# So who's tried a Greggs vegan sausage roll/steak bake?



## editor (Jan 4, 2019)

They'd long sold out where I looked, but the word is that they're very tasty indeed - despite some total meat-guzzling buffoons on Twitter announcing that they're going to boycott Greggs because they now stock a vegan product


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## Voley (Jan 4, 2019)

I was wondering if they'd actually paid Piers Morgan to spout his predictable twaddle about this. Can't put a price on publicity like that.


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## maomao (Jan 4, 2019)

I don't actually fancy one, not a vegan or a Greggs fan but I'd buy one if I could choke that cunt Morgan on it.


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## Argonia (Jan 4, 2019)

What's in it?


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## editor (Jan 4, 2019)

Voley said:


> I was wondering if they'd actually paid Piers Morgan to spout his predictable twaddle about this. Can't put a price on publicity like that.


He's such a fucking pointless waste of oxygen.


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## editor (Jan 4, 2019)

Argonia said:


> What's in it?


Well, no eyes, lips, arseholes and other random bits of animal matter.


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## SpookyFrank (Jan 4, 2019)

Voley said:


> I was wondering if they'd actually paid Piers Morgan to spout his predictable twaddle about this. Can't put a price on publicity like that.



Whatever shit he comes out with someone always seems to be paying him for it.


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## editor (Jan 4, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> Whatever shit he comes out with someone always seems to be paying him for it.


He always strikes me as desperately unhappy and desperate for attention.


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## Teaboy (Jan 4, 2019)

Argonia said:


> What's in it?



I'm guessing the puff pastry is made with coconut butter or similar instead of butter and the filling some sort of sausage mix, they're are loads around.  It's still pretty calorific but I don't think anyone is going to buy it thinking its one of their 5 a day.  I'll give it a try for sure.


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## Kaka Tim (Jan 4, 2019)

had a bite of ms kaks  sausage roll ( ) - pretty  tasty - bit too herby for me - but definitely not bland.


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## Voley (Jan 4, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> Whatever shit he comes out with someone always seems to be paying him for it.


Professional pantomime villain. Does very nicely out of it I'd imagine.


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## Teaboy (Jan 4, 2019)

editor said:


> Well, no eyes, lips, arseholes and other random bits of animal matter.



Nothing that good goes into sausage rolls.  MRM and crushed skull ftw.


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## editor (Jan 4, 2019)

Teaboy said:


> Nothing that good goes into sausage rolls.  MRM and crushed skull ftw.


#mouthwatering


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## keithy (Jan 4, 2019)

It's quorn sausage and the pastry will just be like pretty much all other mass produced pastry which has vegetable fat rather than butter. Their normal sausage rolls wont have butter either like.

I haven't got round to trying one yet but do want to! A friend reported that they are tasty but not as big as the normal ones.


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## Geri (Jan 4, 2019)

I'd give one a go. I sometimes get a veggie hot dog from Ikea and I prefer them to the meat ones.


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## editor (Jan 4, 2019)

Very clever marketing from Greggs here







https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/59v88b/the-only-greggs-vegan-sausage-roll-review-you-need


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## SpookyFrank (Jan 4, 2019)

editor said:


> He always strikes me as desperately unhappy and desperate for attention.



Would you be happy if you were that?


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## neonwilderness (Jan 4, 2019)

Voley said:


> I was wondering if they'd actually paid Piers Morgan to spout his predictable twaddle about this. Can't put a price on publicity like that.


They both allegedly use (or have used) the same PR company  

I might try one next time I’m there. They can’t be any worse than the meat ones


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## Sprocket. (Jan 4, 2019)

I would gladly knock Piers Morgan’s teeth out one at a time for a Greggs vegan sausage roll.
In fact I’d do it for nothing!


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## BoxRoom (Jan 4, 2019)

Had two yesterday, will certainly be having more. And I'm not a veggie either, it's great there is stuff like this happening now, can eat less meat and reduce the impact a tiny amount. Moar choice FTW!


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## Poi E (Jan 4, 2019)

Yeah good job Greggs. They do a very nice chicken salad roll not loaded with mayo or butter like every other bloody sandwich.


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## PursuedByBears (Jan 4, 2019)

They didn't have them at the university branch today so I'll try again on Monday. First time I've been to Gregg's for years!


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## tim (Jan 4, 2019)

Voley said:


> I was wondering if they'd actually paid Piers Morgan to spout his predictable twaddle about this. Can't put a price on publicity like that.



I couldn't imagine a greater horror than Piers Morgan choking to death on my sausage.


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## Mrs Miggins (Jan 4, 2019)




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## ddraig (Jan 4, 2019)

They've been selling out everywhere
Not that I can bloody have one, meh


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## Artaxerxes (Jan 4, 2019)

I'd only eat one in dire, unexpected circumstances where all other options have failed me*. So not so far but it's only been a couple of days.


*Much like a meat Gregg's sausage roll.


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## blairsh (Jan 4, 2019)

editor said:


> eyes, lips, arseholes


Band name!


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## Edie (Jan 4, 2019)

BoxRoom said:


> Had two yesterday, will certainly be having more. And I'm not a veggie either, it's great there is stuff like this happening now, can eat less meat and reduce the impact a tiny amount. Moar choice FTW!


Yeah, this.


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## tim (Jan 4, 2019)

Geri said:


> I'd give one a go. I sometimes get a veggie hot dog from Ikea and I prefer them to the meat ones.



I couldn't imagine the circumstances under which anyone would feel the desire to go to IKEA on a regular enough basis to be able to make such a statement


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## Geri (Jan 4, 2019)

tim said:


> I couldn't imagine the circumstances under which anyone would feel the desire to go to IKEA on a regular enough basis to be able to make such a statement


 
I live within walking distance, LOL. I sometimes pop in on my way home from work on a quiet weekday evening.


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## farmerbarleymow (Jan 4, 2019)

What is wrong with a cheese and onion pasty*?  They're the best things Greggs sell.

* no idea if they are vegan or even vegetarian mind.


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## Artaxerxes (Jan 4, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> What is wrong with a cheese and onion pasty*?  They're the best things Greggs sell.
> 
> * no idea if they are vegan or even vegetarian mind.



If its cheese its not vegan.


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## mr steev (Jan 4, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> What is wrong with a cheese and onion pasty*?  They're the best things Greggs sell.
> 
> * no idea if they are vegan or even vegetarian mind.



If you've been veggie for any length of time you'd realise how predictably uninspiring a cheese and onion pasty is. Thankfully things seem to be changing and manufacturers are starting to realise that cheese and onion isn't the be all and end all of a meat free pasty 

It also isn't very vegan


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## farmerbarleymow (Jan 4, 2019)

Artaxerxes said:


> If its cheese its not vegan.



They could make a vegan cheese version.  A cheese and onion pasty barm is a perfect carb fix.


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## BoxRoom (Jan 4, 2019)

It's great to have more choice! I'd get pretty sick of cheese and onion pasty if that's all I could eat there.


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## mr steev (Jan 4, 2019)

BoxRoom said:


> It's great to have more choice! I'd get pretty sick of cheese and onion pasty if that's all I could eat there.



Not just greggs. For a long time they have been virtually the only option in every bakery, every chippy, every garage and corner shop, every supermarket chilled aisle.


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## Jeff Robinson (Jan 4, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> They could make a vegan cheese version.  A cheese and onion pasty barm is a perfect carb fix.



I remember a year or two ago when it was announced that Greggs had new vegan options and I was hoping it would be a pasty but it turned out to be a Mexican bean wrap (as if we needed another one of them)! Sausage roll is a step in the right direction.


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## mr steev (Jan 4, 2019)

Jeff Robinson said:


> I remember a year or two ago when it was announced that Greggs had new vegan options and I was hoping it would be a pasty but it turned out to be a Mexican bean wrap (as if we needed another one of them)! Sausage roll is a step in the right direction.



They did do some sort of katzu bean bake thing. Not sure if it was vegan though, but it didn't have any obvious dairy in it


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## cyberfairy (Jan 4, 2019)

Is there no-one in the North to say on National Media that the Pound Bakery has had TWO for a pound veggie sausage rolls for ages ( might be vegan, not sure) Best hangover cure in the world and TWO for a pound. TWO.


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## mr steev (Jan 4, 2019)

cyberfairy said:


> Is there no-one in the North to say on National Media that the Pound Bakery has had TWO for a pound veggie sausage rolls for ages ( might be vegan, not sure) Best hangover cure in the world and TWO for a pound. TWO.



Not just the north. They have them in the Midlands too. They are vegan, but they're a bit bland (and more often than not, sold out ime)


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## MrSki (Jan 4, 2019)

That twat almost makes me ashamed to support Arsenal. I didn't mind too much when the pope or Bin Laden were gooners but Piers Morgan is a shit in the bog with no paper.
Don't know how much better vegan sausage rolls are for planet earth but I suppose it is a step in the right direction. If twat face doesn't like them then big up Greggs Vegan sausage rolls.


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## editor (Jan 4, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> They could make a vegan cheese version.  A cheese and onion pasty barm is a perfect carb fix.


That would only lead to an even bigger boycott by meat eating Greggs customers.


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## cyberfairy (Jan 4, 2019)

mr steev said:


> Not just the north. They have them in the Midlands too. They are vegan, but they're a bit bland (and more often than not, sold out ime)


I have learn a new fact today- I adore them as makes a change from when eating out having to eat something wonderfully healthy - and two for a quid. The saltiness bites through the blandness ;-)


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## Mrs Miggins (Jan 4, 2019)

editor said:


> That would only lead to an even bigger boycott by meat eating Greggs customers.


D'ya think people will actually boycott Greggs because of this? Some might say they will but I doubt anyone will actually follow through on the threat.

Next time I'm passing a Greggs in a state of hunger I will pop in to see if they have one. I'm all for more choice for everyone so it's a  from me.

It would be great to have more and more decent meat free options available so people can start choosing them because they like them rather than just because they are someone who doesn't eat meat. I often fantasise about restaurants serving meat free dishes just as part of their menu rather than an afterthought as the meat-free "option".


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## Raheem (Jan 4, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> They could make a vegan cheese version.  A cheese and onion pasty barm is a perfect carb fix.


Am I missing something or are you talking about putting a pasty inside a barm? Not judging, just intrigued.


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## mr steev (Jan 4, 2019)

cyberfairy said:


> I have learn a new fact today- I adore them as makes a change from when eating out having to eat something wonderfully healthy - and two for a quid. The saltiness bites through the blandness ;-)



You can't complain at 2 for a quid though. How much are the greggs ones?


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## sunnysidedown (Jan 4, 2019)

Found out last week that the Greggs up north have stopped selling their cheese savoury stottie. Very disappointing.


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## Raheem (Jan 4, 2019)

sunnysidedown said:


> Found out last week that the Greggs up north have stopped selling their cheese savoury stottie. Very disappointing.


Was that the reason they gave?


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## Kaka Tim (Jan 4, 2019)

i think the existential terror that is driving this gammony twitter meltdown is a vision of the future where they walk into greggs, ask for a sausage roll and the assistant says "im sorry - we only have the vegan ones..."


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## mr steev (Jan 4, 2019)

Raheem said:


> Am I missing something or are you talking about putting a pasty inside a barm? Not judging, just intrigued.



I don't think you're missing anything. It's a northern thing apparently


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## Raheem (Jan 4, 2019)

mr steev said:


> I don't think you're missing anything. It's a northern thing apparently


In which country?


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## sunnysidedown (Jan 4, 2019)

Raheem said:


> Was that the reason they gave?



None, just that they had stopped selling them awhile ago (I always get one when I’m up that way). 

I didn’t check if they still sell stottie cakes, fucking hope so.


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## cyberfairy (Jan 4, 2019)

mr steev said:


> You can't complain at 2 for a quid though. How much are the greggs ones?


A quid for one!


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## mr steev (Jan 4, 2019)

Raheem said:


> In which country?



England. Manchester mostly I believe


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## Calamity1971 (Jan 4, 2019)

mr steev said:


> I don't think you're missing anything. It's a northern thing apparently


Ive witnessed a pie butty (Liverpool) I've also seen a super noodle butty (Durham) it's definately a northern thing.
farmerbarleymow is from the land of parmo's which is far worse.


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## Mrs Miggins (Jan 4, 2019)

You were probably the only one buying them sunnysidedown


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## mr steev (Jan 4, 2019)

cyberfairy said:


> A quid for one!



You get two for a quid in Wolverhampton 

Eta: ignore that. I see what you mean now. I'm full of cold and my brain isn't working properly


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## Raheem (Jan 4, 2019)

mr steev said:


> England. Manchester mostly I believe


Bolton, according to Wikipedia. I guess every town needs some sort of claim to fame.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 4, 2019)

I'm seeing lots of people on Facebook and Twitter getting really angry about this. Lots of unbritishness, and we should be a proud nation of meat eaters. It just doesn't make sense. I can't get my head around someone not eating meat annoying someone else.


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## killer b (Jan 4, 2019)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> I'm seeing lots of people on Facebook and Twitter getting really angry about this.


lots of people? All I've seen is a lot of people laughing at Pier Morgan, who probably got paid to slag it off.


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## mr steev (Jan 4, 2019)

killer b said:


> lots of people? All I've seen is a lot of people laughing at Pier Morgan, who probably got paid to slag it off.



There does seem to be a lot going on tbh. Not just the sausage roll nonsense. Because of veganuary, I'm getting a lot of recipe suggestions, and things like vegan box deliveries etc. on my fb feed. I've only seen the comments section of one of these posts that hasn't contained comments from ranty meat eaters, some of them quite abusive. 

One of my friends has a vegan sticker on her car (just says 'vegan' nothing particularly inflammatory). Today she was parked in an underground carpark and came back to find 'cunt' written in the dirt underneath it!


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## skyscraper101 (Jan 4, 2019)

As a fan of non-meat meat substitute products, I approve of this. I struggle to get Quorn in our local Tesco metro, let alone any of the range of meat substitute products like jack fruit, soy burgers, etc. without either going to an expensive health food store, or a large supermarket.

When I'm on my way to work there are two options, McDonalds and Greggs. And to be honest their non-meat products kind of suck. It's either a hash brown, a crap dry beanburger thing, or greggs cheese and onion pastry. If I'm ever going to go proper veggie, I need more things like this.


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## skyscraper101 (Jan 4, 2019)

Oh and fuck all the dickheads on twitter, and Piers Morgan.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 4, 2019)

killer b said:


> lots of people? All I've seen is a lot of people laughing at Pier Morgan, who probably got paid to slag it off.


When I say lots, I mean I have seen about four or five people being quite angry about it. To be fair, of my Facebook 'friends' these are generally the brexiters or usual suspects who come out to moan about liberal snowflakes. I like to keep them around so that I'm not living in my fake liberal punk utopia.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 4, 2019)

I am a fan in general of all things Greggs. Reasonably priced and a better spread of options compared to coffee shops and other lunch places.
Looking forward to trying the new sausage roll


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## Yossarian (Jan 4, 2019)

The Twitter outrage is hilarious - some twat actually filmed himself buying a vegan sausage roll and chucking it in a bin.

I think some of these people must just be so ridiculously insecure that they see people rejecting the meat that they like as a personal attack.


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## pogofish (Jan 4, 2019)

Seems that Aberdeen is being denied the meat-free roll for now.


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## Poi E (Jan 4, 2019)

Not a big seller


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## Dogsauce (Jan 4, 2019)

Raheem said:


> Bolton, according to Wikipedia. I guess every town needs some sort of claim to fame.



An old housemate from Bury used to have ‘pie butties’ and was mercilessly teased for it.


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## Dogsauce (Jan 4, 2019)

I miss the cheap veggie cafe that briefly existed in Leeds right next to my work about 15 years ago and sold veggie pasties that basically tasted like genuine Cornish pasties but with some kind of meat substitute replacing the meat. Served with chips and beans too. So much better than cheese and onion standard. They were closed one week to do a stall at Glastonbury and never reopened (and not the only business I know to have done this). Still missing them.


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## not-bono-ever (Jan 4, 2019)

Orang Utan said:


> I am a fan in general of all things Greggs. Reasonably priced and a better spread of options compared to coffee shops and other lunch places.
> Looking forward to trying the new sausage roll




yep-far better value than the pret and eat outlets- and their coffee is not bad either. One of the greggs dynasty got banged up for a career of predatory noncing last year. not that this is relevant to the vegan roll.   

Even Berlin offers vegan wurst at the wurst stands these days


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## Nylock (Jan 4, 2019)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> I'm seeing lots of people on Facebook and Twitter getting really angry about this. Lots of unbritishness, and we should be a proud nation of meat eaters. It just doesn't make sense. I can't get my head around someone not eating meat annoying someone else.


They'll find something else to be the focus of their rage and existential angst soon enough...


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## brogdale (Jan 4, 2019)

Artaxerxes said:


> If its cheese its not vegan.


Meat is murder, but I do like a nice bit of cheese.


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## Guineveretoo (Jan 4, 2019)

My daughter bought several of these yesterday and we all had them for our dinner. Although my son-almostin-law ate his on the way home.

The 6 year old grandson liked it. So did all the adults. The two year old didn’t like it, but she’s a two year old.

It reminded me of the veggie sausage rolls I used to get at Victoria station from one of those pasty places.

Although they were a bit pale. The woman in the shop said that’s because they couldn’t use the egg wash on the pastry.


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## PursuedByBears (Jan 4, 2019)

brogdale said:


> Meat is murder, but I do like a nice bit of cheese.


It's still murder, sorry.


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## brogdale (Jan 5, 2019)

PursuedByBears said:


> It's still murder, sorry.


I know, but I’m honest about my complicity.


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## PursuedByBears (Jan 5, 2019)

brogdale said:


> I know, but I’m honest about my complicity.


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## Mrs Miggins (Jan 5, 2019)

This person doesn't like it either. He calls himself LadBaby


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## ddraig (Jan 5, 2019)




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## krink (Jan 5, 2019)

Me and my two daughters tried them today. Very nice warm not so good when cool. Taste a fair bit like the meat ones but a lot less greasy. No 4 for 3 deal like with the meat ones though. Are they only for January?


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## Artaxerxes (Jan 5, 2019)

brogdale said:


> Meat is murder, but I do like a nice bit of cheese.



I am well aware of the horrors of the dairy industry but I cannot put down the Pecorino or the Cheddar.


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## Raheem (Jan 5, 2019)

Dogsauce said:


> An old housemate from Bury used to have ‘pie butties’ and was mercilessly teased for it.


I've actually vaguely heard of that, but nice to have it confirmed that people really do it. You'd have a hard time convincing me that pastry and bread are not an either/or, morally speaking. But at least a pie is the right shape for it. Plus, you can top a pie, whereas it seems to make sense that the shell of a pasty is its logical outer limit. Wrapping it in anything else edible just seems way too decadent. 

Mind you, I'm now seriously considering a pitch to Preston Council. They must feel a bit outdone, so I reckon there's a good chance I can get a development grant for sausage roll on toast.


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## Nine Bob Note (Jan 5, 2019)

Desperate Brits travel from town to town to get their hands on Greggs' new vegan sausage roll after the controversial pastry SELLS OUT in dozens of stores (and one woman says her son was left in tears)

None of Barrow's three branches of Greggs are selling them, and our two McDonalds will not be stocking the newfangled vegan liberalMcFairycake Mexican immigrant wrap, presumably because we're manly shipyard men 

...

As has been said, the Pound Bakery has been making these for years, though we don't have one of those, for whatever reason


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## Raheem (Jan 5, 2019)

Nine Bob Note said:


> None of Barrow's three branches of Greggs are selling them


Three branches!? You'll be getting a post office next.


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## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

editor said:


> Well, no eyes, lips, arseholes and other random bits of animal matter.



Also no:

Car stereos
Bitumen
Catholic priests
Epoxy resin
Igneous rock
Depleted uranium 
Nigel Farage


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## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

brogdale said:


> Meat is murder, but I do like a nice bit of cheese.





Rapist!


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## Wookey (Jan 5, 2019)

Yossarian said:


> The Twitter outrage is hilarious - some twat actually filmed himself buying a vegan sausage roll and chucking it in a bin.
> QUOTE]
> 
> That just gave me the biggest laugh of the day, which I don't think I'll top so I'm goina bed. x


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## Raheem (Jan 5, 2019)

Are Greggs the new Apple?


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## fishfinger (Jan 5, 2019)

Raheem said:


> Are Greggs the new Apple?


Yes! There are no headphone sockets on the vegan sausage rolls.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 5, 2019)

Raheem said:


> Three branches!? You'll be getting a post office next.


I've got five all about half a miles distance from my house. Now that my daughter and I out and about more together, it's become a regular stop for a snack stop. Before that I hadn't been in over ten years, and even then maybe only once or twice in my life.
I can only manage one steak slice before I'm fully larded up though. 
Slowly returning to vegetarianism though now I have retaken over all home cooking duties. We will see what young suplex thinks of the vegan sausage roll later today.


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## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

Probably going try one. Don't really go to Greggs much but don't mind a sausage roll and sure this will be nice.

It really is a non-story of course. Greggs have a very efficient marketing team who are good at spending little but getting huge attention.

