I am heading into my first ever Veganuary as a full-time vegan…needless to say, I’ve been very excited to try all the new arrivals. So, this article has been my excuse to gorge on a bunch of new plant-based snacks! Here are some of the foods I tried and what I (honestly) thought about them…
- Greggs’ Steak Bakes & Donuts
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Ah, Greggs! A treasure trove of cheap and emerging vegan bakes, starting by winning our hearts with the introduction of the vegan sausage roll last year. Well, they’ve been back at it again for Veganuary with the release of the new Vegan Steak Bake *and* a vegan-friendly Glazed Ring Donut to top it all off.
The Steak Bake was a blessing, hitting the gravy-filled pastry spot for veggie-eaters everywhere. At only £1.55, the bake is a great midday snack which provides those on the meatless diet with another quick and delicious lunch on the run. Since I’ve not been able to find a readily available and cheap vegan donut since I converted, the donut, at a mere 65p was just as exciting. Soft, fluffy and sweet, it tastes just as I would expect a normal glazed donut to taste – certainly a very worthy sweet option which the high street has been lacking!
All in all, Greggs gets a 4/5 from me, for being both delicious and affordable!
- Costa’s Ham & CheeZe Toastie
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Costa has brought out a large and varied selection of plant-based foods for you to tuck into as you get your coffee fix, including an All Day Breakfast Panini and a Smoky Chilli Bean & Rice Pot.
I was exceptionally eager to try their new Smoky Ham and CheeZe Toastie. The option is greatly welcomed in a market flooded with vegetable-filled, healthy options – sometimes you just fancy something simpler. And boy, did this blow me away! I knew I would be a fan of the Quorn vegan smoky ham (as a regular buyer of it myself), but the dairy-free cheese went above and beyond my expectations, providing a mild, gooey filling which complimented and did not overpower the smoky ham slices. I also thought that £2.95 was an extremely reasonable price to pay!
Filling a reasonable gap in the vegan cheese and ham market, and doing it exceedingly well, Costa receives a 5/5 for nailing the cheese!
- KFC’s Vegan Burger
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Now, there has been a lot of hype around this next one… and a lot of controversy too. Some buyers have been reporting being accidentally served actual chicken as opposed to the fake version. Nevertheless, I started my new year visiting KFC for the first time in a long time.
The new Vegan Burger consists of Quorn chicken, vegan mayo, lettuce, a bun and, of course, the Colonel’s 11 herbs and spices. I thought the taste was not far off the KFC I remember, and it was exciting to experience that classic KFC taste again without the meat. What I would say, however, is that my Quorn burger was perhaps overdone as it was a little tough (you could instantly tell it wasn’t real chicken). Nevertheless, the burger is a decent substitute to the fast-food chicken you may miss.
Overall, I would give this a 3/5 – good, but could certainly be better!
- Subway’s Meatless Marinara Melt
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I was keen to give Subway’s Meatless Meatball Marinara Melt a go, having not been particularly impressed with the vegan patty already on the menu. I am sad to say that it didn’t meet my expectations at all.
Compared to Costa, the cheese was not very nice – it held that slightly ‘off’ vegan cheese taste and didn’t have the melt-factor to justify the name. The meatballs were ok, but a little bland and dry, whilst the marinara sauce was also bland and not very tomato-y at all. It’s still great that Subway is bringing in new options for those on a plant-based diet, but they have some improvements to make in order to compete with Greggs and Costa…
Subway earns a sad 1/5 for the Meatless Melt.
And that concludes my ratings! One thing is clear: there is so much more on offer this Veganuary. With supermarkets bringing out whole new ranges, new meal deals in stores and new restaurant menus, it’s never been easier to be vegan this January…so happy Veganuary!