They say that good things come in small packages and in this particular case, a very good thing, or two, arrived in the post and practically knocked my socks off. Bluebasil gourmet brownies. A little box, small, but perfectly formed. Tied with string with a pretty label. It wasn’t Christmas day, but it could have been. They made my day.
Inside the box, a personal note and an ingredients leaflet. Nestled deeper and well protected, a tissue wrapped parcel…
Inside the triple-wrapped tissue paper, four gourmet brownies, to sample. Each brownie was generous in size. If you are strict with yourself or have any self-control, you could possibly eat half at a time. Not me.
Ordering brownies by post seems to me to be a very good idea. Particularly when the brownies are this good. Bluebasil brownies are not just any old brownies. The Bluebasil Cardamom brownie won a Great Taste Gold Award in 2011. This year, Bluebasil have been nominated ‘Best Local Supplier/Producer’ at the The Cotswold Food & Drink Awards. The Independent called them “The Rolls Royce of Brownies” – they were not wrong!
What can I say? They were dense, truffle-like and incredibly moreish. I had to call a friend to come over for coffee as I was afraid I would eat them all in one sitting. The Classic Chunky Chocolate with added Divine (fairtrade) chocolate chunks, was like sinking your teeth into the most perfect morsel of fudgy chocolate, ever. Chocwork Orange came a close second for me, again, made with Divine orange milk chocolate and orange blossom water; delicate yet rich with an aroma that could almost make you want to leave it out, just to smell it. All four had a thin, slightly crisp top. Beyond that, I practically just melted into each mouthful, falling deeper and deeper into some sort of state of brownie bliss.
The hazelnut brownies had a slightly different texture to the others owing to the chopped hazelnut, giving them a character of their own. I loved the shards of hazelnut sprinkled over the top. The Cardamom brownie was a fairly new taste experience for me, almost floral, and reminding me a tiny bit of eating cardamom-scented rice, not in a bad way, just in a way that has gently nudged me towards trying cardamom more often with sweet things.
There are others on the menu I need to try; a Banoffee brownie, a Caramel Crunch, a Cappuccino and a Chunky White Chocolate. It’s almost as if Bluebasil knew that I would be straight over there to order my next fix… 
Bluebasil brownies are made by a small company based in Oxford who are committed to using local produce, such as local organic eggs, organic flour and local butter along with a fine quality 70% cocoa chocolate. There are also gluten free versions of some of the flavours available.
You can chose your flavours when you order. They will arrive the next day if you place your order between 10am Monday-Thursday. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 14 days, but you won’t be able to delay finishing them that long. You can even send a personal message card.
So, that’s it. All my future gift lists sorted. These would be perfect as a new baby gift (for the mummy), as a birthday present, anniversary present, a “sorry you are leaving” present. Send them to someone who is ill, send them to someone who is sad, send them to your mum or dad. Whoever receives these brownies will be your friend for life. Actually, be your own friend and just send them to yourself.
Flavours: Caramel Crunch, Classic Chunky Chocolate, Chunky White Chocolate, Chockwork Orange, Cappuccino, Hazelnut, Banoffee, Cardamom. Chunky Chocolate and White Chocolate available in gluten free.
Prices:
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£14.50 for 9 brownies (+P&P)
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£17.50 for 12 brownies (+P&P)
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£21.50 for 16 brownies (+P&P)
As far as I know, they don’t sell them by the crate.
Giveaway
Since Bluebasil are a nice company, they have offered to send a gourmet Bluebasil brownie gift box to one of my lucky readers. The winner will receive a gift box of 9 generous brownies (worth £14.50) - I’ve taken the liberty of chosing Classic Chunky Chocolate, Clockwork Orange and Banoffee – unless the winner is gluten free.
Enter! Tweet! Like! I think you’ll love them, too.
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Entry to this giveway is via the Rafflecopter form below. There is no alternative prize.
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To begin, please enter your name and e-mail address on the Rafflecopter form so that I can contact you if you win.
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A mandatory question will appear, which you need to answer by leaving a comment at the bottom of the post, before going back to the Rafflecopter form and hitting “Enter”.
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After this, you can complete the bonus entries as explained on the form to increase your odds of winning!
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If you can’t see the Rafflecopter widget, please refresh the page!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you to Bluebasil brownies for my review package and for offering a giveaway gift box. I received the brownies for free in the hope that I would mention them on my blog and was given no incentive to write a positive review. I only recommend food/products or services I use personally and believe my readers may be interested in.