Cheeky Greggs reverses shop logo to capitalise on Fenwick's Christmas window display

Greggs are taking bookings for Valentine’s Day


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## Sprocket. (Jan 5, 2019)

I’ve just had one about an hour ago. Quite tasty and less mess.
Settled better in my stomach than the arse and lips version.


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## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

Vegan arrested for performing public sex act on Greggs sausage roll


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## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

Sprocket. said:


> I’ve just had one about an hour ago. Quite tasty and less mess.
> Settled better in my stomach than the arse and lips version.


If you had a vegan and a meat one at the same time does it become vegetarian?

Like if you have milk two days out of date and mix with milk that two days best before.


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## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

You do have to admire their marketing... The flip side being that you will be lucky to find somewhere where they haven't sold out though it seems. Although that may be down to underestimating the vegan demand. I've known people struggle to get those no bull burgers, sainsburys rarely have any of their vegan pizzas left or their vegan butter, and I've yet to go into a marstons pub when they don't have to go and check that they have all the stuff on their new vegan menu... Which is a good thing I guess


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 5, 2019)

Badgers said:


> If you had a vegan and a meat one at the same time does it become vegetarian?
> 
> Like if you have milk two days out of date and mix with milk that two days best before.



Yeah, ‘tis the same as for every bottle of red you drink, knock back a bottle of white and you don’t get pissed


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## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Yeah, ‘tis the same as for every bottle of red you drink, knock back a bottle of white and you don’t get pissed


That is Rose


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## JuanTwoThree (Jan 5, 2019)

Greggs sausage rolls are about 18% pork. The non-meat one could be 82% the same product, or even 100% what the sausage one is 82%.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2019)

Just tried one for my prelunch. Had to get a meat one too for balance, of course, NOT greed, honest.
The vegan sausage roll is delicious. Just as good as the meat - more herby than peppery. The pasty is possibly better it's flaky enough but not oily. Would scoff again.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2019)




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## JuanTwoThree (Jan 5, 2019)

JuanTwoThree said:


> My brother hit Piers Morgan with a cricket bat. Not strictly relevant but I wanted to share.


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## Poi E (Jan 5, 2019)

Waste of willow.


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## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

There’s a Greggs about 5 mins from me	and am a little peckish...


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## High Voltage (Jan 5, 2019)

Tried to get one in the Wells Greggs . . . all sold out


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## Fez909 (Jan 5, 2019)

Nine Bob Note said:


> Desperate Brits travel from town to town to get their hands on Greggs' new vegan sausage roll after the controversial pastry SELLS OUT in dozens of stores (and one woman says her son was left in tears)


The mail fell for a meme 

One of my favourite recent memes, too. Here's the origin:


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## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

High Voltage said:


> Tried to get one in the Wells Greggs . . . all sold out



They didn’t have any at mine, either. 

Will give one a go next week...


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## Argonia (Jan 5, 2019)

After Brexit you’ll let a guy with a crossbow watch you wank into a bonfire for a vegan sausage roll - Frankie Boyle


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## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)




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## Nylock (Jan 5, 2019)

What the actual fuck?


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 5, 2019)

Badgers said:


>



Is that real or for something else?
If it's real its really hard to comprehend how they all got together to agree the blockade. How do they logically explain what they are doing and what they want?


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## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> Is that real or for something else?
> If it's real its really hard to comprehend how they all got together to agree the blockade. How do they logically explain what they are doing and what they want?



I think it's just an opportunist photo moment during one of their pointless demos. I guess the vegan sausage rolls could be halal though


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 5, 2019)

Seems like it was a march that coincidentally got stopped outside the Greggs.

40 Pro-Brexit protesters contained outside Greggs in Manchester after short march from St. Peters' Square


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## SpookyFrank (Jan 5, 2019)

Badgers said:


>




They're nazis, that's just where the police stopped them.


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## Jeff Robinson (Jan 5, 2019)

Just tried one. Nice texture and flavour, though a little too salty for me.


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## farmerbarleymow (Jan 5, 2019)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> Is that real or for something else?
> If it's real its really hard to comprehend how they all got together to agree the blockade. How do they logically explain what they are doing and what they want?



This was posted on twitter, apparently from an EDL FB page.  Its so ridiculous it has to be a parody.


----------



## Poi E (Jan 5, 2019)

Jeff Robinson said:


> Just tried one. Nice texture and flavour, though a little too salty for me.



That's gammon for you.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Jan 5, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Its so ridiculous it has to be a parody.


Surely, _surely _it is  

(The job-lot of XXL vests would be the clincher)


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 5, 2019)

Lord Camomile said:


> Surely, _surely _it is
> 
> (The job-lot of XXL vests would be the clincher)



They're utter mugs if they've paid a fiver each buying in bulk.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 5, 2019)

Lord Camomile said:


> Surely, _surely _it is
> 
> (The job-lot of XXL vests would be the clincher)



It has to be a parody - even the idiots of the EDL can't be _that_ stupid to get exercised about sausage roll ingredients.


----------



## Wookey (Jan 5, 2019)

Three left at Eccles Greggs, they're selling very well says Tracy.

I am very pleased to report mine was seriously delish. Flaky 'buttery' pastry, and a savoury herby squishy filling which is to my teeth and tongue quite indistinguishable from the meat-eaters porky mousse filling, though it has been a few years since I ate an animal one. 

I would add more pepper personally perhaps. PROBABLY! 

In all, speaking as  Northerner with superior experience of pastry products, this would tick my sausage roll box any day of the week. It's not only big, but very, very clever of Mr Greggs and the Greggs family.

WOOKEY APPROVED


----------



## brogdale (Jan 5, 2019)

Haven't been in yet to try one, but do we know if they'll be sold as part of the pastry & soup combo deal? Man, I love the Greggs tomato soup


----------



## T & P (Jan 5, 2019)

Now vegans can finally become obese and suffer from heart disease like the rest of us


----------



## Wookey (Jan 5, 2019)

T & P said:


> Now vegans can finally become obese and suffer from heart disease like the rest of us



I studiously haven't yet looked at the salt content! But hey, nice to have a treat that isn't a bean wrap!


----------



## JimW (Jan 5, 2019)

T & P said:


> Now vegans can finally become obese and suffer from heart disease like the rest of us


I was shooting for lung cancer but it's good to have options.


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

brogdale said:


> Haven't been in yet to try one, but do we know if they'll be sold as part of the pastry & soup combo deal? Man, I love the Greggs tomato soup


Never knew they did soup


----------



## Lord Camomile (Jan 5, 2019)

Badgers said:


> Never knew they did soup


Try as they might, they haven't managed to get Morgan apoplectic about the soup, yet.


----------



## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

T & P said:


> Now vegans can finally become obese and suffer from heart disease like the rest of us



Most chips and donuts have been vegan for a long time


----------



## Sue (Jan 5, 2019)

mr steev said:


> Most chips and donuts have been vegan for a long time


And Greggs Belgian buns...


----------



## brogdale (Jan 5, 2019)

Badgers said:


> Never knew they did soup


you ain't lived


----------



## zora (Jan 5, 2019)

Got *very* excited hearing about these. I do love a Greggs sausage roll, but boy they aren't half filthy, so I'd be delighted with a quorn alternative.
Just did a recce of Greggs in Southend, and not a sign of a vegan sausage roll - literally not even a sold out sign. Got told in the first branch they would be getting them in future, in the second branch that they wouldn't be stocked in any of the three branches in the area.
Very disappointed if that's true. Doesn't seem right to exclude loads of people from the option of a vegan sausage roll just because they live in Essex!
Even if they don't expect huge demand - how hard can it be to deliver and defrost ten of the fuckers to a branch there and at least offer it?
If I was on twitter, I would be taking to it, outraged, stat!


----------



## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2019)

zora said:


> Got *very* excited hearing about these. I do love a Greggs sausage roll, but boy they aren't half filthy, so I'd be delighted with a quorn alternative.
> Just did a recce of Greggs in Southend, and not a sign of a vegan sausage roll - literally not even a sold out sign. Got told in the first branch they would be getting them in future, in the second branch that they wouldn't be stocked in any of the three branches in the area.
> Very disappointed if that's true. Doesn't seem right to exclude loads of people from the option of a vegan sausage roll just because they live in Essex!
> Even if they don't expect huge demand - how hard can it be to deliver and defrost ten of the fuckers to a branch there and at least offer it?
> If I was on twitter, I would be taking to it, outraged, stat!


They are only offering it at these branches:
Greggs
Dunno why they're at Southsea but not Southend.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

zora said:


> Got *very* excited hearing about these. I do love a Greggs sausage roll, but boy they aren't half filthy, so I'd be delighted with a quorn alternative.
> Just did a recce of Greggs in Southend, and not a sign of a vegan sausage roll - literally not even a sold out sign. Got told in the first branch they would be getting them in future, in the second branch that they wouldn't be stocked in any of the three branches in the area.
> Very disappointed if that's true. Doesn't seem right to exclude loads of people from the option of a vegan sausage roll just because they live in Essex!
> Even if they don't expect huge demand - how hard can it be to deliver and defrost ten of the fuckers to a branch there and at least offer it?
> If I was on twitter, I would be taking to it, outraged, stat!



I’m afraid there’s also the tongs issue...

Greggs customers unable to buy vegan sausage rolls because bakery had the ‘wrong tongs’


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 5, 2019)

8ball said:


> I’m afraid there’s also the tongs issue...
> 
> Greggs customers unable to buy vegan sausage rolls because bakery had the ‘wrong tongs’



Surely they could pick them up by other methods, like using a paper bag as a makeshift glove.


----------



## Poi E (Jan 5, 2019)

Greggs are sandwiched between outraged carnivores and stroppy vegetarians.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Surely they could pick them up by other methods, like using a paper bag as a makeshift glove.



Aka the “dog turd technique”.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

Orang Utan said:


> They are only offering it at these branches:
> Greggs
> Dunno why they're at Southsea but not Southend.


Don't you?  Really?

Has anyone who eats normal _traditional_ Greggs sausage rolls and these ones say if the vegan one is as good, better?

Cause it would have to be very good for me not to get (well I've heard them called manna from heaven, the nectar of the gods and other things) a proper more common one.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 5, 2019)

Poi E said:


> Greggs are sandwiched between outraged carnivores and stroppy vegetarians.



Sandwiched, very good.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

Might try buying one of each tomorrow for a bit of a review.


----------



## greenfield (Jan 5, 2019)

I've always had a weakness for Gregg's, and


DexterTCN said:


> Don't you?  Really?
> 
> Has anyone who eats normal _traditional_ Greggs sausage rolls and these ones say if the vegan one is as good, better?
> 
> Cause it would have to be very good for me not to get (well I've heard them called manna from heaven, the nectar of the gods and other things) a proper more common one.



I think they're just as tasty as the usual sausage rolls. The pastry is a bit paler, and less greasy.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

greenfield said:


> ... The pastry is a bit paler, and less greasy.


The pastry should be exactly the same colour...that's a bit concerning.

Now they're not _just_ as tasty because Greggs are very peppery (think about that next time you have a steak-bake)...do you mean they're just as peppery?


----------



## BoxRoom (Jan 5, 2019)

Camberwell had sold out of them earlier, couldn't wait for a fresh batch so compensated by having a bacon roll at home. Great logic, me


----------



## iona (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> The pastry should be exactly the same colour...that's a bit concerning.





Guineveretoo said:


> Although they were a bit pale. The woman in the shop said that’s because they couldn’t use the egg wash on the pastry.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> The pastry should be exactly the same colour...that's a bit concerning.



Maybe just a variation in oven temp, or they have reduced the temp or cooking time slightly to take account of the smaller size and have overdid it very slightly.

They’ll probably finesse this given a few goes if this is the case.


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 5, 2019)




----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

Ah, the egg wash.  Fair point.
Would have expected a vegan egg glaze, though, unless they’ve rushed them out.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

The39thStep said:


>



Vegans are also posting favourable reviews of the roasted peas.


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

There are a number of fairly decent vegan egg wash options available.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

I've not checked but I doubt they use egg-wash on a 80p sausage roll.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 5, 2019)

Badgers said:


> There are a number of fairly decent vegan egg wash options available.


Aren't most vegans so full of themselves that they can usually just knock off an egg wash on demand?


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> I've not checked but I doubt they use egg-wash on a 80p sausage roll.


It is a standard on a pies, pasty or sausage roll


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Aren't most vegans so full of themselves that they can usually just knock off an egg wash on demand?


To be honest it does not come up in conversation often.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 5, 2019)

Badgers said:


> To be honest it does not come up in conversation often.


I'm sure you keep your glaze a secret


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

Badgers said:


> It is a standard on a pies, pasty or sausage roll


Nope.  Most normal restaurants don't even use egg-wash.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

Lord Camomile said:


> Try as they might, they haven't managed to get Morgan apoplectic about the soup, yet.



Briefly misunderstood and was trying to visualise Morgan Freeman becoming irate at some soup.


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> Nope.  Most normal restaurants don't even use egg-wash.


Nope


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

Badgers said:


> Nope



So much nope.


----------



## kittyP (Jan 5, 2019)

I really want to try one. 
I am a monster for anything in flaky pastry  
I have massively cut back on how much meat I eat but every now and then I reeeeaaaalllllly want a hot sausage roll. I start off enjoying it and then half way through my brain takes over from my heart and tells me how awful it is, not just for me but for the animals and the planet and I finish it feeling sad  
 Yes massive over thinker. 

Hot vegan sausage roll solves the problem!


----------



## Poi E (Jan 5, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> Sandwiched, very good.



On a roll


----------



## kittyP (Jan 5, 2019)

Did anyone work out if these are only available for January or are going to be a staple?


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 5, 2019)

Can't they call them something that celebrates it's uniqueness? Something that panders to the eaters dietary requirements whilst not reminding them of the food they have rejected? 

Why would you use the word sausage for something that has no meat in it?



> A *sausage* is a cylindrical meat product usually made from ground meat, often pork, beef, or veal, along with salt, spices and other flavourings, and breadcrumbs, encased by a skin. Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made from intestine, but sometimes from synthetic materials. Sausages that are sold raw are cooked in many ways, including pan-frying, broiling and barbecuing. Some sausages are cooked during processing and the casing may then be removed.
> 
> Sausage making is a traditional food preservation technique. Sausages may be preserved by curing, drying (often in association with fermentation or culturing, which can contribute to preservation), smoking, or freezing. Some cured or smoked sausages can be stored without refrigeration. Most fresh sausages must be refrigerated or frozen until they are cooked.
> 
> Sausages come in a huge range of national and regional varieties, which differ by their flavouring or spicing ingredients (garlic, peppers, wine, etc.), the meat(s) used in them and their manner of preparation.



Just asking like  'Vegan pastry roll with no egg wash' has such a lush twang to it innit


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

kittyP said:


> Did anyone work out if these are only available for January or are going to be a staple?


I don't know, does kale have a season?


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> I don't know, does kale have a season?



To everything there is a season.

Everything except kale.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> To everything there is a season.
> 
> Everything except kale.


It's like a fish threw up half digested sea-weed.


----------



## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Can't they call them something that celebrates it's uniqueness? Something that panders to the eaters dietary requirements whilst not reminding them of the food they have rejected?
> 
> Why would you use the word sausage for something that has no meat in it?



I'm pretty sure that the etymology of the word sausage actually comes from salt/salted. Meat sausages aren't made with salt cured meat nowadays, so the same argument of the word usage could apply to today's bangers. As it is, the word has come to mean the shape, mostly a meat product granted, but not always. (Glamorgan sausages, sausage dog etc)


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> I don't know, does kale have a season?


I love kale. This is the best time of year for it off your own plot but you can snap it up year round now if you don't mind having it shipped around the world from places like Afghaniskale and Austrkalia. 

Bit of EV olive oil and black pepper...nom.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> ...Bit of EV olive oil and black pepper...nom.


pfft...that works for everything!


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 5, 2019)

mr steev said:


> I'm pretty sure that the etymology of the word sausage actually comes from salt/salted. Meat sausages aren't made with salt cured meat nowadays, so the same argument of the word usage could apply to today's bangers. As it is, the word has come to mean the shape, mostly a meat product granted, but not always. (Glamorgan sausages, sausage dog etc)






> Meat sausages aren't made with salt cured meat nowadays



I'm sorry mate but if you went round the hipster markets of London spouting such lies these days you'd end up in a banger 



> the word has come to mean the shape



So by your reckoning they should clearly be called 'willy rolls' without a case


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> pfft...that works for everything!


I'm thinking of going to Greggs tomorrow and taking some with me.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Just asking like  'Vegan pastry roll with no egg wash' has such a lush twang to it innit



Too non-specific.  Given it’s element of Quorn, there must be a better name which might help distinguish it from future vegan products.

“Fungal flip” springs to mind, but it’s not the right shape.
“Mycoprotein macaron” might be one for the future, but still wrong.

Any ideas?


----------



## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> I'm sorry mate but if you went round the hipster markets of London spouting such lies these days you'd end up in a banger



I'm unlikely to, so think I'm pretty safe. But we are talking about Greggs here 



friedaweed said:


> So by your reckoning they should clearly be called 'willy rolls' without a case



Not a name I'd think would work but...


----------



## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> Don't you?  Really?


Aye, seems rather random who has them and who doesn't


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> I'm thinking of going to Greggs tomorrow and taking some with me.


As long as you're not talking kale...we don't want a scene.

If the vegans smell it as you're walking past they'll tear you to bits.  They carry olive oil and black pepper too, you know.


----------



## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> Has anyone who eats normal _traditional_ Greggs sausage rolls and these ones say if the vegan one is as good, better?


As good as, perhaps better. See my earlier post


----------



## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

Orang Utan said:


> Aye, seems rather random who has them and who doesn't



Looks like some of the stores here in Wolverhampton sell them, and some don't


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

Orang Utan said:


> Aye, seems rather random who has them and who doesn't


I was just joking...never been to either of them. 

It's probably alphabetical.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

mr steev said:


> I'm unlikely to, so think I'm pretty safe. But we are talking about Greggs here
> 
> 
> 
> Not a name I'd think would work but...



Fungal Phallus.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 5, 2019)

8ball said:


> Too non-specific.  Given it’s element of Quorn, there must be a better name which might help distinguish it from future vegan products.
> 
> “Fungal flip” springs to mind, but it’s not the right shape.
> “Mycoprotein macaron” might be one for the future, but still wrong.
> ...


Yep right on the money.

The 'Greener Weiner' or the 'Shat-worse Bratwurst' kinda thing.


----------



## Calamity1971 (Jan 5, 2019)

. 


friedaweed said:


> I love kale


Kale is cabbage for twats.
'Romesh Ranganathan'.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Yep right on the money.
> 
> The 'Greener Weiner' or the 'Shat-worse Bratwurst' kinda thing.



Meatless Meatus?


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 5, 2019)

Calamity1971 said:


> .
> 
> Kale is cabbage for twats.
> 'Romesh Ranganathan'.


I grow Kale, My mam grew kale, my grandad grew kale, his dad grew kale, his dad grew cabbage and fought with some cuntish butterfly until he died.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> I grow Kale, My mam grew kale, my grandad grew kale, his dad grew kale, his dad grew cabbage and fought with some cuntish butterfly until he died.


So...the butterfly brought the kale?


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

Wait hold on...is the vegan one more expensive?


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> So...the butterfly brought the kale?


No the Italian guy who ran away from Mussolini and ended up sweet talking all the women in my grandfathers village in Scotland circa 1943.

Apparently his last words were "Mary be honest with me lass, did you leave me for his ice cream or his abundantly productive cabbage?"

The poor fucker died without and answer.

She was too embarrassed to tell him I guess but she popped her mortal coil with all her teeth and a reputation for leaving a bad smell in the room during bridge club.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> ...Apparently his last words were "Mary be honest with me lass, did you leave me for his ice cream or his abundantly productive cabbage?"
> 
> The poor fucker died without and answer....


Well he should have checked her for knives.

I saw on twitter that the vegan ones are more expensive.  That's verging into health shop territory.  

Why do vegans even want sausage rolls?  It's cultural appropriation.


----------



## joustmaster (Jan 5, 2019)

They're alright. But are no where near as good as a proper meat one. I wouldn't get one again. 

But I guess that's the problem. The best vegggy sausage in the world is still shitter than an average meat one. 

If you care about animals being killed then I can see why it might be for you. But as a taste comparison, it doesn't really do it for me


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> It's cultural appropriation.



Yup a clear sauciss-con


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

joustmaster said:


> ...If you care about animals being killed then I can see why it might be for you...


No!   You wouldn't call it a sausage roll!  It's the exact opposite of a sausage roll!  It's not sausage...it's veggage!

Why would you name something the same as something you rejected?


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Yup a clear sauciss-con


Brilliant.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 5, 2019)

joustmaster said:


> They're alright. But are no where near as good as a proper meat one. I wouldn't get one again.
> 
> But I guess that's the problem. The best vegggy sausage in the world is still shitter than an average meat one.
> 
> If you care about animals being killed then I can see why it might be for you. But as a taste comparison, it doesn't really do it for me


Are they dearer?


