# Vegan sausages



## nickyboy (10 Mar 2019)

I'm a meat eater but am more than happy to try alternatives and am trying to reduce meat intake

So Mrs N brought home a pack of vegan sausages from, I think, Asda. They looked a lot like "real" sausages in the pack and when they were cooked

But cutting into them the texture was all wrong. Mushy comes to mind. Of course it didn't taste like a "real" sausage either

I suspect that the contents as, say, a patty, fried would have been quite nice. But masquerading as a sausage leads to inevitable sausage comparisons

So this go me to thinking....what's the motivation in turning perfectly decent and tasty vegan stuff into poor copies of meat products? Do vegans hanker for the visual appeal of the sausage? Or is something like this marketed to carnivores like me who are cutting down their meat intake?


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## Markymark (10 Mar 2019)

Both. They do what sells. Meat alternatives sell and the industry is booming.

It is hard to replicate the taste and texture of meat so you get the best that is available for the price you’re willing to pay.


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## Fab Foodie (10 Mar 2019)

Markymark said:


> Both. They do what sells. Meat alternatives sell and the industry is booming.
> 
> It is hard to replicate the taste and texture of meat so you get the best that is available for the price you’re willing to pay.


That replication is developing at pace however and is getting very close.
It’s a familiarity thing, a gateway drug to hardcore veggie food of Tofu, beansprouts and almond milk....

Mocky D’s in Nottingham do very fine vegan versions of McD products which are going down well (and are fab!).


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## Heltor Chasca (10 Mar 2019)

Personally I think it is really patronising to make all these vegan and veggie foods to look like meat. None of them replicate meat texture and the bacon looks like something out of a Playmobil set. Vegetarians and vegans don’t even want anything that looks like meat on their plate so I don’t understand how sales are booming.

We like the Lynda McCartney Red Onion and Rosemary sausages at Chez HC. The texture isn’t like meat at all, it’s just very pleasant.

Just finished reading Ed Stafford’s book, ‘Naked and Marooned’. I think raw snails will put you off suspect food textures for life.


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## Adam4868 (10 Mar 2019)

Veganism is booming,its everywhere you look lately.Id suspect the substitutes,such as sausages,bacon,chicken pieces,are so you can feel included and not odd one out.Such as going for a veggie/vegan breakfast.


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## Katherine (10 Mar 2019)

The more food has to be made to look like something else, the more processed it has to be, which surely can't be good. There must be more enticing ways to get people to eat more meatless products.


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## SpokeyDokey (10 Mar 2019)

I'd be more impressed if manufacturers could make chocolate cake look exactly like an apple.


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## Adam4868 (10 Mar 2019)

A close friend of my partners is vegan,its a lot harder than i think.Giving up meat is easy in comparison.Id struggle for the one reason Cheese !


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## nickyboy (10 Mar 2019)

Katherine said:


> The more food has to be made to look like something else, the more processed it has to be, which surely can't be good. There must be more enticing ways to get people to eat more meatless products.


That's my point. It was, frankly, a rubbish sausage. 

I assume these are targeted at people like me who fancy a meat free alternative? 

I don't have any vegan friends to ask but I would have thought vegans would prefer the food to not look like meat?


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## Adam4868 (10 Mar 2019)

SpokeyDokey said:


> I'd be more impressed if manufacturers could make chocolate cake look exactly like an apple.


On that note mrs adam made some vegan chocolate mousses that were lovely.Im pretty sure they were made with chickpea brine water ? They were eaten fast enough anyway.


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## Katherine (10 Mar 2019)

nickyboy said:


> That's my point. It was, frankly, a rubbish sausage.
> 
> I assume these are targeted at people like me who fancy a meat free alternative?
> 
> I don't have any vegan friends to ask but I would have thought vegans would prefer the food to not look like meat?


I suppose it depends on why people are vegan in the first place. I have a vegetarian colleague who is put off by the thought of meat.


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## AndyRM (10 Mar 2019)

Shop bought vegan sausages are a convenience product, no different than their meat based equivalents, beyond ingredients.

The aesthetic thing is an interesting idea, which I hadn't really considered before. I will ask my vegan pals about this.


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## Crackle (10 Mar 2019)

Veganism is a pain in the arse, or in my case the toe and the knee. Most stuff is made from Soy. Soy gives me gout and it's now in everything. Bread, sausage, chocalate farking trifle, Belgian farking chocolate cake. wtf!!


