Vegan Tuck Box Review: fancy vegan snacks from the UK!

When I was 12 years old, I had a life-changing realization. My father was invited to a scientific conference in Europe, and so my parents decided that was a good excuse for a European family vacation. Our first stop was Copenhagen, to visit some good friends of theirs. Their friends had a daughter - Cecilie - just a couple years younger than me, and she and I became fast friends. 

Soon after our arrival, Cecilie took me down to the corner store near their house. I don't remember the details, but I do remember that we went there to buy candy. And this was the moment of my life-changing insight: 12-year-old me became aware of the existence of International Candy. I can't even tell you what a little candy fiend I was as a kiddo. Realizing that other countries had other candies that I had not ever seen or heard of absolutely Blew My Mind. I was amazed and awed at the glory and the potential of so many unknown treats. It's so funny, because it was basically just an understanding about the existence of different cultures, but through the lens of a 12-year-old candy lover. 

whaaaa?!! my horizons are expanding! the world is full of wonder!

Ever since that wonderful moment, I just love to discover candies and treats from other countries. Nowadays, when I have the chance to visit another country, you can bet I'll be spending plenty of time sussing out the grocery store and looking for (vegan) goodies. 

it is so fun to get a box with customs labels and air mail stickers

A little while back, the folks at Vegan Tuck Box sent me an email asking if I would like to try out and review one of their monthly snack boxes. I love snack boxes, so I went to check out their site and realized they were in the UK. I wrote back with regrets, that I was located in California... Well! Imagine my delight when they told me that they were able and willing to ship internationally. Sign me up!

It was a total thrill to get an international care package. Took me back to the good old days of international PPK swaps and sending care packages to friends in college and getting mail from my mom when I was in Italy during college. No doubt about it, international mail is SPECIAL. Worthy of all-caps, even.

a peek inside!

The box was really pretty big, and jam-packed full of goodies. I was super happy to open it up and see just how many different things had been squeezed inside. I was quite a little Speedy Gonzales unpacking this baby - I couldn't wait to inspect each and every international surprise:

First Impression: This snack box totally rules!!

Look what I found inside - I felt like little 12-year old me at the corner store in Copenhagen all over again! So many fun and exciting goodies that I hadn't ever tried or seen or heard of before! The magic and wonder of unknown snacks!

Now here's one of the very best and most important things about this excellent tuck box: FIVE chocolate candies. Chocolate is definitely my A+ #1 snack, and the snack box I usually get rarely has chocolates. So this was a total delight for me. Plus, I must say - not just chocolates but full-size, high-quality and totally delicious chocolates. That Sarelle hazelnut wafer thing was just about the most fun candy treat I've had for a long, long time. For this alone, the Vegan Tuck Box has won my heart.

The savory side of things was a great mix too - savory Thai peanuts, apple chips, BBQ potato chips, raw crackers, and a neat seed mix for sprinkling on yogurt or smoothies. Very good! I like that there was a mix of fruity and salty and healthy and "snacky" items besides the candies. I have pretty much loved everything I've tried so far, but I haven't broken into the crackers or potato chips yet. You can see that my loyalties haven't changed all that much since I was 12 years old.

I also really appreciated that every single item in the box was an actual snack. I know that sounds silly, but some snack boxes include items that aren't actual snacks (lip balm, powdered stuff to add to smoothies, ingredients, etc).. I loved just getting a big box of snacks!

I enjoyed this box so much, and I absolutely loved the experience of getting international treats that were new to me and felt so special. The cost of the box itself is quite reasonable, but - unfortunately - the cost of shipping to the US is really a lot. If you're in the UK the shipping is probably way cheaper, and you should sign up for it! I think I might let myself order a box every once in a while as a special treat for myself - just since I thought it was so fun and exciting. If you also love international treats, or if you have a special friend who does, I think it's a worthy indulgence. They definitely won't let you down on the chocolate front!

*update!* I almost forgot to mention:

If you're interested in trying it out, you can use the code "blog20" at checkout to receive 20% off your first box order. wooo hooo!