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 5, 2019)

I've had very few good sausage rolls tbh . Most supermarket and bakery ones are disappointing imo just sludge with poor pastry. I'd try one of these but I think there are far better veggie options and I can't see the point of trying to imitate meat.


----------



## joustmaster (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> Are they dearer?


No idea. Bought a few things and didn't loo look at the cost


----------



## Edie (Jan 5, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I've had very few good sausage rolls tbh . Most supermarket and bakery ones are disappointing imo just sludge with poor pastry. I'd try one of these but I think there are far better veggie options and I can't see the point of trying to imitate meat.


At Gloucester M5 services (which is like a very m/c services with grass on the roof and wooden benches and no BK), there are the BEST sausage rolls known to mankind. I urge you all to make the journey.


----------



## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> No!   You wouldn't call it a sausage roll!  It's the exact opposite of a sausage roll!  It's not sausage...it's veggage!



It's not a 'sausage roll'... it's a 'vegan sausage roll', a fish finger isn't a finger, a beef medallion isn't a medallion, toad in the hole doesn't contain amphibians. WTF does it matter what it is called?

Both are cylindrical shapes of protien and herbs, wrapped in pastry and baked in the oven... hardly polar opposites


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 5, 2019)

Edie said:


> At Gloucester M5 services (which is like a very m/c services with grass on the roof and wooden benches and no BK), there are the BEST sausage rolls known to mankind. I urge you all to make the journey.


I urge you to shrink wrap some and send them over .


----------



## Edie (Jan 5, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I urge you to shrink wrap some and send them over .


Not sure they’d travel well mate. They are WHOPPERS tho, sausage meat huge and juicy and the pastry is the best. The entire outside of the services is covered in flaky pastry crumbs. My dog loves it 

Eta: about 2” high!


----------



## joustmaster (Jan 5, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I've had very few good sausage rolls tbh . Most supermarket and bakery ones are disappointing imo just sludge with poor pastry. I'd try one of these but I think there are far better veggie options and I can't see the point of trying to imitate meat.


The best sausage rolls are home made ones.

Just a pack of sausage meat and a prerolled puff pastry sheet. 

It's that simple. And well worth the effort. 

Mash some stilton in to the meat for extra exciting heart attack fodder.


----------



## killer b (Jan 5, 2019)

Edie said:


> At Gloucester M5 services (which is like a very m/c services with grass on the roof and wooden benches and no BK), there are the BEST sausage rolls known to mankind. I urge you all to make the journey.


The same company run tebay services in the lakes, and sell the same (glorious) sausage rolls there.


----------



## existentialist (Jan 5, 2019)

ddraig said:


>


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 5, 2019)

Edie said:


> Not sure they’d travel well mate. They are WHOPPERS tho, sausage meat huge and juicy and the pastry is the best. The entire outside of the services is covered in flaky pastry crumbs. My dog loves it
> 
> Eta: about 2” high!



I was only joking . They do a pao com choriso here which is a sausage roll but with  choriso instead of sausage meet which isn't too bad tbh . Having said that Portugal isn't a vegan or vegetarian friendly country outside of Lisbon and Porto. There's a friend of mine coming here in Spring she doesn't eat meat or fish so I asked my Portuguese friends about restaurants that serve vegan or veg dishes and they just looked puzzled and asked why.


----------



## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2019)

DexterTCN said:


> Are they dearer?


5p more


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 5, 2019)

Orang Utan said:


> 5p more


I thought vegan stuff was supposed to be cheaper than meat ?


----------



## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I thought vegan stuff was supposed to be cheaper than meat ?


some highly processed vegan products are dearer


----------



## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I thought vegan stuff was supposed to be cheaper than meat ?



If you make it yourself


----------



## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

Orang Utan said:


> some highly processed vegan products are dearer



Most processed veggie and vegan products are more expensive than meat ones - it's about markets and making money, little to do with the cost of manufacture. I remember years ago looking at the ingredients of some cheap hotdog sausage, something like 95% soya and 5% meat of animal origin. They cost a few pence each. Some veggie hotdogs, 100% soya worked out about 20 times the price


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 5, 2019)

Orang Utan said:


> some highly processed vegan products are dearer


Any idea why this is ? I thought part of the attraction of vegan food was its sustainability . Low income families aren't going to be able to afford more .


----------



## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> Any idea why this is ? I thought part of the attraction of vegan food was its sustainability . Low income families aren't going to be able to afford more .


capitalism/free market


----------



## joustmaster (Jan 5, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> Any idea why this is ? I thought part of the attraction of vegan food was its sustainability . Low income families aren't going to be able to afford more .


Doesn't quorn have some weird manufacturing process? 

Where as a pig is pretty low maintenance... They just live out side eating anything, then you blend them up.

And maybe a different pastry? Maybe.

And then they need to build in a cost for all the extra stuff they need as not to cross contaminate.


----------



## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

joustmaster said:


> They just live out side eating anything



I'm pretty sure that that is not how pigs used to provide cheap pork are raised


----------



## joustmaster (Jan 5, 2019)

mr steev said:


> I'm pretty sure that that is not how pigs used to provide cheap pork are raised


Well it'd be far more expensive to put them up in fancy city centre flats.


----------



## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

joustmaster said:


> Well it'd be far more expensive to put them up in fancy city centre flats.



It depends on how many you can cram in


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 5, 2019)

mr steev said:


> If you make it yourself


Just out of interest , how would you make a homemade vegan sausage roll?


----------



## mr steev (Jan 5, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> Just out of interest , how would you make a homemade vegan sausage roll?



You could go down the sosmix route (a couple of quid a packet would make just under half a kilo of filling) Or you could use left over veg, breadcrumbs, herbs and a few nuts and make your own


----------



## Miss-Shelf (Jan 5, 2019)

Recipe via quimcunx 

Puff pastry ready roll cut and spread with 
Tomato ketchup and Branston pickle
Add halved and quarter vegan sausage  - Linda McCartney works well
Roll up and brush with milk
Add sesame or mustard or caraway seeds for cheffy touch 
Yum


----------



## Poi E (Jan 5, 2019)

Edie said:


> At Gloucester M5 services (which is like a very m/c services with grass on the roof and wooden benches and no BK), .



I bet the toilets still stink, urinals leak and useless Dyson hand dryers taunt you at the end.


----------



## Dogsauce (Jan 5, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I was only joking . They do a pao com choriso here which is a sausage roll but with  choriso instead of sausage meet which isn't too bad tbh . Having said that Portugal isn't a vegan or vegetarian friendly country outside of Lisbon and Porto. There's a friend of mine coming here in Spring she doesn't eat meat or fish so I asked my Portuguese friends about restaurants that serve vegan or veg dishes and they just looked puzzled and asked why.



Most of the supermarket chains in Portugal I found to have a variety of veggie hot dog sausages for sale in glass jars, choice of tofu or soya options with various flavours (with the exception of Lidl, run by sausage loving Germans obvs.). Surprised me as it seemed a better selection than UK supermarkets have. Continent supermarket where we were (about 30km south of Porto in a non touristy area) had quite a lot of vegan/veggie things in the freezer including ice creams. Less sure about eating out, I usually end up with a cheese toastie. One local ‘healthy’ cafe did veggie/vegan burgers but I never ended up trying one. There’s always pizza too.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

Edie said:


> At Gloucester M5 services (which is like a very m/c services with grass on the roof and wooden benches and no BK), there are the BEST sausage rolls known to mankind. I urge you all to make the journey.



Seconded.  

(Not seen or tried any vegan ones there, though)


----------



## 8ball (Jan 5, 2019)

mr steev said:


> Most processed veggie and vegan products are more expensive than meat ones - it's about markets and making money, little to do with the cost of manufacture.



Careful, now - you’ll have the vegan working-class hero club weighing any second. 

Edit:  I expect there has been appeciable development costs, costs setting up plant, as well as processes to avoid any preventable cock-ups which would be a PR disaster for them, and there will be a limit to which they will have been willing to subsidise the vegan product from other lines.

Tl:dr in urban-speek:  Blame capitalism.


----------



## RD2003 (Jan 6, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I was only joking . They do a pao com choriso here which is a sausage roll but with  choriso instead of sausage meet which isn't too bad tbh . Having said that Portugal isn't a vegan or vegetarian friendly country outside of Lisbon and Porto. There's a friend of mine coming here in Spring she doesn't eat meat or fish so I asked my Portuguese friends about restaurants that serve vegan or veg dishes and they just looked puzzled and asked why.


I remember being in Austria in the mid-1980s when ex-girlfriend and me were the only Brits in the hotel apart from a couple from the north-east, who we were seated with on the first night in a place near Salzburg. When the staff discovered that the woman in this couple was a vegetarian, they bemusedly served her the meal the rest of us were having except for the meat. At one point, the chef and several of the kitchen staff stuck their heads around the door to have a look at the eccentric English woman.

Russians, in my experience, seemed to think that anybody requesting vegetarian food must be doing so because they have an illness. Probably a mental one, I suspected some of them were thinking. 

On that note, I do understand that some people won't eat meat because the meat industry is barbaric, but as for the health question, is there any evidence that processed vegetarian or vegan food is any better for you than processed meat products? Seems doubtful to me.


----------



## Kaka Tim (Jan 6, 2019)

mr steev said:


> You could go down the sosmix route (a couple of quid a packet would make just under half a kilo of filling) Or you could use left over veg, breadcrumbs, herbs and a few nuts and make your own



sosmix kind of tastes like herby sawdust though. A lot of vegan pies, pastie type stuff is just too dry and bland tasting. Maybe cos it also tries to be "healthy" as well as vegan - but you _need_ the fat  to make stuff taste better and for texture. A sausage roll is _supposed_ to be a processed wodge of fatty salty stodge - plenty of protein that goes down easy - you're not going to get that from a carrot.  That's what greggs have got right.


----------



## RD2003 (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> sosmix kind of tastes like herby sawdust though. A lot of vegan pies, pastie type stuff is just too dry and bland tasting. Maybe cos it also tries to be "healthy" as well as vegan - but you _need_ the fat  to make stuff taste better and for texture. A sausage roll is _supposed_ to be a processed wodge of fatty salty stodge - plenty of protein that goes down easy - you're not going to get that from a carrot.  That's what greggs have got right.


Sosmix is great poured into homemade soups as a thickener. But only if you're living on your own in a bedsit.


----------



## Wookey (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> sosmix kind of tastes like herby sawdust though. A lot of vegan pies, pastie type stuff is just too dry and bland tasting. Maybe cos it also tries to be "healthy" as well as vegan - but you _need_ the fat  to make stuff taste better and for texture. A sausage roll is _supposed_ to be a processed wodge of fatty salty stodge - plenty of protein that goes down easy - you're not going to get that from a carrot.  That's what greggs have got right.



Got it in one. It is _proper_ sausage rolly...


----------



## Wookey (Jan 6, 2019)

I'm gonna try and make sausage rolls with Frys veggie sausages as I am partial to them. They would be nice to take on pickernics. 

I'd also like someone to invent a vegan scotch egg please.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

joustmaster said:


> Where as a pig is pretty low maintenance... They just live out side eating anything, then you blend them up.



I remember the slops bin at dinnertime at primary school. I suspect they don't do that any more due to things like foot and mouth and what have you.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> you're not going to get that from a carrot



A raw carrot is much nicer than a sausage roll any day.


----------



## Kaka Tim (Jan 6, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> A raw carrot is much nicer than a sausage roll any day.



yeah - course it is. "i'll grab a quick carrot for me lunch/on the way home from the pub" said absolutely nobody ever.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> yeah - course it is. "i'll grab a quick carrot for me lunch/on the way home from the pub" said absolutely nobody ever.



I eat a pound of raw carrots for dinner sometimes.  Cheap and very healthy.


----------



## Kaka Tim (Jan 6, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> I eat a pound of raw carrots for dinner sometimes.  Cheap and very healthy.



and very low in protein.


----------



## fishfinger (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> and very low in protein.


Have you see farmerbarleymow ?


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> and very low in protein.



Yes, but you don't have to eat loads of protein at every meal.



fishfinger said:


> Have you see farmerbarleymow ?
> 
> View attachment 157893



I wish you would stop following me about.


----------



## fishfinger (Jan 6, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Yes, but you don't have to eat loads of protein at every meal.
> 
> 
> 
> I wish you would stop following me about.


I thought you were pleased to see me - then I realised it was just a carrot in your pocket


----------



## Raheem (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> and very low in protein.


I'm sure there are some really good arguments for sausage rolls, but my gut feeling is that the nutritional value angle might not be the best one.


----------



## Kaka Tim (Jan 6, 2019)

Raheem said:


> I'm sure there are some really good arguments for sausage rolls, but my gut feeling is that the nutritional value angle might not be the best one.



although not ideal - i think a diet of just sausage rolls would keep you alive longer than one of just carrots.


----------



## joustmaster (Jan 6, 2019)

Wookey said:


> I'd also like someone to invent a vegan scotch egg please.


I had one in the summer. I meant to post a thread about it.

It was pretty good. Obviously no where near the godlyness of a proper one. But surprisingly good.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2019)

joustmaster said:


> I had one in the summer. I meant to post a thread about it.
> 
> It was pretty good. Obviously no where near the godlyness of a proper one. But surprisingly good.



An actual favourable review from you!  Will def have to give it a try.
How does the "egg" bit work?


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> although not ideal - i think a diet of just sausage rolls would keep you alive longer than one of just carrots.



I'm slightly unsure of this - I'd hazard that it would be a race between anaemia and scurvy.

Any volunteers for a trial?


----------



## joustmaster (Jan 6, 2019)

8ball said:


> An actual favourable review from you!  Will def have to give it a try.
> How does the "egg" bit work?


Magic, I think. It just looked like a egg

Almost


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

8ball said:


> I'm slightly unsure of this - I'd hazard that it would be a race between anaemia and scurvy.
> 
> Any volunteers for a trial?



On the plus side for carrots, you'd turn orange if you ate large quantities of them.  For sausage rolls, you'd probably die of a heart attack before long - so the carrot side of the trial would outlive the grease tube side.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> On the plus side for carrots, you'd turn orange if you ate large quantities of them.  For sausage rolls, you'd probably die of a heart attack before long - so the carrot side of the trial would outlive the grease tube side.



I think your metabolism would bias towards burning fat quite efficiently for energy, and if already healthy it would take a long time for heart concerns to surface.

You'd likely smell bad, though.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

8ball said:


> I think your metabolism would bias towards burning fat quite efficiently for energy, and if already healthy it would take a long time for heart concerns to surface.
> 
> You'd likely smell bad, though.



Apparently this young man ate nothing but sausage rolls, chips, sausages and salmon paste sandwiches for 15 years.  I suppose the benefits of youth insulated him from the worst effects, but how he managed to avoid scurvy is an oddity unless he took supplements. 

Fussy teen ate nothing but sausage rolls for 15 years | Metro News

I think trying that diet in middle age would be asking for trouble, especially for men.


----------



## Kaka Tim (Jan 6, 2019)

carrots have got fuck all calories - which you need to live. a diet of just carrots would see you slowly starve to death. a diet of just sausage rolls would keep you alive. 
the high risk of heart attack/obesity would come after several years if you eat too many and did little physical exercise - cos youd be consuming more calories then you are actually using. 
a diet of just carrots would  not provide you with enough calories period - you would be very ill within a few months.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 6, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> Just out of interest , how would you make a homemade vegan sausage roll?



Push it down a hill.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 6, 2019)

Edie said:


> At Gloucester M5 services (which is like a very m/c services with grass on the roof and wooden benches and no BK), there are the BEST sausage rolls known to mankind. I urge you all to make the journey.



Ask them about their organic, single-origin, certified conflict-free diesel.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> carrots have got fuck all calories - which you need to live. a diet of just carrots would see you slowly starve to death. a diet of just sausage rolls would keep you alive.
> the high risk of heart attack/obesity would come after several years if you eat too many and did little physical exercise - cos youd be consuming more calories then you are actually using.
> a diet of just carrots would  not provide you with enough calories period - you would be very ill within a few months.



Yes, but you'd be a fetching shade of orange.


----------



## killer b (Jan 6, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> Ask them about their organic, single-origin, certified conflict-free diesel.


It's ok, there's a moto services 10 miles down the motorway where you can buy a really shit sausage roll for the same price.


----------



## danny la rouge (Jan 6, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> a fetching shade of orange.


Dr Ian Paisley’s little-known Procol Harum cover.


----------



## Edie (Jan 6, 2019)

My eldest son, who has always been skinny, can eat huge quantities of fried food. I’m talking eating the dinner I cook him (healthy) then entire portions of deep fried chips and nuggets, or two sausage rolls, later. Mind you he’s 16 and cycles about with his mates for about 5 hours a day.


----------



## redsquirrel (Jan 6, 2019)

danny la rouge said:


> Dr Ian Paisley’s little-known Procol Harum cover.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

Miss-Shelf said:


> Recipe via quimcunx
> 
> Puff pastry ready roll cut and spread with
> Tomato ketchup and Branston pickle
> ...


Do vegans dig milk?


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

Edie said:


> My eldest son, who has always been skinny, can eat huge quantities of fried food. I’m talking eating the dinner I cook him (healthy) then entire portions of deep fried chips and nuggets, or two sausage rolls, later. Mind you he’s 16 and cycles about with his mates for about 5 hours a day.



I used to be the same - my mam used to say I had hollow legs.  I still eat a lot now so I burn it off somehow as my weight is stable.


----------



## Raheem (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> although not ideal - i think a diet of just sausage rolls would keep you alive longer than one of just carrots.


Don't try to turn this into another thread about Brexit.


----------



## krtek a houby (Jan 6, 2019)

danny la rouge said:


> Dr Ian Paisley’s little-known Procol Harum cover.



Never


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Do vegans dig milk?



Good spot. Need to get some crosses to burn on quimcunx’s lawn. If she didn’t live in a flat.


----------



## equationgirl (Jan 6, 2019)

Yossarian said:


> The Twitter outrage is hilarious - some twat actually filmed himself buying a vegan sausage roll and chucking it in a bin.
> 
> I think some of these people must just be so ridiculously insecure that they see people rejecting the meat that they like as a personal attack.


You get similar responses if some people find out you don't drink - it really is like your choices are a personal attack on them, which they aren't.


----------



## mr steev (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Do vegans dig milk?



There's more digging involved in getting soya milk than cow's milk I guess. 
Soya milk works the same as dairy when it comes to brushing it on pastry


----------



## Voley (Jan 6, 2019)

Edie said:


> My eldest son, who has always been skinny, can eat huge quantities of fried food. I’m talking eating the dinner I cook him (healthy) then entire portions of deep fried chips and nuggets, or two sausage rolls, later. Mind you he’s 16 and cycles about with his mates for about 5 hours a day.


I was the same that age. Used to have two rounds of sarnies, a bag of crisps and a Kitkat for packed lunch at school and then I'd nip out for a pasty too. Thin as a rake. 

Got to 17/18,  started drinking seriously and things changed fairly dramatically.


----------



## Ax^ (Jan 6, 2019)

must of been really hard for gregs to remove the 18 percent of pork out of their sausage rolls


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 6, 2019)

mr steev said:


> There's more digging involved in getting soya milk than cow's milk I guess.
> Soya milk works the same as dairy when it comes to brushing it on pastry


What would happen to all the cows if we didn't drink the milk, eat the flesh , use the leather etc ?


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 6, 2019)

mr steev said:


> There's more digging involved in getting soya milk than cow's milk I guess.
> Soya milk works the same as dairy when it comes to brushing it on pastry



Probably not considering how much soya is fed to cows.


----------



## Kaka Tim (Jan 6, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> What would happen to all the cows if we didn't drink the milk, eat the flesh , use the leather etc ?



returned to the wild.


----------



## mr steev (Jan 6, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> What would happen to all the cows if we didn't drink the milk, eat the flesh , use the leather etc ?



Why you asking me? I'm not vegan 

As a dairy reducing veggie it is something I've thought about though. I wonder if the country did go vegan then maybe cows could be kept as part of crop rotation to fertilize the land for arable use. Not sure how this could be managed without slaughter though. Perhaps reintroduction of some natural predators? 

I personally think a massive drop in meat and dairy consumption and a complete end to industrialised and factory farming would be a good step in the right direction


----------



## mr steev (Jan 6, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> Probably not considering how much soya is fed to cows.



Very true


----------



## Voley (Jan 6, 2019)

I wouldn't mind trying one of these now. It's been a very successful bit of marketing this by Greggs; and the apoplexy it seems to have induced has made me chuckle. I've only ever been to a Greggs once but I find myself warming to them. Even if Piers Morgan is in on it somehow.


----------



## Voley (Jan 6, 2019)

I REALLY like that the Prison Planet bellend had to tweet that the protest was about Brexit, not vegan sausage rolls though.  One bit of fake news that can stick as far as I'm concerned.


----------



## Badgers (Jan 6, 2019)

My sources tell me that Greggs and Piers Organ share the same PR company 

Not sure if that is true but would not be a huge shock.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

mr steev said:


> Perhaps reintroduction of some natural predators?



Like humans - we're part of the animal kingdom and an apex predator.


----------



## xenon (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> returned to the wild.



Unlikely...