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## nickyboy (10 Mar 2019)

Crackle said:


> Veganism is a pain in the arse, or in my case the toe and the knee. Most stuff is made from Soy. Soy gives me gout and it's now in everything. Bread, sausage, chocalate farking trifle, Belgian farking chocolate cake. wtf!!


So nowt to do with the humongous quantities of cheese and red wine you consume then?


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## Markymark (10 Mar 2019)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Vegetarians and vegans don’t even want anything that looks like meat on their plate so I don’t understand how sales are booming.


Because you are wrong. Many clearly do.


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## Adam4868 (10 Mar 2019)

Crackle said:


> Veganism is a pain in the arse, or in my case the toe and the knee. Most stuff is made from Soy. Soy gives me gout and it's now in everything. Bread, sausage, chocalate farking trifle, Belgian farking chocolate cake. wtf!!


Off topic but what have you found relieves gout ? Tomatoes ? My dad sufferes from it,and when he gets it we suffer his moods as well !


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## Markymark (10 Mar 2019)

nickyboy said:


> That's my point. It was, frankly, a rubbish sausage.
> 
> I assume these are targeted at people like me who fancy a meat free alternative?
> 
> I don't have any vegan friends to ask but I would have thought vegans would prefer the food to not look like meat?


Cheap mass produced sausages are disgusting whether made from meat or substitutes. Pay more to get better.


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## Salar (10 Mar 2019)

Me and my much better half are vegetarians and we sometimes buy veggie sausauges, some are good, some awful.

But we never consider them as a sausage, just as stated above a quick convenience food to have with a baked potato etc.

The best though are Glamorgan sausages, traditionally made with cheese, leeks, potato, spices and breadcrumbs, which originated when people couldn't afford or get meat.


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## Crackle (10 Mar 2019)

nickyboy said:


> So nowt to do with the humongous quantities of cheese and red wine you consume then?


Wine is actually the gout sufferers friend. It's nowhere near as bad as beer, especially strong beer. Of course not everyone is the same. It goes without saying that cheese is best consumed in huge quantities by everyone.


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## Adam4868 (10 Mar 2019)

Some do want it to look like meat though,the vast majority used to eat meat before.They don't want to be classed as awkward I guess.I asked and was told "they didn't give up meat because of the taste,it's more for the ethics"


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## Crackle (10 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> Off topic but what have you found relieves gout ? Tomatoes ? My dad sufferes from it,and when he gets it we suffer his moods as well !


Well you can take the hard stuff, allopurinol but unfortunately it and I don't get on. I take cherry extract, flax seed capsules and vitamin C. I stay hydrated and avoid trigger foods with high purine levels. Since doing all that I've cut down dramatically on attacks and when I get one it's nowhere near as painful as it used to be.


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## Katherine (10 Mar 2019)

nickyboy said:


> So nowt to do with the humongous quantities of cheese and red wine you consume then?


Gout is a much misunderstood condition. 
We have gout sufferers in the family - it is hereditary.

*"Gout* occurs when urate *crystals*accumulate in your joint, causing the inflammation and intense pain of a*gout* attack. Urate *crystals* can form when you have high levels of *uric acid*in your blood. ... But sometimes either your body produces too much *uric acid*or your kidneys *excrete* too little *uric acid*.1 Mar 2019
*Gout - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic"*

It's not just wine and red meat that are problematic. (cheese and diary are fine) 
Finding non meat products that don't have soya, mushrooms or cauliflower in, is really hard.


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## nickyboy (10 Mar 2019)

Crackle said:


> Wine is actually the gout sufferers friend. It's nowhere near as bad as beer, especially strong beer. Of course not everyone is the same. It goes without saying that cheese is best consumed in huge quantities by everyone.


I'm struggling to think of a condition more "Wirral" than gout. I'm guessing you have an extensive gout support network on the peninsula


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## Markymark (10 Mar 2019)

nickyboy said:


> I'm struggling to think of a condition more "Wirral" than gout


Dispair?


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## Dave7 (10 Mar 2019)

Salar said:


> Me and my much better half are vegetarians and we sometimes buy veggie sausauges, some are good, some awful.
> 
> But we never consider them as a sausage, just as stated above a quick convenience food to have with a baked potato etc.
> 
> The best though are Glamorgan sausages, traditionally made with cheese, leeks and breadcrumbs, which originated when people couldn't afford or get meat.


