Just V Show: shopping vegan with allergies (Part II)

(If you haven’t read my previous post, which is Part I, click here: https://meganism.wordpress.com/2018/07/08/just-v-show-vegan-gluten-free-and-more-part-i/)

In my first post, I talked about discovering – with the help of ‘The Allergy and Free From Show’ – just how many food options there are for people who balance being vegan with other dietary requirements. Previously, I had thought that this might make giving up animal products too much of a challenge, but the range of food I discovered (and extensively sampled) has proven to me that even if it’s still a challenge, the market for foods which cover a range of requirements is making huge progress.

While I’m all for supporting independent businesses, which in this market I’ve often found to be small and family-run (see my previous post as well as earlier posts from the Viva! festival), this isn’t financially feasible for many people day-to-day, and it certainly wouldn’t be for me. This is why I think it’s brilliant that big, well-known brands, and even supermarkets, are embracing the vegan ‘trend’, and why I’m so excited when a brand releases a new vegan ice cream or pizza (I do eat healthy food too, I swear), a supermarket produces a vegan range, or a chain restaurant comes out with a whole vegan menu. The fact that veganism has become a competitive market only proves how much it’s growing, and to me, that’s really cool.

‘Saclà Italia’

‘Gosh!’

 

Both brands above share that fact that they are widely available in UK supermarkets, with Gosh!’s range found in most Tesco and Morrisons stores, while Sacla products can be found in even more supermarkets. Sacla has a specific range offering two types of pesto, as well as a mayonnaise free from dairy and eggs, while Gosh! is an entirely vegan company producing alternatives to burgers, sausages and more. While obviously producing very different foods, I can strongly advocate for the quality of both brands –  Sacla’s mayonnaise is almost scarily similar to the ‘real’ thing, while the Gosh! ‘Beet Balls’ that I tried were hearty and filling; you don’t feel like they’re missing anything at all. It’s hard to believe that they exclude what they call the ‘top 14 allergens’ from every single one of their products, because they’re certainly not lacking in taste.

‘Coconut Merchant’

‘Lazy Day Foods’

If like me, you couldn’t possibly give up sweet treats (and why should you?), these two brands are again available in supermarkets and several health food shops, preventing us chocoholics and sugar addicts from a life of misery (and no, that’s not dramatic). Something important that I’ve learnt from speaking to people at events like this, is that while we tend to think of smaller brands as operating ethically, and large companies as doing the opposite, Coconut Merchant is one of those shattering this presumption, working alongside their farmers to ensure that their ingredients are sourced ethically. The only issue with their products would be if you can’t stand the flavour of coconut; I personally find that it adds a unique and delicious flavour to their honey and chocolate spread alternatives.

If you frequent the free-from aisles, you may already be familiar with ‘Lazy Day Foods’, but I was shocked to find that despite running for over ten years, all their products are still hand-baked and distributed from their bakery in Scotland. The two products that they were advertising at the show haven’t even hit supermarket shelves yet, but regardless of dietary requirements, I’d look out for them when they do – I probably ate my way through a whole tray of the peppermint and chocolate slice samples.

‘TESCO’

‘Pizza Express’

Finally, we have the supermarkets and restaurants themselves. ‘Free from’ sections are ever-popular and ever expanding, and one of the best things about this is the price tag (and that sometimes supermarkets will have sales across their free-from ranges – but shh, don’t tell anyone). From snacks to sauces, frozen meals to desserts, these high-street names are competing to offer the best products to vegan and gluten-free folk, meaning all the more choice for people with any and all dietary needs.

Restaurants, too, seem to finally be meeting the demand for good vegan food. Pizza Express is one of the most reliable options when it comes to dietary requirements – many pizza restaurants have recently followed suit in offering vegan cheese – and it’s great to see them expanding their menu even further. ‘Vegan dessert’ is guaranteed to get me excited, and as this and several other chains are starting to realise, it’s just not acceptable to offer ‘sorbet’ as the only vegan dessert – some of us aren’t planning to give up cake any time soon, and they’ll just have to compete among themselves to make that happen.

Thank you so much for reading – if you have any suggestions for future blog posts, let me know!

Sunny x

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