A great subscription box should be a gift you send to yourself. I think I just discovered one of my favorite subscription boxes! Mary’s Secret Ingredients is a limited edition, culinary subscription box featuring specialty food items.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary Mary’s Secret Ingredients Spring 2015 culinary box from Mary’s Secret Ingredients for testing and review.
I am a complete newbie when it comes to subscription boxes. For this review I decided to focus on the questions that I have when I hear about subscription boxes. Right now, it seems that everyone and their cousin produces a subscription box. The things I want to know:
- What type of items are typically included, what was featured in previous boxes?
- Is the box worth the price?
- Does the box feature high quality items?
- Does this box have a fun factor? In my opinion, a subscription box should feel like a present whether you bought it as a gift for another or as a gift to yourself.
- What else is special about this box?
Am I missing anything? (Please let me know in the comments as I plan to answer these questions in any future subscription box reviews!).
Q1: What Type of Items Are Typically Included in Mary’s Secret Ingredients?
Each Mary’s Secret Ingredients Subscription box includes an assortment of specialty food items and a small kitchen gadget. The items included were smaller, full-sized product. They were larger than sample sizes, in some cases they are single serving and in others multi-serving. See my unboxing video and list for details.
My Mary’s Secret Ingredients Spring 2015 Unboxing Video:
The Spring 2015 Box included:
- Loacker Cremkakao Chocolate Bar
- Samba Flavor Chimmi Churri Dry Mix
- Delta Bred Cheese Straws
- Savory Creations International Veggie Authentic Pho
- Harvest Foods Shirataki Noodles
- Chealsea Market Baskets – Reids of Caithness Maple and Pecan Oatie Bites
- Chef’s Planet Cit-Trease
Q2: Is The Mary’s Secret Ingredient’s Box Worth the Price?
The Mary’s Secret Ingredients Seasonal culinary subscription box currently retails for $25.95. a new box is released each season, there are four boxes per year. As I calculate, the Spring 2015 box was well worth the purchase price.
A note about my pricing estimates: I “Googled” each product and found the item for sale on the company website, Amazon or another specialty food site. If the product was sold in multipacks or a different size, I did some simple division to estimate a value…
- Loacker Cremkakao Chocolate Bar (approximately $3.33)
- Samba Flavor Chimmi Churri Dry Mix (approximately $4.17)
- Delta Bred Cheese Straws (approximately $14.00)
- Savory Creations International Veggie Authentic Pho (approximately $3.39)
- Harvest Foods Shirataki Noodles (approximately $4.49)
- Chealsea Market Baskets – Reids of Caithness Maple and Pecan Oatie Bites (approximately $4.67)
- Chef’s Planet Cit-Trease (approximately $6.00)
From some very quick, casual market research I estimate the value of the featured products adds up to be worth $40.05. So I give Mary’s Secret Ingredients an enthusiastic “yes” in value for money for people who like to treat themselves to high-end specialty foods.
Q3: Does it Feature Quality Products?
I am very impressed with the quality of the products I have tried. I plan to use the pho broth later this week for a dinner and the Samba Flavor Chimi Churi next week. Don’t be surprised if you see some of these ingredients featured in future Feeling Fit posts!
I sampled several of the products and I liked everything I tried so far. Most are products I have never heard of, but so far all impress me.
My Pinterest Board Featuring Mary’s Secret Ingredients Spring 2015 Box:
Q4: Does Mary’s Secret Ingredients Have The “Fun Factor”?
I rate Mary’s Secret Ingredients Spring 2015 box high on the fun factor. The company has incredible customer service and sent teaser emails leading up to the box’s release. The box arrived packaged like a gift which adds to the fun. In the first week, the company emailed recipes and tips featuring the products. The recipes are unique and highly creative. All in all, this is a very fun box for anyone who loves food.
Q5: What I Like About Mary’s Secret Ingredients:
I love that Mary’s Secret Ingredients contained high, quality food items. The ingredients are things I don’t mind eating and it contained a mix of healthy foods and fun, “sometimes treats”.
I especially like that they include recipes and tips to best enjoy the products.
I felt like I received a special gift when my box arrived.
Where to Learn More About Mary’s Secret Ingredients:
Mary’s Secret Ingredients seasonal culinary subscription boxes are available through their website: maryssecretingredients.com
I believe the Spring 2015 box is sold out, however there is time to reserve the Summer 2015 box.
Mary’s Secret Ingredient’s also have a blog that is well worth a look as it also includes fabulous recipes and tips. Their blog is available at: lovethesecretingredient.net
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[…] Mary’s Secret Ingredients is one of my favorite subscription boxes. You may recall my previous review of the Spring 2015 box! […]