Plant-based Beef - Steak and Strips

Plant Pioneers (Sainsburys): No Beef Steaks - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 2pk / 227g / approx £3

These are made from mushroom and wheat gluten, and surprisingly also coconut milk. Appearance-wise these look very succulent and steak-like. Once you cut in, the inside looks quite dense, smooth and processed, but when you bite into it, the texture and flavour are remarkably authentic. I was so surprised at how good they are. Brilliant.

Update: We bought these a second time and I'm not quite as enthusiastic about these as the above text sounds. The coconut flavour seemed to come through a little more which I didn't really enjoy. (I've reduced the stars down to four)

Meatless Farm: Plant-based Steaks - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 2pk /

These cooked well and have a firm meaty texture. The flavour does have room for  improvement. The biggest thing to note about these would be that overall the texture and bite is much closer to liver than it is steak. Still they were nice enough to buy again.

Quorn: Vegetarian Peppered Steaks - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (not vegan)

Chilled / 2pk / 196g / Approx £3

The peppery flavour is great and the steak itself is very tender. If you were trying to mimic an actual steak these would probably go down as being way too tender. I mean, the tenderness makes them quite nice to eat, but it doesn't feel like you are eating an actual steak. However, we've had them many times and always enjoyed them for what they are. The biggest downside is that they are not vegan.

Vivera: Plant Steak - ⭐⭐☆☆☆

Chilled / 2pk / 200g / Approx £3.50

Made from soya and wheat protein. The front of the pack says 'bloody delicious', I believe this is in reference to the steak 'bleeding' while it is cooking. This gimmick doesn't impress me in the slightest and is probably aimed at vegan-curious meat-eaters who may get a kick out of the effect in the pan. Anyway, The appearance and the texture is really good. However there is a problem. The recipe also contains coconut oil, which I don't dislike, but the flavour is totally overpowering rendering the food almost inedible. I pushed through and finished it (slathered in ketchup to mask the flavour) because they were fairly expensive and I didn't want to throw them away. The two stars I've given these are for the appearance and texture. No surprises here but they won't be on my shopping list again.

Taste & Glory: No-Beef Strips - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 

Like the Quorn steaks above, these were also very tender, which makes them less beef-like than if they had a tougher/firmer texture. Still they were pretty decent and I have no real complaints. I used these once straight from the bag and the next time I warmed them up in a pan. They are definitely better when they are warmed. To be honest, beef strips are not really something that is high on my list of things to buy as the meals I tend to eat are not really beefy, but if I needed some beef strips, these would be fine. Overall, they were fine, but I wasn't blown away by them.

Plant-based Pork Pies

Plant-based pork pies. I'm aware that there have been some around for the past few years, but 2021 has seen the number of options grow. Could this year do for the vegan pork pie what 2019 did for the vegan sausage roll?

Ginsters: No Pork Pies - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 4pk / 

Ginsters have been knocking out some great plant-based foods over the last year or so, and this continues with the introduction of their plant-based pork pies. They have a decent pastry, good firm textured meat inside and there is the slightest hint of that jelly substance that people either love or hate, making them quite authentic. Note on the jelly: There is such a small amount that I didn't notice it until I was on my third pack of these, and even then I was actively looking for it.

Tesco: Plant Chef 6 Mini Savoury Pies - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 6pk

These are made from seasoned soya protein with roasted onions.When I first had one I thought it tasted quite peppery which I quite like. The filling is soft but possibly a little crumbly, but not really dry. The pastry again is on the softer side.

Plant Pioneers: No Pork Pies - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 4pk / 

I have been buying these as I mostly shop in Sainsbury's. The filling is pretty good and the pastry is very nice. It has that slight crusty texture at points where the edges have been cooked just right (I like this). I'd say overall I slightly prefer these over the Tesco option above, but it's close and I think opinions will vary as the two brands are very different.

On the negative side, an odd thing I've noticed is that I always find one dud pork pie in every pack. The filling in the dud is very dried out and it's almost hard. It's really strange.

Morrisons: Porkless Pie - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Chilled / 2pk / 2x65g / Approx £1.50

The Morrisons pork pie has been around for longer than the first two on this page. These again have a decent pastry and good flavour to the filling. The thing that is noticeably different with these is that the filling is a little too soft when compared to the others.

on my shopping list...

