Have you got a favourite retail outlet when it comes to vegan groceries? Somewhere that never lets you down and always ensures your basket is well-stocked? Me too.
Out Of This World health foods in Leeds
Out Of This World is a small, comprehensive grocery store located in Leeds city centre. This ethically-minded outlet dedicates shelf upon shelf to products free of non-human animals as well as vegetarian specialties and organic, fair trade goods. If you want a few slices of pig-free bacon or a couple of vegan cupcakes to see you through a chilly northern afternoon, Out Of This World is the place to shop. You can snap up vitamins, shampoo, vegan fudge, cider, organic wine and so much more.
Want to enjoy a delicious bean chilli but time is limited? Co-operative supermarket has got you sorted.
Co-operative chilli cook in sauce
I have always been strangely intrigued by chilli as a meal but have not encountered it often. Growing up in Australia, my closest encounter with this dish was the oft-repeated episode of the Simpsons in which Homer trips after eating a super-hot pepper. The whole concept of a cook-off filled me with wonder. As Homer strutted from stall to stall with his special chilli spoon, my fascination with the bean-filled, savoury goodness expanded. Sadly, chilli has only passed my lips a few times since I first saw that TV show but that could all change with the discovery of a chilli cook in sauce from Co-operative supermarkets.
Co-operative supermarkets have a fantastic track record of ethical policy, including a commitment to
No messing about here with witty remarks. When it comes to vegan sweets, there is no time for being verbose. It gets in the way of eating.
Vegan candy from Sainsbury's
Sainsbury’s is a leading UK grocery retailer that is ever-increasing its range of vegan items. Two of the latest additions to their cruelty-free repertoire are exactly the sort of foodstuffs that keep me worthy of my name. Strawberry Lances and Strawberry Pencils are sugar delights that will do nothing for your health but plenty to satisfy cravings. I was especially smitten with the lances. These sweet and sour straps are my new favourite candy and will definitely become a staple product in the Haus of FGV pantry.
Some things are simply destined to be together. A triple shot of vodka and a glass of cola. A ferocious hangover and oven chips with gravy. There are countless combinations of perfect matches like these examples out there.
During a recent shopping adventure, I picked up two products that seemed to scream ‘combine us’ from my grocery basket.
Linda McCartney sausage rolls
First up we have an old faithful in Linda McCartney sausage rolls. Vegans do need to be careful when purchasing from this company as some products in their range contain milk and/or egg. The sausage rolls however are suitable for a cruelty-free diet and are crispy perfection when you follow the cooking guidelines carefully. You recieve 6 per box and the frozen snacks are free from artificial preservatives and flavours. They make a quick, simple snack and are available in shops all over the UK.
Gluten free, wheat free and dairy free chocolate can be obtained by strolling into your nearest Sainsbury’s supermarket. It’s that simple.
Vegan chocolate/candy bars readily available throughout the UK
High Street grocery retailer and all round mega-chain Sainsbury’s are constantly expanding their freefrom range. These products are designed to cater for diets requiring the absence of ingredients such as egg, dairy, wheat and gluten. While not all items under this branding are suitable for vegans, you will certainly discover a few cruelty-free surprises when you browse the freefrom section.
Looking good and feeling gorgeous can be a chore when you are committed to animal welfare. Drug and cosmetic companies are notorious for filling products with by-products of murdered animals and conducting horrendous (and pointless) experiments on unsuspecting creatures. Some ingredients of the personal hygiene sector can even include horse urine. Seriously.
With this rampant exploitation of animals, it can be difficult to find peaceful personal products but UK retailer Superdrug are attempting to make your shopping experience more non-human friendly. This high street pharmacy chain employ an anti animal testing charter which states:
Bite-sized, crumbed and oven cooked. You know you want it.
Vegetable Dunkers... vegan frozen food
There is a profit-fuelled frenzy occuring in UK supermarkets and grocery stores. Major chains are falling over each other to snare a larger slice of the compassionate shopper market and we vegans are faced with an ever-expanding choice. Alongside old-timers such as tofu, shop shelves are now showcasing cruelty-free newbies such as roast ‘beef’, air freshener, dishwashing liquid, hairspray and countless other products labeled suitable for vegans.
Do you ever have difficulty deciding what to eat when faced with many options?
One way out of this precarious situation is to buy one of everything. My trip to Whole Foods Market in Kensington a few days ago saw me tempted to do just that. I was entrusted with the task of buying some pre-packed goodies for Josh and myself to devour. The plan was to nab a window seat in the store’s food court, eat ourselves silly and watch frenzied Christmas shoppers collide with each other on the obscenely-busy high street below.
So sit down, relax and enjoy the visual delights of my lunchtime shopping spree. For a FGV, I was actually rather restrained.
Whole Foods in-house vegan yoghurt varieties
I wanted to commence the meal with healthy food that tasted great, so I opted for two tubs of vegan yoghurt with muesli and fruit. Buying both flavours was the only option when I couldn’t decide between mixed berry and blackberry. They weren’t fabulous, but fulfilled my expectations.
Saf is a vegan restaurant located in Shoreditch, East London that has now opened an outlet in the Whole Foods Kensington food court. While I didn’t buy from them directly, I chose one of their pre-packaged wraps from the sandwich case instore.
I promise I’m not being hysterical when I state it
The UK has a knack of turning a short car journey up the motorway into an epic battle for survival.
If you have ever traversed one of the main vehicle routes, you would know that the slightest hint of adverse weather can bring proceedings to a standstill. A 4-hour trip between London and Manchester once took 9 hours due to snowfall. You never quite know what you are getting yourself into.
I think it is for this reason you will find highway stopping points jammed with petrol/gas stations, mini-supermarkets, fast food joints and motels every twenty miles or so. These hubs of consumerism are known as services and offer a place to sleep, eat and take shelter from multiple car pile ups and icy roads.
When it comes to finding vegan treats in these services,
When people give me the old line, “I couldn’t go vegan because I would miss cheese too much” I say, “Boo fuckin’ hoo!”.
Then I count to ten and take a few deep breaths before explaining there is now a wealth of cheese options available. You can remove yourself from the suffering cycle associated with dairy industrialisation by choosing plant-based cheeses to grate, sprinkle and melt.
One such product is the glorious Daiya. I have experienced this delightful, cruelty-free cheese during my numerous trips to the USA. Daiya is made from fermented cassava root and I could only hope to taste it whenever I found myself Stateside… until now.
Amy's vegan macaroni and cheeze
Whole Foods Market in Kensington, London shocked me senseless by selling me a fabulous box of frozen macaroni and Daiya. To my knowledge, this Amy’s product isn’t available anywhere else in the UK. If you know otherwise, please educate this FGV.
While I wait for your postcards to come flooding in, I am happy to share a photo of the ridiculously-lovely meal Josh cobbled together around the macaroni.
