Tested by Us
We Get Out There and Try It
Why We Test Our Experiences
We can't get out and experience every Experience Day we offer, but we make a point of testing as many as we can.
Members of the Activity Superstore team regularly head out across the UK to experience the days we sell for themselves – from luxury overnight stays and afternoon teas to driving experiences and unforgettable adventures.
It's an important part of how we judge quality. If an experience doesn't meet our standards, we raise it with the supplier — and if it isn't good enough, we won't continue selling it.
And that's what Tested by Us really means. It's not an AI evaluation, an algorithm or a statistical score. It's real people from our team getting out there and experiencing things for themselves.
When you see the Tested by Us badge, you'll also find genuine thoughts from the person who experienced it, so you can see what they actually thought before choosing your gift.
Our Most Recent Tests
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Tested by Us
Alternative Brunch for Two
What did you enjoy the most?
It has to be dancing on the bar to ‘Man, I Feel Like a Woman’ by Shania Twain on the bar – it was a mixture of fun and empowering! Also, getting to share the brunch with one of my best friends was one of my highlights, because the saloon vibe is perfect for a girl’s day out and we were having a laugh whilst enjoying some bevs and boogying! Read more
£99
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Tested by Us
35% OFF
Pet Portrait
Dion the photographer greeted us at the door with a warm smile and welcomed us into the studio. We were first sat down so he could meet Harley, we had a chat about what we wanted and what we were looking to take out of the shoot. Harley was very nervous, but Dion took his time making sure she was comfortable and allowed one of us to be holding her Read more
£24 was £39
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Tested by Us
Yorkshire Afternoon Tea Cruise with Prosecco for Two
This experience was, without a doubt, a 5 star experience! As soon as we entered the barge, we were greeted by pleasant and friendly staff. Everybody was assigned their own table, which was brilliant because it meant that nobody was rushing to choose a certain table - although they all had spectacular views anyway. Read more
£89
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Tested by Us
A Tasty Asian Food Hunt in Soho
Not really knowing what to expect when we arrived at the meeting point, this foodie treasure hunt turned out to be one of the most enjoyable experiences I've done in a long time. The event is very well organised and incredibly clever. The clues and riddles are great fun – challenging enough to make you think and explore your surroundings, Read more
£109
Our Favourite Tested by Us
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Tested by Us
Pick & Cheese: The Cheese Conveyor Belt Experience in London
What did you enjoy the most?
My favourite cheese was the Dazel Ash served with Rosemary Honey and Shortbread. The Young Buck was Shaun’s first dome off the conveyor belt and couldn’t be beaten – a spicy Stilton style blue, with gingerbread. The toastie was a definite highlight and it was worth ordering the extra one, they are so good. Read more
£65
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Tested by Us
Executive Yacht Overnight Stay with Dinner and Wine on the Sunborn
Overall, we had a great restful break away and could not fault the staff, accommodation and food. The Sunborn offers a unique way to stay in city and offers a bit of the wow factor, especially when celebrating a special occasion. We would definitely recommend it and would love to return! Read more
£399
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Tested by Us
Japanese Afternoon Tea for Two at Sanctum Soho Hotel
What did you enjoy the most?
Having had a number of different Afternoon Teas over the years, this Japanese version is definitely my favourite. The menu is eclectic, mixing some ubiquitous afternoon tea elements with modern Japanese dishes – with or without chopsticks. There is more than enough for two, Read more
£69
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Tested by Us
Fantastic Four
As the Ariel Atom was manual and trickier to control, I am glad I had taken the staff tip to drive it last, it was super enjoyable and being able to race in it was the absolute thrill I came for! I would definitely recommend this experience for all petrol heads out there and you get a free high-speed passenger ride, so you get to see how the pros do it. What more could you ask for? Read more
£179
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who Owns Activity Superstore?
Activity Superstore is independently owned and managed by Shaun and Vicki, who have been running the business together since 2006. Unlike many larger experience gift companies, we're not owned by a public company or investment fund. The owners are actively involved in the business every day and remain focused on building a company we're proud to put our names to.
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How do you choose which experiences to offer?
We don't believe that bigger is always better. Rather than listing thousands of experiences, we carefully curate the activities we offer and build long-term relationships with trusted experience providers. We look for experiences that deliver great memories, represent good value and offer something genuinely special. That's why our range is smaller than some competitors, but deliberately so.
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What is the Tested by Us programme?
Tested by Us is our commitment to personally experiencing as many of our gifts as possible. Every experience displaying the Tested by Us badge has been tried by a real member of the Activity Superstore team. There are now more than 100 first-hand test reports on our website, giving customers genuine insight from people who work here rather than outsourced reviewers or anonymous ratings.
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What happens if something goes wrong?
We're human, and occasionally things don't go to plan. When they do, our team works hard to put things right quickly and fairly. Because we're independently owned and managed, we're able to make sensible decisions and treat customers the way we'd want to be treated ourselves.
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What makes Activity Superstore different from Virgin Experiences or Red Letter Days?
We're one of Britain's longest-established experience gift companies, having started in 1997. We're still independently owned, still managed by the same people who helped build the business, and still focused on quality over quantity. We carefully curate our experiences, build long-term supplier relationships and personally test many of the gifts we sell through our Tested by Us programme. We like to think our difference can be summed up in three simple words: Founded by Us. Managed by Us. Tested by Us.