MIghty M.lkology brought you by the magic of peas

Mighty M.lks were designed to be a realistic alternative to dairy milk that's available today. And that is exactly what they are.

It is produced using special dedicated Plantech®.

It produces a milk alternative that is creamy and tasty in a range of different types.

They don't compromise on taste or mouthfeel and they guarantee they are 100% vegan. 

And people like my wife who has coeliac disease and an allergy to both dairy and soya can drink and cook with Mighty M.lks safe in the knowledge that there are no soya, dairy products or nuts.

Mighty M.lks comes in semi and full varieties and also protein oat and unsweetened varieties.

There's Mighty Barista M.lk, too. This is a special premium blend of pea, oat and coconut. It's been carefully and specially designed to be a replica of  the flavour and texture of dairy milk but without the involvement of any cows. If you like a perfect frothy latte, then this is the milk for you! 

It also tastes great on breakfast cereals or as a chilled drink. 

There's also Mighty M.LK Protein Oat, too.

Looking for a drink that's shaken, not stirred? Then the Mighty Milkshakes, available in chocolate and banana and oat flavour will be right up your street.

And they also have a range of Mighty Vegan Protein Powders, too.

My wife has declared the range of  Mighty M.lks as "very close to dairy milks in both look, feel and taste."

So not only are they safe for someone with dairy intolerances or full dairy allergies, they also taste good, too.

And if your concern with dairy is because of ethical considerations regarding the use of animals to produce milk for human consumption. the great thing is that you don't have to compromise your diet for your principles.

Where can you purchase Mighty M.lks from? The following shops and supermarkets stock them: Morrison's, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Ocado, WH Smith, Asda, Holland & Barrett and Co-Op stores.

Or you can buy direct at https://www.mightydrinks.com/our-range.list.

    

Gee Gee Gin from start to finish, it's a real winner!

What happens when you love gin and also love horses? You combine the two and you get Gee Gee Gin!

The gin is proper, real craft gin distilled in the traditional manner using small batch distillation, with each batch produced with love and attention to detail in a special nano distillery in Newbury, Berkshire, not far from the world renowned Newbury Racecourse.  

Unlike many craft ginmakers Gee Gee make everything from scratch. They even produce their own initial neutral alcohol base. Many other ginmakers buy in the alcohol, which is not the case with Gee Gee, so they know exactly what went into their base alcohol.

A spokesman for Geee Gee said: “We lovingly craft our gins from the very start to the finish. Yes, it is a long and complex process but the finished product is well worth the wait.it.  

“So our Master Distiller is a true distiller unlike other small batch gins that are on the market.”

He went on to explain “Our gin is only made using the finest quality natural ingredients. We can guarantee that our small batch gins contain absolutely nothing artificial. 

“I must emphasise that each part of the process of producing our gin is made entirely by hand and this includes drying the natural botanicals that we use, right through to hand dipping the gin bottles into wax.” 

How can you buy Gee Gee Gin? You can join the UK’s newest Craft Gin Club.

Select the monthly subscription for your favourite Gee Gee Gin and they'll ensure you never run out by delivering to your door a fresh bottle of craft Gee Gee Gin each month. 

But that’s not all you will receive. Because with your monthly gin subscription you’ll also receive a variety of especially chosen gifts that will include dried fruit garnishes, special mixers and a sample of another high quality gin for you to try.

The monthly cost is a modest £30, which you can pause or even cancel whenever you want. Makes an idea present for a loved one or as a reward to yourself!

Or why not browse the gins in their online shop to see what’s available for purchase now?

The people behind Gee Gee are gin lovers themselves, so they’re keen on trying out new varieties so do keep an eye open for new, experimental flavours.​

Flavours available include Classic Dry, Dark Berries, Elderflower and Lavender. There are currently two limited edition gins, Seville Orange and also Magic Blue Summer Berries.

500ml bottles of all gins, including the limited edition varieties cost £27.50 each.

To learn more and to make your first purchase visit them at https://www.geegeegin.co.uk/.

Brothers Cider

If you want to see Veganuary out in style, then you should do it with some Brothers Cider.

I was introduced to ciders when I was a student in the student union bar in the dim and distant 1980s. It was OK, but I can honestly say I was not overly impressed.

However, moving on to modern times when my wife and I discovered Brothers Cider my wife and I were both monumentally impressed. And as my wife is from Devon and grew up drinking West Country Cider, that is high praise indeed!

We have been drinking several bottles of Brothers Toffee Apple Cider and I have to say that it is a properly balanced cider which does have a lovely toffee flavour added to it. To me it reminded me of toffee apples consumed during village Halloween celebrations many years ago.

Although I prefer the 4.0% alcohol version of the Toffee Apple Cider my wife was more keen on the alcohol free version, which is also available.

Other flavours are available, including Strawberry and Lime, Rhubarb and Custard, Wild Fruit, Tutti Frutti, Pink Grapefruit Cider, Honeycomb, Red Apple, Parma Violet, Strawberries and Cream, Cloudy Lemon and also Marshmallow flavour. The latter I think I'll be trying next.  

The family know a great deal about making cider from their Somerset homeland, as there is documentary evidence that their Uncle 14 times removed, Gabriel Showering, was taking the family produced cider round the pubs in the area in 1658. That's nearly 365 years of the production of cidery goodness!

And now four brothers, Matthew, Jonathan, Francis and Daniel are continuing the fine family tradition by bringing good quality real ciders with a modern twist.

You can buy it from your local retailer or direct from Brothers https://brotherscider.co.uk/.

If you want retail their ciders please visit https://brotherscider.co.uk/pages/trade-customers

Lion Brewery. Beer brewed, naturally

The Lion Brewery company's proud claim is that it was born and raised on the banks of the River Thames, 186 years ago in 1836.

The history of the Lion Brewery was a long and distinguished one, it developed ales and beers that it shipped all over the world.