These domesticated species probably wouldn't live that long untended. If it were viable, they'd be on land that the farmer would want to turn to some other productive use anyway.


----------



## xenon (Jan 6, 2019)

Loads of spoofs but are there any genuine angry vids about this on YouTube?


----------



## mr steev (Jan 6, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Like humans - we're part of the animal kingdom and an apex predator.



I'd rather see some biodiversity with animals leading a more natural life than modern animal farming


----------



## Kaka Tim (Jan 6, 2019)

xenon said:


> Unlikely...
> 
> These domesticated species probably wouldn't live that long untended. If it were viable, they'd be on land that the farmer would want to turn to some other productive use anyway.



i think i might have been ever so slightly taking the piss.


----------



## isvicthere? (Jan 6, 2019)

editor said:


> They'd long sold out where I looked, but the word is that they're very tasty indeed - despite some total meat-guzzling buffoons on Twitter announcing that they're going to boycott Greggs because they now stock a vegan product



Quite right too! How dare someone with a different diet to me be given a choice I'm not interested in.


----------



## isvicthere? (Jan 6, 2019)

Sprocket. said:


> I would gladly knock Piers Morgan’s teeth out one at a time for a Greggs vegan sausage roll.
> In fact I’d do it for nothing!


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2019)

Ok, been to Greggs, bought one of each, here’s the verdict:

i) The absence of glaze is notable both visually and by texture (see pic).

ii) The vegan pastry is more “cardboardy”.  Has a satisfying crunch, but feels a lot more “artificial” than the regular pastry.

iii) There’s a lack of umaminess in the filling that they haven’t quite managed to compensate for, and it looks and feels kind of petri-dish in its origins, but it’s not a bad effort.  The texture is somewhere between Frankfurter and pate.  They need to find a way of replicating the texture of sphincter fragments.

iv) Just look at them.  The vegan ones look a lot more uniform and inorganic, like radiation cladding for a warp core or something.

v) Slightly funny aftertaste, like some component of “sausage flavour” that lingers on longer than the other elements.

I think joustmaster has it right - it’s pretty good if you’re veggie or vegan and would like to be reminded of what sausage rolls were like, but otherwise has a little way to go.

I wanted to like it more.  6.8/10


----------



## xenon (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> i think i might have been ever so slightly taking the piss.



Ha. Fair enough.

Anyway I'll try one in the week.

Amazing, 10 pages about a sausage roll FFS.


----------



## brogdale (Jan 6, 2019)

The cunt MP for Solihull thinks it's all a bit of a giggle. 



Another name for the Grytviken steamer manifest.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2019)

brogdale said:


> The cunt MP for Solihull thinks it's all a bit of a giggle.
> 
> View attachment 157931
> 
> Another name for the Grytviken steamer manifest.



At least there’s not a knife and fork in shot.

It goes better with a Rioja anyway.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

mr steev said:


> There's more digging involved in getting soya milk than cow's milk I guess.
> Soya milk works the same as dairy when it comes to brushing it on pastry


Why do they call that stuff milk though Why not soya juice or jizz or something like that?


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

Voley said:


> I wouldn't mind trying one of these now. It's been a very successful bit of marketing this by Greggs; and the apoplexy it seems to have induced has made me chuckle. I've only ever been to a Greggs once but I find myself warming to them. Even if Piers Morgan is in on it somehow.


We went twitching yesterday and we stopped at one on the way because the cafe we go to was closed. I had a baked bean, cheese and sausage pasty and a normal sausage roll. I wasn't that taken by the snorker roll but the pasty was actually really nice.


----------



## Edie (Jan 6, 2019)

8ball said:


> Ok, been to Greggs, bought one of each, here’s the verdict:
> 
> i) The absence of glaze is notable both visually and by texture (see pic).
> 
> ...


I am very impressed with this thorough review.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Why do they call that stuff milk though Why not soya juice or jizz or something like that?



Well, they’ve been doing it for around 800 years, so you should have got used to it by now.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Why do they call that stuff milk though Why not soya juice or jizz or something like that?




We have already established that it’s fine to call anything by whatever you like. From now on I shall call my blue fillet, broccoli.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2019)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> We have already established that it’s fine to call anything by whatever you like. From now on I shall call my blue fillet, broccoli.



They tend not to call it milk on the actual packaging.  But as I said, you’re a good many centuries late to be whining about this now.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 6, 2019)

8ball said:


> They tend not to call it milk on the actual packaging.  But as I said, you’re a good many centuries late to be whining about this now.



I ain’t whining. Whilst a committed carnist, I really don’t give a fuck what other choose to eat, or not. The angry vegan trope is quite funny though, as is the newly emerging gammon-gammon-eater.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Why do they call that stuff milk though Why not soya juice or jizz or something like that?



Often it's sold as 'soya drink' or something else without the word milk in it.

I'm sure you're equally furious about 'marsh mallows' which bear no relation to the plant of that name nor the traditional confection made from its root. And all the other products available under late capitalism which bear less-than-accurate names.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

8ball said:


> Well, they’ve been doing it for around 800 years, so *you should have got used to it by now*.


We live in the North West mate we don't have all these faddy eating practices around here.  There was a short lived veggie restaurant on the high street but it's turned into a Greggs now I think. 

Anyway I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone brushing soya milk on pastry before they bake something, in fact I think I've only ever seen soya milk in Holland and Barrett's fridge. Not seen it in a real persons' fridge. It is odd that they call it milk though 



Bahnhof Strasse said:


> We have already established that it’s fine to call anything by whatever you like. From now on I shall call my blue fillet, broccoli.




Ooh in that case I'm really enjoying this knob feta and onion toasty.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> We live in the North West mate we don't have all these faddy eating practices around here.  There was a short lived veggie restaurant on the high street but it's turned into a Greggs now I think.
> 
> Anyway I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone brushing soya milk on pastry before they bake something, in fact I think I've only ever seen soya milk in Holland and Barrett's fridge. Not seen it in a real persons' fridge. It is odd that they call it milk though
> 
> ...



In my Covent Garden office they have ‘almond milk’ in the fridge 

How do you milk a sodding almond???


----------



## DotCommunist (Jan 6, 2019)

heh hehehe nut milk


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> Often it's sold as 'soya drink' or something else without the word milk in it.
> 
> I'm sure you're equally furious about 'marsh mallows' which bear no relation to the plant of that name nor the traditional confection made from its root. And all the other products available under late capitalism which bear less-than-accurate names.


Thanks, that's really interesting. 

BTW I'm not furious, I'm not sure were you get that idea from, just passing time whilst eating my toastie and having a giggle with fellow muppets.  Is it toasty or toastie?


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

DotCommunist said:


> heh hehehe nut milk


Aye and then there's that "Milk of the maid" that those filthy Germans neck


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> In my Covent Garden office they have ‘almond milk’ in the fridge
> 
> How do you milk a sodding almond???


We had an odd one at work who brought some of this in. We kicked her out of the tea kitty quicker than you could milk a walnut mate.


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 6, 2019)

mr steev said:


> Why you asking me? I'm not vegan
> 
> As a dairy reducing veggie it is something I've thought about though. I wonder if the country did go vegan then maybe cows could be kept as part of crop rotation to fertilize the land for arable use. Not sure how this could be managed without slaughter though. Perhaps reintroduction of some natural predators?
> 
> I personally think a massive drop in meat and dairy consumption and a complete end to industrialised and factory farming would be a good step in the right direction


Its an interesting scenario. Most veg production could use compost or green manure based fertilisers tbh . With tractors etc we no longer need horses for ploughing and wouldnt need dogs for the sheep and goats.So probably an end to agrarian working animals . No need for pigs, cattle, chickens, etc. Pity cos I like looking at them in fields when I'm on a train. 
We'd still need mass produced cereals, vegetables and fruit though.


----------



## kalidarkone (Jan 6, 2019)

keithy said:


> It's quorn sausage and the pastry will just be like pretty much all other mass produced pastry which has vegetable fat rather than butter. Their normal sausage rolls wont have butter either like.
> 
> I haven't got round to trying one yet but do want to! A friend reported that they are tasty but not as big as the normal ones.


Undigestable then! 
As I have gotten older I find it really hard to digest Quorn. I've always had difficulty digesting Linda McCartney sausages.


----------



## kalidarkone (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> We had an odd one at work who brought some of this in. We kicked her out of the tea kitty quicker than you could milk a walnut mate.


I work in a hospital. I noticed that we now do soya milk which is good.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

kalidarkone said:


> I work in a hospital. I noticed that we now do soya milk which is good.


It's fackin mingin in tea though matey innit


----------



## kalidarkone (Jan 6, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> What would happen to all the cows if we didn't drink the milk, eat the flesh , use the leather etc ?


Methane factory?


----------



## NoXion (Jan 6, 2019)

I've been deliberately avoiding this thread as I didn't want my judgement to be clouded by any pre-conceived notions. Since it's been a while since I've had a Gregg's sausage roll I decided to buy one of their bog-standard ones as well, which I will be eating first.


First sausage roll (pork, I assume):

This seems like your standard sausage roll. Crumbly pastry that leaves crumbs everywhere. That cheap-tasting kind of sausage meat that feels like it's been bulked up a lot with bread or something along those lines. Eating this reminds me that sausage rolls are frequently rather crap. Like so many others. 5/10


Second sausage roll (Quorn, apparently):

Washing down the last of the previous sausage roll with some Desperados beer, I take my first bite into the vegan option. Texture is different! Not better or worse, just different. But what is this flavour? Let's take another bite. I think it's trying to imitate sausage meat. Seems a bit salty? In fact I'd say that the saltiness only thing I don't like about it, the pastry is less crumbly which I consider to be a point in its favour. 6/10


Steak & Cheese roll (obvious enough):

I bought this one to see how the available meaty alternatives stack up. First bite... Nice! This one is probably objectively saltier than the last one, but I'm a total fiend for cheese. Beef is decent i.e. you can actually tell it's meat and there are no chewy or gristly lumps, which is the best one can hope for in these kind of situations. I bet this is the one with the most calories, it sures tastes like it. I like it, although I reckon I'd have trouble eating more than one or two of these in one sitting. 7/10


Fourth sausage roll (Quorn again, Christian?):

But here's a critical test; can the vegan alternative stack up in a second tasting? On the one hand, I've eaten a whole bunch of stuff now and should be less hungry. But on the other, I'm more than three-quarters through my Desperados. First bite, round two! Seems a bit less salty this time. Maybe they could tweak the flavour a bit? If the flavour of this sausage roll could be translated into sound, I'd say it would have a bit too much treble. Needs some additional bass to round it out. 6/10 sustained score!


My conclusion:

A decent first effort, but they really need to bring more definition to the flavour than salt alone can provide. I mean, this stuff is made from mycoprotein, it can't be that hard to give it a nice kind of mushroomy flavour to make it stand out.


----------



## kalidarkone (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> It's fackin mingin in tea though matey innit



I really like it in tea. Not coffee though- that's got to be full fat cow juice.....although I have (this will blow your mind friedaweed ) used oatly barista ( a milk made from oats) which is fucking amazing and the only non dairy milk I've been able to tolerate in coffee.

Anyway for various reasons there are reasons why people can't have dairy products or gluten. The hospital is slowly realising this.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Thanks, that's really interesting.
> 
> BTW I'm not furious, I'm not sure were you get that idea from, just passing time whilst eating my toastie and having a giggle with fellow muppets.  Is it toasty or toastie?



Toasty is an adjective, as in 'toasty warm'. Toastie is the noun.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 6, 2019)

kalidarkone said:


> I've always had difficulty digesting Linda McCartney sausages.



I would imagine bangers made from her would not be strictly vegan anyway. Plus they’d probably be a bit gamey by now.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> Toasty is an adjective, as in 'toasty warm'. Toastie is the noun.


I thought so. Someone needs to shoot windows spell checker


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

kalidarkone said:


> I really like it in tea. Not coffee though- that's got to be full fat cow juice.....although I have (this will blow your mind friedaweed ) used oatly barista ( a milk made from oats) which is fucking amazing and the only non dairy milk I've been able to tolerate in coffee.
> 
> Anyway for various reasons there are reasons why people can't have dairy products or gluten. The hospital is slowly realising this.


I always use oats in my beer brewing because you get a really nice thick mouth feel to the beer. I can see why it could make a decent substitute. I might have to investigate this


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 6, 2019)

NoXion said:


> A decent first effort, but they really need to bring more definition to the flavour than salt alone can provide. I mean, this stuff is made from mycoprotein, it can't be that hard to give it a nice kind of mushroomy flavour to make it stand out.



Quorn doesn't taste like mushrooms, and is not made from mushrooms per se. They've pretty much nailed making it taste like chicken, quorn nuggets are indistinguishable from the 'real' thing, but it's not great at replicating other meats. The quorn sausages you get from the supermarket are OK, but aren't a convincing substitute tbh.

Tbh though I hated sausage rolls even when I still ate meat. It's the greyness, and the distinctively wrong aftertaste of the 'meat'. So while a nice, cheap and filling pastry-encased vegetarian snack from a ubiquitous retailer does appeal, I don't actually want it to taste like a sausage roll.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

Isn't quorn just like the athletes foot fungus?


----------



## NoXion (Jan 6, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> Quorn doesn't taste like mushrooms, and is not made from mushrooms per se. They've pretty much nailed making it taste like chicken, quorn nuggets are indistinguishable from the 'real' thing, but it's not great at replicating other meats. The quorn sausages you get from the supermarket are OK, but aren't a convincing substitute tbh.
> 
> Tbh though I hated sausage rolls even when I still ate meat. It's the greyness, and the distinctively wrong aftertaste of the 'meat'. So while a nice, cheap and filling pastry-encased vegetarian snack from a ubiquitous retailer does appeal, I don't actually want it to taste like a sausage roll.



An easy improvement would be adding less salt. I'm glad I had a beer handy for that one.


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 6, 2019)

I always assumed it was made from corn.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Isn't quorn just like the athletes foot fungus?



Nah, completely different genus.

It’s closer to that fungus that leads to manky brown, thickened toenails.


----------



## Mr Retro (Jan 6, 2019)

I was in Greggs today. I didn’t have one of their sausage rolls because they taste like shit or one of their vegan sausage rolls because quorn.


----------



## colacubes (Jan 6, 2019)

I just had one. Was pretty good. Timed it well cos they were just pulling a tray out of the oven as I arrived. Very herby but much less greasy than the normal sausage one (which is my dirty hangover snack of choice when I have the chance). Would have again. Looked up the nutritional content last night and the vegan version has about 20 calories less than a meat version, but considerably less salt


----------



## craigxcraig (Jan 6, 2019)

Also just had one and thought it was really good - given the choice, Id have this over the meat version


----------



## Kaka Tim (Jan 6, 2019)

re: soya milk

time for this classic methinks -


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

8ball said:


> Nah, completely different genus.
> 
> It’s closer to that fungus that leads to manky brown, thickened toenails.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 6, 2019)

Mr Retro said:


> I was in Greggs today. I didn’t have one of their sausage rolls because they taste like shit or one of their vegan sausage rolls because quorn.



Well, keep us updated.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 6, 2019)

craigxcraig said:


> Also just had one and thought it was really good - given the choice, Id have this over the meat version



You _are_ given the choice


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> What would happen to all the cows if we didn't drink the milk, eat the flesh , use the leather etc ?



All the cows would die within a certain number of years (or be slaughtered to free up the fields), and then there would no more cows.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 6, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> All the cows would die within a certain number of years (or be slaughtered to free up the fields), and then there would no more cows.



How would we get milk and steaks?


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 6, 2019)

Had one today. It’s almost worthy of the hype. 8/10


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

skyscraper101 said:


> Had one today. It’s almost worthy of the hype. 8/10
> 
> View attachment 157940


That's quite a handful you have there young man  I Like the way it bends to the right


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 6, 2019)

colacubes said:


> I just had one. Was pretty good. Timed it well cos they were just pulling a tray out of the oven as I arrived.



This is why I don't normally bother with Greggs. The cheese and onion pasties are lovely when they're still warm but you often have to stand in a queue for ages just to see if they've got any, never mind any fresh from the oven.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2019)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> How would we get milk and steaks?



Goats and dogs.


----------



## Poi E (Jan 6, 2019)

Dogs can be taught to fetch but not goats.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

8ball said:


> Goats and dogs.



Don't forget:






Cats love being milked, and produce more milk than cows.  I think.


----------



## brogdale (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> That's quite a handful you have there young man  I Like the way it bends to the right


----------



## kalidarkone (Jan 6, 2019)

This thread has inspired me to make some cheese and lentil pasties and maybe ackee and lentil. 
Yup it's that very creative cooking time of year where I'm just gonna usee what is in the cupboard.


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 6, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> This is why I don't normally bother with Greggs. The cheese and onion pasties are lovely when they're still warm but you often have to stand in a queue for ages just to see if they've got any, never mind any fresh from the oven.


I once asked an assistant in Greggs to warm up a pastie but they said they couldn't do it because of health and safety. Not theirs but mine apparantly.


----------



## A380 (Jan 6, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Like humans - we're part of the animal kingdom and an apex predator.



So then to be a vegan civilisation we would husband bovines but not slaughter them on an industrial scale. Instead as apex predators we would kill them on a more ‘retail’ basis? How about someone killing them with a sword after the beast has been sofetened up by people with lances? The person with a sword would need some kind of cape to distract the animal too. And if you were going to all that trouble it would be a pity if no one saw so you could do it in front of a crowd in a special arena or ring.

Sounds great entertainment and vegan sanctioned too...


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I once asked an assistant in Greggs to warm up a pastie but they said they couldn't do it because of health and safety. Not theirs but mine apparantly.



You could always take it home and deep-fry it.  Nice and crispy and warm then.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I once asked an assistant in Greggs to warm up a pastie but they said they couldn't do it because of health and safety. Not theirs but mine apparantly.



Good thing too.


----------



## killer b (Jan 6, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I once asked an assistant in Greggs to warm up a pastie but they said they couldn't do it because of health and safety. Not theirs but mine apparantly.


They can't do it because they'd have to pay VAT on it - VAT is chargeable on hot food, but as pasties are taken from the oven then left to cool, they're classed as cold food (VAT isn't charged on this). If they were kept warm or heated, they'd be classed as hot food.


----------



## Saul Goodman (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Isn't quorn just like the athletes foot fungus?


But not as tasty.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

killer b said:


> They can't do it because *they'd have to pay VAT on it* - VAT is chargeable on hot food, but as pasties are taken from the oven then left to cool, they're classed as cold food (VAT isn't charged on this). If they were kept warm or heated, they'd be classed as hot food.


Worse than Hitler Starbucks then?


----------



## killer b (Jan 6, 2019)

what?


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Jan 6, 2019)

Kaka Tim said:


> carrots have got fuck all calories - which you need to live. a diet of just carrots would see you slowly starve to death. a diet of just sausage rolls would keep you alive.
> the high risk of heart attack/obesity would come after several years if you eat too many and did little physical exercise - cos youd be consuming more calories then you are actually using.
> a diet of just carrots would  not provide you with enough calories period - you would be very ill within a few months.



never seemed to do him any harm


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 6, 2019)

Puddy_Tat said:


> never seemed to do him any harm



Bugs Bunny must be well into his 80s, and full of health from all those lovely carrots.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

killer b said:


> what?


Avoiding paying tax to serve it a bit warm then.

You can quote posts you know


----------



## equationgirl (Jan 6, 2019)

I see what you did there friedaweed


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

equationgirl said:


> I see what you did there friedaweed


Aye. I thought my humour would perk us all up whilst we waited with the builders for the next tray of hot ones to be served.


----------



## killer b (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> Avoiding paying tax to serve it a bit warm then.
> 
> You can quote posts you know


I dunno, VAT rules are insane - there's no way a pastie kept warm should cost 20% more than a pastie that's allowed to go cold: the market Greggs is competing in is feircely competitive though, so it's a no-brainer that they (and all the other pasty shops) take this opportunity to cut their margins. I don't think it bares any comparison with the labyrinthine tax avoidance schemes Starbucks undertake.

That said, there are some worthwhile comparisons between the Starbucks and Greggs business models, illustrated nicely by this Viz strip I was reminded of the other day...


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 6, 2019)

farmerbarleymow said:


> You could always take it home and deep-fry it.  Nice and crispy and warm then.


In between pubs, no time for that.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

killer b said:


> I dunno, VAT rules are insane - there's no way a pastie kept warm should cost 20% more than a pastie that's allowed to go cold: the market Greggs is competing in is feircely competitive though, so it's a no-brainer that they (and all the other pasty shops) take this opportunity to cut their margins. I don't think it bares any comparison with the labyrinthine tax avoidance schemes Starbucks undertake.
> 
> That said, there are some worthwhile comparisons between the Starbucks and Greggs business models, illustrated nicely by this Viz strip I was reminded of the other day...


I was kinda joking there KB but then how do Tesco and the Co-Op get away with it? You can rock up in the ones near me and pick up a reduced priced pasty, sausage roll, bacon srnie at about 3pm for 49p and it's still in a heated rack.

It is a bit piss poor when you grab something from a high-street bakers and open the bag half way down the street only to realise it's barely heated though.


