Marks and Spencer have expanded their Plant Kitchen range this January - with 175 products for vegans to enjoy.
It comes as many people are taking part in the annual ‘Veganuary’, and trends like Meat Free Mondays are growing in popularity.
Forming part of the new plant based selection is the vegan chocolate cake jar, following the success of their non-vegan counterparts, as well as savoury snacks such as chickenless nuggets and no pork vegan sausage rolls.
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But there was one stand out meat-free meal which stood out like no other, and could have seriously convinced me it was really meat.
Here are the 11 products we tried from the M&S Plant Kitchen range:
Savoury
Hot and spicy wood fired pizza £5
This hand-stretched sourdough pizza is topped with incredibly convincing vegan pepperoni, with jalapeño and Roquito chillies for those who enjoy a spicy kick to their meal.
The pepperoni smelled and tasted just like cured meat, and the heat from the chilis was a great flavour combination - paired with the perfectly crisp sourdough base, this was a really enjoyable pizza that I’d happily eat on a regular basis.
No chicken nuggets £2.50
Less enjoyable was the no chicken nuggets, made with pea protein and coated in a crispy crumb. While the outer was crispy, the pea protein nugget was on the watery side and it’s texture didn’t mimic chicken as well as I’ve seen other products do.
In terms of taste, it did taste a lot like chicken nuggets, but it was the texture that I wasn’t so keen on with these.
No pork vegan sausage roll £2.25
I hadn’t realised when I picked these up that the pork alternative was made with onions and mushrooms - two of my most dreaded food items. However, the no pork vegan sausage rolls certainly don’t taste like mushrooms, nor have the texture that people dislike about the fungi.
They do taste like your average pork and onion sausage roll, and have a nice flaky pastry that can be enjoyed hot or cold.
Bravas dirty fries £3
As someone who always orders loaded fries when dining out, this oven ready tin of Bravas dirty fries are a sure fire way to see plates cleared at tea time. The fried potatoes are tipped with a rich smoky sauce and vegan cheese, costing just £3 per pack.
The chips are well seasoned, and the Bravas sauce is gorgeous - but the vegan cheese failed to melt, which was their only downfall.
No Chicken Kiev £4
For me, the no chicken kievs are the star of M&S’s Plant Kitchen range.
Coming in at £4 for two, the no chicken kievs are made with soya protein, with a garlic and parsley filling, coated in golden breadcrumbs.
They take just 20 minutes on gas mark six to cook, and I was really excited to see if - when cut into - it would ooze garlicy goodness out onto the plate like a regular kiev.
As I pushed the knife into the top of the faux chicken, garlic ‘butter’ erupted from the top before I’d even had chance to apply pressure. Inside, the kiev could have fooled me into believing it really was meat.
They not only look and smell lovely, but they melt in the mouth, have a really nice consistency and taste amazing. These were by far my favourite from the savoury selection of the PK range.
Vegan Greek style cubes £2.75
I love feta cheese and love to snack on it with a little bit of cucumber, however I usually buy the packets that you have to cut yourself.
This faux feta came in a tub with brine, so it did smell quite strongly, and didn’t taste quite as nice as feta, but was inoffensive. Instead of being dairy, this cheese is made with coconut oil instead, but doesn't taste coconutty.
Sweets
Churros £4
If you’re looking for something sweeter, this pack of churros costs just £4 and has 10 of the pastry sticks with a pot of chocolate dipping sauce and cinnamon sugar sprinkle.
The churros are made with wheat flour and just need oven baking for around 10 minutes.
The pot of chocolate can be warmed in the microwave, but the 15 seconds advised seemed too long - it just needs to be warmed through, so I’d say around 10 seconds would be good.
They’re really sweet and the chocolate sauce is very rich - you could even add in some chopped strawberries to make it extra boujee.
Two chocolate brownies £2.50
Free from dairy, this chocolate brownie duo is just as chewy and fudgy as any regular well-made brownie. They smell rich and luxurious, made with belgian dark chocolate, and can be enjoyed individually, or cut into smaller chunks for child-sized treats,too.
I thought the price of these was really affordable - as with many of the products in the range - which just goes to bust the myth that vegan food is more expensive than non-vegan products.
Vegan chocolate cake jar £4
Following the success of M&S's popular cake jars, they've launched a new vegan version for January 2022. It's a piece of broken up cake in a jar, and it's an absolute delight.
The £4 jar is made with chocolate sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream, Belgian chocolate sauce, biscuit balls and decorated with dark chocolate.
The combined layers offer different textures from crunchy to creamy, and it's so unbelievably rich. They come in a resealable jar which means you don't have to eat it all in one go either!
Two chocolate pots £4
I made the mistake of not storing these chocolate pots flat in the fridge, which send chocolate absolutely everywhere. But, when you've finished cleaning up and do get to dig a spoon in, they're probably a restaurant quality dessert.
They're only £4 for two, which is far cheaper than you'd find in any local bistro, making the Belgian chocolate treats great value. They're almost mousse like in texture, topped with a gooey chocolate glaze and crunchy cocoa nibs. If I were going to host Come Dine With Me, I'd totally serve these and pretend I'd made them myself.
Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream £3.25
The raspberry ripple vegan ice cream is made with coconut rather than dairy ice cream, however you can't taste the coconut.
The plant based iced dessert is 'rippled with Scottish raspberry sauce', but this claim has been the source of a couple of grumbles on the Ocado website, as the raspberry sauce is just on the top and sides rather than all the way through.
One said: "A good ice cream alternative but missed the ripple! It didn't run through the middle and was more a decorative topping."
Another added: "There is not much ripple in this ice cream. It seems to be mainly on the top and a smattering at that."
I have to agree with them and call for M&S to add more ripple to their raspberry ripple - that said, the flavour is lovely, with a really creamy texture, and the raspberry sauce is lovely and tart when you do get a taste of it.