Ren Behan
Ren Behan is a British-born food writer of Polish descent. She is a mum to two young children (6 and 3) and spends lots of time with them in the kitchen. Ren writes about seasonal, family-friendly food on her blog www.renbehan.com and about Polish food on her site www.mypolishkitchen.co.uk. She also contributes recipes and articles to online and print food publications. Ren holds a Diploma in Food Journalism with Distinction and has completed a Food Styling course at Leiths School of Food and Wine. Full Profile on Google+
It would have to be clockwork orange or cappuccino for me, although my daughter would be begging for the white chocolate ones. They all look amazing!
OOH they all sound so delicious,but the caramel crunch just sounds so tempting so that gets my vote
Mmmmmm Cappuccino!!! I’m a coffee addict and love anything coffee flavoured!!!!
the cappuccino beacuse coffee and chocolate go so well together
caramel crunch for me
Banoffee
Hazelnut! I love nuts!
I really can’t choose between Chocwork Orange or Hazelnut as I’m a sucker for chocolate in these combinations. Ooh, they just look yummy!
Hmmmmm. After A LENGTHY deliberation I think I would plump for Chunky White Chocolate. Sounds delightfully amazing. Clockwork Orange a very close second!
chocwork orange would be my choice. nom nom
Chunky white chocolate
white chocolate
Cardomom, by a “short head”
Love them all but Banoffee is my favourite
Clockwork Orange
what a yummy prize
I would like the chunky white chocolate brownies – anything with white chocolate in it has my vote – and you have them in a gluten free version for my dad too! What’s not to like??
Banoffe!! closely followed by classic chunky chocolate. These brownies look amazing… I LOVE brownies so really hope I win otherwise I’ll just have to order them for myself
Chocwork Orange
They all seem utterly delicious, but caramel crunch !
I love cardamom so that would be my favourite flavoured brownie.
Great review Ren, it really made me smile. I was lucky enough to try some of these brownies for review last year and I have to say they are in a class of their own. The cardamom was my absolute favourite, though it was hard to make a decision and that’s the one I would go for again if given half the chance! I am unable to refrain from attempting to win this box
It would have to be Cappucino.
Cappuccino – sounds so sticky and yummy – delicious !
Banoffee sounds yummo!
Definitely Banoffee *drool*
Cappuccino is my very favourite
Chunky chocolate is my favorite
banoffee sounds great!!!
Caramel Crunch – yummy!
I would go for white chocolate
Chockwork Orange sounds amazing!!!
Hazelnut would be my favourite!
All of ‘em – I have a VERY sweet tooth – but if pushed to choose Hazelnut – got a Nutella addiction!
awesome prize!
yummy yummy yummy!!!
Chockwork orange would be my favourite. Yummy.
classic chunky chocolate
I rather fancy the Chunky White Chocolate
Sigh drool I am so hungry! They look fab. I think out of all the flavours they make the cappucino might be my favourite as I really love coffee/choc combinations for cakes. Must be time for an afternoon cuppa now…thanks for the competition!
cappuccino would be my all time favorite!
caramel crunch
chocwork orange – I lovea good pun
They all sound so lovely! I would love the Cappuccino one.
Chunky White Chocolate Brownie – mmm – heaven.
Banoffee definitely, I didn’t even realise you could make brownies like that!
Crunch, Classic Chunky Chocolate, i love chocolate and more chocolate, though the others look great too
Classic Chunky Chocolate sounds heavenly.
Hazelnut!
oooh choccy and orange, in fact I love it all!
Caramel Crunch sounds yummy
Banoffee
caramel crunch yum!!!
cappuccino for me
It would be the Caramel Crunch for me, but they all sound nice, and making me really hungry thinking about them
the caramel crunch sound mouth watering
Oh dear you want me to pick 1 flavour???? Can I pick 2? I like the chunky chocolate & the clockwork orange.
Banoffee would be yum but would love any of them! @kikicomp & kiki woo on facebook
A Clockwork Orange :O)
White Chocolate!! Yummy x
Chocwork orange sounds simply divine!
Classic Chunky Chocolate. Pure and Simple…
bonoffie
Classic Chunky Chocolate, as I’m a true chocaholic at heart
hazelnut, yummyyyyy!
caramel crunch yum yum
My favourite flavour would be the caramel crunch
Caramel Crunch
The Chockwork Orange sounds really delicious!