Absent from the brewing world for several decades, two Brits decided to re-licence the Lion Brewery on the UK and Singapore, under the original trademark in 2017.

The Lion Brewery brews its beers using the small batch system and strives to only use the highest quality ingredients which it uses to brew its beers totally naturally.

My wife and I have been able to sample two of their beers; Pale Ale and Island Lager.

The Pale Ale has an ABV of 4.5% and the Island Lager has a slightly higher ABV of 4.7%.

The Pale Ale is actually a highly enjoyable and well-hopped IPA which would certainly hold its own against any other IPAs that are on the market.

It's a Single Malt and Single Hop beer. This type of pale ale is known as a SMaSH, and believe me, the Lion Brewery really does smash it with this pale ale! The malt used is Maris Otter barley, the sole hop used is Citra.

The Island Lager is a stunning lager. I have to say that it is like no other lager that I have ever tried. It's designed for the warmer temperatures of the tropics and is certainly very drinkable, to me it seems, to capture the best of lager beers and the best of traditional IPAs. There is definitely more than a hint of pine resin aroma and a floral finish to it. 

To learn more or to place orders please visit https://lionbreweryco.com/en/lion-brewery-co-shop/

Just look out for the embossed lion on the cans.

Also, Lion strives to be a genuinely sustainable and green company in every aspect of its operations, including using lightweight, recyclable cans rather than heavy glass bottles. 

Creative Nature helps you bake at home

You like the idea of baking a cake at home but you perhaps don't have the necessary self-confidence? Aren't sure your meagre baking skills are up to the task of baking a cake as good as your mother, your father or perhaps your grandmother used to make?

And you are worried about creating a vegan, gluten, dairy and gluten free masterpiece?

Fret no longer because you've got this! With the help of Creative Nature, of course. 

Creative Nature create gold award winning bake at home cake mixes so that your home baked cakes will always rise to the occasion!

There's their absolutely chocolatey cacao rich chocolate cake baking mix. 

All you do is add 250ml of your favourite non-dairy milk (they recommend rice milk as their favourite type of milk, but I made mine with some Lilk) add 110ml of vegetable oil, or 100g of melted coconut oil if you have any of that.

Place all the ingredients into a mixing bowl, give it a good mixing and then put it into an oven pre-heated to 180C/350F or Gas Mark 4 for 25 minutes.

They suggest icing the cake if you can avoid eating it right away.

Although not included with the packet they recommend using 130g of icing sugar or powdered coconut sugar, three heaped tbsp of Creative Nature Cacao Powder, 80g dairy free spread and milk, if you want.

Smoothly mix the ingredients together and when ready, use it to ice the cake.

Also available is the Banana Bread Mix, the Simply Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf Mix, Chocolate Chip Muffin Baking Mix and Corn Bread Baking Mix.

If you feel like being a little more adventurous in your kitchen why not try their Gluten Free All Purpose Flour?

You can order directly from Creative Nature at their website https://www.creativenaturesuperfoods.co.uk/

They have a massive range of other goodies that are available, so why not check those out when you visit them?

Why we lost our local bakeries

The received wisdom, or what everyone knows, is that small, local bakeries all closed down because giant evil corporate supermarket chains opened up branches in small towns and out-priced the small, family-owned local bakers which, as a result, had to close down. victims of corporate greed.

Whilst this might have happened in some cases, the story I can relate, based on my own local experience does not bear this out.

I am thinking of a moderately sized market town. It had three traditional family owned bakers who all did a very good business supplying fresh bread to the people of the town.

However, the young generations of the family bakers did not want to follow on in the footsteps of their parents. 

Their parents had to get up at three o'clock in the morning to mix the dough and to fire up the ovens to bake the bread. 

Their children did not want to get up in the middle of the night to bake bread so they decided to go off to do other things and follow other career paths. One went to work for the Inland Revenue, some joined the armed forces and so on. 

Eventually when the older generations of bakers came to retirement age they had nobody to pass their businesses on to and one-by-one, they closed down.

Eventually the Morrison's supermarket chain came to town and opened up a bakery department which made fresh bread and fresh cakes. Items we hadn't seen in town for several years.

When someone was chuntering on about how the supermarkets had killed off small, family bakers I pointed out that all of the family bakers in town had closed before Morrison's came to town. He said: "Oh! That's right, isn't it? I hadn't realised that!"

(Image curtesy summa/Pixabay.)

Mints just got guilt free with Mintastic

Mints are now guilt free and it's all thanks to Mintasatic!

Per 100g Mintastic contains 13 calories, zero sugar and zero carbs. 

Compared to other sugar sugar free mints which contain 240 calories, zero sugar and 25 calories per 100g.

They are vegan friendly and sweetened with Erythritol and are completely tooth friendly.

And the great thing is that Erythriol is a plant-based sweetener.

Mintastic is a small British sweet maker and they are keen to bring minty guilt-free goodness to all mint lovers, but especially those who cannot tolerate sugar such as people who have diabetes or who are on a calorie controlled diet.

They come in a variety of flavours including spearmint, peppermint, cinnamon and strawberry flavours. 

Tol earn more please visit them at https://www.mintastic.co.uk/.

You can buy direct from their website, a taster box of four flavours costs £8.00 and delivery is free.

Great Sausages, By Heck!

If you want to eat great quality sausages like you used to get made by your local high street or village butcher, then, as Heck says: "You need flavour you can swear by!"

My wife loves Heck sausages not only because they taste so very good, but because they are gluten free. And as someone who is diagnosed as suffering from coeliac disease, being able to obtain gluten-free foods that actually taste good, too, is very important for her.

They are also highly useful for people, like myself, who need to eat a carefully balanced diet due to having diabetes. And having great tasting foods also makes you feel good, too!

One of the reasons that Heck sausages are so very good is that they are very keen on some simple, key facts.