Pork Farms: Vegan Porkless Pies (Available in Asda, but my local one doesn't seem to have them)

Gro: Vegan Pork Pies (Co-Op's own brand - my local doesn't seem to have them)

Tesco Plant Chef: Mini Savoury Pies (I've heard good things about these)

Plant-based Cocktail Sausages

 

Quorn: Cocktail Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (not vegan)

Chilled / 180g / Approx £1.75

Although not vegan, these are the cocktail sausages I often end up buying. I'm pretty sure the recipe was discreetly changed a few years ago. I think the older recipe was meatier. The new ones do suffer with a slightly powdery/dusty texture every now and then, which I don't think was present before. Anyway, they are pretty decent and never get wasted when I buy them.

Richmond: Meat-free Minis - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Chilled / Approx £2.50

Usually this type of cocktail sausage can be eaten straight from the pack on-the-go or with a picnic. These sausages don't seem to be designed for that as when eating from the pack they are extremely soft and mushy. It's almost like eating the raw product. As far as I can see the pack doesn't specifically say that they are ready to eat, so I gather that these are designed to be cooked first. When cooked they have a similar flavour to Richmond's regular vegan sausages which is great. The detail that I'm a fan of is that the filling remains quite soft whereas the outside is on the tougher side. The weird thing is the flavour is relatively decent, but the overall experience is let down by the textures.

Plant Pioneers: Vegan Cocktail Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Chilled / 14pk / 140g / Approx £1.75

Plant Pioneers is Sainbury's own brand plant-based food. I bought these a few times as a vegan alternative to the Quorn sausages above. They are not too bad, but I still find myself favouring the Quorn ones overall. Still if I pick these up they'll all get eaten.

This!: Isn't Pork Plant-Based Cocktail Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Chilled / 150g / Approx £3

I should start here by saying that I am a big fan of This!. They have some amazing products and they deserve praise for those. I was desperately hoping that these cocktail sausages would be at the top of my list, but somehow they have managed to get something wrong here. If you open the pack and and inhale, the aroma hits you and they really do smell incredible. Then when you bite into them, they have a great texture. However the aroma that smells so good doesn't translate very well to the taste and I found a certain flavour (possibly sage) to be overwhelming to the point where I just can't enjoy them. I really want these to be good, so I hope they can tweak their recipe to sort this out.

Linda McCartney: Cocktail Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Chilled / approx £1.75

These are sold as 'ready to eat' but the sausages straight out of the pack did not feel ready to eat. They were a little squishy and looked uncooked. After cooking in a frying pan the taste and texture was actually quite reasonable. These wouldn't be on my list if I was looking for something to eat out of the pack as part of a picnic.

Morrisons: No Pork Cocktail Sausages - ⭐☆☆☆☆

Chilled / 140g / 14pk / Approx £2

These have a very dry texture, similar to what you'd expect from a falafel despite not containing any chickpeas at all. The flavour isn't particularly nice either, so I won't buy these again.

Plant Pioneers (Sainsburys): Shroompups in Blankets (Xmas range) - 

Chilled / £3

Will update after Christmas.

Plant Menu (Aldi): No Pigs in Blankets (Xmas range) - 

Chilled / 

Will update after Christmas

Plant-based Fish Fillets, Goujons and Fishcakes

Plant-based fish comes in a variety of styles. This page covers the type of fish products that you'd use to recreate fish and chips, plus plain fish fillets, goujons and fishcakes.

Gardein: Golden Fishless Fillets - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Frozen / 288g / Approx £4.50 (15.63 per kg)

Great batter, and the inside has a nice texture and flavour. The individual fillets are quite small, triangular-shaped (similar to a hash brown), so you'll probably need at least two.

Plant Pioneers: Battered Fishless Fillets - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Frozen / 2pk / £2.50

This is a twin pack of battered fishless fillets. I wasn't expecting these to be as good as they were. The batter and the fish-like texture were both great. The have jackfruit in the recipe and I think this is key to giving these that great texture. Visually, they look like small, natural fillets (much better than some other options here). The fishy flavour is just about right. We always keep a box in the freezer. Amazing.

M&S Plant Kitchen: Battered Fishless Goujons - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 6pk /

The fish part is made from rice flakes, which are quite soft (almost like mashed potato). I prefer mine to have a little more bite. There is a nice smell of the sea about them, and they have a subtle, mild fish flavour. The batter was also nice.

Finnebrogue Artisan: Naked with the splash! No Fish Goujons - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Chilled / 250g / Approx £3 (£12 per kg)

These were quite nice, but I did find the texture to be slightly mashed-potato-like.