Chockwork Orange sounds amazing!
Hard to chose but if I had to it would be Hazelnut
Classic Chunky Chocolate…..as nature intended
Caramel Crunch sounds amazing. But then again so does the hazelnut one…
wow, they all look and sound amazing! I would, if I had to though, choose banoffee
Chockwork Orange
It would have to be Caramel Crunch…no maybe the Classic Chunky Chocolate or even the Chunky White Chocolate….no I think it would be Chockwork Orange AND Cappuccino AND Hazelnut AND Banoffee AND Cardamom or Chunky Chocolate and White Chocolate….hmmmm maybe just all of them because I’m greedy and love brownies….
Chockwork Orange sounds delicious !!!!!
Chocwork orange would be my favourite!
yum yum
Clockwork Orange sounds good
Chockwork Orange
Can you not just make a huge chocolate brownie made up of little squares of each flavour that you could break off like chocolate squares? That would be my favourite as its impossible to choose just the one.
Classic Chunky Chocolate is my favourite
WOW these looks so wonderful, this is the type of thing i like and you dont see this kind of thing around, bet they taste devine?! .. Esp Chockwork Orange, Ahh my mouth is watering now!!! Stunning.
Banoffee
White chocolate yum yum
I’d have to try the White Chocolate Brownies, I love white chocolate and have never tried it in a brownie before.
(Would that actually make it a whitey instead? LOL!)
I wouldn’t mind the Hazelnut either, I imagine it has a sort of Fererro Rocher taste to it??
OMG, I am so hungry now looking at those brownies, yet all I have is butterfly cakes. They just don’t compare really do they.
classic chunky chocolate without a doubt- original brownie flavour
Got to be Banoffee!
definately white chocolate, definately
clockwork orange sound amazing!
Hazelnut
Caramel Crunch would be my fav!
ChocworkOrange
Chunky White Chocolate
Chockwork Orange or Caramel Crunch i cant decide until i try them
Hazelnut
I think the classic chuncky chocolate would be my favourite
My eyes are closed and my mouth wide open. Surprise me!
White chocolate preferably.
Chunky chocolate is my favorite
Blue Basil Cardamom Brownies Sound Delicious
Caramel Crunch – oh my mouth is watering just thinking of it…
Hazelnut. Definitely. Yum.
Hazelnut (obviously) – provided it was glutenfree.
The hazelnut one sounds like something I couldn’t resist.
Classic Chunky Chocolate , so good that they are gluten free
Definitely Banoffee
Banoffee
Clockwork Orange
Caramel crunch sounds nice.
The white chocolate ones look mouthwateringly good!
Hazelnut sounds delicious.
Has to be hazelnut
White Chocolate
Classic Chunky Chocolate for me
Banoffee brownie would definitely be my favourite
Caramel Crunch would be my favourite although I would happily sample them all x
Caramel crunch. My hubby won’t like that one so it will be all mine!!!
I think my favourite would be Classic Chunky Chocolate because it’s a classic, but there’s only one way to know for sure!
Cappuccino ! Intense and divine ! x
Banoffee sounds divine x
Classic Chunky Chocolate
I would like the hazelnut brownies as I love hazelnut!
Hazelnut!
Hazelnut
Clockwork orange would be my favourite, I love the combination of chocolate and orange.
Caramel Crunch sounds divine
These look delicious, please enter me into your competition
clockwork orange sounds lovely!
I think ‘Chockwork Orange’ would be my favourite, but they all sound very tasty!
My husband adores brownies and flavoured ones would be a fantastic treat!
I would have to choose banoffee.
caramel crunch
They all look and sound delicious, but the caramel crunch just edges out the white chocolate.
Cappuccino yummy!
Caramel Crunch if you please
THE BANOFFE IS MY FAV BUT ANY WOULD DO ME
i would love to try the Banoffee flavour
That’s a toughie!
Probably the orange flavoured one.
I think they all sound amazing but the Chunky Chocolate sounds best
hmm, how do you choose… they all sound delicious! If forced I think I would go for chunky white choc x
For a coffee addict like me it would have to be – Cappuccino
I’ve wanted to try these for ages, look amazing!
Hmm.. I love a bit of cardamom so I’m going to have to say that one, they sound delish!
Wow, these look amazing! Cappuccino would be my fave.
