January 2016 Hatchery Tasting Subscription Box Review & Coupon

Hatchery is a gourmet food sampling subscription box. For $20 per month including shipping you’ll get 5-6 sample sizes of artisan-produced small-batch foods, which you can buy in the shop. I like the idea of small-batch foods and obviously they are hard to find if they don’t have any sort of distribution deal, so this is a neat box!  Items may include spreads, condiments, jams, honeys, syrups, cooking sauces, oils, vinegars, salts, spices, seasonings, baking ingredients and cocktail mixers.

The packaging for this box is simple and beautiful.  The individually-wrapped items arrived in mint condition, thanks to the care given in preparing the box.

Everything is so cute in this box!  The sizing of items seemed appropriate for a gourmet sampler-style box — all were much larger than single-serving or trial size, but they were modest enough to be consumed in a reasonable time period.

A fold-out information card details each maker and the included product. The card notes what the item pairs well with, the name of the chef inspired recipe (see them here), and the qualities of the product, included whether it is all natural, non-GMO, gluten free, kosher, vegetarian, and vegan.

There’s also one recipe included right in the box.

Preservation & Co Green Sriracha Spicy Pepper Sauce ($1.60):  We love green sauce and sriracha, so we knew this would be a winner.  We absolutely loved it and merrily spent spent a week dousing our nachos with it.  This is not a typical sriracha, as the restrained garlic and richer flavor brings it is closer in style to a green Tabasco, though lighter on the vinegar.

Salsaology Ancho Chile & Tamarind Artisanal Mexican Sauce ($2):  A flavorful simmer sauce packed with smoky ancho chile and tamarind.  Though the ancho and rich spices are the kind of flavors to be expected in any great Mexican-inspired sauce, I am elated that this sauce brings tamarind to the fore.   A bountiful ingredient in Jalisco, the city whose cuisine inspired the sauce, tamarind provides a wonderfully unique sweetness and tang to the sauce, showing why it is popular in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world.

Tessemae’s All Natural Caesar Dressing ($1):  This generous pouch of dressing is enough to dress a giant, family-size salad.  Vegan and gluten-free, Tessemae’s skips the egg and anchovy, instead using organic coconut milk and an array of spices to add creaminess and zip.

Dona Chai Chai Tea Concentrate ($3):  Concentrated black tea and a classic blend of chai spices make it incredibly easy to make a delicious chai tea in a hurry.  Mix with equal parts milk for a chai latte.  My personal impulse is to mix a long pour of concentrate with sweetened condensed milk over a tumbler of ice for an iced Thai Chai Tea.

Redcamper Picnic Supply Strawberry Limoncello Deliciousness ($1.64):  This is not a typical strawberry jam.  Though ripe strawberries provide the substance and base of the concoction, there is more to this delicious spread than fresh fruit.  Red Camper has added a pinch of black peppercorn and a heavy dose of limoncello to create a surprisingly versatile treat.

This box had a value of about $9.24, which is about on par with our previous experiences with this subscription. While I’ll certainly enjoy it, I think that (along with the nice packaging) puts it into the nice gift category, not the subscribe for yourself category. We do think all the weensy bottles are adorable and the quality of the products is top notch!

Visit Hatchery to subscribe or find out more! Save 50% on your first box! Use coupon code Kamran and use this link to subscribe.