Moving Mountains: Fish Fillets - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Frozen / 260g / Approx £2.75 (but possibly up to £4)

I had high hopes for these. I tried them side-by-side with the Plant Pioneers (Sainsburys) fish version, and Plant Pioneers was better in every way. Firstly, this style of fish should be in batter, but MM have gone for panko breadcrumbs which isn't terrible in itself, but it's not batter. The shape looks very artificial. The texture and flavour are reasonable, but still not on par with PP. In summary, this option is ok, but doesn't have a single element that stands out.

Plant Pioneers: No Fish Cakes - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Fresh / 2pk . 240g

These were pretty nice. They didn't taste exactly how I remember fish cakes to taste, but they were nice. There was plenty of the fish part which is made from jackfruit and oyster mushrooms. It also had a parsley sauce in the centre which I don't remember ever having in a regular fish cake. Perfectly nice and I'd buy them again. I just wasn't blown away, hence the 3 stars (maybe 3.5 would be fairer).

Plant Pioneers: No Salmon Fillets - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3.5 is probably more accurate)

Chilled / 2 pack / 240g / £4

Quite brave of Sainsburys to attempt salmon fillets - these are the first I've ever seen. Overall I think they've done a pretty good job. The main body of the fillet is made from young jackfruit and king oyster mushrooms, which gives a reasonable texture - it's a little softer than salmon but it is a decent effort. The fillets get their sea flavour mostly from a 'skin of seaweed' on the underside and this really does a great job of giving them that flavour of the sea. I would buy them again, but probably just once in a while.

Quorn: Fish fillets - ⭐⭐☆☆☆

Frozen / 2 pack / 200g / Approx £3 (£15 per kg)

The Quorn offering comes in two options; battered salt and vinegar, and breaded lemon and pepper. I remember being quite excited about these when I heard about them being released, however I found the fish part to be a tad on the dry side (I find all Quorn's vegan products have the same problem). Ultimately I felt a little disappointed with them and I haven't had them again.

Vemondo: Vegan Fish Nuggets - ⭐⭐☆☆☆

Frozen / 250g + 2x25g sauce / £1.99

These are Lidl's own brand vegan range, which is pretty reasonable in terms price. The coating is breadcrumbs and inside is white, firm substance that is based on cauliflower and rice flour. The texture is not great, kind of like a solid dense block, which wasn't particularly pleasant. On the plus side, they do have quite a good fishy flavour. The box also contains two small pots of vegan remoulade sauce.

Plant Kitchen: To-fish and chips (Marks and Spencers) - ⭐☆☆☆☆ (possibly discontinued)

Chilled / ready-meal for one / 

The Marks and Spencers option is sold as a complete meal containing both the fish, the chips and some tartare sauce. The batter was really, really nice - possibly the best of all the products in this list. The biggest problem was, as you may have guessed from the name, that the fish part is just a block of tofu - it seems like there was no real effort to add some texture. Really disappointed, and even the amazing batter can't make up for this.

Since writing this I have discovered that M&S have introduced some battered fishless goujons, they sound better so I'll add them to the list once I've tried them.

Coming soon... (hopefully)

Asda: Plant-based Fishless Goujons

MV Taste: Breaded Fish Fillets (Morrisons)

Plant Kitchen: Battered Fishless Goujons (M&S)

Plant-based Ribs

I've tried two products that try to imitate ribs, and they are both brilliant! There are a few other rib-like products that I've spotted, so I'll add them to the list in due course.

Back in my meat-eating days, I only ever tried ribs once or twice. I liked the flavour but the process of chewing and scraping all these bits of meat off of a bone was never my favourite.

The VEGilantes: Plant Based R*bs with a Smoky BBQ Sauce - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Frozen / 6pk / 240g / £3

I found these vegan ribs while browsing the meat-free section in Morrisons, and after trying them I keep going back for more! In the box you get the r*bs and a sachet of smoky BBQ sauce. You start cooking the r*bs and then coat them in the sauce about half-way through. You're supposed to cook them in the oven, but mine is currently out-of-action so I have been using a frying pan, which works very well. They've really done an awesome job recreating the texture and flavour of ribs, but without the ordeal of tearing it off the bone - plus the 'meat' doesn't get stuck in your teeth. I'm enjoying these more than I ever did the real thing.

I also used a bit of the sauce to flavour some roast potatoes (again, I was pan frying them, so they were probably fried potatoes) and they were awesome too!