1) Only use the finest of ingredients, including the herbs and spices.

2) Only prepare the sausages in traditional small batch methods.

And it really is that simple. 

But even though Heck does use good, old fashioned sausage making techniques they are also an innovative family-owned and operated company.

For example a firm favourite of mine, and of my wife, is the Heck Paprika Chicken sausages.

These are chicken chipolata sausages with paprika and red pepper. They are 85% British chicken and they use pea flour, plus a good mix of herbs and spices.

Their pork sausages are also awesomely good and contain 97% British pork.

What different sausages do they offer? Paprika Chicken, Chicken Italia, Simply Chicken, Spring Chicken (with spring onions!) Heck 97% Pork, Heck Reduced Fat, Heck Vegan Breakfast Sausages, Heck Meat Free, Heck Vegan Italia, Heck Family Favourite, Heck 60/40 (Chicken Mushroom and Wild Rice) Heck 60/40 (Pork, Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Olives) Heck Pork Italia, too.

But there's much more! Burgers, including vegan, a range of minces, posh nuggets, Heck Alcohol free IPA beer is also available, too. Heck! I wasn't expecting that!

To learn more or to put your orders in please visit them at https://www.heckfood.co.uk/.

They are also at some retailers, too.

Like No Udder Montezuma's Extraordinary Chocolate

Like No Udder Montezuma's Extraordinary Chocolate, is, simply, an extraordinary chocolate.

It's vegan and organic and it is an alternative to milk chocolate. Helen of Montezuma's says that Like No Udder is their very own creation and that is as close to milk chocolate as they could get it.

As a milk chocolate fan since I was first given a blue foil wrapped chocolate bar in the late 1950s, I have to say that I did sneak a peek at the ingredients list to see how they had managed to create a milk chocolate taste and gorgeous mouthfeel without using any milk or other dairy-derived products.

Was it the organic cane sugar? The organic cocoa butter? The organic cocoa mass? The organic rice powder? The organic vanilla extract? The organic cocoa nibs? The organic peppermint oil?

Well, of course the answer is that it will all of those things, but what makes all the difference is the knowledge and years of chocolate making experience of Helen, Simon and the fine folks at Montezuma's Chocolate who produce the finest of fine chocolates from their chocolatier headquarters in West Sussex.

One touch that I especially like, apart from the exquisite taste, is the absolutely perfect crunch provided by the cocoa nibs.

flavours other than yummy peppermint are available, please check on their website which you will find at https://www.montezumas.co.uk/like-no-udder.html.

You can buy from them or check out their website for your nearest retailer.

Really Good Tomato Ketchup

Really Good Tomato Ketchup. That's a good, no, a great name for a product. Declaring it to be "Really Good."

But it's also a somewhat bold claim. Does it bear up to closer scrutiny? Yes, it certainly does on several grounds.

Firstly it is ideal for vegans and vegetarians because it is entirely plant-based.

Secondly it contains no added sugar (it actually contains 75% less sugar) and it us ideal for people who want to watch their salt intake as it contains 78% less salt.

And as an added fillip the plastic bottle is 100% recyclable. 

But this brings us on to the other, equally important point about Really Good Tomato Ketchup. What oes it taste like? Here it is a clear winner because it also tastes like a Really Good Tomato Ketchup.

Which is probably the main reason it was voted Food Innovation Award Best Children's Product last year, 2021. And has received other accolades for its innovative products and its genuine green agenda.

Based in Yorkshire, the Really Good range of products was founded by Elizabeth Jones.

They make a range of other products including Smoked Barbeque Sauce and Smokey Barbeque Ketchup.

A pack of six 310g bottles will cost £17.99 at Amazon.

You can purchase the products at Ocado, Amazon and Wholefoods Market. 

If you are a retailer or a wholesaler, Really Good would like to hear from you.

Visit them at https://realgoodketchup.com/.

That's Books and Entertainment: More Taste & Less Waste

That's Books and Entertainment: More Taste & Less Waste: More Taste & Less Waste is a new cookery book form the Dairy Diary publishing company. It offers readers the opportunity to prepare and...

Intuitive Eating Pioneer to bring back her popular podcast

Laura Thomas

Nutritionist and author Laura Thomas, PhD, is joining up with Intuitive Movement expert Tally Rye for a live crossover podcast episode this Wednesday to celebrate the re-launch of the highly successful show ‘Don’t Salt My Game'.

London Centre for Intuitive Eating (LCIE) founder Laura Thomas, PhD is joining with Intuitive Movement expert and author Tally Rye to bring back her highly popular podcast ‘Don’t Salt My Game’. Tickets are available for the live recording which takes place this Wednesday 19th January at 7pm, and audience members will have the chance to ask the duo questions.

Nutritionist Laura, who is the author of two books ‘Just Eat It’ and ‘How to Just Eat It’, works with her specialist team at the LCIE’s recently opened premises to support women to have a more positive and harmonious relationship with the foods they eat and their bodies, via a framework called Intuitive Eating,  a term coined in the 1990s but which has seen a huge rise in popularity in recent years, this is, in the main, thanks to Laura’s work.

Intuitive Eating is a science-backed concept which promotes self-compassion and acceptance, equipping women with simple tools and techniques for a trusting, happy, and healthy relationship with their foods, by rejecting the "diet mentality" and learning to understand the body’s hunger cues.

To celebrate the return of her podcast, ‘Don’t Salt My Game’ following a short hiatus after the birth of her first child, Laura is joining Intuitive Movement expert Tally, author of book ‘Train Happy’ and host of a podcast dedicated to helping women a have a feel-good relationship towards fitness. 

The crossover ‘Don’t Salt My Game X Train Happy’ podcast will be released in two parts and will see Tally interview Laura on how to support children to be Intuitive Eaters and have a positive relationship with food from an early age. Laura will also be interviewing Tally about Intuitive Movement and the pair will take questions submitted by the live audience.