Where do you uy them from?


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## Dave7 (10 Mar 2019)

Like @nickyboy we are meat eaters but going off 'meat' sausages.....mainly because of the excessive fat etc in them.
We both enjoy Cauldron veggie sausages. They cook well, have little fat and (dare I say) actually look like a sausage should IMO of course.


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## Crackle (10 Mar 2019)

Markymark said:


> Dispair?


You mean despair you farking illiterate cockney!


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## byegad (10 Mar 2019)

Katherine said:


> Gout is a much misunderstood condition.
> We have gout sufferers in the family - it is hereditary.
> 
> *"Gout* occurs when urate *crystals*accumulate in your joint, causing the inflammation and intense pain of a*gout* attack. Urate *crystals* can form when you have high levels of *uric acid*in your blood. ... But sometimes either your body produces too much *uric acid*or your kidneys *excrete* too little *uric acid*.1 Mar 2019
> ...



Yes, I love mushrooms, sadly they make me spectacularly sick. So any veggie alternative that substitutes fungi for meat is a no, no for me. Luckily I like a good rare steak, hold the mushrooms!


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## Heltor Chasca (10 Mar 2019)

Markymark said:


> Because you are wrong. Many clearly do.



Maybe I would be wrong if I was representing the views of the entire food market, but as I am going on the views of my household, I can state we don’t want joke shop food on our plates. 

Give us Puy lentils and gruel any day over this processed muck.


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## Adam4868 (10 Mar 2019)

I drunk 4 pints of Samual Smith's organic lager on Friday evening in our local.Id have eaten anything available after.I didn't feel all healthy yesterday morning either.


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## Markymark (10 Mar 2019)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Maybe I would be wrong if I was representing the views of the entire food market, but as I am going on the views of my household, I can state we don’t want joke shop food on our plates.
> 
> Give us Puy lentils and gruel any day over this processed muck.


Fair enough. But clearly many millions do.


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## ColinJ (10 Mar 2019)

Katherine said:


> I suppose it depends on why people are vegan in the first place. I have a vegetarian colleague who is put off by the thought of meat.


I am vegetarian rather than vegan and I have been served vegetarian sausages a few times by carnivorous chefs. I am always slightly concerned that they might have mixed their meaty sausages up with my veggie ones. They can look pretty similar.


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## tom73 (10 Mar 2019)

Most meat free is just aimed at the fashion end of food and just a quick convenance food market. Most who are "real" meat free know what they are doing and know how the marketing when they see it. Mrs 73 good friend is vegan when she visits it's surprising when you start looking how much day to day stuff is ok and with a little swopping out it's simple to cook day to day. Some stuff need's a good think but mostly it's not too bad. The other cash cow is gluten free most don't need it and for the ones who do it's a real chronic condition and they know what the game is too. Much of the gluten free stuff has always been so and now just because it's got gluten free on the packet have to pay even more for it. 

As for @nickyboy and tasteless sausage just add a dash of Hendo’s  ....sorted


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## Markymark (10 Mar 2019)

What would be the ethical line of meat grown in a lab?


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## Heltor Chasca (10 Mar 2019)

Markymark said:


> What would be the ethical line of meat grown in a lab?



Insects. Now I’d be interested in that. Seriously. Some of the insects my daughter breeds for her bearded dragon look quite good on a bad day. Fried with a bit of Ichimi togarashi and I imagine they would be delicious.


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## Adam4868 (10 Mar 2019)

ColinJ said:


> I am vegetarian rather than vegan and I have been served vegetarian sausages a few times by carnivorous chefs. I am always slightly concerned that they might have mixed their meaty sausages up with my veggie ones. They can look pretty similar.


Like a lot of things,your probably better not knowing !


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## ColinJ (10 Mar 2019)

Most meat sausages are pretty horrid too! 

If you can afford high quality ones fine, but mashed up tails and snouts... 

It must be 35 years since I ate a meat sausage. I hadn't given them much thought until today and now I feel hungry! I will settle for a bowl of muesli though ...


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## Salar (10 Mar 2019)

Dave7 said:


> Where do you uy them from?



We buy Glamorgan sausages from our local trade cash and carry who make them. Supermarkets sell them, but they aren't as good.

