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.