Macarons & More – Norwich, UK Pros: Free Goody Bag, Guessing the Mystery Flavor Correctly, and Lucky Charm Macaron. Cons: Not winning a golden ticket *who doesn’t want to feel like Willy Wonka* and the Watermelon Macaron.
On September 9th, customers waited in line for Macaron Day hosted by Macarons and More in The Royal Arcade in Norwich city centre. They had formed around from the colourfully decorated shop windows, discussing the creations inside.
It was around 9:30 am, and everyone was excited to go inside. Not only did they have limited edition treats to purchase but they also had a giveaway. The excitement of finding a golden ticket in your macaron bag would result in you winning another box of macarons, pencil or mug, and even a cookery course taught by Tim Kinnaird. Unfortunately, I was not a winner, and so I might have to try next year, or the year after…or after that.
Okay, I probably will continue to buy these macarons regardless of a Golden Ticket. But who doesn’t like feeling like Willy Wonka, right?
Below are just a few of the snaps I took of the creations and storefront.
People in line waiting though The Royal Arcade.Beautifully decorated shop windows.Childrens ‘ Design Your Own Macaron’.Macaroon Macaron MacaronBento BoxClam and Pearl and Snickers * I forgot they had this one…wish I would have got this now…Caramel Sweet CornFull display of creationsBagel-a-ron (not brave enough)Full display of creation cont.Ritchie and Weston waiting in line.Tim K. and assistant serving customers with a big smile.Tim Kinnaird is a Master Chef finalist, cookbook author, and owner of Macarons & More and has created many different flavours and designs for the special Macaron Day.View from stairs down to the shop. The store is clean, bright and modern. Sales assistant helping a child.FRIED CHICKEN ??The line moved quickly, which was impressive considering there was only three staff working. But I was really impressed that Tim was serving and I had the chance to ask what his favourite flavour was, and he replied “Lucky Charms”. With no hesitation, I added the Lucky Charms Macaron to our box of nine.Mix and Choose a box of nine or 12. The macarons are displayed with elegance and counters just low enough for the little ones to explore and choose a flavour. Leaving the shop with goody bags and nine macarons for afternoon tea later when we got home.
This shop has been my favourite since moving to the United Kingdom three years ago and whenever I’m shopping in Norwich, this my normal afternoon treat.
GOODY BAG- Included: Three FREE macarons, Watermellon Marshmallows, Hot Chocolate, and button. I included the shopping bag and the box of nine macarons that I purchased.“Support Your Local Baker” Pin.
Macaron Taste Test:
We got home…made a cup of tea, to share. We sat down and devoured these treats. I cut each treat in half so both my husband and I could try each kind.
Below you will find what we thought of each one.
Afternoon Taste Test…with an English cup of tea.Our purchased macrons- the caramel one Ritchie ate in Norwich. Greedy boy.Afternoon Tea Macaron. Decorated to be what resembles dregs…tasty dregs.Oh, my surprise! JAM and Scone. This macaron tasted mostly of jam, scone and less like English Traditional tea. Great Surprise!Classic Lemon. Taste of real lemon, not that over-powering false candy flavour. I would describe this to be more like lemon curd because of the creamy filling.Toffee. Light and not to sickly as you would expect, which could make eating more of these easier…Chocolate Orange- Husband’s new favourite. Taste of orange false flavour, but I believe this is more along the lines of a Jaffa Cake in which the Orange overpowers the chocolate. However, this was quite delicious as I am a fan of those Orange flavoured Tooties Pops (American Candy) and this was similar.
Macarons and More had an exciting challenge for their customers in the store that day. The “Guess the Flavour” challenge. And if you guessed the mystery flavour correctly, you would receive that macaron for free.
My experienced sweet tooth was up for the challenge. And who doesn’t like a free macaron?
*After tasting the purple goo that was delivered to me via a stick from the container of purple goo. I tasted hints of nutmeg…but that just was not it. And the purple colour was throwing me off. So I asked… ‘ Does the colour correspond with the flavour?’, and the sales assistant replied ‘Yes’.
Mmm…a mystery indeed. But did you really think I couldn’t do it on the second guess? You’re wrong, and of course, I did…I have a superior tasting pallet and was the first to guess correctly that morning.
THE PURPLE MYSTERY MACARONSweet and hits of nutmeg…very autumn tasting…have you guessed it yet? Sweet Potato! My favourite sort of potato! Look closely and you can see the bits of real sweet potato used in this macaron. Thumbs up to Macarons and More.Cappuccino. My most ordered macron would have to be the Cappuccino flavoured, as I’m a bit of a coffee freak and it makes the perfect after-lunch treat. This macaron is strong, and by that I mean if you just wanted to order one macaron and say you had dessert…this is the one.Jelly and Ice Cream. A Neapolitan sundae dream.I have never had Jelly and Ice cream until we attended a child’s first birthday party this summer. I was amazed at how well the combination worked. I was so excited to try this one, and I was not disappointed. The cream in the middle taste of American Cake Batter Ice Cream with strawberry jelly that goes on PB&J’s. Classic Kids Favorite.Watermelon and Marshmellow. This was my least favourite macaron. I tasted more of the water than the melon. I would taste the seeds but couldn’t put my hands on what they were made of. They looked so amazing but I wasn’t too impressed with the overall flavour.Lucky Charm Macaron. American Cereal…had to try. And of course Tim’s Favourite.God Bless America. This was the best macaron of the day. Best described as a melted marshmallow and rice crispy dream. This macaron tasted just like Lucky Charms but when in macaron form taste like Rice Crispy Treats. * mostly the melted marshmallow part*Looking great with crushed cereal decorated on the side. I wish they would keep this one for good.
Overall, my experience with the Macarons and More- Macaron Day was positive and fun. I was up and running early in the morning for the 40-minute drive to Norwich, and with the baby and husband out the door before 8:30…takes some serious motivation.
The staff was really helpful and had smiles throughout. It’s great and exciting to see as a regular customer, that the owner was so involved in making experiences for his customers unique and enjoyable.
I believe Macarons and More will always be a must-do when about Norwich with the family. I love how Macarons and More cater to everyone of all ages and I will continue to stop here as Weston grows and we can enjoy picking out macarons together.
Even if you’re not into macarons, the shop has much….more.
So if you’re in Norwich, go check it out for yourself!
11 Royal Arcade
Norwich
NR2 1NQ
To find out more about what Macarons and More has to offer…