Laura said: "Intuitive Eating can be such a liberating process, but it can also be tricky if you feel like you're fighting diet culture on your own.

“Having a podcast dedicated to supporting you on your journey makes you feel less alone and more empowered to take down diet culture. ‘Don’t Salt My Game’ is like having a little anti-diet cheerleader in your ear.”

Tally Rye

Tally said: "It’s really great to collaborate with Laura who has been leading the charge against Diet Culture for years. Together we are hoping to bust myths and help people feel better about eating food and moving their body."

The podcast will mark the official re-launch of ‘Don’t Salt My Game’ which has been driving the Intuitive Eating revolution since 2016, and sees Laura interview guests in wellness, from foodies, bloggers and entrepreneurs to nutritionists, doctors and anyone else shaking up the wellness world, to help the audience ‘do you, but better.’

Tickets to the live recording cost £10 and can be purchased here. https://londoncentreforie.as.me/schedule.php?appointmentType=6229833 Spaces are limited.

Laura’s approach draws heavily on nutritional and behavioural science and psychology, as well as her own experiences with food. Through her books, podcast, and 1-to-1 clinical practice, she has helped thousands of women transform their relationship with food and is regarded as one of the leaders in the Intuitive Eating community.

Laura is joined at LCIE by a team of nutrition professionals dedicated to supporting people to get off the never-ending dieting merry-go-round, and find food freedom, self-compassion, and a renewed sense of purpose that doesn’t involve trying to fit into society’s narrow body ideals.

The East-London centre also provides self-paced online courses for professionals looking to upskill, equipping them with the knowledge and understanding to support their career development and implement Intuitive Eating into their offering.

The team is adding a new course to its portfolio later this month titled ‘Raising Embodied Eaters’, which aims to give nutrition and healthcare professionals who work with children the tools to support a responsive feeding relationship, laying the foundation for a positive relationship with food and their bodies from an early age.

LCIE is also home to a studio space with classes like baby yoga, Pilates and circuit classes run by LCIE partners who share the same body compassion ethos, as well as a retail outlet offering a range of items from body affirming brands, hand selected by the team.

https://londoncentreforintuitiveeating.co.uk/

Maldon Salt x Olia Hercules Extraordinary Feel Good Food

The recipes are specially created by Olia Hercules for Maldon Salt and is part of the ‘Feel Good Food’ series running on Maldon Salt socials.

You can see the introduction video here. You can also subscribe for new video presentations:- 

In the easy-to-follow video presentations you will learn to prepare, cook and serve:-

Fennel, Blood Orange and Shallot Relish

Mushroom Broth

Other recipes to look out for are:-

Layered Savoy Cabbage ‘Lasagne’

Fermented Chilli and Celeriac

Savoury Granola.

For more recipes and to learn about the 140 year history of the Maldon Salt Company, where they still hand harvest their salt and produce unique pyramid salt flakes which is still sought after by gourmets and word renowned chefs.

You can find this specialist, artisan sea salt at the following retailers:- Morrison's, Tesco, Ocado, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.

Other shops or wholesalers also stock Maldon Salt. Please enquire.

You can visit their website for further details, more recipes, etc https://maldonsalt.com/. 

Crave something tasty for Veganuary? Then this is for you!

If you are craving something tasty for Veganuary, the this is for you! Crave snacks.

If you have never tried Crave Snacks before, then Crave are what you have been craving for, but didn't realise it, yet.

All Crave snacks are proudly produced to unique recipes that are guaranteed to be gluten free, lactose free, milk/dairy free and 100% Vegan friendly.

There are Smokey Back Flavoured Streakers. Little flat rectangles of smokey bacon flavoured goodness. 

They taste bacony and smokey and once you try one, there will be no stopping you! They are very moreish! 

As well as making for some exciting snacking direct out of the bag, you will find that these are great to share and they go very well with cheese, either dairy or vegan and make an excellent accompaniment to any salad. 

There's also Pickled Onion Monster Feet. Unlike the little flat rectangles of Streakers, Pickled Onion Monster Feet are in the shape of Monstrous feet. They have four toes, in case you are wondering.)

This is a new flavour, so do keep your eyes and your mouths open for this!

They have a sharply tangy taste of picked onions and they do include some real pickled onion flavourings in the recipe. 

Both packs contain 80 grams of snack goodness and will, Crave assures you, serve four people. Though this does depend on how hungry or how greedy you are!

What flavours are available?

Smokey Bacon Flavoured Streakers, Picked Onion Monster Feet, Crave Rocky Road, Crave Kitchen Sink and Crave Snack, Crackle and Choc. 

You can buy Crave products direct from their online shop https://www.cravefreefrom.co.uk/ or from https://thevegankind.com/c/crave-free-from or https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/search/?isSearch=true&query=crave

Adio Food Supplements that work for you

The slogan that Adio uses is "Take Back Control of Your Health." And there is at least one person I know who agrees with that sentiment. My wife.

She has been trialling Adio food supplements and has reported that they have made her feel much better.

"It's not just my imagination," she told me. "As a nurse with extra training in nutrition I know more than most people about foods and food supplements and I know that the Adio products have certainly helped me to feel much better while I have been taking them. In fact, they've proved so beneficial to me that I will be placing regular orders for them."

"I have much more energy, and I feel much better in myself. I am particularly keen on the Plant + capsules. They're absolutely amazing!"

Products that are available include:-

Adio one.

This is Dr Jess and Xandras’ own custom-blended premium daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.

They are made using bioavailable core ingredients, to optimise absorption and nutritional benefit. Adio One is suitable for vegans, and is free of all GMOs, fillers, gluten, soy, sugar, dairy and artificial flavourings and colours. 