Sainsbury's: No Pork Ribs with a Smoky BBQ Sauce - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chilled / 270g / £4

These are a new edition to the 2022 summer range. They come chilled and are packed as one whole 'rack'. Once cooked you can cut the individual 'ribs' out. The smoky BBQ sauce is really tasty and the ribs themselves have a really good texture which is tender and comes apart in a very meat-like way. I really do like these and I'll definitely get them a few more times before the end of the summer.

Oumph!: Sticky Smokehouse Rib Style - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

The texture and flavour of these was really good. However they didn't come with extra sauce so the outside dried out a little during cooking (may have been our fault).

Plant-based Bacon

One of the most important things I've noticed about meat-free rashers is that you have to be very careful not to overcook them, as this will very easily dry them out and ruin them.

The other thing to note is, with the exception of the 'This!' options, they all tend to have a really smoky flavour which tends to stay with you for the entire day after eating.

This!: Isn't Bacon Plant-Based Rashers - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chilled / 120g / Approx £3.00 (£25 per kg)

This! haven't tried to recreate the look or exact shape of bacon (like others have - see below), but that doesn't really matter because they've come up with rashers that have a meaty texture and flavour. It's my current go-to plant-based bacon. The things that could make these better would be a inclusion of the fat-like part that would crisp up along the edge, and the reshaping of each rasher to match that of a real one. But that should not at the expense of the thick, meaty texture that they already have, because this makes them so very tasty already.

This!: Isn't Bacon Plant-Based Lardons  - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chilled / 2 x 60g / £3.00

The lardons from This! are just as good as the bacon above. Really handy is the fact they are sold in a twin pack which makes it easier to use half the pack and keep the rest fresh for another day.

Richmond: Meat-free Smoked Bacon Rashers - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 8pk / Approx £2 (introductory price, so will be eventually be higher)

Richmond have done a great job so far with their meat-free sausages, so my expectations for these rashers was quite high. They are designed to look like bacon rashers, meaning they contain the meaty part and also a white part running the length of each rasher which resembles the fat. A really good thing with these is that the white part will catch on the pan and take on a golden crispiness if you get it right. You just have to be very careful not to overcook the meaty part when doing this, which is very tricky. Overall they were really tasty - they don't quite have the same meaty texture as the This! offering, so I've rated them slightly lower.

Plant Menu (Aldi): No Pork Streaky Rashers - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 10pk 180g / £2.19

Aldi's offering is pretty decent. The rashers are in the style of smoked streaky bacon and have a nice texture and smoky flavour. These work out really good value for money and are one of the better options when it comes to taste. Well done Aldi.

Plant Kitchen: No Pork Streaky Bacon - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Chilled / Approx 9pk / 180g / Approx £3

Marks and Spencers has produced a streaky plant-based version which attempts to imitate the look and flavour of regular bacon. Visually, it's a good effort but I find they look a bit like toy food. The texture and flavour were both ok, but I wasn't totally blown away by either.

Quorn: Bacon Rashers - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (not vegan)

Chilled / 120g / Approx £1.75

Frozen / 150g / Approx £2

For quite a few years, these Quorn rashers were the only mainstream bacon-alternative I remember coming across. They come in chilled and frozen options and the recipes are slightly different - there's not really a difference in the flavour between the two, but the chilled ones are lower in fat. They are quite thin and quite lacking in the texture department. If you buy them frozen you'll find the rashers are frozen together and it can be a bit of a pain separating them, Given how good other brands are getting, it might be time for Quorn to give their recipe a major overhaul.

Plant Pioneers (Sainsburys): Smoky Vacon Rashers - ⭐⭐☆☆☆

Chilled / 8pk / 88g / Approx £2 (£22.73 per kg)

Sainsbury's have also gone down the route of attempting to recreate the exact look of a rasher. While the texture was ok, it was more on the drier/crispier side which is not my preferred texture of bacon. The main thing I remember about these is the overpowering smoky flavour of the paprika, which really didn't work for me.

Plant-based Sausages

Sausages

The sausages on this page are your standard regular-sized british-style sausages. There will be separate pages for Cocktail Sausages and another for Hot Dogs and Frankfurters.

Taste & Glory (formerly Naked Glory): Meat Free Vegan Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chilled / 6pk / 240g / Approx £2.75 (£11.46 per kg)

These have a nice meaty texture and a great mix of herbs which give them a great overall flavour. I find the texture better than the Richmond option and the fact these are totally vegan puts them ahead of the Quorn ones too. These are my joint favourite.

