Caffe Nero’s Caramel & Pistachio Frappuccino

I love teas and coffees, both hot and cold and I'm always open-minded to trying out new flavours and drinks whenever they're released. Sometimes I discover something I really love and it becomes an all-time favourite, whilst others make me gag and never want to try them again.

Caffe Nero is a chain that I've grown to love. Although over the years I've committed to other chains, there was a point where I would only go to Caffe Nero. Though a lot of things have changed since then, more coffee shops are opening, and I feel more inclined to try out local shops and other chains.

I still go to Caffe Nero, but not as much as I used to. There was one point I was going every day. Rest in peace, wallet. Last year, the BBC did a study and found fecal bacteria in iced drinks in the big coffee chains like Starbucks and Costa. Caffe Nero wasn't immune to this either. Along with that, this year there was many cases of food poisoning in their Polish branch.

Despite all of this, Caffe Nero remains a very big coffee chain in the UK. The one in my town always seems busy when I go in. They always seem to have something going on. And I do admire Caffe Nero for supporting artists and musicians. They've sponsored a few festivals around my area.

I like their iced teas and some of their milkshakes. They are expensive, but the big chains normally are expensive. If you have a loyalty card with them, you get a free coffee with your tenth drink, so I've used that quite a lot. I know Costa and Starbucks do it, but bringing in your own drink can often save you some money. I'm not sure if Caffe Nero does this, but it's worth a try. If not, I can see this as something that will happen in the future.

One of the new drinks that caught my eye was the caramel and pistachio frappuccino. I love pistachios and it was something I wanted to try. The posters made it look like a lovely shade of green that reminded me of one of my favourite matcha latte drinks. I ordered a drink last week to see if it was worth the hype. Yes, if you're into sweet stuff and no if you're into discovering new and exciting flavours.

As you can see, the drink in the picture looks anything but green. And the drink gave me an overwhelming sensation of sugar, as if I was having ice cream. The caramel was obvious, as was the cream, but I couldn't taste much of the pistachio as well which was a disappointment. I think the nutty texture would have made this drink so much better.

Looking at the nutritional value of the drink, it's easy to see why it tastes so sweet. It has 56.4 grams of sugar, which is more than double the recommended intake. It has even more sugar than the triple Belgian chocolate frappe.

They asked me if I wanted creme with mine and I said yes, and I wished I said no because it was a very filling drink. The overpowering sweetness left a sour taste in my mouth and I felt a bit sick later on. I was fine after a nice lemon and ginger tea though.

So I wouldn't recommend this drink as it's far too sweet and sugary, but there are some nice recipes on Pinterest I've tried and I've liked them more than the Caffe Nero version. They're also healthier and tastier as well.