One of the biggest dairy-free brands in the world has just released three flavours of vegan ice cream.
Are we excited?
This new line of dairy-free desserts is available only in Tesco stores in the UK, although I am struggling to find them. I have been to half a dozen larger outlets and still am unable to locate them.
The tubs retail for £3.50 each.
Good price point but where are they?! Have you found these tubs yet? The chocolate looks like it will be my first flavour but what is your favourite?
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Here’s the recipe!
Makes approximately two litres
Ingredients:
1 cup of dried Hibiscus/Jamaica flowers
2 cups of water
1 Cinnamon stick
1⁄2 a cone of Piloncillo (or approximately 1⁄2 cup of other sweetener)
Method:
● Wash the Jamaica flowers well
● Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan
● Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes ● Strain and allow the liquid to cool for a few minutes
● Pour into a large jug and dilute approximately 1 part syrup to 10 cups of water
● Serve over ice
● ¡Salud!
You can try many variations of this water. Fruit is often used instead of the Jamaica flowers and you could experiment with different spice combinations such as ginger and star anise.
We are making big leaps and bounds when it comes to plant-based foods in the UK, but one area that needs development is ready-to-consume sandwiches. You know, the pre-packaged wraps and boxes you get everywhere from Tesco to your local café.
Thankfully, superstar food company Tofurky has set its glare on this very area.
The North American plant-based pioneer set up a vegan sandwich shop in London this week at the giant catering and food trade show called LUNCH.
This show is a coming together of food industry leaders and Tofurky wanted to demonstrate to them what they were missing out on by not selling ready-to-consume vegan sandwiches and snacks.
Check out this incredible selection they put on display.
Could you even imagine seeing a vegan fridge like that in a UK shop?!
I asked Tofurky to elaborate on what they are trying to achieve with this new way of packaging their delicious plant-based meats, and they told me the following:
After the successful launch of our products in the UK retail market, it has occurred to us that there is a large gap in the huge UK Grab and Go sandwich market which lacks tasty plant based protein options for vegans, vegetarians and the 4 in 10 Brits who are now reducing their consumption of animal based proteins. We were impressed and amazed by the tremendous response to the 6 vegan Tofurky sandwiches and salads displayed in this chiller at the LUNCH show this week and hope to soon be offering these throughout the UK. For more information: info@tofurky.com.
Oh, yes.
How amazing would it be to start seeing these options pop up around the country?
Tofurky have been hard at work convincing UK companies to run with the concept in their stores but we as consumers can also help.
Share this blog post via social media or email with as many food retailers as possible. We can let them know that we want vegan choices in supermarkets, motorway services, cafés, universities and anywhere ready-to-consume food is sold.
Want some more photos?
Get hassling those retailers, people. We need this! Animals need this!
One of the best vegan cheeses I have ever tasted is launching in the capital tomorrow (Saturday September 24, 2016) and you will be kicking yourself if you don’t make an effort to get some.
I first tried Mouse’s Favourite at the Viva! show in Brighton a few weeks back and was beyond blown away. Their Camembert is probably one of the finest vegan cheeses on the planet.
Rarely do you get a plant-based product this outstanding and now you can buy some of the good stuff for your very own.
Get along to GreenBay Supermarket on Saturday for a world exclusive as the makers of Mouse’s Favourite cheese set up a tasting station from midday and sell their finery in a retail setting for the first time ever.
Check out what the company had to say about the launch event:
This Saturday at GreenBay we are giving out samples of Mouse’s Favourite for customers to try. The samples on offer will be our newest cheese, Camembert, as well as our Cider Washed Rind, Almond Pyramid, Original Cream and Smokey Cream. This is almost our complete range except for the Rich Aged Dulse which won’t be aged in time.
We are very excited about Saturday because it will be the first time ever that our cheese is available in a shop, and not just any shop, we couldn’t be more delighted that it’s in GreenBay the newly opened 100% vegan store. All the above cheeses will be available for purchase (again except for the Rich Aged Dulse – but it will be in the future).
Having Mouse’s Favourite in GreenBay is the culmination of 5 years of research and development by Gabrielle to produce the finest quality ‘cheese’ made from the best possible ingredients. The production processes and techniques mirror the traditional craft of hand made cheesemaking wherever possible. We have both been vegan for ten years and believe that you don’t have to sacrifice anything or feel like you are missing out. As well as perfecting the taste and texture, we have tried to make a product every bit as alluring and beautiful and varied in range as dairy cheese. Vegetarians often cite cheese as the one food that they couldn’t do without, the one thing stopping them becoming vegan. It’s a gratifying thought that our cheese could help people along on their journey.
Wow. Let’s take a look at some of those other cheeses.
From top: Almond Pyramid, Cashew Cream Cheese and Washed Rind Cashew Cheese.
Be one of the first people in London to get your hands on Mouse’s Favourite at GreenBay Supermarket tomorrow from midday. Be quick. This stuff is going to fly out the door, especially that Camembert.
If you want to learn how to cook gorgeous, mouthwatering vegan Indian food, I’m sure your first point of call in London should be Nishma Shah.
This Saturday (September 24, 2016) you can join Nishma for a wonderful culinary adventure as she teaches you the ins and outs of Indian home cooking.