You could of course make them yourself, quite easy.


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## theclaud (10 Mar 2019)

I had vegan sausages for breakfast today. I'm a meat-eater but I don't like my veggie food in the form of weird meat analogues - meat should be meaty, and a veg sausage should taste of veg. And like Crackle I resent the ubiquity of soya - I try to avoid it unless it's a traditional fermented form like soy sauce or tempeh. These sausages are made of beans and peppers. They're not bad, but neither are they sensational. Marks and Sparks do a nice one made of butternut squash and paprika, with cheese in.


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## Dave7 (10 Mar 2019)

theclaud said:


> I had vegan sausages for breakfast today. I'm a meat-eater but I don't like my veggie food in the form of weird meat analogues - meat should be meaty, and a veg sausage should taste of veg. And like Crackle I resent the ubiquity of soya - I try to avoid it unless it's a traditional fermented form like soy sauce or tempeh. These sausages are made of beans and peppers. They're not bad, but neither are they sensational. Marks and Sparks do a nice one made of butternut squash and paprika, with cheese in.
> 
> View attachment 456793


Is that a veggie black pudding


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## Dave7 (10 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> I drunk 4 pints of Samual Smith's organic lager on Friday evening in our local.Id have eaten anything available after.I didn't feel all healthy yesterday morning either.


Only 4 pints.....I fear you have no place on here


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## Adam4868 (10 Mar 2019)

Dave7 said:


> Only 4 pints.....I fear you have no place on here


That was after 2 bottles of wine .....nah I'm a lightweight with drink.So says Mrs Adam.


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## Nigeyy (10 Mar 2019)

Well, I was a big cheese hound, and tried to go vegan a couple of years ago. Surprizingly, it was easy.... aside from one thing: eggs! I learnt that while cheese wasn't as big as a problem as I thought, eggs were starting to prey on my mind. In the end I caved when I was given scrambled eggs by mistake, and I went back to my vegetarian ways.

One good thing did come out of it though: ever since that vegan attempt I've considerably cut down on my cheese intake and really don't miss it. Eggs? Love 'em!



Adam4868 said:


> A close friend of my partners is vegan,its a lot harder than i think.Giving up meat is easy in comparison.Id struggle for the one reason Cheese !


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## keithmac (10 Mar 2019)

Nigeyy said:


> Well, I was a big cheese hound, and tried to go vegan a couple of years ago. Surprizingly, it was easy.... aside from one thing: eggs! I learnt that while cheese wasn't as big as a problem as I thought, eggs were starting to prey on my mind. In the end I caved when I was given scrambled eggs by mistake, and I went back to my vegetarian ways.
> 
> One good thing did come out of it though: ever since that vegan attempt I've considerably cut down on my cheese intake and really don't miss it. Eggs? Love 'em!



Baby chickens..


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## theclaud (10 Mar 2019)

Dave7 said:


> Is that a veggie black pudding


No it's a huge mound of spinach.


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## nickyboy (10 Mar 2019)

theclaud said:


> No it's a huge mound of spinach.


Green should never be Seen


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## theclaud (10 Mar 2019)

nickyboy said:


> Green should never be Seen


I farking love spinach, so you know what you can do with that rule.


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## Crackle (10 Mar 2019)

theclaud said:


> I had vegan sausages for breakfast today. I'm a meat-eater but I don't like my veggie food in the form of weird meat analogues - meat should be meaty, and a veg sausage should taste of veg. And like Crackle I resent the ubiquity of soya - I try to avoid it unless it's a traditional fermented form like soy sauce or tempeh. These sausages are made of beans and peppers. They're not bad, but neither are they sensational. Marks and Sparks do a nice one made of butternut squash and paprika, with cheese in.
> 
> View attachment 456793


Did you have breakfast at quarter to one or did you just happen to take a picture of your breakfast in fortuitous anticipation of a thread about breakfast?


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## Adam4868 (10 Mar 2019)

Crackle said:


> Did you have breakfast at quarter to one or did you just happen to take a picture of your breakfast in fortuitous anticipation of a thread about breakfast?


It's a modern thingy of some folks,they call it 'brunch'...


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## threebikesmcginty (10 Mar 2019)

Never understood why meat eaters are so bothered about the shape of vegetarian food stuff, surely the only criteria is that it has no meat in it and it tastes nice.