60 days worth of tablets costs £35, or if you subscribe there's a 15% discount.

Adio Plant + 

Dr Jess has employed her extensive knowledge of the power of Chinese, herbal, functional and integrative medicine to develop Plant+, "an optimised combination of three of the most effective organically-certified adaptogens, to help you feel and look your best. Plant+ is suitable for vegans, and is free of all GMO’s, fillers, gluten, soy, sugar, dairy and artificial flavourings and colours."

This product costs £25, but if you want to take out a subscription there's a 10% discount available. 

Incidentally, these supplements are of great benefit to my wife because as a diagnosed coeliac she cannot tolerate gluten and she also has problems with a soy allergy and a dairy allergy. Which means she has to be very careful to check out all of the ingredients in supplements before she takes them. As as an aside she can't take beef collagen, but only marine collagen. 

But Adio doesn't rest on its laurels. Because as well as the above highly successful supplements it also offers a very wide range of specialist services, too.

It was founded by sisters Dr Jess and Dr Xandra DoC). Dr Jess trained in traditional western medicine and then went on to study homeopathy, Chinese medicine, medical herbalism and functional medicine.

Dr Xandra (DoC) earned her doctor of chiropractic qualifications at the University of Glamorgan. 

The website is arranged in different areas. There is a library which is an exciting resource consisting of searchable  videos, webinars, podcasts, articles, recipes, etc.

There's the hub with links to the hub brain function & mental health, family life & pet health, gut health & digestion, hormones & sexual health, immune system & infection, staying well & keeping fit, structure & movement and symptoms & diseases.

You can also join Adio for £10 a month.

To learn more about Adio visit https://adio.org/.

Pub in a Box from Sandford Orchards

This Valentine's Day, why not treat your sweetheart to a lovingly made cider gift set from Sandford Orchards?

Win him over with a fabulous Pub in a Box (£20.99 from www.sandfordorchards.co.uk) or sweep her off her feet with a bottle of sparkling Katja (750ml bottle, £9.00 from www.sandfordorchards.co.uk).

Pub in a Box (£20.99 from www.sandfordorchards.co.uk)

Why not Forget a night in a packed pub? Instead you can let the pub come to you and your special Valentine with Sandford Orchard's Pub in a Box?

You'll find it to be just like a Devonshire pub as it will be filled  with Devon cider and pub snacks.

Your hamper will contain: Devon Mist bottle 500ml, Shaky Bridge bottle 500ml, Fanny's Bramble bottle 500ml, Devon Red can 440ml, Two pouches of Mr Filberts 40g each, Two packets of Burts Chips 40g each, a Sandford Orchards' pint glass, bottle opener and some Beer (cider?) mats, too! 

Katja (750ml bottle, £9.00 from www.sandfordorchards.co.uk)

If your beloved likes bubbles then they'll love Katja (8%ABV). It's a crisp, modern, single varietal, sparkling cider, crafted from the dessert apple Katja, inspired by the fresh fragrant Proseccos of Venezia. 

With a subtle sweetness and Fragrant green apple and strawberry notes, it has undertones of melon, honeysuckle and citrus fruit.

For further information on Sandford Orchards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk, follow Sandford Orchards on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For the full range of ciders and gifts visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk.

Flawsome! Is Awesome!

Flawsome! Is launching a sustainable health shot range as part of its mission to save 20,000 tonnes of wonky and surplus fruit by 2026!

Flawsome! sustainable shots are made using wonky or surplus fruit, with added vitamins and prebiotics. They will be available on

https://flawsomedrinks.com/ from this month, January 2022.

A whopping 65% of consumers are reportedly looking for functional benefits from their drinks, but only a small number of products are sustainably created. 

Flawsome! has the chance to bring a completely different approach to the functional beverage market.

Flawsome! Is not only good for you, it's good for and our planet too.

Flawsome! wants to show the world that you can be ‘small in size, but big in impact’.

The shot range will be launched this month, January 2022, with a focus online and on-trade.

It will include 4 flavours and a range of health benefits:

Immunity Kick, with ginger and vitamin D for a caffeine free kick and immune boost

Gut health, with wonky strawberries and prebiotics for healthy insides

Immune Boost, with wonky cherries and vitamin C to boost the immune system

Daily Defence, with turmeric and vitamin D to boost the immune system and healthy bones.

A spokesperson said: “We're bringing purpose to the health and wellness space. The functional beverage market is flooded with refrigerated shots, packed in

small plastic bottles and made with products that are grown to order. We decided

to craft a 60ml health shot range as sustainably as possible, because we knew we

could have a BIG impact!”

Their plan is to use real wonky or surplus fruit.

Employ Ambient storage, thus avoiding the energy consumption caused by using electrical refrigeration.

Eschew the use of plastic bottles by using recyclable glass bottles

Paying farmers a fair price for their fruits, vegetables and tubers

Be carbon positive, offsetting all the emissions of production

What do founders say?

Co-founder Maciek Kacprzyk said: “1.3 billion tonnes of food is lost or wasted annually, at all levels of the supply chain, from initial agricultural production right the way through to consumption in the home.”

He went on to say: “It was essential for us as a brand to serve the growing demand for functional drinks, while pursuing our mission to save 20,000 wonky and surplus fruit by 2026. 

“Every shot gives you the nutrients you require to kick start your day, while reducing food waste along the supply chain.

Karina added: “We create delicious, healthy drinks that make a difference and so we want to bring all of this to a functional category. You won’t feel that flaming burning sensation, instead you will enjoy a kick of fruity blends that will keep your gut healthy and support overall physical and mental wellbeing.

“We believe small actions can make a big difference, and we invite you to join our mission to save 20,000 tonnes of wonky and surplus fruit by 2026”.

Flawsome! is a Welsh start-up that's sure to take the functional drinks market by storm.

