With the start of the new year comes new food and drinks menus at restaurants and coffee shops, including Starbucks.

The new menu at the popular coffee shop chain has new and returning food and three new drinks so I gave some of it a try to see if it was worth buying.

I tried one of the new drinks and three of the new snacks and it wasn’t the easiest menu to get my hands on as some Starbucks shops near me didn’t have the ingredients for the new drinks.

I eventually managed to try the Almond Biscotti Oat Latte but had to miss out on the Golden Caramel White Hot Chocolate which I’d predicted would be my favourite (better luck next time).

What I thought when trying the new Starbucks menu

At first glance, the menu intrigued me with its offerings of Egg White Bites with Three Cheese and Red Pepper, an Almond Biscotti Cookie and more so I was excited to give them a go.

The Egg Bites were an interesting option and tasted similar to a frittata – if you’ve never had it, think omelette/quiche kind of texture.

You get two in a pack of egg bites and they make for a good snack but it goes without saying, if you don’t like eggs, it’s probably one for you to avoid.

South Wales Guardian: Egg White Bites with Three Cheese and Red PepperEgg White Bites with Three Cheese and Red Pepper (Image: Newsquest)

The barista in my local Starbucks offered a choice of sauces to have with it, including ketchup and siracha.

The snack was enjoyable and I'd be up for having it again if I was in need of a light bite to eat but the Egg Bites aren't worth shouting about.

I also tried some sweet treats including the Almond Biscotti Cookie and the Caramel White Chocolate Blondie.

South Wales Guardian: Almond Biscotti CookieAlmond Biscotti Cookie (Image: Newsquest)

I wasn't sure what flavour Biscotti is supposed to be so I thought maybe it’s a different spin on Biscoff but I was wrong as the cookie tasted like cherry bakewell to me, probably due to the almonds.

While I’m not really a fan of nutty-flavoured things, the cookie wasn’t too overpowering when it came to the almonds that were sprinkled on top so I’d have it again.

The blondie had a strong toffee flavour to it and was very moist with a gooey texture.

It reminded me of Werther's Original sweets and was a good portion size.

South Wales Guardian: Caramel White Chocolate BlondieCaramel White Chocolate Blondie (Image: Newsquest)

Moving on to the drink, I tried the Almond Biscotti Oat Latte and again, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.

I’m not a fan of coffee but sometimes a latte is a drink I’ll enjoy so I thought I’d give it a chance but I was disappointed.

After the first sip of the latte, I thought the flavour was too strong as the almond taste was very present but after a few more sips it grew on me a little bit.

South Wales Guardian: Almond Biscotti Oat LatteAlmond Biscotti Oat Latte (Image: Newsquest)

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The latte tasted very similar to the cookie and cherry bakewell again but the flavour was too overpowering for me.

Overall though, I wouldn’t buy the drink again but I’d opt for the cookie if I wanted an almond fix.

The menu was a bit underwhelming for me but I look forward to trying the Golden Caramel White Hot Chocolate if and when I can get my hands on it.