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> I was kinda joking there KB but then how do Tesco and the Co-Op get away with it? You can rock up in the ones near me and pick up a reduced priced pasty, sausage roll, bacon srnie at about 3pm for 49p and it's still in a heated rack.
> 
> It is a bit piss poor when you grab something from a high-street bakers and open the bag half way down the street only to realise it's barely heated though.


No vegan option there


----------



## DexterTCN (Jan 6, 2019)

Puddy_Tat said:


> never seemed to do him any harm


Actually....

What can rabbits eat? Rabbit diet myths | RSPCA



> while carrots are suitable as an occasional treat, rabbits don't actually eat fruit or vegetable in the wild. On the other hand, muesli should never be fed to rabbits as it can cause health problems. A rabbit’s main diet source should actually be hay,


----------



## killer b (Jan 6, 2019)

friedaweed said:


> I was kinda joking there KB but then how do Tesco and the Co-Op get away with it? You can rock up in the ones near me and pick up a reduced priced pasty, sausage roll, bacon srnie at about 3pm for 49p and it's still in a heated rack.


They'll pay VAT on them if they're in a hot cabinet - if they're marked down they're essentially bin-bound anyway, so 49p (or 40p + 9p VAT) is still ahead.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 6, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> No vegan option there


Not sure I've seen one.


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (Jan 7, 2019)

I tried one yesterday - it was really tasty!


----------



## mr steev (Jan 7, 2019)

I had one today. I'd actually gone in to get a vegetable and cheese & onion bake as I didn't think they'd have them as they are not on the list of branches that sell them.
Unsurprising, I thought the filling tastes the same as the filling in quorn's normal sausage rolls. There was more of it though, and it looked pinker. The pastry was loads better than the quorn ones though. The ones I bought were not as anaemic looking as the pics I've seen (although not the same colour as their normal pastry). Tasted loads better though and didn't just flake all over the place as soon as you bite it.
I thought they were pretty good overall. My daughter took a bite, pulled a face and said it tasted like quorn (she doesn't like quorn sausages - I didn't actually think about that) I told her it was, so she gave me hers and sent me back in for a cheese and onion  I took a bite of that and in comparison and it was really greasy


----------



## 8ball (Jan 7, 2019)

Yeah, if you don’t like the flakiness and greasiness, then the vegan ones are a good option.


----------



## Orang Utan (Jan 7, 2019)

The vegan ones are flaky enough. They definitely pass The Flake Test (ie they leave a load of shit on your desk/knees/the floor when you eat them)


----------



## Yossarian (Jan 7, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> What would happen to all the cows if we didn't drink the milk, eat the flesh , use the leather etc ?



In some more rural parts of Hong Kong, when farmers left their farms to move to the city they just abandoned their cows and water buffalo - decades later, their descendants are doing fine and in some places it's not unusual to see small herds wandering around. In Mui Wo, they like to sleep on the beach...


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 7, 2019)

Yossarian said:


> In some more rural parts of Hong Kong, when farmers left their farms to move to the city they just abandoned their cows and water buffalo - decades later, their descendants are doing fine and in some places it's not unusual to see small herds wandering around. In Mui Wo, they like to sleep on the beach...
> 
> View attachment 158015



Similar story on abandoned Scottish islands. After a few generations the population size stabilises and the coobeasties live happily ever after.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 7, 2019)

Orang Utan said:


> The vegan ones are flaky enough. They definitely pass The Flake Test (ie they leave a load of shit on your desk/knees/the floor when you eat them)



More of a crunchy sawdustiness than flakiness.  Flake test fails.


----------



## Saul Goodman (Jan 7, 2019)

Big protest in Manchester today over the vegan sausage roll.* 







*May not be entirely 100% factual


----------



## Jon-of-arc (Jan 7, 2019)

Had one today.  It was fine.


----------



## Calamity1971 (Jan 7, 2019)

Saul Goodman said:


> *May not be entirely 100%


And you'd be right. Twas the other day and not sausage related.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 7, 2019)

Calamity1971 said:


> And you'd be right. Twas the other day and not sausage related.



More gammon related.


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 7, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> Similar story on abandoned Scottish islands. After a few generations the population size stabilises and the coobeasties live happily ever after.


Heartwarming story but I'm not sure an analogy between abandoned Scottish Islands and a heavily populated country is that apt tbh.


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 7, 2019)

Yossarian said:


> In some more rural parts of Hong Kong, when farmers left their farms to move to the city they just abandoned their cows and water buffalo - decades later, their descendants are doing fine and in some places it's not unusual to see small herds wandering around. In Mui Wo, they like to sleep on the beach...
> 
> View attachment 158015


I can just imagine the same scenario at Blackpool, Brighton, Scarborough, St. Ives etc


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 7, 2019)

Went in to Greggs in Shepherds Bush and they were sold out. Even the staff saying all people have been doing is asking for them all day and they should’ve sent more


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 7, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I can just imagine the same scenario at Blackpool, Brighton, Scarborough, St. Ives etc



You are aware that cows rarely live in urban areas?


----------



## The39thStep (Jan 7, 2019)

SpookyFrank said:


> You are aware that cows rarely live in urban areas?


They stray.


----------



## NoXion (Jan 8, 2019)

skyscraper101 said:


> Went in to Greggs in Shepherds Bush and they were sold out. Even the staff saying all people have been doing is asking for them all day and they should’ve sent more



I think there could be a great yet largely untapped market for this kind of vegan food, in some locations at least. Screw the tofu and rabbit food, the vegan public demands mycoprotein-based savoury pastries!


----------



## Yossarian (Jan 8, 2019)

The39thStep said:


> I can just imagine the same scenario at Blackpool, Brighton, Scarborough, St. Ives etc



Easy to imagine a Beach Bovine Protection Society forming in Brighton, etc. Or, more likely, two rival Beach Bovine Protection Societies that are bitterly opposed to each other after a split resulting from minor policy differences.


----------



## fishfinger (Jan 8, 2019)

Yossarian said:


> Easy to imagine a Beach Bovine Protection Society forming in Brighton, etc. Or, more likely, two rival Beach Bovine Protection Societies that are bitterly opposed to each other after a split resulting from minor policy differences.


The Moos and the Rawhides.


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Jan 8, 2019)

what a load of bull


----------



## Maggot (Jan 9, 2019)

Finally got to try one today as the Greggs near my work has usually sold out. Very tasty despite being lukewarm and great value at only £1, will definitely buy again.


----------



## Calamity1971 (Jan 9, 2019)

I tried one today. Went yesterday,  they had one left but had put it on top of the meat sausage rolls and steak bakes  (close of play). Anyway, I quite liked it and a friend who hates anything veg related said it was okay, just a bit dry. Be better straight out of the oven.


----------



## Favelado (Jan 9, 2019)

Yossarian said:


> Easy to imagine a Beach Bovine Protection Society forming in Brighton, etc. Or, more likely, two rival Beach Bovine Protection Societies that are bitterly opposed to each other after a split resulting from minor policy differences.


That thing in Brighton isn't a beach.


----------



## likesfish (Jan 12, 2019)

Oi it's totally a beach your just too soft to deal with shingle. 

Tried aldis posh veggie burgers OK  much better than those microwave meat burgers which is a start


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jan 12, 2019)

Have Greggs disclosed that this abomination contains palm oil yet?  More calories than a McShite cheeseburger, 19g of fat, 9.3g of saturated fat, & 1.9g of salt. I’d rather eat the contents of my nostrils.


----------



## 5t3IIa (Jan 12, 2019)

Mr.Bishie said:


> Have Greggs disclosed that this abomination contains palm oil yet?  More calories than a McShite cheeseburger, 19g of fat, 9.3g of saturated fat, & 1.9g of salt. I’d rather eat the contents of my nostrils.


How many cals is it??


----------



## maomao (Jan 12, 2019)

5t3IIa said:


> How many cals is it??


311.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Jan 12, 2019)

I tried to buy one on Friday from the Greggs in London Bridge station but was foiled by the fact that the shop is on the other side of the ticket barrier


----------



## maomao (Jan 12, 2019)

McDonalds cheeseburgers are tiny tbf. Any of the basic McDonalds sandwiches you need at least three for a meal.


----------



## NoXion (Jan 12, 2019)

Mr.Bishie said:


> Have Greggs disclosed that this abomination contains palm oil yet?  More calories than a McShite cheeseburger, 19g of fat, 9.3g of saturated fat, & 1.9g of salt. I’d rather eat the contents of my nostrils.



The palm oil is the only really negative thing about it. Could also do with less salt, but judging from most other reactions that's just my opinion.

Fat gets an unnecessarily bad rap. It's a decent source of energy that's a lot better for the human body than the fuckloads of sugar that tends to replace it, so that manufacturers can honestly say their products are "fat free!". Humans have been consuming fats for as long as we have been human, but refined sugar has only been around for a few centuries. From these facts it should be obvious which is worse.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jan 12, 2019)

9.3g of saturated fat is the killer


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jan 12, 2019)

maomao said:


> McDonalds cheeseburgers are tiny tbf. Any of the basic McDonalds sandwiches you need at least three for a meal.



Glutton!


----------



## NoXion (Jan 12, 2019)

Mr.Bishie said:


> 9.3g of saturated fat is the killer



Overall diet and activity levels are what one should be concerned about, instead of orthorexic fussing about the content of specific dishes.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jan 12, 2019)

Quite right Dr Nox!  But I still have to watch the sat fats!


----------



## maomao (Jan 12, 2019)

Mr.Bishie said:


> Glutton!


Yes and no. I'm a big lad and very active. I need about 3-3500 calories to maintain my usual weight (I'm about two stone over that though so a bit of a glutton maybe). A basic Macdonalds meal is not a meal for me. I actually quite like their veggie burgers but as a snack.


----------



## likesfish (Jan 13, 2019)

Must be huge and very active as the army's latest ration pack contains 4000 cal


----------



## spanglechick (Jan 13, 2019)

Mr.Bishie said:


> Have Greggs disclosed that this abomination contains palm oil yet?  More calories than a McShite cheeseburger, 19g of fat, 9.3g of saturated fat, & 1.9g of salt. I’d rather eat the contents of my nostrils.


But that’s why it tastes good!

I mean palm oil is a cunt move, but there should be more unhealthy vegan options. Pretty much the main reason meat tastes lovely to those who like it, is because of the fat and salt that is generally part of the deal. When people refer to a juicy burger, the juiciness is mostly fat.  Bacon tastes like bacon largely because it’s salty.  

Yet read vegan food has been marketed for its healthiness, and so hasn’t impressed in the mind of the carnivore, who is asking how it compares to their *favourite* meat dishes - not the healthiest ones.


----------



## brogdale (Jan 13, 2019)

Mr.Bishie said:


> 9.3g of saturated fat is the killer


Probs best to rein it in a bit and limit yerself to 4/day max?


----------



## ddraig (Jan 14, 2019)

New vegan sausage rolls contain fake eyeballs and arseholes


----------



## RubyToogood (Jan 14, 2019)

Someone brought a load of them into work today but I wasn't in first thing and when I got there they'd all been scoffed


----------



## Part 2 (Jan 15, 2019)

Had one yesterday. The sausage bit was ok but the pastry is too dry, although not as flaky as their pasties. 

I should've got a pound bakery veggie sausage roll to compare but went for 2 pasties instead. (chicken and cheese and onion)


----------



## NoXion (Jan 15, 2019)

ddraig said:


> New vegan sausage rolls contain fake eyeballs and arseholes



I don't get why "eyeballs and arseholes" is supposed to be a bad thing. Organ meats and other non-muscular parts of animals have been used in cuisines across the world for centuries, which makes sense because otherwise people would have been foolishly throwing away a significant amount of perfectly edible fat and protein. Maybe it's some kind of residual class snobbery. Also organ meats, especially livers and kidneys, contain vitamins that can't be found in muscle meats.

As for consumption of the stuff in the modern day, I don't see why it should be wasted and thrown away when more appealing foodstuffs can be created out of it than in days of yore. Just because we _can_ eat just the muscles and throw away the rest, doesn't mean we _should_.


----------



## CNT36 (Jan 16, 2019)

Mr.Bishie said:


> Have Greggs disclosed that this abomination contains palm oil yet?  More calories than a McShite cheeseburger, 19g of fat, 9.3g of saturated fat, & 1.9g of salt. I’d rather eat the contents of my nostrils.


Why choose?


----------



## Dogsauce (Jan 16, 2019)




----------



## danny la rouge (Jan 16, 2019)

Dogsauce said:


> View attachment 158867


And do you do a curried one?

/crossthread lols


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 16, 2019)

hilarious


----------



## kalidarkone (Jan 16, 2019)

Regarding palm oil, my understanding was that it was only an issue if it came from un sustainable sources?


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Jan 22, 2019)

Vegan 'Cornish' pasty row.
The people shouting about their forefathers spinning in their graves really are starting to sound like pathetic idiots now - whatever your feelings on the proliferation of vegan food options and people who choose not to eat animal products.
https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/food-and-drink/vegan-cornish-pasties-ingredients/


----------



## Poi E (Jan 22, 2019)

Cornish pasty filler looks like the soggy stuff you fish out of the washing machine. Fucking awful things.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 22, 2019)

Mrs Miggins said:


> Vegan 'Cornish' pasty row.
> The people shouting about their forefathers spinning in their graves really are starting to sound like pathetic idiots now - whatever your feelings on the proliferation of vegan food options and people who choose not to eat animal products.
> https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/food-and-drink/vegan-cornish-pasties-ingredients/



I think some people have worked out this is a good way of getting some cheap advertising.

Think I might go a bit “meta” and bring out some vegan gammon.

Visual advertising without the need to take a single pic.


----------



## danny la rouge (Jan 22, 2019)

8ball said:


> Think I might go a bit “meta” and bring out some vegan gammon.
> 
> Visual advertising without the need to take a single pic.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 22, 2019)

danny la rouge said:


> View attachment 159422



Ok, might need to up the ante and market it as Halal too.


----------



## DotCommunist (Jan 22, 2019)

8ball said:


> I think some people have worked out this is a good way of getting some cheap advertising.
> 
> Think I might go a bit “meta” and bring out some vegan gammon.
> 
> Visual advertising without the need to take a single pic.


culture wars as advert content eh. I hope it goes away.


----------



## killer b (Jan 22, 2019)

It's absolutely part of your marketing push if you're launching a new vegetarian product right now - no brainer really. It's been a wild success for Greggs.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Jan 22, 2019)

danny la rouge said:


> View attachment 159422



I bet Morrissey is a fan.


----------



## CNT36 (Jan 22, 2019)

I've been eating vegan pasties for years. No "meat" but also no fuss. It's probably worth reading Lee Trewhela's review to see how he gets in a reference to that time he saw Pixies.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Jan 23, 2019)

Poi E said:


> Cornish pasty filler looks like the soggy stuff you fish out of the washing machine. Fucking awful things.


No worse that what passes for meat pie filling in NZ


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 23, 2019)

I've been eating Quorn pies at home and they're rather good. 2 for £1.50 in Lidl IIRC.


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 30, 2019)

Had my first today. They seem to be selling better than normal sausage rolls and steak slices in Croydon even. 

If you had not have said it was vegan I would not have doubted it was a normal sausage. Not a decent sausage, but certainly that shitty kind of cardboard sausage you get in cheap sausage rolls. 
Far far far less greasy than a normal sausage roll and much more pleasant. Probably a tad salty for me. 
I didn't have a normal sausage roll to compare it with.


----------



## CNT36 (Jan 30, 2019)

I had one yesterday. It was ok. Could of done with more girth.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 30, 2019)

skyscraper101 said:


> I've been eating Quorn pies at home and they're rather good. 2 for £1.50 in Lidl IIRC.



Mmmm.. pie. 

I didn't know they did those - will have to give one a go.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 30, 2019)

8ball said:


> Mmmm.. pie.
> 
> I didn't know they did those - will have to give one a go.



They are really good. I honestly could live with this over any meat alternative. I just wish I could find a milk substitute which was as good.


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 30, 2019)

.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 30, 2019)

Mrs Miggins said:


> Vegan 'Cornish' pasty row.
> The people shouting about their forefathers spinning in their graves really are starting to sound like pathetic idiots now - whatever your feelings on the proliferation of vegan food options and people who choose not to eat animal products.
> https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/food-and-drink/vegan-cornish-pasties-ingredients/



A Cornish Pasty is an EU protected thing that has to be made in Cornwall and to a certain recipe, which includes beef.

Never mind the fact that this recipe originated in Devon. Stupid fucking EU


----------



## T & P (Mar 7, 2019)

Greegs have just published their latest financial results, and it seems the vegan sausage roll furore has increased their takings by nearly 10% 

Vegan sausage roll boosts Greggs


----------



## SpookyFrank (Mar 7, 2019)

Poi E said:


> Cornish pasty filler looks like the soggy stuff you fish out of the washing machine. Fucking awful things.



Only if you buy shit ones from the supermarket.


----------



## 8ball (Mar 7, 2019)

T & P said:


> Greegs have just published their latest financial results, and it seems the vegan sausage roll furore has increased their takings by nearly 10%
> 
> Vegan sausage roll boosts Greggs



Coincidentally, I've not had a single radiation leak from my warp core in 8 weeks.


----------



## Funky_monks (Mar 7, 2019)

I work in the livestock industry and I'd still love to eat something that causes Piers Morgan to have a meltdown.....

Did anyone see that twat Rees-Mogg chime in? What a fucking weirdo! Thinks it's somehow disrespectful to livestock/dairy farmers to buy one...

I'd like to clear up right now that we all eat vegetables and cereals without guilt....


----------



## Rosemary Jest (Mar 8, 2019)

On a not totally unrelated note, I just had two Gregg's cheese and onion pasties for my dinner. The best thing they sell I reckon.


----------



## extra dry (Mar 8, 2019)

I am I missing anything special?


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Mar 8, 2019)

Rosemary Jest said:


> On a not totally unrelated note, I just had two Gregg's cheese and onion pasties for my dinner. The best thing they sell I reckon.



Hope you had them in a buttered barm.


----------



## Sprocket. (Mar 21, 2019)

Had a couple of these earlier, made by Fry’s, 100% vegan from Sainsbury’s.
I think they are better than Greggs vegan sausage roll. Same price £1 each but on offer today at 80p.
Very tasty.


----------



## Calamity1971 (Mar 21, 2019)

Sprocket. said:


> View attachment 165239
> Had a couple of these earlier, made by Fry’s, 100% vegan from Sainsbury’s.
> I think they are better than Greggs vegan sausage roll. Same price £1 each but on offer today at 80p.
> Very tasty.


None left in my Sainsbury's. They go really quick even when not on offer. I rather like them.
Dont buy the 'artisan' hot dogs though. They're bloody awful .


----------



## BigTom (Jan 1, 2020)

thought i'd post this here as didn't seem worth it's own thread and wasn't sure where else it fit in. this was announced mid last year but starts tomorrow:
The KFC Vegan Burger is arriving in UK stores this week



posted here since kfc is another large, mainstream food place adding vegan alternatives to its menu. subway has also added two proper vegan sandwiches to their menu in the past 6 months or so (a soy based spicy vegan patty i've never tried as I can't eat spicy food, and vegan "meatball" marinara which I didn't try as they've withdrawn it temporarily to improve the recipe following feedback). Previously you could just have all the salad bits in a sandwich which meant no real protein and always looked very unsatisfying.
Greggs ahead of the curve here it seems, good to see this stuff spreading further.

edit: just thought I'd have a look through the twitter feed to laugh at all the snowflakes complaining and saw someone ask if the fries are vegan - they aren't, they are cooked in the same oil as popcorn chicken. The vegan burgers are cooked separately.
also the kfc twitter people are handling the idiots nicely.


----------



## Artaxerxes (Jan 1, 2020)

Its not cooked with the fries because it arrives precooked and just gets a blast in the microwave to warm up for the customer.

The amount of people treating it like the end of the world is amazing, is there really nothing else more important to complain about?


----------



## 8ball (Jan 1, 2020)

They're angry that there are no vegan fries?


----------



## dessiato (Jan 1, 2020)

I tried the Greggs thing recently. I liked it so much I've eaten another.

Yesterday at Waverley station I tried one by another company. It was excellent.

I've bought a vegan cook book.

I'm sorry. I'm on the turn. Please recommend something to stop me becoming a vegan before its too late.

Help me!


----------



## Baronage-Phase (Jan 1, 2020)

dessiato said:


> I tried the Greggs thing recently. I liked it so much I've eaten another.
> 
> Yesterday at Waverley station I tried one by another company. It was excellent.
> 
> ...




Bacon


----------



## existentialist (Jan 1, 2020)

dessiato said:


> I tried the Greggs thing recently. I liked it so much I've eaten another.
> 
> Yesterday at Waverley station I tried one by another company. It was excellent.
> 
> ...


It's OK, so long as you don't start always opening a conversation by stating your vegan-ness. Up until that point, you're just plant-based


----------



## 8ball (Jan 1, 2020)

existentialist said:


> ..you're just plant-based



Rude.


----------



## existentialist (Jan 1, 2020)

8ball said:


> Rude.