Diabetes feature will be starting soon

Within the next several days That's Food and Drink will start running a series of articles on foods drinks and food supplements for people who have diabetes.

Whilst I don't have any medical qualifications I do have a basic qualification in managing diabetes. 

I decided to take that course because I had been diagnosed as having diabetes and I decided that I should learn as much as I could about diabetes and how to live with it.

What will the articles cover? With the help of suppliers we will be covering ready meals, also we will be covering foods that you might not realise would play an important part in meals for people with diabetes.

Also we will be featuring things such as low or no sugar versions of condiments, suitable drinks and also food supplements designed to help you take control of your blood sugar levels.

Incidentally I have had my diabetes treatment altered by my diabetes nurse. I am going to begin taking insulin from the middle of this week.

I would like to acknowledge the kind help of  photographer Steve Buissinne (https://pixabay.com/users/stevepb-282134/) and Pixabay.com for providing the image used to illustrate this post. 

Lilk It's plant-based but like milk

Lilk is a fantastic range of alternatives to milk.

There's the Common Blend which is a smooth blend of Oat and Rice. It feels like milk when you drink it. This is important because many attempts by other well-meaning producers resulted in a watery substance that looks like milk, but isn't anything like it.

But with Lilk it definitely does have a milk-like feel to it. "Mouthfeel" is what the experts call it.

It's got a moderately sweet taste at first sip, but it's not overly sweet. To me it's quite like dairy milk in the feel and the taste.

It's ideal for drinking, putting in tea, coffee or (my evening favourite!) hot chocolate. It is also great with breakfast cereals and for use in cooking in place of dairy milk.

However, the smart folks at Lilk have gone even further, Because they have also produced The Lush Blend which is the ultimate in a smooth and creamy alternative to dairy milk, with a good and proper whole milk feel to it.

It's a very clever blend of oats, coconut and quinoa. It can be used in exactly the same way at The Common Blend of Lilk, but it adds a deeper more indulgent flavour to tea and coffee, but makes hot chocolate, milkshakes smoothies and chai lattes even more special. 

Lilk also recommends that you use The Lush Blend in the place of dairy milk in dairy milk cocktails. I have to admit that I haven't tried this yet, we just don't have the other necessary ingredients to hand at the moment, but as soon as we do, Lilk Cocktails will be on the agenda!

However, it tastes so good I doubt there will be any left over to make cocktails with!

To learn more about Lilk please visit them at https://www.lilk.co/.

You can buy in selected retailers or direct from Lilk's Somerset HQ.

The Common Blend will cost £12.00 (Pack of 6 x 1L)

The Lush Blend will cost £13.50 (Pack of 6 x 1L)

There is a modest delivery charge to wherever you live in the UK.

If you want to stock Lilk in your shop please let them know info@happyprojects.co.

It's ideal for your first foray into Veganuary, but it is also ideal for people with allergies to dairy products.

Eating Plant-Based your questions answered

Despite plant-based diets being associated with some of the best health outcomes, myths about the need for meat, dairy and eggs in the diet still persist. 

Following a highly useful Q&A format, two medical doctors (who both specialise in cancer treatment, one in the UK, one in Canada) answer all the commonly asked questions and concerns raised when people first think about moving to a plant-based diet. 

How can you be certain that you are getting enough protein? Is the vegan diet safe for children? Is soya associated with problems with hormones? 

Simple and straightforward answers are supported and backed with good solid nutritional scientific background. 

So not only is this book useful for vegans and those considering switching to the vegan diet, it's also the new go-to guide for health professionals who are increasingly meeting patients and clients who have chosen a plant-based diet and who go to their medical practitioner for advice on the vegan diet.

Contents

The basics; Eating meat; Eating dairy; Eating eggs; Eating fish; Eating fruit and vegetables; Eating whole grains; Eating beans and legumes; Eating nuts and seeds; Foods and nutrients of special interest; Common health concerns and doubts about vegan and vegetarian diets; Beyond health – considerations for planetary wellbeing; Final thoughts by the authors.

About the Authors

Dr Shireen Kassam MB BS, FRCPath, PhD, DipIBLM is a Consultant Haematologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer at King’s College Hospital, London with a specialist interest in the treatment of patients with lymphoma. 

Dr Zahra Kassam MBBS, FRCPC, MSc, DipABLM, is a Radiation Oncologist at the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre in Ontario, and an Assistant Professor in Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto, Canada. Zahra specialises in the treatment of breast and gastrointestinal malignancies. 

EATING PLANT-BASED Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions

By Dr Shireen Kassam and Dr Zahra Kassam

Print ISBN: 978-1-78161-194-4

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-78161-195-1

Dimensions of print: 216 x 138 mm, 240 pp

BIC: VF

Price print: £14.99 Ebook: £6.99

Publication date: 20 January 2022

More plant-based magic from Magnum

Magnum ice cream has introduced miniaturised versions of your favourite vegan flavour ice creams in time for you to have a great Veganuary. 

A reminder moments of pleasure also come in small packages, Magnum Vegan Minis are now available in multi packs containing a selection of two winning flavours: x3 Magnum Vegan Classic and x3 Magnum Vegan Almond.

Magnum Vegan Classic Mini combines a luxuriously smooth, vegan ice cream made with high quality Madagascan vanilla, fully dipped in a layer of delicious signature Magnum vegan cracking chocolate. 

Uncover a fantastically gorgeous nutty experience with Magnum Vegan Almond Mini: a velvety plant-based ice cream dipped in smooth vegan chocolate with crunchy Californian almond pieces.

January can be a bit of a gloomy month. But little bits of pleasure can make a massive difference.

 Magnum wants to help you celebrate the mini moments of pleasure this Veganuary. And beyond, too. So, if you are 100% vegan or take a more flexible approach to your diet, Magnum Vegan Minis are a winning combination for pleasure seekers and provide the perfect sized treat.