I'm no expert but sausages and burgers, whatever they're made of, aren't really shaped like animals as far as I know.


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## threebikesmcginty (10 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> It's a modern thingy of some folks,they call it 'brunch'...



*cough* middle class


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## nickyboy (10 Mar 2019)

theclaud said:


> I farking love spinach, so you know what you can do with that rule.


I love spinach too. But brekky is brekky and never the twain shall meet. Don't blame me, I didn't make the immutable rules of breakfast


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## theclaud (10 Mar 2019)

Crackle said:


> Did you have breakfast at quarter to one or did you just happen to take a picture of your breakfast in fortuitous anticipation of a thread about breakfast?


Not quite that late, but I can confirm for 3BM's benefit that it was certainly late enough to qualify as 'brunch'.


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## theclaud (10 Mar 2019)

nickyboy said:


> I love spinach too. But brekky is brekky and never the twain shall meet. Don't blame me, I didn't make the immutable rules of breakfast


Eggs Florentine?


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## threebikesmcginty (10 Mar 2019)

theclaud said:


> Not quite that late, but I can confirm for 3BM's benefit that it was certainly late enough to qualify as 'brunch'.



To be fair to you to, despite being painfully middle class, your reason for brunch time brek is more likely to be a late start due to excessive beer consumption from the previous evening.


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## theclaud (10 Mar 2019)

threebikesmcginty said:


> To be fair to you to, despite being painfully middle class, your reason for brunch time brek is more likely to be a late start due to excessive beer consumption from the previous evening.


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## nickyboy (10 Mar 2019)

theclaud said:


> Eggs Florentine?


That's an import and as such has no place whatsoever in the Full English pantheon. I'll give you a pass cos it seems to be more a post hangover lunch than a brekky


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## theclaud (10 Mar 2019)

nickyboy said:


> That's an import and as such has no place whatsoever in the Full English pantheon. I'll give you a pass cos it seems to be more a post hangover lunch than a brekky


 This casual defamation is getting out of hand.


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## threebikesmcginty (10 Mar 2019)

theclaud said:


> This casual defamation is getting out of hand.



I thought your brek looked ok although I'm more concerned about the tinned plum tomatoes, they have no place in a cooked breakfast, it might be acceptable on the continent but not here.


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## theclaud (10 Mar 2019)

threebikesmcginty said:


> I thought your brek looked ok although I'm more concerned about the tinned plum tomatoes, they have no place in a cooked breakfast, it might be acceptable on the continent but not here.


Carry on. You are close to winning the middle-class-off.


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## threebikesmcginty (10 Mar 2019)

theclaud said:


> Carry on. You are close to winning the middle-class-off.



But I didn't even mention I'd have used the on the vine, organic tomatoes from Waitrose as grown by Tristan and Titania's smallholding in the home counties. Honestly...


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## theclaud (10 Mar 2019)

threebikesmcginty said:


> But I didn't even mention I'd have used the on the vine, organic tomatoes from Waitrose as grown by Tristan and Titania's smallholding in the home counties. Honestly...


All of that went without saying. Obvs.


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## Adam4868 (10 Mar 2019)

I love tinned tomatoes on a breakfast,far better than a poncey grilled half a tomato.
Now if it had been baked beans in a ramekin,I wouldn't have liked.


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## Reynard (10 Mar 2019)

I think the "mock meat" trend is more down to being a product of marketing than anything else. And taking advantage of people's reliance on convenience. Really good vegetarian and vegan food is not that difficult to cook from scratch.

Some of the vegetarian / vegan meat products aren't half bad, but most are like eating overpriced wet cardboard. I've bought various on yellow sticker as I'm really open-minded when it comes to food, but the majority of the ones I've tried, I wouldn't have them again even if they paid me to take them away. I'd much rather have beans on toast.

Am a meat eater, but will cook whatever takes my fancy - doesn't matter whether it's got meat in or not. Last week it was a vegetable curry - which ended up being vegan, though it wasn't intentional. I just happened to have veg, pulses and creamed coconut that wanted using. This week it was vegetarian cannelloni with ricotta, walnuts and spinach. Tomorrow I'm cooking pulled ham hock in parsley sauce.

On the subject of cheap sausages, no, they're pretty *bleurgh*. But if it's dripping you're after...


