Oakberry Açaí Bristol: I indulge in Cabot Circus' new healthy fast food açaí bowl- it's not what I expected

Oakberry Açaí is the latest addition to the shopping centre, having only opened on August 3, and fills a gap in healthy fast food in the market.

The new store specialises in açaí bowls and smoothies as well as other açaí products.

Açaí fruit, pronounced "ah-sigh-ee" (we also had to search it up!), comes from açaí palm trees, whose cultivation brings a net-positive impact to the Amazon Forest, preventing deforestation and is considered the Amazon Guardian.

Oakberry aims to make açaí known and appreciated all over the globe, and regardless of the store location, use açaí from a single central facility.

Having never heard about açaí before, we decided to visit the Cabot Circus store.

Their menu includes smoothies with up to three toppings ranging from the Classic 350ml for £9.50 to the Oak with 650ml for £12.99.

There are four sizes available for the signature açaí bowls, ranging from the One 270ml with up to three toppings for £7.99 to the 650ml The Oak with unlimited toppings for £14.50.

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They offer a wide range of toppings, including fruits like kiwi, strawberries and mango puree, seeds like Hemp and Chia Pudding, granolas like oats and cacao, nuts like almonds, vegan-friendly proteins like peanut butter and cashew butter, dairies like condensed milk and natural yoghurt and other toppings like honey and cacao nibs.

There were also Oak Bars with açaí and protein (£3.50), Paç.oak, which combines dehydrated peanuts and açaí powder (£1.50), Oak Match energy drinks with açaí, green coffee extract and match tea (£3), kombucha (£3.50) and Water (£2) to complete your menu.

The staff were amiable and happy to help you navigate the menu and choices.

Since it was my first time trying açaí, I decided to order a matcha bowl from the pre-set bowls menu.

It's a summer special, which comes with banana, blueberry, coconut flakes and matcha pudding with the choice of adding any extra toppings for £11.50 (with the £1 extra for being a summer special).

I gave my name for the order, which was ready within 5 minutes.

Since Oakberry is a small store without any seating, I decided to sit on the nearby steps overlooking Cabot Circus.

The bowl was set on a plastic cup with a well-presented and vibrant display of green, brown, blue, white and light yellow from the fruit and matcha pudding.

I was surprised at how cold the açaí was on the first few bites. It was creamy and had a Slush Puppie-like texture.

The coconut flakes were surprisingly thick and on the chewy end, whilst the blueberries were on the sour end, and the bananas were sweet and soft.

The açaí was somewhat sweet, which contrasted well with the bitterer matcha.

Overall, it was a very filling cup and a very refreshing treat on a hot summer day.