Magnum also introduces a new, improved recipe to its much-loved Vegan core range, using naturally derived ingredients for plant-based deliciousness: Magnum Vegan Classic, Magnum Vegan Almond and Magnum Vegan Sea Salt Caramel. (EDITOR: Sea Salt Caramel? Wow! My favourite flavour!)

From the sustainably sourced West African cocoa used in the cracking chocolate certified by The Rainforest Alliance, to the highest-quality Madagascan vanilla and best quality Californian almonds, Magnum’s plant-based core range have all been awarded the PETA Vegan Food Award.

Pea protein is the key ingredient that helps bring the velvety, smooth Magnum ice cream to life, allowing Magnum to create a plant-based ice cream that does not compromise on taste or texture.

“We’re thrilled Magnum is launching Vegan Minis this January,” said Toni Vernelli, International Head of Communications at Veganuary. “Veganuary’s role is to help people choose plant-based foods, whether their motivation is health, planet, people or animals. And it's easier to persuade people to try vegan if there's plenty of great-tasting, high-quality foods like this readily available in the shops!’’

A spokesperson for Magnum said: "We believes a day without pleasure is a day lost, and this is why Magnum is encouraging you to find and indulge in those mini moments that make Veganuary that little bit more pleasurable. To celebrate the mini moments of pleasure in Veganuary, we invite Brits to use the hashtag #miniveganmoments on social channels.

The New Magnum Vegan Minis (Classic and Almond) are available in branches of Sainsbury, Tesco and Ocado

Vegan Minis Multipacks of 6 have a recommended retail price of: £4.29, though this is at retailer's discretion. 

Launched 33 years ago, Magnum was the first premium adult ice cream to go to market. Today, Magnum is one of the world’s leading ice cream brands, selling over 1 billion units annually worldwide.

So, if you are having a vegan food feast this Veganuary, why not finish it off with a round of Magnum Vegans?

Papa John's even better Vegan menu

Papa John's vegan menu will be even better because they have added new Cheesy Chilli Bites and Vegan Sausage & Pepperoni pizza to its vegan offering.

And even better, to help celebrate Veganuary Pizza lovers can enjoy 50% off the vegan menu until 31st January.

Papa John’s is welcoming Veganuary in style, with the delicious limited-edition Vegan Sausage and Pepperoni pizza, and the launch of its all-new Cheesy Chilli bites joining the menu on 31st January. 

Topped with juicy jackfruit “pepperoni” slices and chunks of vegan sausage, the delicious pizza is perfect for vegans and those taking on Veganuary for the very first time. 

The all-new Cheesy Chilli bites are served in portions of eight, filled with a delicious, oozing mozzarella-style cheese and chipotle chilli wrapped in a crispy batter. A hot new addition to its vegan side offering. (Sure to be loved by many non-vegans, too!)

Vegan pizza aficionados can chomp their way through a tasty range of tempting meat-free slices, including The Stinger, “Jackfruit Pepperoni”, Vegan Garden Party and award-winning pizza The Vegan Works, voted as ‘Best Vegan Pizza’ in PETA’s eighth annual Vegan Food Awards. 

For those wanting to indulge in a dairy-free ‘cheesy’ treat, Papa John’s has a selection of delectable sides from Vegan Cheese Potato Tots (also available with Jalapeño) and Vegan Cheese Marmite Scrolls. And if that’s not enough cheese for one sitting, pizza lovers can add the melt-in-the-mouth Vegan Cheese Stuffed Crust to any vegan pizza!

Pizza lovers can tuck into a meat-free feast this Veganuary and enjoy 50% off vegan pizzas, sides, and ice cream for the whole of January. And there are two Ben & Jerry’s Dairy-Free flavours to choose from, too! (Half prize Ben & Jerry's? Wow!)

Giles Codd, Senior Director of Marketing at Papa John’s said: “We are delighted to offer 50% off our vegan menu for Veganuary 2022. We are continuing to expand our award-winning vegan range to give plant-based pizza lovers an improved range of options. We're starting 2022 as we mean to go on, and our recipe innovation isn’t slowing down!" 

To view the full vegan menu online, please visit www.papajohns.co.uk or via the Papa John’s app.

McDonald goes McPlant for Veganuary and beyond

Rosie Ramsey celebrating the arrival of the McPlant 

After a highly successful trial, McDonald’s is rolling out its first ever plant-based burger to EVERY McDonald's eatery across all of the UK and Ireland from today, Wednesday January 5th.

The McPlant, which features a patty co-developed with Beyond Meat®, is McDonald’s first plant-based burger option, ever.

To celebrate its release, famous faces such as Rosie Ramsey, Simon Gregson and Lawrence Okolie gave McPlant their seal of approval with tastings all over the UK

McDonald’s is proud to announce the nationwide roll-out of its plant-based offering, the McPlant, to all restaurants across the UK and Ireland from. This is after a successful trial at over 250 restaurants last year.

The impressive McPlant, which took over three years to develop, features a patty co-developed with Beyond Meat® and has already proved hugely successful with McDonald’s customers who were fortunate enough to try the new burger.

From today, it will be available all over the UK, meaning the McPlant is now everywhere for burger aficionados to get their teeth into. McDonald's is confidant that everyone will love McPlant, be they a vegan or a more traditional meat lover.

To celebrate the fact #McPlantIsEverywhere, McDonald’s took celebrities to all corners of the country to sample the latest addition to the menu.

Michelle Graham-Clare, Chief Marketing Officer for McDonald’s UK and Ireland said: “We’re thrilled our McPlant is now officially ‘everywhere’ and available for more of our customers to taste and enjoy. 

"We received a remarkable response during the trial run in October and now McPlant is on the high-street, in retail parks and service stations all over the UK and Ireland, all our customers can try it. We’re proud to once again offer our customers more great-tasting options from McDonald’s. It’s our same iconic taste, but now plant-based.”

