Supermarket Bombscare

Yay Pesto!

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Post by:

josh panel

Ok. This might not be exactly earth-shattering news for anyone, but I was delighted to see Sacla have included the words ‘Suitable for Vegans’ on the new packaging of one of their products. Sacla are a household name in the UK and are the go-to people for decent, reasonably-priced pesto. Last year they launched dairy-free versions of their popular basil and tomato pesto jars, using tofu and cashew nuts to compliment the taste and add a cheesey element to the sauces. Regrettably they didn’t mention the word vegan on the jar, although a quick read of the ingredients list confirmed that the products were indeed free from all animal products. So I was pleased to pick up the new-design jar in Sainsbury’s today and see those magic words ‘Suitable for Vegans’ on the back of the jar. I wish more food manufacturers would follow suit!

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Follow Sacla on Twitter here.

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Veganz news

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Post by:

joe panel

I’m sure it’s not news that Berlin has two branches of the Veganz supermarket (by the way, does anyone get the pun in the name?), but for me perhaps an even greater sign of progress are the Veganz sections in one of Germany’s mainstream supermarkets, Kaiser’s (know as Tengelmann in Bavaria for some reason).

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Veganz section in Kaiser’s

Highly visible vegan labelling in prominent locations in a major supermarket is a good sight to see. I feel it helps to normalise the word and concept. This in addition to other products proudly promoted as vegan, for instance in Kaisers’ own chilled sections.

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Not Veganz section – just Kaiser’s own vegan advertisement

It’s not just Kaiser’s either, other supermarkets are pushing vegan products as well. Veganz also has concessions in Metro and Globus supermarkets. It’s good to know if you desperately need to do some midnight vegan shopping from treats to staples, there’s somewhere to go. Seitan powder, dried soya chunks, vegan cream (pouring or whipped), energy bars, sweets and chocolate, kale chips, cooking spices, omelette mix… (p.s. If you’re wondering, the pun in Veganz is that ‘ganz’ is German for ‘everything’).

Reminder: Join Joe for Berlin Vegan Drinks this week and join the Facebook page for future updates.

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New vegan grocery store

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Here is some excellent news.

Birmingham (in the UK, not Alabama USA) is about to get a brand new vegan retail outlet.  This will be the second 100% vegan shop in the city. Geez, Birmingham. Don’t be so greedy!

Get a sneaky look inside the still-being-built shop below and read what the owner has to say about the new outlet which just happens to be named Vegan Store. Catchy, right?

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Tortilla chips from Sainsbury’s

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I found a new food love today.

Sainsbury’s has launched a new range of tortilla chips and two of the flavours are marked as being vegan. You can see the two packs in the photo below.

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Omega 3 for vegans

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I don’t know much about nutrition. I know why I’m fat, but that’s about it.

There are vegans who will tell you about food combining, daily intake requirements and even how many bananas to eat per day. I give you beer and fried things and expect you will look after the essential nutrients part yourself.

I’m breaking with this tradition to let you know that Sainsbury’s have started selling omega 3 tablets that are suitable for vegans. Hopefully somebody more in-the-know than I will jump into the comments to explain what benefits vegans can obtain from consuming these tablets containing linseed oil. I have a flimsy understanding that the essential fatty acid contained within the oil can help protect your heart and lower cholesterol levels.

The above statement is in no way based on scientific knowledge or understanding.

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Froot jellies

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Readers take note: my socks were officially blown off by this purchase in the Earl’s Court Tesco last night.

Following the shock of being turned away from the Royal Albert Hall due to Mr Tony Bennett having taken ill, my band of Little Monsters went in search of sweet things to soften the disappointment.

These did not disappoint.

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Discount in Berlin

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Post by:

joe panel

One of the great things about living in Berlin is that there’s a Veganz vegan supermarket a 10 minute walk away, or even less on the bike. Veganz is really more of a mini-supermarket, though they do have a huge range of products available.

But like all supermarkets, Veganz often has special offers or last- minute reductions on items nearing the end of their shelf-life. This is great for a cheapskate like me. My eyes can sense those bright orange price stickers before I’ve even set off. As a result, we end up trying exotic foodstuffs that are normally out of our price range. (Our freezer is full of bags of grated Daiya cheese that were a bargain at €0.99 each!)

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Vegan Quorn burger

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After hearing about this product for many months, I finally saw it in the freezer at a Whole Foods Market store in Los Angeles today.
Now this is going to sound strange, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy it.

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Cheese spreads even further

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I recently asked the question “Is Violife the best melting cheese in the UK?” and many people replied in the affirmative.

However, some readers asked a question of their own. They wanted to know where in the country they could buy this vegan cheese.

Well, I’m happy to report I have an update on where you can pick up this plant-based favourite.

A super considerate reader named Jon reached out to me today to let me know he found the Violife brand in an Asda store. This vegan cheese is spreading across the UK faster than I can handle!

Check out Jon’s haul of the good stuff in his shopping trolley.

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Vegan cola

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Remember when I posted a story about juice not being vegan in some instances?

The story is one of the most read ever on my blog and it opened a whole can of vegan gummy worms. Readers started sharing knowledge that many colas and sodas were also not vegan due to the use of animal-derived ingredients. You can read the original post here.

Finding a vegan cola can be a minefield for soft drink lovers, but the good news is a UK supermarket chain has its own brand of colas all labelled vegan.

Check it out.

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