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## Salar (11 Mar 2019)

Reynard said:


> Really good vegetarian and vegan food is not that difficult to cook from scratch.



Very true, apart from occasionally having veggie sausages and quorn "mince" my better half and I cook from scratch most of our meals.
Stir fries, curries etc are quite easy.


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## Reynard (11 Mar 2019)

Salar said:


> Very true, apart from occasionally having veggie sausages and quorn "mince" my better half and I cook from scratch most of our meals.
> Stir fries, curries etc are quite easy.



A crock pot is your friend here, especially for curries... Plus home made bean burgers and hummus are both so much nicer than anything you can buy - with the advantage that you can spice them up according to how the mood grabs you.

My fave combo of veggies etc for a curry is new tatties, aubergine, onions, green beans, chickpeas and broccoli.  Plus a can of tomatoes, a really good garam masala, chilli to taste, and either yoghurt or creamed coconut to finish.


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## Drago (11 Mar 2019)

I cant see the point of vegan sausages. If it's so morally offensive to eat mean, then why bother eating stuff that looks and tastes like meat?


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## AndyRM (11 Mar 2019)

I've yet to eat a vegan sausage which tastes anything like meat. They just don't, and beyond the shape (and name) bear no similarity.


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## Fab Foodie (11 Mar 2019)

AndyRM said:


> I've yet to eat a vegan sausage which tastes anything like meat. They just don't, and beyond the shape (and name) bear no similarity.


IIRC, a Sausage by legal definition; is a comminuted meat-product that is described as being 'Sausage-shaped'....


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## Markymark (11 Mar 2019)

Drago said:


> I cant see the point of vegan sausages. If it's so morally offensive to eat mean, then why bother eating stuff that looks and tastes like meat?


Sausages aren’t meat shaped. It is a made up shape. It is made up for ease of cooking and eating. That is true whether it is from meat or vegetables.


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## Adam4868 (11 Mar 2019)

Im pretty sure a vegan doesnt want it to taste like meat anyway though.


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## Markymark (11 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> Im pretty sure a vegan doesnt want it to taste like meat anyway though.


I’m sure you’re sure, but is it true for most vegans?


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## Adam4868 (11 Mar 2019)

Markymark said:


> I’m sure you’re sure, but is it true for most vegans?


That they don't want it to taste of meat ? I'm sort of presuming,a Vegan poster could probably tell us though.I wouldn't of thought a vegi or vegan would want a meat substitute to actually ''taste" of meat though.Maybe they do ?


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## Markymark (11 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> That they don't want it to taste of meat ? I'm sort of presuming,a Vegan poster could probably tell us though.I wouldn't of thought a vegi or vegan would want a meat substitute to actually ''taste" of meat though.Maybe they do ?


I have no idea as I’m not vegan. I’d also not assume I’d know what they would want nor would I assume the thousands of vegans want the same thing.


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## Leaway2 (11 Mar 2019)

nickyboy said:


> I suspect that the contents as, say, a patty, fried would have been quite nice. But masquerading as a sausage leads to inevitable sausage comparisons


Sausages are sausages as it is a convenient way of packing the meat for easy transport and cooking, just like the veggie version. Perhaps you need to sack the chef.


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## Edwardoka (11 Mar 2019)

The waffle iron is nice and hot for this one, so apologies in advance.

I was a carnivore for the first 35/36 years of my life, even used the idiotic line "for every animal you don't eat I'll eat three" with a vegan acquaintance, so I'd like to think I have some insight. For me it's neither the taste, nor the shape that is offensive, although the smell of meat being cooked is pretty objectionable and persistent once you have a certain sensibility.

A few dalliances with vegetarianism never really stuck, until I saw this ostensibly humorous video:

Nothing that lives and breathes and feels should ever end its days like that - an abominable perversion of nature.

Another epiphany came when walking through a supermarket aisle and I realised that surrounding me, wrapped in plastic and clingfilm was thousands of bits of corpses - like a horror film, except real and wholly normalised.

Personally, I now find the rearing of sentient animals to slaughter them for mass-produced meat morally repugnant and wholly indefensible - the reason it happens behind closed doors is to deliberately obfuscate and sever the link in people's minds between cute farm animals and the stuff they shove in their gub.

