!
This summer Caffè Nero are boasting that their expert baristas will be giving bartenders nationwide a run for their money by shaking up ‘refreshing, new softtails that deliver on taste and choice for calorie counters’. Sounds like fighting talk to us – a barista vs bartender mix-up challenge, now that we’d love to witness.
You’ve read what we think, now it’s your turn to try for them for yourself. Below we’ve listed a few others that you might want to test drive. Please let us know what you think.
NEW Caffè Nero Shaken Over-Ice range priced from £2.95
Green Tea & Lemon containing zero calories, great if that’s actually important to you.
Sicilian Lemonade made using lemons sourced from Sicily, they’ve ramped up the zingy taste of fresh lemons and calmed down the sugar content (by 69%) – that can only be a good thing, unless you’re a dentist.
Even the Caffè Nero Fruit Boosters are made using more fruit and less sugar, priced from £3.45
Alphonso Mango & Passionfruit features Alphonsos which are known as the King of mangoes, with a soft sweetness ideal for smoothies.
Sicilian Blood Orange & Raspberry Fruit Booster – subtle, sweet notes of raspberry with intense blood orange with a dash of real raspberry purée just for luck.
NEW Caffè Nero Frappé Crèmes – cream-enriched silky smooth options priced from £3.85
Triple Belgian Chocolate – a chocolate lover’s dream, therefore my dream. So indulgent, made with their Belgian Milano Chocolate topped with cream and chocolate chips for texture.- enough said!
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This is a sponsored post for Caffè Nero, this does not affect our review in any way. We always write with complete honesty.
The nutritional value on all Caffè Nero’s food and beverage products can be viewed on its website.
