the times Saturday December 18 20216Weekend
Which supermarkets make truly tasty food for non-meat eaters? Hannah Evans gives her verdict
Main course
Co-op Gro Ho Ho Roots En Croute,
£3 for 412g
This is going straight to my Christmas
table. A lovely mix of textures: a nutty
topping, crisp pastry that puffs up and
a creamy cranberry and root veg filling.
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Aldi Specially Selected Handmade
Vegan Wreath, £3.99 for 550g
Delicious! Spot-on chestnut to cranberry
ratio and served with a not too sweet
cranberry dip. My only complaint is
that it’s a little on the small side.
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Waitrose Nut Roast, £4.50 for 300g
The Waitrose chefs have brought back
the nut roast, new and improved. A
generous apricot and chestnut topping
covers a juicy loaf.
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Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference
Festive Miso Stuffed Butternut Squash
with Mushrooms, £4.50 for 600g
That half-squash base is awkward to
scoop out, but it’s saved by the filling of
crisp breadcrumbs and crunchy nuts.
{{{((
Morrisons the Best Vegan Vegetable
Wellington, £5 for 460g
More of a giant beige vegan sausage roll.
The cranberry, apricot and chestnut
duxelles mix is nice but the solid slab
of squash in the middle is too bland.
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M&S Food Plant Kitchen Vegan
Wellington, £15 for 748g
This colourful Wellington looks like a
centrepiece you’d want on the table,
but the pea protein smell and taste of
the “beef” filling are overpowering.
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Gravy
Co-op Gro Ho Ho Vegan Gravy,
£1.35 for 300g
Very thick gravy underpinned by leek
and onion. I’d happily serve this.
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Tesco Finest Onion Gravy, £2.10
for 500g
Proper good gravy, with chunks of
onion and a very umami taste.
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Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Vegan
Roast Gravy, £1.75 for 300g
The surprising red wine kick makes
up for the artificial vegetable smell.
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Morrisons Vegan Christmas Gravy,
£2 for 300g
Come on, Morrisons, you can
do better than this. Very watery
and bland.
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Aldi Plant Menu Vegan Gravy,
£1.49 for 400g
This tastes and smells like powdered
instant soup. No thanks.
{((((Pigs in blankets
M&S Food Plant Kitchen No Chorizo
Pigs in Duvets, £5 for 324g
Marks & Spencer has done the smart
thing and swapped fake bacon blankets
for pastry that puffs up, wrapped around
spicy, smoky sausages. Good work.
{{{{(Morrisons Vegan No-Pigs in
Blankets, £2.50 for 270g
The most convincingly crisp “bacon”
and a very “meaty” pig.
{{{{(Waitrose Christmas Vegan No Pigs
in Blankets, £3 for 235g
Sausages so convincingly meaty I had
to double-check they were vegan.
The crisp strip of fake bacon tastes
like Frazzles.
{{{((Aldi Plant Menu No Pigs in
Blankets, £2.49 for 228g
Soy protein sausages that are nice
enough, wrapped in “smoky bacon”that’s a bit chewy.
{{{((Co-op Gro Ho Ho No
Pork Pigs in Duvets,
75p for 280g
The “sausages” are a
bit shrivelled and the
wrapping is a bit
chewy, but the
flavours are nice.
{{{((Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Pups in
Blankets, £3.75 for 405g
I recommend taking these “pups” out of
their flabby, cheesy-tasting blankets. The
mushroom sausages have a good texture.
{{(((Tesco Plant Chef Lincolnshire-style
Bangers, £3 for 235g
Squishy, soggy sausages that taste of
cardboard and way too much sage.
{((((Christmas pudding
Waitrose Free From Christmas
Pudding, £1.80 for 100g
Rejoice! A moist pudding filled with juicy
fruit, booze and nuts, and it doesn’t
collapse when tipped out. Thumbs up.
{{{{{Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Grown
Delicious Christmas Pudding, £1.30
for 100g
Nice, with lots of fruit, not dry and a
nice kick of alcohol.
{{{((Co-op Free From 6 Months Matured
Christmas Pudding, £1.50 for 100g
Dig beneath the bready crust and
you’ve got a juicy pudding with plenty
of plump vine fruit and a hint of booze.
{{{((Tesco Free From Christmas Pudding,
£3.75 for 400g
This gluten-free pud crumbles on the
plate leaving a messy mound of raisins.
{((((Morrisons Rich Fruit Christmas
Pudding, £1 for 100g
A Christmas pudding made with cider
and no nuts is a present few people want.
{((((Foodie Market Free From Gluten Free
Christmas Pudding (sold at Aldi),
£2.59 for 400g
A very dry pud that falls apart as soon as
it’s out of the tub. One for the reindeer.
{((((Mince pies
Waitrose Vegan Mince Pies, £2.50
for six
Whisper it, these mince pies are just as
good as the normal
ones. Lovely shortcrust
pastry and vine fruit
that’s not too sweet.
{{{{{M&S Food Plant
Kitchen Mince Pies,
£2.50 for four
Pretty perfect pies with
lots of rich fruit and a
dusting of icing sugar.
{{{{(Morrisons Vegan Mince
Pies, £2 for four
These pack a ginger punch with a nice
crunchy topping of gluten-free pastry.
{{{((Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Grown
Delicious Mince Pies, £1.50 for six
Very dry pastry and you can taste the
vegetable oils in the fruit.
{{(((Tesco Plant Chef Mince Pies, £1.25
for six
I’m not getting the spices I’m supposed
to and the pastry is very crumbly.
{{(((Co-op Free From mince pies, £2
for four
Very doughy, almost rubbery pastry.
There is some good spicy fruit, though.
{{(((Above: the Marks &
Spencer vegan
Christmas lunchFestive food for vegan guests
We test the best — and worst
Christmas special