----------



## Baronage-Phase (Jan 1, 2020)

existentialist said:


> It's OK, so long as you don't start always opening a conversation by stating your vegan-ness. Up until that point, you're just plant-based



Actually we are probably more water-based...


----------



## Nylock (Jan 1, 2020)

Greggs' vegan steak bake is around the corner... Greggs 'set to launch new vegan steak bake next week'


----------



## 8ball (Jan 1, 2020)

Nylock said:


> Greggs' vegan steak bake is around the corner... Greggs 'set to launch new vegan steak bake next week'



Looks like I'll be doing another side by side review...


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 1, 2020)

dessiato said:


> I tried the Greggs thing recently. I liked it so much I've eaten another.
> 
> Yesterday at Waverley station I tried one by another company. It was excellent.
> 
> ...



Just give in to it dude. I did once I found these...



Spoiler: Vegan treats








And now I'm a full blown smug fucker


----------



## 8ball (Jan 1, 2020)

I'm going to have to try those.


----------



## maomao (Jan 1, 2020)

A real vegan burger would be made _from_ vegans rather than _for_ them anyway. Or following the original logic beef burgers should be renamed human burgers. I don't have anything against vegans I just like consistency.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 1, 2020)

maomao said:


> A real vegan burger would be made _from_ vegans rather than _for_ them anyway. Or following the original logic beef burgers should be renamed human burgers. I don't have anything against vegans I just like consistency.



Also, if Greggs are doing a vegan steak bake, I'd quite like to see the vegan steak.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 1, 2020)

8ball said:


> Also, if Greggs are doing a vegan steak bake, I'd quite like to see the vegan steak.






maomao said:


> I just like consistency.



Is the consistency of vegan steaks tender like a fillet or chewy like a flavoursome rump?


----------



## oryx (Jan 1, 2020)

I tried a Gregg's vegan sausage roll while out Christmas shopping the weekend before last.

Not saying I enjoyed it or anything but I ended up buying three. So nice to eat something like that without the fear of biting into a lump of fat or gristle. 

The pastry is fantastic - light and crunchy - and the filling is tasty. And they're only a quid. I think I've found my new favourite savoury snack!


----------



## Artaxerxes (Jan 1, 2020)

maomao said:


> A real vegan burger would be made _from_ vegans rather than _for_ them anyway. Or following the original logic beef burgers should be renamed human burgers. I don't have anything against vegans I just like consistency.



You never know where a vegans been tho


----------



## maomao (Jan 1, 2020)

Artaxerxes said:


> You never know where a vegans been tho


Been burgers. You could be on to something.


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 1, 2020)

Some pretty exiting news about vegan food: Natural Plant Source of Vitamin B12 announced - Vegans Be The Change

Mankai duckweed plant found to offer health benefits


----------



## Rosemary Jest (Jan 1, 2020)

I tried a sausage roll out of interest and it was ok, I mean it was as nice as the 'sausage' one. What the fuck is a real sausage anyway?

I'm not vegetarian, but I often prefer veggie food over the meaty alternative, especially when it comes to fast food etc, as it's all shite really.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 2, 2020)

Just had two of the vegan steak bakes. Very nice they were too.

If I didn't know, I'd have assumed it was meat.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 2, 2020)

If only they could get alcohol-free beer to taste as convincingly close to the real thing.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 2, 2020)

skyscraper101 said:


> Just had two of the vegan steak bakes. Very nice they were too.
> 
> If I didn't know, I'd have assumed it was meat.



For my next test I think I'll be getting one of each in the same bag and I'll get the dude in the shop to put them in the bag when I'm not looking.

edit:  my post prior to this was moaning about how hard it is to lose weight in January


----------



## JimW (Jan 2, 2020)

It's all getting too mainstream, I'm going to have to go breatharian.


----------



## magneze (Jan 2, 2020)

skyscraper101 said:


> If only they could get alcohol-free beer to taste as convincingly close to the real thing.


Punk AF & Infinite Session IPA


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 2, 2020)

8ball said:


> For my next test I think I'll be getting one of each in the same bag and I'll get the dude in the shop to put them in the bag when I'm not looking.
> 
> edit:  my post prior to this was moaning about how hard it is to lose weight in January


Keep a log of your comparisons in the Seitanic Diaries


----------



## 8ball (Jan 2, 2020)

Proper Tidy said:


> Keep a log of your comparisons in the Seitanic Diaries



The thing about the sausage roll was that the vegan one looked very different to the regular one, might be the case here too.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 2, 2020)

8ball said:


> The thing about the sausage roll was that the vegan one looked very different to the regular one, might be the case here too.


They do look different, I think I prefer it though, although much of much, having said that it costs a bit more and is a bit worse for you I think (cos they lob a fuckload of salt in for flavour)


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 2, 2020)

Cheese and bean (and allegedly sausage but I think it's like willy wonkas golden ticket) slices are the best filth greggs sell though


----------



## 8ball (Jan 2, 2020)

Proper Tidy said:


> Cheese and bean (and allegedly sausage but I think it's like willy wonkas golden ticket) slices are the best filth greggs sell though



Baked beans..  
The smell of them makes me almost boak.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 2, 2020)

8ball said:


> Baked beans..
> The smell of them makes me almost boak.


Wrong


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 2, 2020)

magneze said:


> Punk AF & Infinite Session IPA



Tried Punk AF, it comes closer than most others I tried but I couldn't drink it regularly. I've mostly been drinking soda water with lime instead nowadays. Much cheaper.


----------



## not-bono-ever (Jan 2, 2020)

Right. Just had one.

The heat of the filling took the skin off the roof of my mouth. Nicely
Browned flaky pasty.Gloopy brown stuff with greyish lumps of Quorn in it. Nothing much to chew really. A light linger of onions on the palate.smells of generic meaty style gravy. 

I however have no comparison or reference point as I don’t eat meat. Nor have I ever had a steak bake, even when I did. Is this how meat pastry actually tastes ?   I am missing nothing special if this is the case.

The sausage roll is a far more accomplished salty vegan snack.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 2, 2020)

Proper Tidy said:


> Wrong



It definitely does.  This has been tested out more than once.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 2, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> I however have no comparison or reference point as I don’t eat meat. Nor have I ever had a steak bake, even when I did. Is this how meat pastry actually tastes ?   I am missing nothing special if this is the case.



Sounds like it is just not as good an effort as the sausage roll.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 2, 2020)

I reckon its as good as the sausage roll.

It's true about the them scorching the inside of your mouth though. Took ages to cool down because its more gravy inside.


----------



## not-bono-ever (Jan 2, 2020)

Lingering taste of murder. I may give these a miss. Meh


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 2, 2020)

TBF they're probably aimed more at the meat eating market who are conscious about eating less meat. I'd certainly put myself in that bracket, and it sure makes a change from when the only options were a vegetable bake, or a cheese and onion slice.


----------



## neonwilderness (Jan 2, 2020)

Long queues at Greggs vegan steak bake premiere - and we got to try one



> On a frosty night in Newcastle city centre the streets were eerily quiet following the New Year's Eve revels of the night before.
> 
> A few workmen were around at Monument, dismantling the Christmas market, with town -and its warm doorways- only becoming busier towards McDonalds on Grainger Street.
> 
> ...





> However, as the doors opened, there was a bit more than a free pasty on offer. Inside, the cafe was transformed with nightclub-style lighting, a DJ on the decks, and huge event-style lightbulb letters spelling out VSB - for Vegan Steak Bake.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 2, 2020)

skyscraper101 said:


> TBF they're probably aimed more at the meat eating market who are conscious about eating less meat. I'd certainly put myself in that bracket, and it sure makes a change from when the only options were a vegetable bake, or a cheese and onion slice.



To me (as a meat eater) that makes little sense. I mean I get choosing healthier options. This isn't it.


----------



## not-bono-ever (Jan 2, 2020)

Actually, I can still feel this in me. It’s not very pleasant.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 2, 2020)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> To me (as a meat eater) that makes little sense. I mean I get choosing healthier options. This isn't it.



Why does it have to be a healthier option? This is about not eating meat, not necessarily a health decision.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 2, 2020)

skyscraper101 said:


> Why does it have to be a healthier option? This is about not eating meat, not necessarily a health decision.



If you don't want to eat dead animals then I can admire that from an ethical standpoint, but choosing this one day for some vague woolley reasons, unless it's just become you like the taste, seems pointless if you chow down a steak later.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 2, 2020)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> If you don't want to eat dead animals then I can admire that from an ethical standpoint, but choosing this one day for some vague woolley reasons, unless it's just become you like the taste seems pointless if you chow down a steak later.



Surely the point is, more options to not eat meat mean less meat gets eaten. Which can only be a good thing.

I eat less meat now purely because there are more/better meat-free alternatives.


----------



## not-bono-ever (Jan 2, 2020)

Will no one think of the Quorns ?


----------



## 8ball (Jan 2, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> Lingering taste of murder. I may give these a miss. Meh



Sounds worrying - I never got that from the meat ones.


----------



## Kilgore Trout (Jan 2, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> Will no one think of the Quorns ?



If God didn't intend us to eat the Quorns he wouldn't have made them taste so good.


----------



## A380 (Jan 2, 2020)

skyscraper101 said:


> Surely the point is, more options to not eat meat mean less meat gets eaten. Which can only be a good thing.
> 
> I eat less meat now purely because there are more/better meat-free alternatives.


This^ I’m not veggie- well I am for January but that’s just temporary- but I often eat meat free options and the more good ones there are the more I eat. ( Sadly quorn makes me spectacularly projectile vomit).


----------



## 8ball (Jan 2, 2020)

Kilgore Trout said:


> If God didn't intend us to eat the Quorns he wouldn't have made them taste so good.



They taste of nothing whatsoever.  Unlike, say, pigs.
Or carrots for that matter.


----------



## Maggot (Jan 2, 2020)

Following on from their very successful vegan sausage roll, which launched a year ago, they have now bought out a vegan steak bake. I haven't had one yet, but am planning to try one tomorrow. 

Greggs launches meatless steak bake to beef up its vegan range

Predictably, Piers Morgan is already moaning about it.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 2, 2020)

I've no intrest in trying one, but if it upsets Piers Morgan I'm all for it.


----------



## dessiato (Jan 2, 2020)

This is discussed on the vegan sausage roll thread where I admit to thinking that maybe I'm in danger of thinking vegan food might possibly not totally awful.


----------



## Maggot (Jan 2, 2020)

Proper thread here:

https://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/greggs-vegan-steak-bake-have-you-tried-it-yet.368933/


----------



## killer b (Jan 2, 2020)

Maggot said:


> Predictably, Piers Morgan is already moaning about it.


he's almost certainly being paid to moan about it.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 2, 2020)

Yes. I’ve had two today. And an iced donut.


----------



## Maggot (Jan 2, 2020)

skyscraper101 said:


> Yes. I’ve had two today. And an iced donut.


I was going to ask for your verdict, but the fact you've had two speaks for itself.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 2, 2020)

Maggot said:


> I was going to ask for your verdict, but the fact you've had two speaks for itself.



What happened was, I ordered one of these and a vegetable bake, but the guy got it wrong because he had some arse of a manager have a go at him midway through the order. And he got flummoxed (no fault on his part - his manager was a dick), so I got two by mistake.

But no harm done, they were both good


----------



## hash tag (Jan 2, 2020)

Not a great fan of vegan food as it has a tendency to be very heavily processed and full of additives IN an attempt to make it and make it tasty. Much rather stick to vegetarian food.


----------



## Badgers (Jan 2, 2020)

I had the v sausage roll and it was 'alright' 

Nothing wrong with it at all, but probably would not get again. Will try the v bake but expect the same.

Good there are v alternatives though


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 2, 2020)

skyscraper101 said:


> If only they could get alcohol-free beer to taste as convincingly close to the real thing.



Who gives a fuck what alcohol free beer tastes like? Just drink something tasty instead.

Alcohol free booze that gets you drunk, come up with that and you’ll be a gazillionaire!


----------



## Chilli.s (Jan 2, 2020)

oryx said:


> without the fear of biting into a lump of fat or gristle


This is what attracts me to the vegi things, a chunk of hoof or cartilage always puts me off cheap meaty foods.


----------



## oryx (Jan 2, 2020)

Chilli.s said:


> This is what attracts me to the vegi things, a chunk of hoof or cartilage always puts me off cheap meaty foods.


Not half - I once got a huge lump of fat in a Cornish pasty.

I can still see the damn thing over 20 years later!


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 2, 2020)

Thoughts on this


----------



## oryx (Jan 2, 2020)

Couldn't eat a whole one.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 2, 2020)

oryx said:


> Couldn't eat a whole one.


I'd defo try it tbf


----------



## oryx (Jan 2, 2020)

I'd try a slice but the khaki tinge to the jelly is somewhat unappetising!


----------



## fishfinger (Jan 3, 2020)

That "jelly" looks like dried evo-stik


----------



## Artaxerxes (Jan 3, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> Right. Just had one.
> 
> The heat of the filling took the skin off the roof of my mouth. Nicely
> Browned flaky pasty.Gloopy brown stuff with greyish lumps of Quorn in it. Nothing much to chew really. A light linger of onions on the palate.smells of generic meaty style gravy.
> ...



This sounds exactly like a steak bake so it's perfect.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 3, 2020)

Looks like it needs a bit of gravy to moisten it up, but yeah I would.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 3, 2020)

Maggot said:


> Predictably, Piers Morgan is already moaning about it.


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 3, 2020)

I'm waiting for a vegan steak and stilton roll.

The vegan sausage was in many ways an improvement on the greasy sausage roll that made me instantly sick on eating half. I had a few vegan rolls when they came out but just can't picture myself eating them anymore. Daughter (who is happy to eat meat) prefers them.

I'm curious to see what is in the place of the steak. Is every Gregg's getting them? Might try one for lunch.


----------



## hash tag (Jan 3, 2020)

vegan stilton


----------



## Miss-Shelf (Jan 3, 2020)

waiting for vegan chocolate croissants


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 3, 2020)

Had one today, I enjoyed it, not too hot and not too much gravy and it tasted good. I find that these snacks taste best when they are hot, but not too hot. If you are unfortunate enough to get a cold one though, they are very disappointing.


----------



## Maggot (Jan 3, 2020)

I went to get one today. There was one left, and the bloke in front of me bought it.


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 3, 2020)

Maggot said:


> I went to get one today. There was one left, and the bloke in front of me bought it.


I hate it when that happens.


----------



## tim (Jan 4, 2020)

Count Cuckula said:


> I hate it when that happens.


He was probably one of those fucking vegans.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 4, 2020)

hash tag said:


> Not a great fan of vegan food as it has a tendency to be very heavily processed and full of additives IN an attempt to make it and make it tasty. Much rather stick to vegetarian food.


Yeah, this is my view too - although it is good there are meat-alternatives to basic high street stuff like this which can only be a good thing for the environment.   No harm in eating stuff like this now and again though - but not every day (I ate their cheese and onion pasties at least once a day when I was young).


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Jan 4, 2020)

It can only be an improvement on the meaty steak bake which is absolutely fucking vile.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 4, 2020)

Mrs Miggins said:


> It can only be an improvement on the meaty steak bake which is absolutely fucking vile.


I was never a big fan of the steak bake.  By far their best was the cheese and onion - will have to get one today as I've not had one in years.


----------



## editor (Jan 4, 2020)

You can only admire the power of Greggs' PR campaign with this vegan stuff. The fact that it winds up gasbag buffoons like Piers Morgan who increases the coverage of their products  makes it even better.


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 4, 2020)

hash tag said:


> vegan stilton


But no face palm for vegan steak?


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 4, 2020)

We went to get one in Croydon, but it wasn't being sold. I agree that I would probably be more into the cheese and onion bake anyway.


----------



## hash tag (Jan 4, 2020)

There is quite a lot of "vegan" meat around; a wealth of plant based burgers and sausages and steak would be much about the same.
vegan cheese is not good at the best of times, yet alone stilton.


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 4, 2020)

hash tag said:


> There is quite a lot of "vegan" meat around; a wealth of plant based burgers and sausages and steak would be much about the same.
> vegan cheese is not good at the best of times, yet alone stilton.


Vegan cheese is better than it used to be, it has vastly improved in recent years.


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 4, 2020)

hash tag said:


> vegan stilton


Actually I had a really nice vegan cheeseboard from  Morrisons a chrimbo or two ago and it included a nice vegan stilton, I was impressed.


----------



## Badgers (Jan 4, 2020)

Mrs Miggins said:


> It can only be an improvement on the meaty steak bake which is absolutely fucking vile.


I usually go for the corned beef bake when I rarely visit a Greggs


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 4, 2020)

8ball said:


> They're angry that there are no vegan fries?



To be fair it's an utter travesty that a naturally vegan product isn't actually vegan...


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 4, 2020)

oryx said:


> I'd try a slice but the khaki tinge to the jelly is somewhat unappetising!


Surely there are plenty of vegan gelling agents that could be used instead of cornstarch which might give a more pleasant colour.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 4, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> To be fair it's an utter travesty that a naturally vegan product isn't actually vegan...



Yeah, you’d think they’d have sorted that out first, really.


----------



## Apathy (Jan 4, 2020)

Just enjoyed a vegan meatball marinara from subway


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 4, 2020)

Proper Tidy said:


> Thoughts on this



Cornstarch and stock is never going to replace proper pork pie jelly, which should be sweet and well, actually jelly. It is perfectly possibly to make vegan jelly of course, and the 'meat' bit of the filling could be anything as long as it's salty, chewy and definitely very bad for you.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jan 4, 2020)

not-bono-ever said:


> Right. Just had one.
> 
> The heat of the filling took the skin off the roof of my mouth. Nicely
> Browned flaky pasty.Gloopy brown stuff with greyish lumps of Quorn in it. Nothing much to chew really. A light linger of onions on the palate.smells of generic meaty style gravy.
> ...



My recollection of Greggs steak bakes from my carnovirous days is that the lumps of meat were few and so chewy that when you did find one, you regretted it. I was a big fan of the chicken ones though, and would be delighted to see a vegan version of that. Chicken is easier to faithfully replicate in non-meat media anyway.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 6, 2020)

In my attempts to be more veggie/vegan I've discovered that its usually the pastry and sauce which is often the nicest bits of the non-meat constituents of a pie-meal. Adding something meaty like Quorn bits or Mushroom pretty much fills the gap.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 6, 2020)

skyscraper101 said:


> In my attempts to be more veggie/vegan I've discovered that its usually the pastry and sauce which is often the nicest bits of the non-meat constituents of a pie-meal. Adding something meaty like Quorn bits or Mushroom pretty much fills the gap.



I'm a big fan of savoury pastry products and like a meat pie, but my favourite is spinach and feta, it's fucking great, properly satisfying. Well I do like a baby's head a lot too but it's between those two.


----------



## danny la rouge (Jan 6, 2020)

I just had a Gregg’s vegan steak bake. It was good. I’d do it again.

I’m of the school that’d rather have a spinach and feta pastry usually, but this was nice and a handy stand by.


----------



## editor (Jan 6, 2020)

I've merged the two Greggs threads. I think it qualifies as news rather than general chat because it represents an almighty shift in acceptance of veganism in the UK and the marketing tactics really are incredible.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2020)

danny la rouge said:


> I just had a Gregg’s vegan steak bake. It was good. I’d do it again.
> 
> I’m of the school that’d rather have a spinach and feta pastry usually, but this was nice and a handy stand by.



I went looking for one yesterday.  No vegan steak bakes and no regular steak bakes either do maybe a few people had the same idea as me re: the side by side test/review.


----------



## danny la rouge (Jan 6, 2020)

8ball said:


> I went looking for one yesterday.  No vegan steak bakes and no regular steak bakes either do maybe a few people had the same idea as me re: the side by side test/review.


Interesting in itself.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2020)

danny la rouge said:


> Interesting in itself.



I dunno, it was getting late in the day, there were probably a few things missing and I'm not immune to availability bias.


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 6, 2020)

Just had another one, was half asleep when I had the last one. This time round I enjoyed it more, the filling is more like mince than chunks of steak but it was very satisfying.


----------



## Marty1 (Jan 6, 2020)

(Unsurprisingly) Piers Morgan is furious (possibly feigning) about these new Greggs vegan delights 

Interesting to hear the vegan sausage roll has more calories than a McDonalds cheeseburger but I guess they aren’t aimed as a weight loss snack.

I haven’t tried either of these new Greggs vegan options yet - the gf rates the v.sausage roll as decent - but I’ll certainly be giving them a go.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 6, 2020)

In related news: Burger King's plant-based Whopper 'not for vegans'


----------



## 8ball (Jan 6, 2020)

skyscraper101 said:


> In related news: Burger King's plant-based Whopper 'not for vegans'



BK are really being a bit half-arsed about this whole thing.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 6, 2020)

8ball said:


> BK are really being a bit half-arsed about this whole thing.



I follow their logic, but not sure if it was much of a PR win to 'expand' their range and deny veggie/vegan customers the option of enjoying it at the same time.


----------



## Marty1 (Jan 6, 2020)

Count Cuckula said:


> Just had another one, was half asleep when I had the last one. This time round I enjoyed it more, the filling is more like mince than chunks of steak but it was very satisfying.