Wild game is less objectionable (proper wild game, not managed stuff on estates - f*** those guys) - those animals have a chance to live free and while they may be terrified for the last moments of their life, it's nothing compared to what happens in factory farms and abbatoirs. And with game there's not the disconnect between killing and consuming that there is with mass-produced stuff. Although I would add that I would not shed one solitary tear for a game hunter killed by their quarry.

I still consume dairy because I'm a massive hypocrite, but I can't countenance eating battery or free-range eggs, having learned what goes on in hatcheries. (Free-range is another marketing ploy designed to obfuscate the link between process and end product)

Finally, Linda McCartney chorizo and red pepper sausages are delicious but most meat substitutes are terrible when compared to properly prepared vegan food.


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## Reynard (11 Mar 2019)

When it comes to meat, I think everyone probably does have their "squick point" i.e. where they find whatever objectionable. But I'm a country lass, well used to handling game, so the process of critter-to-plate isn't the issue for me. It's the ultra cheap meat that gets me - poultry in particular. People want premium cuts at knockdown prices, and alas, something has to give.

I couldn't give up meat, but must confess that I do eat a lot less meat than I used to, and what I do eat is better quality / higher welfare.


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## Beebo (15 Mar 2019)

In the interest of research I bought a Greggs vegan sausage roll. It tastes like sage and onion stuffing, which is prowhat it is. Far too heavily spiced. 
The pastry was quite good though.


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## pjd57 (15 Mar 2019)

The Iceland " no bull" and " no porkies " burgers and sausages are in my opinion the best on the ( mass) market just now.


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## Nigeyy (16 Mar 2019)

As a vegetarian who was brought up on meat, I'm not afraid to say I like the taste of some meats (at least from what I recall). I don't see anything wrong with that -it's just a flavour after all. I also don't see anything wrong in having veggie products that look and/or taste like meat -why not enjoy that flavour but without all the meat industry stuff that goes with it?

However, I can't see how I'll ever eat meat again given various reasons (many of which have been mentioned so I won't bore anyone with my reasons). I personally don't see anything wrong choosing not to eat meat but eating meat-like veggie products. I'll hazard a guess that it's not the taste or texture of meat that puts many vegetarians or vegans off (though I'm sure there are some), it's more from a personal moral standpoint -and what has to happen to get that piece of meat to your plate and the various things the meat industry does.




Adam4868 said:


> That they don't want it to taste of meat ? I'm sort of presuming,a Vegan poster could probably tell us though.I wouldn't of thought a vegi or vegan would want a meat substitute to actually ''taste" of meat though.Maybe they do ?


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## Pale Rider (23 Jul 2019)

Beebo said:


> In the interest of research I bought a Greggs vegan sausage roll. It tastes like sage and onion stuffing, which is prowhat it is. Far too heavily spiced.
> The pastry was quite good though.



I had a Greggs vegan sausage roll at lunchtime.

The pastry was tasty, although I'm not sure how vegan pastry works.

The filling tasted odd, a bit too heavily spiced.

Seems to me if one must have a savoury pastry treat, it may as well be the Full carnivore's Monty.


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## Adam4868 (23 Jul 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> I had a Greggs vegan sausage roll at lunchtime.
> 
> The pastry was tasty, although I'm not sure how vegan pastry works.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't judge vegan food at Greggs.


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## nickyboy (23 Jul 2019)

I went to Glossop's only vegan pub recently (it's not a fad thing, it's been vegan for a zillion years). Had their Spinach and Chickpea curry (I went "deluxe" with added smoked tofu).

Blimey it was good. Proper home made fresh vegan grub is ace


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## AndyRM (23 Jul 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> I wouldn't judge vegan food at Greggs.



Why? They sell vegan stuff so judging it is fair game I think. The Mexican bean wrap is good too, though I prefer the sausage roll.


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## Dave7 (23 Jul 2019)

nickyboy said:


> I went to Glossop's only vegan pub recently (it's not a fad thing, it's been vegan for a zillion years). Had their Spinach and Chickpea curry (I went "deluxe" with added smoked tofu).
> 
> Blimey it was good. Proper home made fresh vegan grub is ace
> 
> View attachment 476722


Looks good. Let me know how your guts are tomorrow (seriously)


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## Hacienda71 (23 Jul 2019)

Sainsburys Cumberland veggie sausages are rather good.


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## Supersuperleeds (23 Jul 2019)

Had a couple of days away with work a few weeks ago and someone made chocolate brownies, one batch the traditional recipe and another a vegan recipe. The vegan recipe was so much nicer than the traditional.


