Veganuary: Product Reviews

My final product reviews article for Veganuary is here, and I tried out some really tasty new products that I hope you'll give a try! Enjoy x

Pukka Pie Vegan Chicken and Mushroom Pie (£1 for one pie)

I've been getting a bit bored of not having many veggie/ vegan options when having fish and chips, so when I saw this for sale in Sainsbury's I knew I had to pick one up ready to go in the freezer. The pastry was just as good as a meaty Pukka Pie, and the sauce inside was really tasty. Considering how many great chicken style pieces you can get nowadays, I was a little disappointed in the ones in here. They were quite soft and chewy rather than meaty- quite similar to the mushroom pieces. This meant I couldn't really differentiate between the chicken and mushroom. However, it was still very tasty, and even better once doused in gravy.

ASDA Plant Based Wraps (£2.50 each)

We've started going food shopping in the evenings so it's quiet, and this means there's often some great deals in the reduced section. I managed to get these two wraps for 10p each, which was great considering I'd spent about 10 minutes deciding whether to buy one full price before I spotted these! The onion bhaji wrap was very tasty, and the flavours complimented each other really well. It included onion bhajis, sweet potato puree, spiced peppers, cucumber, spinach, and mango chutney so it definitely wasn't lacking in filling. The spiced wrap was also a nice touch and I would happily eat this again.

Next up I tried the hoisin duckless wrap, and not to be dramatic but this was a dream come true. I used to love duck to the point I tried to convince myself I could eat it when I was a pescatarian (because they swim), but my conscience won that round. I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between this and a real duck wrap, and the hoisin sauce was the perfect accompaniment. My only criticisms would be that it would have been tastier with some spring onion in, and it could have done with a little more filling. Regardless, it was still delicious!

Gu Chocolate and Vanilla Cheesecakes (£2 for 2)

I love a Gu pudding, but only buy them when they're on offer as they're not the cheapest. These cheesecakes were reduced from £3.50 to £2, so it seemed like the perfect excuse to give them a try. These are made with coconut cream so I thought that flavour would come through, but you couldn't taste it at all over the chocolate and vanilla. I wouldn't have known any difference to a normal cheesecake in fact! The biscuit base was quite dry and crumbly for my liking, but had a good chocolate flavour. Overall, I was very impressed.

Innocent Bolt From the Blue (£2 for 1 bottle)

Although technically not a new, plant-based product for Veganuary, but after hearing Grackle (my favourite YouTuber, go check her out) rave about it so much I knew I had to give it a try. The only way I could describe this is what I think the ocean would taste like in a cartoon world (and yes, I am aware that the colour may be having a big impact on this description). Basically, it's a very delicious drink and I'll definitely be trying more flavours Innocent offer. As a bonus, it's a great way to make sure you're getting lots of essential vitamins that can sometimes be lacking from a plant-based diet, especially if you're used to eating a lot of animal products.