How close is it to the real thing?


----------



## editor (Jan 7, 2020)

8ball said:


> BK are really being a bit half-arsed about this whole thing.


Absolute stupidity. I might have considered going in to a BK the first time in decades if I was desperate, but I've no interest in this meaty vegan monstrosity.


----------



## Wilf (Jan 7, 2020)

I've had plenty of the sausage rolls - very good.

I went veggie around 1984 so I'm not sure if I've ever had a greggs steakbake to compare, but it seemed okay. Maybe a bit sloppy, not enough 'meat' in it.  Anyway, I've found yet another way of keeping my saturated fat intake high.


----------



## The Toilet (Jan 7, 2020)

I think I found one in the street last Saturday.  It was difficult to tell but based on previous posts it fits the bill to a T.  I wasn't so keen TBH, it had the distinct taste of wee.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Jan 7, 2020)

Wilf said:


> I've had plenty of the sausage rolls - very good.
> 
> I went veggie around 1984 so I'm not sure if I've ever had a greggs steakbake to compare, but it seemed okay. Maybe a bit sloppy, not enough 'meat' in it.  Anyway, I've found yet another way of keeping my saturated fat intake high.


Sounds exactly like the real thing then because they are pastry filled with beef flavoured slop.


----------



## krink (Jan 7, 2020)

I'm onto my third one and yes I think they are lush. As for burger King they were doing their vegan bean burger years before McDonald's as it was the only takeaway burger I could have for a long time. They are cooked separately. And they're very nice too.


----------



## pinkmonkey (Jan 7, 2020)

I'd love to try the Greggs steak bake and the sausage roll but it has wheat in. Same for most vegetarian /vegan fast food, I can't participate. Overjoyed to discover that Mc D's new vegan dippers are wheat free! A few companies are swapping from wheat breadcrumbs for all products, because the alternative is more crispy.


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 7, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> How close is it to the real thing?


Close enough for me. I reckon it to be a good imitation.


----------



## kalidarkone (Jan 7, 2020)

The Greggs vegan steak bake is good. I also had my first vegan sausage roll and really did not like it.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 7, 2020)

Mrs Miggins said:


> It can only be an improvement on the meaty steak bake which is absolutely fucking vile.



I buy them occasionaly and always question why I've done so. There is fuck all meat in them and more to the point I'm left eating something really messy out in the street and end up getting gravy on my fingers and in my beard.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 7, 2020)

Morrison's attempt was alright, split one with my Dad who is a veggie.


----------



## Part 2 (Jan 7, 2020)

Pound bakery veggie sausage rolls are better than Greggs and you get 2 for a quid. 

They were only veggie though not vegan, not sure if that's changed....and not sure if pound bakery is even a thing in that London.


----------



## cyberfairy (Jan 7, 2020)

Part 2 said:


> Pound bakery veggie sausage rolls are better than Greggs and you get 2 for a quid.
> 
> They were only veggie though not vegan, not sure if that's changed....and not sure if pound bakery is even a thing in that London.


Guy in the pound bakery told me they were vegan- anyway 1000 times better, bigger, cheaper and hotter that Greggs!


----------



## krink (Jan 8, 2020)

What is pound bakery? Signed, fat cnut up north.


----------



## killer b (Jan 8, 2020)

it's a bakery where everything is a pound.


----------



## danny la rouge (Jan 8, 2020)

killer b said:


> it's a bakery where everything is a pound.


How much is their pound cake?


----------



## maomao (Jan 8, 2020)

Greggs have made so much money out of their vegan sausage rolls they've found a few pennies to chuck to their workers:

Greggs to pay workers £7m bonus after vegan sausage roll success

I have no idea what their pay is like in the first place so I'm not going to clain this is nice capitalism or anything but is fun if it winds up the Morgan/Clarkson/Ferrari types.


----------



## maomao (Jan 8, 2020)

danny la rouge said:


> How much is their pound cake?


I've checked their menu and they don't seem to sell any. Which seems a bit of a missed opportunity.


----------



## killer b (Jan 8, 2020)

maomao said:


> Greggs have made so much money out of their vegan sausage rolls they've found a few pennies to chuck to their workers:
> 
> Greggs to pay workers £7m bonus after vegan sausage roll success
> 
> I have no idea what their pay is like in the first place so I'm not going to clain this is nice capitalism or anything but is fun if it winds up the Morgan/Clarkson/Ferrari types.


it doesn't wind Morgan up, he'll have a sweet bonus for the sausage roll campaign too.


----------



## maomao (Jan 8, 2020)

killer b said:


> it doesn't wind Morgan up, he'll have a sweet bonus for the sausage roll campaign too.


I doubt they actually payed him. It's just a mutually beneficial relationship surely.

ETA: though I meant theie fans and that type generally. My miserable right wing colleagues get no profit or even benefit for whining about vegan food because they heard someone on LBC spouting bile on the way to work.


----------



## killer b (Jan 8, 2020)

I'd be paying Morgan to make sure he got angry about my new vegan product if I was launching one in the UK right now. And I'd be charging for the boost if I was Morgan too.


----------



## maomao (Jan 8, 2020)

killer b said:


> I'd be paying Morgan to make sure he got angry about my new vegan product if I was launching one in the UK right now. And I'd be charging for the boost if I was Morgan too.


You'd be wasting your money as the former (he'll happily attack you anyway even knowing that it's providing you with free publicity) and you'd be out of a job as the latter (not for corruption but you'd soon run out of things to be furious about if you only did it for dosh). Do you believe money has already changed hands between Greggs and Piers Morgan (other than when he pops in there for a couple of yum yums)?


----------



## Marty1 (Jan 8, 2020)

maomao said:


> Greggs have made so much money out of their vegan sausage rolls they've found a few pennies to chuck to their workers:
> 
> Greggs to pay workers £7m bonus after vegan sausage roll success
> 
> I have no idea what their pay is like in the first place so I'm not going to clain this is nice capitalism or anything but is fun if it winds up the Morgan/Clarkson/Ferrari types.



That’s great news for Greggs workers and also that quality vegan alternatives can be a big and successful market.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 8, 2020)

killer b said:


> it's a bakery where everything is a pound.


You'd think wouldn't you but there pricing is a mess really


----------



## 8ball (Jan 8, 2020)

killer b said:


> it's a bakery where everything is a pound.



Oh.  If that name is taken I'm going to need to call my porn site something else.


----------



## killer b (Jan 8, 2020)

maomao said:


> You'd be wasting your money as the former (he'll happily attack you anyway even knowing that it's providing you with free publicity) and you'd be out of a job as the latter (not for corruption but you'd soon run out of things to be furious about if you only did it for dosh). Do you believe money has already changed hands between Greggs and Piers Morgan (other than when he pops in there for a couple of yum yums)?


I've no idea - maybe. Possibly. But either way, the two responses of 'Piers Morgan, what a legend, he says what everyone thinks' and 'Piers Morgan, what a man-baby, triggered by vegetarian food again!' are responses he's seeking, they serve his ends (and Gregg's ends). Better to take no interest at all in anything dullard controversialists say IMO


----------



## editor (Jan 8, 2020)

maomao said:


> Greggs have made so much money out of their vegan sausage rolls they've found a few pennies to chuck to their workers:
> 
> Greggs to pay workers £7m bonus after vegan sausage roll success
> 
> I have no idea what their pay is like in the first place so I'm not going to clain this is nice capitalism or anything but is fun if it winds up the Morgan/Clarkson/Ferrari types.


Given that most bosses ferret away any increased profits in their already overstuffed accounts, it's a far better gesture than most but still far short of my ideal profit sharing model.


----------



## Artaxerxes (Jan 8, 2020)

8ball said:


> Oh.  If that name is taken I'm going to need to call my porn site something else.



Pound Land?


----------



## Teaboy (Jan 8, 2020)

I tried to the vegan steak bake yesterday.  Its actually pretty good.  The best way I can describe it is Quorn mince in a thick veggie gravy.  There's no chunks of anything in there so in that regard the texture is a bit like a cheap meat one.  Its not quite as rich as the meat one but its a decent effort.  Veggies who don't like the taste of meat won't like it but that's clearly not the market.  Would buy again.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 8, 2020)

Artaxerxes said:


> Pound Land?



Bit prosaic.


----------



## friedaweed (Jan 8, 2020)

The pink pound, The vegan pound, The Fur Free Burger Pound, capitaljism innit.


----------



## BigTom (Jan 8, 2020)

Just had the subway meatless meatball marina. Was fine, been a long time since I had the meatball one but I don't think the texture of the meatless meatballs was quite right - most (if not all) the flavour is in the marinara sauce which is exactly the same on both. I wasn't that impressed and won't go back but would happily eat it if there was only subway or was with other people who wanted to eat there.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Jan 8, 2020)

Tried the vegan steak bake today. I didn't intend to, as I remember having the original about 15-20 odd years ago and it was so bad I threw it in the bin. I bought one for a homeless person but didn't see one of my way to work so ate it myself. Pleasantly surprised. The pastry was nice and flaky and the filling was hearty and flavourful. Good comfort food.


----------



## Part 2 (Jan 8, 2020)

killer b said:


> it's a bakery where everything is a pound.



And some things are 2 for a pound! (Donuts etc may even be 4 but I never buy sweet stuff)

There used to be a pound pub in Eccles. Not sure how long that lasted.


----------



## Whagwan (Jan 9, 2020)




----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 9, 2020)

Regarding vegan cheese, I've just had some vegan Applewood cheese with crackers, just like the real thing. Violife is a good vegan cheese aswell, as is Asda vegan cheddar.

Also had Kettle vegan sheese and onion crisps yesterday from Morrisons, again, just like the real thing.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 9, 2020)

Tried VioLife.  Truly terrible in its basic form.  Almost sufferable when melted.
Melt it with a small amount of marmite added and it becomes almost slightly cheese like.


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 9, 2020)

8ball said:


> Tried VioLife.  Truly terrible in its basic form.  Almost sufferable when melted.
> Melt it with a small amount of marmite added and it becomes almost slightly cheese like.


Applewood has more flavour. Like the marmite idea.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 9, 2020)

Count Cuckula said:


> Applewood has more flavour. Like the marmite idea.



Guess I'll give it a go.  If I tried VioLife blind in unmelted form I don't think I'd even guess what it is they are trying to emulate.


----------



## polly (Jan 9, 2020)

maomao said:


> Greggs have made so much money out of their vegan sausage rolls they've found a few pennies to chuck to their workers:
> 
> Greggs to pay workers £7m bonus after vegan sausage roll success
> 
> I have no idea what their pay is like in the first place so I'm not going to clain this is nice capitalism or anything but is fun if it winds up the Morgan/Clarkson/Ferrari types.





Marty1 said:


> That’s great news for Greggs workers and also that quality vegan alternatives can be a big and successful market.



Saw this on twitter yesterday. I don't know if it's true but doesn't sound unlikely (for those not on twitter it says that Greggs employees are paid so badly that most of them are on Universal Credit, so the bonus will just be taken out of that).



Also, I had a Greggs sausage roll and thought it was an abomination.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 9, 2020)

Just been in to see if they have a vegan steak bake - no sign of them.  Get the impression they just don't have them.
It's near the train station so I would have expected a certain amount of middle-class foot traffic.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 9, 2020)

Whagwan said:


>




Yeah that sucks.

Would've been better to just give them £300 of credit to use in store.


----------



## killer b (Jan 9, 2020)

I had a vegan steak bake at lunch, and would struggle to recognise that it wasn't a steak steak bake tbh. Less gristle, a bit less salty but that's about it


----------



## 8ball (Jan 9, 2020)

killer b said:


> ... a bit less salty but that's about it



Interesting.  It has more salt, but then vegan stuff tends to go that way.  More salt to make up for a little less glutamic acid, maybe.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Jan 9, 2020)

Greg Wallace is sold on these mushroom steaks...


----------



## Marty1 (Jan 9, 2020)

polly said:


> Saw this on twitter yesterday. I don't know if it's true but doesn't sound unlikely (for those not on twitter it says that Greggs employees are paid so badly that most of them are on Universal Credit, so the bonus will just be taken out of that).
> 
> 
> 
> Also, I had a Greggs sausage roll and thought it was an abomination.




If something looks too good to be true....


----------



## weltweit (Jan 9, 2020)

I like the idea of trying a vegan burger / sausage roll etc but I haven't seen a Greggs for a while now. 

At some point my desires and practical shop presence will coincide and I will try the non meat meat!


----------



## 8ball (Jan 9, 2020)

weltweit said:


> I like the idea of trying a vegan burger / sausage roll etc but I haven't seen a Greggs for a while now.



Do you know my mate Trev?  He also lives on the moon.


----------



## William of Walworth (Jan 10, 2020)

Count Cuckula said:


> Regarding vegan cheese, I've just had some vegan Applewood cheese with crackers, just like the real thing. Violife is a good vegan cheese aswell, as is Asda vegan cheddar.
> 
> Also had Kettle vegan sheese and onion crisps yesterday from Morrisons, again, just like the real thing.




These sound like good recommendations, but if anyone is able to get hold of Mel Rogers' (much rarer) vegan cheese, it's also pretty damned good,

Mel's Kindness Kitchen (Facebook)

Mel's Kindness Kitchen (website)

(Some of the information on both links is out of date, she's now based in West Wales not Temple Cloud near Bristol, where she was for years, until recently. But her cheese is available online and at veggie/vegan events).


----------



## Sprocket. (Jan 10, 2020)

I’ve had a two vegan bakes in the last week.
Very nice, pastry was good and they are much better imo than their vegan rolls.


----------



## braindancer (Jan 10, 2020)

Bang into the vegan sausage rolls - a staple of all motorway journeys now.  Four quid to feed the family - except I sometimes eat two - and then regret it....

I meant to take a lunchtime stroll to Greggs this week to try the steak bake but forgot.  Just added it to my to do list for next week....


----------



## scifisam (Jan 10, 2020)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> To me (as a meat eater) that makes little sense. I mean I get choosing healthier options. This isn't it.



A lot of veggies and vegans and people who want to cut down their meat consumption grew up eating meat, and food is a cultural thing, not just about health or ethical choices. So we want sausage rolls without killing animals for it. Just because you want to not kill animals in order to eat doesn't mean you also lose all your cultural associations with food.



Whagwan said:


>




I'm a bit annoyed about this, TBH. Greggs employs a lot of part-time staff and a lot of working parents (universal credit includes the childcare element), and that's why a lot of their workers are on universal credit and the bonus won't help everyone - it's not because they pay low wages. The wages they pay are average for the industry and skill levels required. They don't offer zero hours contracts and they're generally perceived as reasonably good employers. It's a bit shit that they're being criticised for paying their employees a bonus - it won't exactly encourage them or other companies to do the same again.

It's universal credit that's messed up.


----------



## cyril_smear (Jan 11, 2020)

danny la rouge said:


> How much is their pound cake?



99 pence


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

editor said:


> I've merged the two Greggs threads. I think it qualifies as news rather than general chat because it represents an almighty shift in acceptance of veganism in the UK and the marketing tactics really are incredible.



Of course the marketing is incredible. Multinational food production companies have invested millions in this because they have nearly found a way to remove the farmer from food production. Vast synthetic, highly processed frankenfood is their future. 
It's like Turkey twizzlers without the Turkey, and they still seem to have convinced people its actually healthy.....


----------



## scifisam (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> Of course the marketing is incredible. Multinational food production companies have invested millions in this because they have nearly found a way to remove the farmer from food production. Vast synthetic, highly processed frankenfood is their future.
> It's like Turkey twizzlers without the Turkey, and they still seem to have convinced people its actually healthy.....



Food that doesn't require huge amounts of land and resources is our future, if we want to have one.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> Vast synthetic, highly processed frankenfood is their future.
> It's like Turkey twizzlers without the Turkey, and they still seem to have convinced people its actually healthy.....



Is quorn unhealthy then?


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

Nine Bob Note said:


> Is quorn unhealthy then?


Quorn hasn't been passed as fit for human consumption in some countries. It was developed by ICI.


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

scifisam said:


> Food that doesn't require huge amounts of land and resources is our future, if we want to have one.


But this food might not require huge amounts of land, but it does require huge amounts of resources, in terms of energy, and unlike farmland, cannot sequester carbon.


----------



## Nine Bob Note (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> But this food might not require huge amounts of land, but it does require huge amounts of resources, in terms of energy, and unlike farmland, cannot sequester carbon.



Quorn uses more resources than farming? That's pretty damning


----------



## scifisam (Jan 11, 2020)

Nine Bob Note said:


> Quorn uses more resources than farming? That's pretty damning



Compared to other non-animal sources of protein? I can't be arsed to seek out loads of cites and evidence, but if Quorn really is as synthetic as it's claimed, then it could be grown anywhere, and would be better than taking over yet more farmland for imported soya beans or quinoa or almonds and importing them to the UK. It's not like people are going to stop eating cabbages because quorn exists, it's just one of the ways to provide protein without killing animals.


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

scifisam said:


> Compared to other non-animal sources of protein? I can't be arsed to seek out loads of cites and evidence, but if Quorn really is as synthetic as it's claimed, then it could be grown anywhere, and would be better than taking over yet more farmland for imported soya beans or quinoa or almonds and importing them to the UK. It's not like people are going to stop eating cabbages because quorn exists, it's just one of the ways to provide protein without killing animals.



It can be grown anywhere, or anywhere you can site a factory. These factory based foods still have problems - for example, Quorn is Europe's biggest purchaser of egg whites.
However, the thought of handing over the nation's nutritional requirements entirely to the food manufacturing giants is terrifying.
At least with agriculture, the government imposes things such as traceability etc onto the industry. 

Currently, within the EU, agriculture is responsible for 10% of ghg emissions approximately, of which animal agriculture is responsible for 4.9% and cropping 5.1%. 
The issue really is soils - the depletion thereof is caused by tillage, and the best way to restore them is by not doing that (min-till or direct drilling) and including livestock in the rotation. Pasture is our best carbon sink and if it is improved with manure (or even better: compost), it sequesters even more carbon. More and more we are finding that soil biota are key in absorbing carbon. 

The real issue with emissions continues to be that we are taking carbon sequestered millions of years ago and releasing it into the atmosphere. So; unless there is a wholesale change in how energy for industry is produced, it will continue to emit that very carbon.


I'm not actually against these vegan "meat" things - I've said in the sausage roll thread I tried one, but mostly because it made Piers Morgan angry, and that in itself tastes very sweet. But, I'd place these things alongside their meat analogues: highly processed crap that you eat occasionally


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> Of course the marketing is incredible. Multinational food production companies have invested millions in this because they have nearly found a way to remove the farmer from food production. Vast synthetic, highly processed frankenfood is their future.
> It's like Turkey twizzlers without the Turkey, and they still seem to have convinced people its actually healthy.....



I don’t think hardly anybody thinks Greggs pasties and sausage rolls are healthy, vegan or otherwise.


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

Jeff Robinson said:


> I don’t think hardly anybody thinks Greggs pasties and sausage rolls are healthy, vegan or otherwise.



They are marketing "plant based" meat substitutes as being healthy and people seem to be believing it. I'm highly sceptical of heavily processed foods and trust Kraft, Nestle et al about as far as I can spit.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> They are marketing "plant based" meat substitutes as being healthy and people seem to be believing it. I'm highly sceptical of heavily processed foods and trust Kraft, Nestle et al about as far as I can spit.



Greggs are marketing the vegan steak bake as healthy? I must have missed that.


----------



## scifisam (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> It can be grown anywhere, or anywhere you can site a factory. These factory based foods still have problems - for example, Quorn is Europe's biggest purchaser of egg whites.
> However, the thought of handing over the nation's nutritional requirements entirely to the food manufacturing giants is terrifying.
> At least with agriculture, the government imposes things such as traceability etc onto the industry.
> 
> ...



But nobody is suggesting handing over the nation's nutritional requirements entirely to the food manufacturing giants (and factories do have legal standards to meet - it's not only farmers who are subject to the law). Quorn is a meat replacement, not a replacement for carrots, lettuce, wheat etc. Agriculture will not cease just because some people are eating quorn.


----------



## William of Walworth (Jan 11, 2020)

The Quorn talk above reminded me of this :

Concerning factory made foods generally, George Monbiot seems to be going somewhat OTT (?) in this article :

Lab-grown food will soon destroy farming -- and save the planet

I didn't see his TV documentary on exactly this subject that was broadcast last week. Was it any good? 

But generally, I'm fairly suspicious of this lab-grown food idea (is this even the correct thread for discussing it ?  )


----------



## Hollis (Jan 11, 2020)

I find the Violife cheese fine as part of a sandwich... also some of the vegan burgers are really very decent these days. On the other hand I can't face any more Linda McCartney sausages..


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

William of Walworth said:


> The Quorn talk above reminded me of this :
> 
> Concerning factory made foods generally, George Monbiot seems to be going somewhat OTT (?) in this article :
> 
> ...



He's gone a bit mental on this lately. If you are into holistic/regenerative ag/ soil restoration then ruminants will play a big part in this. Probably off topic for this thread, but Google Alan Savoury to see what I mean. 

I think it has possibly got something to do with C4 having just invested heavily in a meatless meat company.