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## Adam4868 (23 Jul 2019)

AndyRM said:


> Why? They sell vegan stuff so judging it is fair game I think. The Mexican bean wrap is good too, though I prefer the sausage roll.


Sorry my bit of sarcasm ! But I never eat there I think it's shite.Not just there greggs,Sayers,pound bakery whatever.Id prefer to give my custom and stomach to a independant bakery/cafe.But each to their own.


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## Drago (23 Sep 2019)

Hae anyone tried the Birds Eye meat free burgers? Any good?


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## MarkF (23 Sep 2019)

Hacienda71 said:


> Sainsburys Cumberland veggie sausages are rather good.


 
Yes they are, particularly in a sarnie with HP brown sauce. The best Veggie burgers I've ever had were the (non-frozen) Linda McCartney mushroom burgers, stopped making them a couple of years ago.



Adam4868 said:


> Sorry my bit of sarcasm ! But I never eat there I think it's shite.Not just there greggs,Sayers,pound bakery whatever.Id prefer to give my custom and stomach to a independant bakery/cafe.But each to their own.



I use all those places when I am cycling, that's the only time, I agree the fayre is shite but I can't be arsed looking around for a quality independent bakery when I just want some "fuel", they provide an economical service to me from Leeds to Skipton.


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## Reynard (6 Oct 2019)

I really recommend the vegetarian sausage rolls from the Tesco bakery. 

They really are *very* good, and if you didn't know they were vegetarian, you'd swear blind they were the real thing. They're even better when acquired on yellow sticker. 

Warmed up in a moderate oven for 10 mins and served with a dab of sweet chilli sauce on the side, they're just the ticket.


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## Blue Hills (22 Oct 2019)

Popped into Ikea earlier today to pick up some of their excellent rechargeables.

I was mighty impressed by their veggie hotdog for 50p.


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## Adam4868 (23 Oct 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> Popped into Ikea earlier today to pick up some of their excellent rechargeables.
> 
> I was mighty impressed by their veggie hotdog for 50p.


Impressed at the hot dog or the price ?


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## Blue Hills (23 Oct 2019)

Both.
And why not?


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## vickster (23 Oct 2019)

I made a sausage and lentil casserole with Linda Mac's fresh (not frozen) veggie sausages (on special, Waitrose £2.20). Much nicer texture than the spongy cauldron ones. 
However, my stomach seems to rather struggle with soya protein


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## Adam4868 (23 Oct 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> Both.
> And why not?


Just wondered,thought maybe should be in the found a bargain thread.


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## slowmotion (23 Oct 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> Popped into Ikea earlier today to pick up some of their excellent rechargeables.
> 
> I was mighty impressed by their veggie hotdog for 50p.


Is it actually possible to just "pop" into IKEA? It always seems to take me at least two hours to get anything there.


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## Blue Hills (23 Oct 2019)

slowmotion said:


> Is it actually possible to just "pop" into IKEA? It always seems to take me at least two hours to get anything there.



Know what you mean - I took a short cut to the batteries but it was still involved* - rechargeables highly recommended - quality items for night riding.

* including getting out - paid in "fast track" lane then had to scan my receipt after paying to get out!


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## slowmotion (23 Oct 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> Know what you mean - I took a short cut to the batteries but it was still involved* - rechargeables highly recommended - quality items for night riding.
> 
> * including getting out - paid in "fast track" lane then had to scan my receipt after paying to get out!


Top Tip: Sneak into the store via the Returns Department which is usually located right by the tills. That way you skip the five mile hike through the store.


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## Blue Hills (23 Oct 2019)

yes that's the way I went in - still a trek though assorted flim flam.


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## The Rover (24 Oct 2019)

Myself and Mrs Rover Watched ” The game changers “ on Netflix over the weekend, it’s a longish documentary on elite athletes who only eat plant based Grub. It’s an excellent watch and I challenge most folk not to consider the vegetarian route after watching it!

We also watched “ What the health “, again very good.


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## Accy cyclist (14 Jun 2020)

I'm just having vegan acceptable roast cauliflower masala. I bought 2 and had the other one last night,thinking they were just vegetarian friendly. i'd just like to say that it's very nice and had to check if it was vegan friendly. Not all vegan stuff is shoot!


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