New vegan burger at Tesco

This might not be news to you, but I’ve never seen this vegan burger at Tesco before.

As far as frozen burgers go, I’ve got to say this one is rather unique for the mainstream UK market.

Roasted peanuts, peanut butter and brown rice make up the main part of this burger, while their are chunks of avocado, red pepper and edamame beans also featured.

Makes quite a departure from textured soy protein!

The product also features the ‘vegan’ graphic on the front of the box for which Tesco is becoming noticed in plant-based circles.

Have you tried this new burger? Or is it not new and I’m just a bit behind the times? How does it taste?

If you are interested in nutrition values and ingredient breakdown, see the product listing on the Tesco website by clicking here.

New vegan ice cream by Alpro

One of the biggest dairy-free brands in the world has just released three flavours of vegan ice cream.

Are we excited?

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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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Milk protest

Have you seen the signs in Tesco supermarkets suggesting their milk helps care for dairy cows?

The signs are part of a broader campaign in which the supermarket giant is telling shoppers that their cow milk products are fairly sourced, making them the right choice for anyone looking to improve outcomes for farmers and cows.

People who understand the cruelty connected to the dairy industry are not too happy about these signs.

All over the UK, consumer activists are removing the signs from dairy cases and positioning them in front of plant-derived milk products such as almond, soya and rice. Vegans are attempting to subvert the advertising campaign and use the signs to get people thinking about the cruelty of dairy.

Below is a photo I took in Tesco Roundhay, Leeds yesterday. It shows that one of the signs has been moved to a shelf holding almond milk.

It would appear this peaceful action of relocating the signs is gaining momentum, with many shoppers sharing their own experiences on social media of moving signs themselves or having seen evidence that others have done so.

In addition, The Vegan Society has asked Tesco to remove all signs from all store is this open letter.

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Big Holland & Barrett news

News has been announced today of a partnership between two of the biggest retailers on the planet.

Multiple news outlets are reporting on the new deal bringing Holland & Barrett outlets into already existing Tesco stores.

I visited my local Tesco Extra last week and was surprised that its NutriCentre had been shuttered, but it makes sense now. It seems all of these are to be turned into Holland & Barrett stores!

To be clear, I’m not excited about two arms of two multi-national corporations joining forces. However, I think it is rad that this move will drastically increase the range of vegan groceries available to people all over the UK. Holland & Barrett stocks amazing brands such as Fry’sTofurky and so many more. It’s terrific news for a lot of these independent vegan food companies as they will have a direct passage to one of the biggest retailers on the planet.

The first Holland & Barret inside a Tesco opened in Dudley yesterday and apparently more are set to open in the next few months in Watford, Coventry Arena, Newcastle, Cambridge and Gatwick. I expect if these prove popular, we will see a lot more in the near future.

Are you excited?

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UK supermarket launches new vegan spreads

Roll up, roll up.

Veganism is spreading (pun clearly intended) and Tesco is the latest large supermarket chain to launch its own versions of vegan margarine.

Check out these two varieties:

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Both tubs are listed as suitable for vegans on the Tesco website. Click here and here to see the detailed nutrition information.

Have you tried either of these spreads yet? I would love to hear your feedback.

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Finally! Eat Natural has a vegan bar

How many times have you picked up an Eat Natural in the supermarket only to put it back on the shelf when you remembered it had honey in it?

The protein bar people have been teasing us vegans for years with their honey-laden range, but now they have thrown us a bone. A bone in the form of a delicious-sounding vegan bar.

This new bar is crafted from maple syrup, pecans and peanuts, and you can get your compassionate fingers on these newbies at Tesco stores around the UK from this month (March 2016).

The press release for the new bars tells me it “contains 40% more protein than a standard Eat Natural Brazil & Sultana bar. It’s made using naturally protein-loaded nuts and contains no soya. Packed with over 70% nuts and seeds: a mix of Peanuts, indulgent Pecan nuts, Golden linseeds and nutty sunflower seeds all gently drenched with Canadian maple syrup and baked lightly for a mellow, rich taste and crunch. (Vegan, Wheat, Dairy and Gluten free.)”

Sounds tasty! Have you tried one yet?

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Froot jellies

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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Cheese spread

Hooray for vegan cheese!

Violife has been sweeping the country as people react positively to having a plant-based range of cheeses in the UK that taste good and melt superbly.

The rise in popularity of Violife has been swift, thanks mostly to how darn easy it is to buy. I’ve seen the slices in Tesco stores, the blocks in independent health food stores and even the smoked flavour in vegan shop Vx.

Despite this massive march of the vegan cheese brand across the country, I struggled to find their cheese spread known as Violife Creamy. Until yesterday, that is! 

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Tesco vegan label

This impressed me. Not the products themselves, rather the label.

A recent trip to Tesco was interrupted by a sighting of the word ‘vegan’ shouting at me from behind a closed freezer door. It appears not only are Tesco product developers smartening up to the demand for plant-based foods, they have also realised the ‘v’ word is a desirable thing to place front and centre of a packet.

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