McDonald’s UK&I spent three years on research and development to bring a delicious plant-based offering to British and Irish customers, and every element of the McPlant was designed with taste and quality top-of-mind. From the plant-based patty co-developed with Beyond Meat, to innovative vegan cheese based on pea protein that tastes just like McDonald’s iconic cheese slices, and a new vegan sandwich sauce. 

What goes in to a McPlant? A Vegan Sesame Bun, Mustard, Ketchup, Vegan Sauce, Fresh Onion, Pickles, Lettuce, Tomato and Vegan Cheese. It is cooked separately from other McDonald’s burgers and sandwiches using dedicated utensils.

How much an you expect to pay? Typically £3.49 - McPlant, or £4.89 – Medium Extra Value Meal.

Customers in ROI can expect to pay 4.50/7.40 Euros.

Zag, the vegan alcohol free refreshing drink

Zag is the vegan, alcohol free drink that is described as "refreshingly different."

It's a pale brew that you need to serve nicely chilled. But do be careful when you open it as it does contain a nice bit of fizz!

It's produced with kombucha, apple juice, some barley malt extract, some lemon juice, some lime juice, some green tea and some iso hop extract. There's also some hemp and some mint.

It's got a minty aroma to it and the taste is a well-balanced blend of all the ingredients. You can taste the mint, but it's not an overpowering minty taste and there's also the citrussy zest from the combined citrus fruit tastes of the lemon and the lime juice, but although there's that characteristic citrus tang, it doesn't appear to be too much, if you understand what I mean.

However, that's not all there is to this unique and refreshing drink. There's interesting taste undercurrents which is a combination of the kombucha, the hop extract, the hemp and the green tea, which is enlivened by the caramel sugar syrup.

Incidentally those who are watching their sugar and calorific intake will be interested to note that there are only 54 kcal per bottle and only 3.2g of sugar, too. And no artificial sweeteners, either!

If you are hosting a party for Veganuary then you really need a crate of Zag for your guests. 

You can learn more about Zag by visiting their website at https://zagdrinks.com/.

It's available direct from their website in bottles or cans.

12 x 330ml cans costs £17.75, 12 x 330ml bottles costs £17.49.

There's also a lower sugar version 12 x 330ml cans costs £17.75, whilst 12 x 330ml bottles costs £17.49.

However, the low sugar version (only 43kcal!) is on pre-order only at the moment, but all orders placed before 10th January will be shipped week commencing 10th January.

Vegan recipe kits available from Grubby for Veganuary

Grubby had a great plan. provide nutritious plant-based recipe kits to office workers and the like with nutritious, tasty meals they could cook for themselves confidant that there would be no meat products within the recipe.

The trial worked very well and all was set fair for the launch when that rolling disaster movie of a virus, COVID-19, came along.

How could Grubby survive the loss of its core market? 

Although still reeling from the body blow of COVID they came up with an excellent idea. With a team of dedicated volunteers Grubby turned its attention to giving back to the hardworking NHS staff. 

Following a highly successful JustGiving fundraising campaign, Grubby was able to raise enough funds to deliver over 1,000 meals to NHS hospitals. This very thoughtful gesture provided hungry and exhausted frontline NHS staff with some welcome tasty nutritional freshly cooked vegan food and really put Grubby on the vegan culinary map.

Grubby is the UKs first plant-based recipe kit catering concern and it now offers vegan recipe kits to everyone. In fact it's already delivered in excess of 15,000 meals. 

You don't even need to worry about the recycling or composting as the packaging is guaranteed to be 100% recyclable or compostable in 98% of instances.

All packaging is 100% recyclable or compostable in 98% of cases. And Grubby has garnered an Innovate UK grant for it's sustainable and ethical plans.

Martin Holden-White, Grubby's founder explained: "Being able to do something for our amazing NHS has felt really positive, and I hope this crisis will mean they get taken better care of in the future. Seeing all the positive feedback we received gave us the confidence to trial our service direct to doorsteps."

Originally Grubby delivered all their orders locally in the London area. This was because they relied on a two bicycle delivery team!

However, the company is confidant enough in its products that it now offers a nationwide distribution service.

How to order your Vegan recipe kits? Just visit https://grubby.co.uk/ and if you place your first order by Jan 31st there's a special discount!

Meals available for you to cook at home include Mushroom stroganoff and roasted roots, Harissa spiced courgette, Moroccan giant couscous, and a garlic tahini dressing and Beetroot risotto, toasted walnuts, fresh apple.

How much will they cost? The two recipe box weekly price will be £26.00. Full price details will be available on the website.

Bodyhero

Looking for a protein drink that is plant based, vegan friendly and which tastes good? Then you'll need to get some bodyhero protein drinks.

Bodyhero plan protein drink is aimed at vegans, though they are also great for all people who need a protein-packed drink with a great, Rich Chocolate flavour. It was also smooth and had a slight fruity taste to it, I thought.

The protein comes from the mighty pea, there are also dates, cocoa powder (in a reduced fat format) chicory root fibre, a dash of sea salt and some stevia to help balance the flavour, which it does very nicely. 

It's also idea for people who have a problem with lactose or for people who have diseases like coeliac disease as it is free from gluten and wheat.

The products is guaranteed to be free of GMs and it is produced exclusively in Britain.

Each 330ml drink has 20g of protein, 5g of fibre 5g of sugar and 151 calories, all in a delicious rich chocolate flavour.

They are packed with all 9 essential amino acids and also BCAAs. Which are branched-chain amino acids.

They are designed to help you recover from exercise and exertion and to support muscle growth.

They are also Informed Sport & Vegan Society accredited.

But that's certainly not all. Bodyhero also produces a wide range of products including vegan protein powder and vegan protein bars.

You can buy them from their own online shop at https://bodyhero.com/.