This: Isn't Pork Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chilled / 6pk / 230g / Approx £2.30

Very porky, succulent, great flavour. These are slightly firmer in texture than the Taste and Glory option, and they also have a noticeable flavour of sage. I really like these and I think they can sit alongside the Taste and Glory option as my joint favourites.

This: Isn't Caramelised Red Onion Pork Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chilled / 6pk / 230g / Approx £2.30

The same as the This sausages above, but with the added caramelised red onion. I prefer the original but these are still nice.

Richmond: Meat Free Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chilled / 8pk / 336g / Approx £2.25 (£6.70 per kg)

Frozen / 8pk / 320g / Approx £2 (£6.25 per kg)

Richmond have used all of their sausage making expertise to create one of the best vegan sausages I have had the pleasure of eating. If you have ever tried their regular sausages (I did many years ago) you may be familiar with their distinctive Irish recipe flavour, which they have successfully recreated here. If I was being slightly picky I could say that the texture is a tiny bit too soft for my liking (the 'Taste & Glory' and 'This' options are better in this respect), but it's not enough of a problem to take away any stars from their rating.

Marks & Spencer: Plant Kitchen - 6 Bangers - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chilled / 6pk / 360g / price tbc - was over £3

Upon opening the pack, there was no real smell to the uncooked sausages but once they were in the pan, the smell of sizzling sausages filled the house. The pack advertises that they are seasoned with black pepper and sage but this is fairly subtle. For me the outside coloured nicely and took on a slight crispiness while the inside was meaty but possibly on the softer side texture wise. Overall I really enjoyed these and I think they can go in the top tier of options.

Future Farm: Future Sausage - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 5pk / 250g / £3.90

These come in a 5pk and the first noticeable thing about these is that each sausage is fairly large (50g). They are also slightly more expensive.  The flavour is pretty good with a good porky taste and a nice blend of herbs. The texture and bite of these is different to most others on this list. I'd say they are a tiny bit denser, but they do have quite a meaty bite to them. Overall, these are very good, but I still think the other options above edge them out overall.

Meatless Farm: Plant-Based Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 6pk /

I quite like Meatless Farm's products. I found these sausages to be slightly peppery, a bit like a Cumberland sausage - interestingly pepper isn't listed as an ingredient. The texture had a good bite, possibly with a bit of a rubbery texture, but this seemed to work ok. They held up well under cooking and were very enjoyable.

Quorn: Vegetarian Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (not vegan)

Frozen / 8pk / 336g / Approx £2

Frozen / 12pk / 504g / Approx £2.60

These are my favourite vegetarian sausages. I find the flavour and texture are both very good. Sadly they are not totally plant-based as they contain egg. Funnily, my wife won't eat these as she hates both the flavour and texture. 

Quorn: Brilliant Bangers - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Chilled / 6pk

The name of these raised my expectations and ultimately I was left feeling disappointed. The smell and flavour are both good, but the texture of the filling does not really have any bite to it. It was too soft and spongy for me. Don't get me wrong, they are nice enough, but they have fallen short of where other companies are in terms of texture. I would possibly buy these again, but they wouldn't be in my top tier of options. I've given four stars but 3.5 might be a better reflection of where they stand in my list.

Tesco: Plant Chef - 6 Herby Bangers - ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Frozen / 6pk / £1.35

These certainly live up to their name as far as the herby part is concerned. Overall the texture wasn't quite as good as the latest and best sausage options towards the top of this page, but these were still nice enough. A big plus for these is that the price is very reasonable indeed.

Bird's Eye Green Cuisine: Meat Free Sausages - ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Frozen / 6pk 300g / Approx £2.50

These were decent enough sausages and I have no real complaints about them. However, it is very clear that these are vegan sausages. The standard has moved on (see the alternatives above).

The Vegetarian Butcher: Little Willies - ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (not vegan)

Chilled / 160g / 6pk / Approx £3

After reading some good reviews of these, I had high expectations. They are a chipolata-style sausage with a Lincolnshire flavour, which was pretty decent. Sadly the texture was too spongy, probably caused by the soy. I wouldn't buy these again. Also these are not vegan as they contain egg.

The Tofoo Co.: Sizzlers Smoked Sausages - ☆☆☆☆☆

Chilled / possibly discontinued

I think these may have been discontinued since I tried them, and to be totally honest I am glad they've saved you the ordeal of eating them. Truly terrible, especially the texture. They went straight in the bin. I can't even bring myself to give them one star.