CLASSIC CHUNKY CHOCOLATE
cardamon
Definitely cappuccino!
caramel crunch sounds lovely. x
Has to be Chockwork Orange for me!
Caramel Crunch sounds delicious!
Hazlenut for me x
They look lovely xx
I would love the Banoffee. Got a sweet tooth although they all sound delicious.
Banoffee
Cardamon would be my favourite… Love the cardamon on top of the brownie, simple and nice touch!
I have to pick a favourite? I love brownies and they all look so good. Hazelnut if I really really have to choose though
Banoffee
Caramel crunch sounds delicious!
hazlenut
Has to be Caramel Crunch or Chunky White Chocolate or Chockwork Orange! Hell’s teeth hope I win!
all sound nice but banoffee nom
They sound devine but love the sound of Clockwork Orange hmmmm my mouth is watering right now
Defo cappuccino for me!
Banoffee
Wow these look amazing, I rarely get to eat such delicious treats.
Banoffee Brownie! Yummy
Got to be the Chockwork Orange, its a classic combination of flavours that really works for me.
Chockwork Orange I think. Or caramel Crunch…. ummm. Maybe Banoffee? To be fair, i think I’d love them all!
@pipersky1
I love brownies so so much! These look A. Mazing!
ALL the gluten free ones! They are amazing!
It would have to be clockwork orange
Bluebasil Cardamom brownie
Hazelnut
@littleboo_21
Hard to choose, but I love the idea of a Banoffee Brownie!!
All of them?! I think my most favourite would be the chunky chocolate one x
It would have to be The Classic Chunky Chocolate one.
Caramel Crunch looks delicious, drool
banoffee would definitely be a favourite of mine! x
Caramel crunch
Mmmmm, Chockwork Orange
White Chocolate, sounds yummy
Hazelnut! Sounds terrific
Chockwork Orange – sounds divine!
The cardamon brownie sounds different and delicious!
A Caramel Crunch and Bannoffee – I must try them both!Sounds delicious
))
Cappuccino would be my favorite
))) yum yum
Oh, Hazelnut for me!!
After much deliberation i think my favourite flavour would be Chunky White Chocolate. I think I need a tasting session to confirm this!
BANOFFEE sounds delish!
I think clockwork orange would be my favorite flavour followed in close second by the cardamom brownie.
The Classic Chunky Chocolate does sound brill…
But the orange one sounds nice too…
But which is better? There’s only one way to find out…
Caramel Crunch is the one I think I’d like best
X
Clockwork orange looks lush but so do all of them lol do I really have to choose?
Chocwork orange sound deliscious! Love the name too
caramel crunch although they all sound lovely
Clockwork Orange for me!
Oh i’d love a cappucino one. Coffee and chocolate is my fave combination!
Clockwork Orange:)
oo I really want to try these
Yum. ( mouth drools )
Hi, I bet it would Clockwork Orange, thanks a lot!
Has to be hazlenut, I love any choc that has nuts in it.
my favorite brownies is caramel crunch.
Caramel Crunch sounds gorgeous!
clockwork orange
banoffee for sure super yummy
They look delicious
Chockwork Orange sounds wonderful – think that would be my favourite!
Wow!
Banoffee has to be the one!
Chunky White Chocolate.. yum. yum
Caramel Crunch sounds like my flavour. I love food with different textures and I’m already feeling the smooth chocolatey brownie going against the crunchy bits of caramel on top. Mmmm…
Clockwork Orange sound intriging
I loooove the look (and sound) of the chocwork orange brownie. I can almost smell it from the description! I think my other half would like the white chocolate ones, as he has a sweet tooth.
Caramel Crunch sounds yummy
Definitely Cappuccino!
please feed me – i love cakes
It would have to be the caramel crunch
Chockwork Orange
Chockwork orange sounds delightful
Hazelnut sounds scrumptious
Blog is looking amazing!! Bluebasil Gourmet Brownies look very tasty!
Chockwork Orange sounds wonderful (in fact they all sound wonderful!)
Hazelnut sound yummy
Clockwork Orange flavour sounds perfect for me, although my children would love the chunky chocolate brownies and my husband would adore the Banoffi option. What a fantastic review, I’m drooling already.
Chockwork Orange – chocolate and orange is my favourite taste combination!
They all look amazing – and i am sure the taste would be as nice as the appearance – although think it would have to be the caramel crunch one! Nom nom!