The following is lifted from the event description:
This is a prime opportunity to learn some authentic Indian home cookery, from Shambhu’s chef Nishma Shah. Nishma is of Indian heritage, has been immersed in Indian culture all her life and is proud of it, and importantly loves making and teaching delicious plant-based Indian food.
The class price is £40 and includes refreshments, food tasting and even a container of leftovers (if you all don’t eat everything there and then).
The class is limited to 12 people and can be booked online here.
Wanna try and stop the vegan food revolution sweeping the UK? I pity the fool!
There is now a vegan cake and coffee shop in the Yorkshire village of Mytholmroyd in Hebden Bridge!
My Kind of Cake is now serving all manner of sweet bakes including cheesecake, Victoria sponge, coffee & walnut plus so many more. It sounds like cake heaven.
The shop is a 40-minute drive west of Leeds (just past Halifax) so it might feel a little off most radars, but the area is gorgeous and well worth a sightseeing weekend. Keep driving another hour after Hebden Bridge and you’ll find yourself in Manchester, so there is plenty to see and do in that part of the world.
You can visit My Kind of Cake online and like them on Facebook.
I spend far too much time reading Hollywood gossip sites but sometimes I get a little bit more than procrastination out of the activity.
I’ve just read an interview with actor Harley Quinn Smith in which she talks about her veganism.
My favourite part of the interview (which you can read in full on Just Jared) reads:
Initially, it was very difficult to say goodbye to cheese and ice cream, but honestly there are SO many amazing vegan options that at this point in the game I don’t even really miss non vegan food! If you stop thinking as vegan food as a replacement, but instead you start thinking of it as it’s own thing, it will become a lot easier to commit.
Great advice!
Harley Quinn Smith has starred in several feature films written and directed by her father, Kevin Smith. This includes the comedy Yoga Hosers released this year.
It seems the major vegetarian food brands are in a race to bring out more and more vegan products. The tide is turning at a rapid rate for plant-based supermarket products and I can hardly keep up.
A few days ago I reported on new vegan soups by Quorn while only yesterday I posted about new products suitable for vegans by Linda McCartney Foods.
Now Quorn are back at it again with these new breaded fillets, popping up in mainstream supermarkets everywhere this week.
Have you tried this new item? What did you think? Sound off in the comments below!
After baffling us with new products that were almost vegan for so long, Linda McCartney Foods has launched four new items onto the market that are completely plant-based.
Check them out.
If the image above isn’t showing clearly let me tell you the range now includes vegetarian chorizo & red pepper sausages, vegetarian shredded hoisin duck, vegetarian beef burrito mix and vegetarian pulled chicken.
Reports have been coming in that all of these are in shops right now, so keep a keen eye out during your next shopping trip and let us know what you think when you get your hands on them.
Regular FGV reader Ari wanted to share her experiences of vegan food in Las Vegas.
Check it out!
On a trip to Fremont Street in downtown, we visited The Container Park (think UK’s box parks) to catch lunch at Simply Pure, a vegan semi-raw food joint. A menu by Stacey Dougan consists of tacos, wraps and grilled cheese. My hubbie and I went for the crowd favourite, Ultimate Sampler, because variety wins in my books and this eliminated my affliction of food envy.
The Ultimate Sampler consisted of Zucchini Pasta Trio, Nacho Grande, Jicama Chili Cheese Fries and Asian ‘Chicken’ Lettuce-Wrapped Tacos. The Nachos Grande with ‘beef’ and ‘cheese’ (cashew sauce) was the stand out on the plate although all the sauces were good. I’m pretty sure I let out an mmmhhh after the first nacho. Courgetti is never one to get my eco-engine going but this was the best courgetti/zucchini pasta I’ve tasted. Usually my hopes of good courgetti are dashed with slime and blandness. None of that here!
Upon leaving the container park, something caught my eye… The sign outside gourmet hot dog, Cheffini’s, read ‘VEGAN’. Hello! It would have been rude to ignore.
See the ‘vegan’ on the chalkboard? You might have to squint.
Of the many options of which they can make vegan, we had to choose something a bit simpler as the intention was to leave with a regular vegan dog to-go for an afternoon nosh. No funny business. However, ‘vegan Salchipapa’ (deep fried vegan hot dog bits served over french fries!) caught my eye at the final hurdle.
Vegan Salchipapa from Cheffinis
I choose the pineapple sauce (instead of the included signature sauce which has mayo). Excellent sauce choice for the dog and fries. If only there was more time to try their different creations and sauces… a good problem to have.
Other vegan haunts to visit if you’re in Las Vegas are:
Ronald’s Donuts – retro, basic shop a couple of miles from the strip with two vegan options – glazed and soy cream – on my visit (menu changes daily). Amazingly light, fresh and very tasty.
Settebello – Italian chain restaurant with decent vegan options.
Buffet at the Wynn – delicious vegan options clearly marked and staff can identity dishes for you. The spring rolls will make you wonder if you can sneak any in your purse. Incidentally, since Steve Wynn went vegan he has ensured that all food outlets in the Wynn hotel/casino have good vegan options!
Thanks, Ari. Sounds like you had some fantastic eating experiences in Vegas.
Of course Ari only just scratched the surface of vegan food options in Las Vegas. If you are heading their for a visit, make sure you take a look at Happycow to find out everything plant-based on offer.