Ooooo I am in love with this mouth watering goodies. I would love a chunky chocolate
They all sound ama\ing but caramel crunch sounds soooooooo good, my mouth is watering!!!
White chocolate!!! I LOVE white chocolate
It would have to be Chunky White Chocolate
The cardamom one sounds really interesting – i like unusual flavours.
mmm Chockwork Orange sounds lovely!
Chocwork Orange
caramel crunch, mouths watering at the sound of it
I think the cappucino flavour would be my favourite.
All of them? Chunky white chocolate!
I love the sound of caramel crunch
Caramel Crunch or Cappucino
Classic Chocolate, yummy!
They all look mouth-watering but caramel crunch sounds especially inviting
clockwork orange!
Caramel Crunch
Mmmmmm, Has to be Hazelnut!!!
Chocolate orange! Ooooh.
chocwork orange sounds awesome !
Caramel Crunch
Classic Chunky Chocolate I expect!
my fave would be Chockwork Orange
Caramel Crunch sounds wonderful
hmmm would have to be clockwork orange but its very hard to choose they all sound amazing
The hazelnut brownies sound delicious, actually they all do, but that would be my first choice.
Clockwork Orange
hazlenut mmmmmm sounds tasty
hazlenut mmmmmmmm tasty
Chunky white chocolate!!! Mmmmmmmm I am salavating just thinking about it
Wow what a great prize……
Orange are my fav
Chockwork Orange
white chocolate please
Classic chunky chocolate for me – but I quite honestly wouldn’t say no to any of them of course!!!
Caramel Crunch
Chunky chocolate – can never have too much chocolate!
I think I’d give the cardamom ones a whirl, sound interesting…
The classic chunky chocolate!!! ❤
chunky chocolate for me
gotta be caramel crunch – nom nom nom xxx
Very hard to choose, they all sound wonderful, but Caramel Crunch just has it!
Certainly the Orange one for me … fab x
they look yummy!
Caramel crunch
The Classic Chunky Chocolate
classic chunky chocolate!
Chunky White Chocolate for me, yum, yum
Very hard choice, all of them!! But if had to choose just one it would be Chockwork Orange
Cappaccino for me!
Chockwork Orange sounds scrummy mmm
Banoffee
Chockwork orange!
So difficult to choose – I want them all, but id kit’s only one – Hazelnut please
Think I’ll be traditional and go for Classic Chunky Chocolate
Would really love to win – they sound amazing!
I would love Cappuccino brownies yum yum
Thank you xx
Classic Chunky Chocolate–but the others sound divine as well!
Definitely the cappuccino for me but they all sound tempting
Classic Chunky Chocolate
I would be happy to win any they all seem very nice
white chocolate chunkie
Banoffee as I love banoffee pie!!
Hazelnut…. something a little different I would love
Definitely Caramel Crunch, yum
Cappucino, I have a love for coffee!
white chocolate for me
Chunky Chocolate. It looks original and i bet it does the job!! Fulfilling my Chocolate cravings!
Caramel Crunch sounds amazing
Cappuccino
Cappucinno – I’m drooling just thinking about it!
I adore white chocolate so it would be them! xoxo
Probably the classic Chunky Chocolate, although the Capuccino and Hazelnut would be very close behind!
Chocwork orange – drooling at the thought!
hazlenut sounds yummy
they all sound yummy, but i think that chockwork orange would probably be the one for me
Clockwork Orange and the white chocolate are my favs. Sorry I cannot choose between them.
Cappuccino sounds absolutely lovely
They all sound great but think it would be the clockwork orange!
Hazelnut
Ohh there would be a fight in our house over these!!
I think Caramel Crunch would be my fav…altho Cardamom sounds interesting too!
Chunky Chocolate for me
clockwork orange or hazelnut or just any
LOVE NUTS!
Chockwork orange, sounds so yummy xxx
I’m gluten free and it is so hard to get nice gluten free brownies, but these ones I’m sure would be fabulous!
I think they all sound lovely but caramel crunch would probably be my favourite
chunky white chocolate for me
mmmmmmmmmmmmm any flavour for me
Has to be caramel crunch, although they all look delicious!
I’m a nut for Hazelnut!
Ummm gorgeous brownies!!! All the flavours sound fab to me x x
Hazelnut for me!!!! Although they all look and sound FAB!!!
caramel crunch
I think Caramel Crunch! It sounds the naughtiest! Chewy brownie and smooth caramel…droooool