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

scifisam said:


> But nobody is suggesting handing over the nation's nutritional requirements entirely to the food manufacturing giants (and factories do have legal standards to meet - it's not only farmers who are subject to the law). Quorn is a meat replacement, not a replacement for carrots, lettuce, wheat etc. Agriculture will not cease just because some people are eating quorn.


Carrots, wheat etc etc deplete the soil of nutrients and these need replacing if land is to continue being productive. We can obviously use synthetic fossil fuel based fertiliser to do this or, a big part could be manure - this is why more progressive arable farming is starting to bring sheep/cows/both back into the rotation.
Edited to add: this is the kind of thing I mean:How regenerative land and livestock management practices can sequester carbon


----------



## scifisam (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> Carrots, wheat etc etc deplete the soil of nutrients and these need replacing if land is to continue being productive. We can obviously use synthetic fossil fuel based fertiliser to do this or, a big part could be manure - this is why more progressive arable farming is starting to bring sheep/cows/both back into the rotation.
> Edited to add: this is the kind of thing I mean:How regenerative land and livestock management practices can sequester carbon



I'm really not sure what this has to do with quorn existing. People eat quorn, therefore soil will be depleted? Huh?


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

scifisam said:


> I'm really not sure what this has to do with quorn existing. People eat quorn, therefore soil will be depleted? Huh?



No. You were talking about veg/cereals etc existing. I was pointing out where livestock fits into that picture.


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

For interest William of Walworth : George Monbiot’s Apocalypse Cow: Is this the truth about the future of food? - Real Food Campaign


----------



## Poot (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> Carrots, wheat etc etc deplete the soil of nutrients and these need replacing if land is to continue being productive. We can obviously use synthetic fossil fuel based fertiliser to do this or, a big part could be manure - this is why more progressive arable farming is starting to bring sheep/cows/both back into the rotation.
> Edited to add: this is the kind of thing I mean:How regenerative land and livestock management practices can sequester carbon


Fields that could be set aside for wildflowers, pollinators etc are being used as pasture, which does not encourage a diversity of species. 

But we've done this to death on the other threads so I'll just say that I enjoyed the vegan sausage roll a great deal as a Saturday treat, but I don't think anyone has claimed it's healthy.


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

Poot said:


> Fields that could be set aside for wildflowers, pollinators etc are being used as pasture, which does not encourage a diversity of species.
> 
> But we've done this to death on the other threads so I'll just say that I enjoyed the vegan sausage roll a great deal as a Saturday treat, but I don't think anyone has claimed it's healthy.



Wildflower meadows still need either grazing or mowing every year, otherwise succession means that they will become scrub. All the grassland managed for wildlife is grazed or cut at some stage.
On the whole, pasture land isn't short of pollinators anyway - clover is a common plant to encourage/drill in pasture to fix nitrogen.
Wildflower/pollinator strips are a management tool on arable cropping land.


----------



## Poot (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> Wildflower meadows still need either grazing or mowing every year, otherwise succession means that they will become scrub. All the grassland managed for wildlife is grazed or cut at some stage.


It needs some light maintenance, yes. But the current BPS payments only really encourage margins. We need more diversity.


----------



## Funky_monks (Jan 11, 2020)

Poot said:


> It needs some light maintenance, yes. But the current BPS payments only really encourage margins. We need more diversity.


You won't get it by removing grazers on grassland - you'll get gorse. 
All the SSSI and NNR grassland that I can think of has grazing ruminants on it.


----------



## Poot (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> You won't get it by removing grazers on grassland - you'll get gorse.
> All the SSSI and NNR grassland that I can think of has grazing ruminants on it.


I live next to a cirl bunting hotspot so we like scrubland in that specific SSSI. But this is rather leading away from the topic!


----------



## scifisam (Jan 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> No. You were talking about veg/cereals etc existing. I was pointing out where livestock fits into that picture.



Livestock can be helpful there (though not all livestock is farmed for eating), but that doesn't mean we need to continue eating the same amounts of meat we do now in order to eat vegetables, which seems to be what you're implying.


----------



## Whagwan (Jan 14, 2020)

Bonus blow for Greggs staff prompts call for benefit and tax rethink
					

Some workers who are on universal credit could keep just £75 of the £300 payout




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 14, 2020)

It's good if this prompts the chattering classes to pay attention to the systematic nastiness of universal credit. Mind, if Greggs ever want to so something like this again they should stick £360 in every employees pension (cos they save on corp tax), then DWP can't do shit and when they eventually get their bonus it should be worth a big old chunk more


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 14, 2020)

Or those capital bond things if they still exist, basically govt gift vouchers. I used to get paid overtime in them, could spend them in spoons


----------



## scifisam (Jan 14, 2020)

Or give the option to receive the money gradually, if that's legal. Or offer it as paid time off. But really they shouldn't have to go to such lengths - a company should be able to offer a small bonus without the recipients finding themselves out of pocket due to a messed up UC system.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 14, 2020)

scifisam said:


> Or give the option to receive the money gradually, if that's legal. Or offer it as paid time off. But really they shouldn't have to go to such lengths - a company should be able to offer a small bonus without the recipients finding themselves out of pocket due to a messed up UC system.



Yeah I agree it's misplaced to target this at greggs, it's the poverty trap created by UC that needs hammering


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 14, 2020)

Also just realised greggs would have offset the bonus against corp tax anyway so would just be £300 into pension, although no tax or NI on it for the employees


----------



## braindancer (Jan 15, 2020)

Looks like I may not even need to visit Greggs to try out one of these bad boys: Greggs joins up with Just Eat for nationwide delivery rollout


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jan 15, 2020)

I went to Greggs in London Bridge station this morning and the Vegan Sausage Roll was £1.20 - is this the national norm, or just London commuter prices?


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 15, 2020)

skyscraper101 said:


> I went to Greggs in London Bridge station this morning and the Vegan Sausage Roll was £1.20 - is this the national norm, or just London commuter prices?



Quid most places isn't it, it's 10p more than the pork equivelent anyway


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 16, 2020)

I dunno if anyone has mentioned it yet, but Morrisons do really nice vegan pasties and sausage rolls, including a giant sausage roll that is vegan.

It's gotta be better than the alternative, eating ear 'oles and arseholes anyhow.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 16, 2020)

Count Cuckula said:


> It's gotta be better than the alternative, eating ear 'oles and arseholes anyhow.



If you think it _has_ to be better, you haven't tried many vegan substitutes.


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 16, 2020)

8ball said:


> If you think it _has_ to be better, you haven't tried many vegan substitutes.


whatevz dingaling


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 16, 2020)

Just had a vegan steak bake. Was ok, tastes like a steak bake. It's no baked bean slice. Also it cost £1.85 cos I'm at a services, robbing fuckers


----------



## Grace Johnson (Jan 21, 2020)

The subway vegan meatball sandwich is amazing and I have eaten far more of these recently than I really should. Tastes just like the meat ones that I fondly remember from my omnivore days. Defo the best vegan fast food item.


----------



## editor (Jan 21, 2020)

Grace Johnson said:


> The subway vegan meatball sandwich is amazing and I have eaten far more of these recently than I really should. Tastes just like the meat ones that I fondly remember from my omnivore days. Defo the best vegan fast food item.


That's probably because it's stuffed full of sugar!


----------



## Grace Johnson (Jan 21, 2020)

editor said:


> That's probably because it's stuffed full of sugar!



Yeah it's defo terrible, terrible food like. I don't even want to look at the ingredients


----------



## Maggot (Jan 21, 2020)

Grace Johnson said:


> The subway vegan meatball sandwich is amazing and I have eaten far more of these recently than I really should. Tastes just like the meat ones that I fondly remember from my omnivore days. Defo the best vegan fast food item.





editor said:


> That's probably because it's stuffed full of sugar!


I don't know about sugar, but it has 2.4g of salt in which is about 40% of the recommended maximum  daily intake.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 21, 2020)

Maggot said:


> I don't know about sugar, but it has 2.4g of salt in which is about 40% of the recommended maximum  daily intake.



It's a bit of an irony with vegan food that so many of these popular new products are really pretty bad for you*, and often worse than what they are emulating, whereas you can focus on certain vegan things that don't mimic meat at all and find stuff that is really tasty and also healthy at the same time.

* blame capitalism


----------



## Teaboy (Jan 21, 2020)

8ball said:


> It's a bit of an irony with vegan food that so many of these popular new products are really pretty bad for you*, and often worse than what they are emulating, whereas you can focus on certain vegan things that don't mimic meat at all and find stuff that is really tasty and also healthy at the same time.
> 
> * blame capitalism



The meat version of the subway meatball marinara also has crazy amounts of salt in it something like akin to 13 bags of ready salted crisps.  So, its not the veg versions are worse just that a lot of this stuff is probably not much better.  That's the problem with processed food and realistically purveyors of these sorts of food are not really aiming at veg / vegans more people cutting down on eating meat.  Burger King have been pretty upfront about that with their Rebel Whopper.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 21, 2020)

I guess it varies, but these threads have seen plenty of examples where salt, sugar and/or fat have been a lot higher in the vegan equivalents.

Vegans will vegan healthily, but I think some companies are happy to use the v-word and its connotations to flog some really unhealthy stuff.


----------



## scifisam (Jan 21, 2020)

I've just discovered that Wimpy now do delivery. I've always loved their beanburgers and it turns out they do a quorn burger too. This makes me very happy  



8ball said:


> It's a bit of an irony with vegan food that so many of these popular new products are really pretty bad for you*, and often worse than what they are emulating, whereas you can focus on certain vegan things that don't mimic meat at all and find stuff that is really tasty and also healthy at the same time.
> 
> * blame capitalism



And we're back to meat eaters criticising vegans for not being able to change their whole cultural diet and learn to live off lentils and beans, even though most vegans aren't vegan for health reasons so are just as likely to want junk food or - heaven forbid - sandwiches! - as meat eaters are. (And yes, the bit about "you can focus on..." is a criticism).


----------



## pinkmonkey (Jan 21, 2020)

I tried the McD's vegan dippers - they are accidentally gluten free - They are ok, they aren't  pretend meat. The filling is smushed up peppers and sweetcorn, the coating is crispy and is the same as the lovely crispy coating I get on other gluten free products. I had with a sweet and sour dip and could only taste the dip. Seeing as when my brothers kids want a McD's I can't normally eat anything hot as everything has wheat in and have to make do with freezing my tits off eating one of their shit salads, this is an improvement.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Jan 21, 2020)

I had the new Chipotle Avocado burger at Leon yesterday. (It's not just avocado, it has a vegan burger in it.) Not bad - pretty moist as you would expect from having guacamole in it but probably no messier to eat than a lot of burgers, and the burger bit was fine. Could do with some chilli sauce though.






						Vegan - Leon Restaurants
					






					leon.co


----------



## 8ball (Jan 21, 2020)

Is the avocado there to supplement the vegan patty with a bit of fat?


----------



## spanglechick (Jan 21, 2020)

One of the things that has put me off a lot of vegan food, traditionally, is a lack of the unhealthy yumminess present in so much omnivore fodder.  Salt, fat and sugar taste good.  We are programmed to enjoy fat and sugar, especially, because they signalled the highest calorie foods that kept us going longer.  

You may have overcome this programming, and if you have then you’re very lucky... but it’s highly disingenuous to wonder why people wanting to sell volume foodstuffs have made them taste yummy to the masses.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Jan 21, 2020)

8ball said:


> Is the avocado there to supplement the vegan patty with a bit of fat?


The patty is there to provide some structural strength. A load of guacamole in a bun with some lettuce would just disintegrate.


----------



## Grace Johnson (Jan 21, 2020)

8ball said:


> It's a bit of an irony with vegan food that so many of these popular new products are really pretty bad for you*, and often worse than what they are emulating, whereas you can focus on certain vegan things that don't mimic meat at all and find stuff that is really tasty and also healthy at the same time.
> 
> * blame capitalism



Totally agree with this. A lot the ready made stuff avaliable in the supermarkets is full of all kinds of strange unidentifiable ingredients. The salts often really high and the other nutritional content can be really poor. Like you said far better to revolve your diet around veg and pulses and grains. We try not to have meat substitutes more than once or twice a week. Some of it is crazy expensive too. When you look at the pack it can end up being 20 or 25 pound a kilo. Like you said loads of companies trying to cash in at the minute, on one hand it's nice to have the choice these days. On the other hand some of the food is really very poor and I do worry about people switching away from meat for the first time and basing their diet around meat substitutes.


----------



## 8ball (Jan 21, 2020)

FridgeMagnet said:


> The patty is there to provide some structural strength. A load of guacamole in a bun with some lettuce would just disintegrate.



Fair enough. I’ve found some veg*n burgers to be pretty dry.


----------



## Grace Johnson (Jan 21, 2020)

spanglechick said:


> One of the things that has put me off a lot of vegan food, traditionally, is a lack of the unhealthy yumminess present in so much omnivore fodder.  Salt, fat and sugar taste good.  We are programmed to enjoy fat and sugar, especially, because they signalled the highest calorie foods that kept us going longer.
> 
> You may have overcome this programming, and if you have then you’re very lucky... but it’s highly disingenuous to wonder why people wanting to sell volume foodstuffs have made them taste yummy to the masses.




Yeah it's only a very recent change. Last couple of years really. Last year was the first time that vegan options on the high Street were even avaliable really. 

Loads of unhealthy crap around now though. It's not really done me any favours to be tbh but it has been nice to have junk food again


----------



## 8ball (Jan 21, 2020)

spanglechick said:


> One of the things that has put me off a lot of vegan food, traditionally, is a lack of the unhealthy yumminess present in so much omnivore fodder.  Salt, fat and sugar taste good.  We are programmed to enjoy fat and sugar, especially, because they signalled the highest calorie foods that kept us going longer.
> 
> You may have overcome this programming, and if you have then you’re very lucky... but it’s highly disingenuous to wonder why people wanting to sell volume foodstuffs have made them taste yummy to the masses.



Oh, overcoming that programming is well beyond my coding skills. 

But there are quite a lot of fairly normal sources of fats, salt and umaminess in the general vegan mileu.

My point in this case is that capitalists are using the aura of health around the word “veg*n” to sell some nasty crap that is dirt cheap to make and has a BIG profit margin.

It’s not that they _have_ to do this to make vegan food nice, it’s about selling cheap fats, salt and mould etc. for the price of something much better.


----------



## scifisam (Jan 21, 2020)

I've just had my home-delivered Wimpy beanburger. Slightly different recipe to the way it used to be but it's very good.  And makes me feel like I've time travelled back to the 80s.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Jan 21, 2020)

8ball said:


> Fair enough. I’ve found some veg*n burgers to be pretty dry.


I don't think it was dry but with the sauce and the guacamole nothing would be. It didn't have any particular texture or anything, not like a seitan patty.

The whole thing was pretty satisfying yet not too greasy, a good lunch meal without making me feel bloated afterwards. The waffle fries however were getting cold when they arrived.


----------



## scifisam (Jan 21, 2020)

8ball said:


> Oh, overcoming that programming is well beyond my coding skills.
> 
> But there are quite a lot of fairly normal sources of fats, salt and umaminess in the general vegan mileu.
> 
> ...



What foods are you thinking of that are vegan, healthy and have fat and salt and umami? 

The problem with a lot of the healthy vegan stuff that's quick to make, or available as convenience food, is it's very low in protein. Beans and lentils are fine, obviously, but sometimes you want something to crunch or at least chew, and once they're turned into burgers they tend to not be as healthy.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Jan 21, 2020)

scifisam said:


> What foods are you thinking of that are vegan, healthy and have fat and salt and umami?
> 
> The problem with a lot of the healthy vegan stuff that's quick to make, or available as convenience food, is it's very low in protein. Beans and lentils are fine, obviously, but sometimes you want something to crunch or at least chew, and once they're turned into burgers they tend to not be as healthy.


I think we are in a period now where the old "lentil loaf rabbit food" stereotypes about what vegan food can be are being challenged in this country. People are getting interested in vegan and veggie food, and they're not prepared to put up with having one boring default thing on the menu, and there are enough of them that there's a market response.

There is after all no practical reason why you can't have nice tasty crunchy delicious food that doesn't use animal products. I am cooking vegan at the moment (more out of awkwardness than anything else admittedly but that has taken me far in life) and I'm surprised how easy it is to get stuff that is satisfying without having to stretch far at all. It's just that for eating out you need an infrastructure that is prepared to do that in volume.


----------



## scifisam (Jan 21, 2020)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I think we are in a period now where the old "lentil loaf rabbit food" stereotypes about what vegan food can be are being challenged in this country. People are getting interested in vegan and veggie food, and they're not prepared to put up with having one boring default thing on the menu, and there are enough of them that there's a market response.
> 
> There is after all no practical reason why you can't have nice tasty crunchy delicious food that doesn't use animal products. I am cooking vegan at the moment (more out of awkwardness than anything else admittedly but that has taken me far in life) and I'm surprised how easy it is to get stuff that is satisfying without having to stretch far at all. It's just that for eating out you need an infrastructure that is prepared to do that in volume.



Yes, it's definitely much better. Though some of the things I would consider healthy or at least OK often get decried as terrible bad wrong things. 

Of course, it doesn't help that I'm not a foodie who doesn't really enjoy cooking on a regular basis, and that's not going to change just because I don't want to kill animals. (Also these days I'm disabled and before that I was working too much to spend ages cooking). If it weren't for the greater variety of convenience foods produced by the dreadful capitalist vegetarian food companies, who are obviously far worse than the dreadful capitalist meat companies, my diet would be far more limited.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Jan 21, 2020)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I had the new Chipotle Avocado burger at Leon yesterday. (It's not just avocado, it has a vegan burger in it.) Not bad - pretty moist as you would expect from having guacamole in it but probably no messier to eat than a lot of burgers, and the burger bit was fine. Could do with some chilli sauce though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Leon has some of the best vegan fast food out there imo, though I haven't tried the burgers. Apparently they're outselling the meat burgers now Vegan burgers are outselling meat burgers at LEON restaurants


----------



## HoratioCuthbert (Jan 22, 2020)

Absolutely delighted with this(didn’t want to bump another vegan thread)


----------



## HoratioCuthbert (Jan 22, 2020)

Their falafel and something wrap is far too dry though. The standard one the cope already did is better.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 22, 2020)

Vegan duck, they should make a name for it like facon


----------



## Calamity1971 (Jan 22, 2020)

HoratioCuthbert said:


> Absolutely delighted with this(didn’t want to bump another vegan thread)
> View attachment 196391


Quite tasty, but there was more wrap than filling. I got it in the reduced bit. Wouldn't pay the full price tbh.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 22, 2020)

Proper Tidy said:


> Vegan duck, they should make a name for it like facon



This was a shit joke about it being called fuck, but just realised they could call plant based duck pluck


----------



## danski (Jan 22, 2020)

Proper Tidy said:


> This was a shit joke about it being called fuck, but just realised they could call plant based duck pluck


Vuck.


----------



## sovereignb (Jan 22, 2020)

Loved the sausage role. Also bought a pack of Cauldron Lincolnshire protein based sausages over the weekend, which I  can confirm today were beautiful 
Definitely a repurchase item


----------



## AmateurAgitator (Jan 22, 2020)

I think Greggs could have done better than calling it the vegan steak beak, not too imaginitive. They could have called it the steak fake.


----------



## Proper Tidy (Jan 23, 2020)

I can't believe it's not bovine


----------



## braindancer (Jan 23, 2020)

I forgot my brown rice and veg today so strolled down to Greggs on Tottenham Court Road thinking today would be the day I finally got to sample a steak bake - but the queue was out the door and down the road 😔


----------



## editor (Feb 20, 2020)

Their PR is formidable









						Stormzy receives first Greggs ‘black card’ handing him free pastries for life
					

Award-winning rapper says he has ‘peaked’ after bakery chain promises unlimited supply




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## Marty1 (Feb 21, 2020)

Proper Tidy said:


> Quid most places isn't it, it's 10p more than the pork equivelent anyway



It’s more expensive than the real thing?

Lol, rip-off.


----------



## BristolEcho (Feb 21, 2020)

editor said:


> Their PR is formidable
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Perhaps I'm bitter but quite why celebrities who are already a privileged bunch should get free food is beyond me. (Realise it's all advertising.)

By perhaps I probably should just say I am bitter.


----------



## Humberto (Feb 21, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> It’s more expensive than the real thing?
> 
> Lol, rip-off.



lol at ninja boy?


----------



## Humberto (Feb 21, 2020)

laffalo


----------



## muscovyduck (Feb 21, 2020)

Anyone tried the vegan kfc burger? Legit thought they'd given me a meat one on accident


----------



## Part 2 (Feb 21, 2020)

I had a Greggs vegan dinner the other week. I'd already had one of the sausage rolls and wasn't taken with the dry pastry but thought I'd give it another go.

 Why don't they just put a quorn sausage inside some pastry? The stuff in the rolls is just mush, maybe it's to balance the dryness of the pastry.

The vegan steak bake is even worse, the filling was just a mushy, salty blob. I must admit I don't use Quorn as much as I did when the kids were younger but I've never managed to overcook it .

Give me pound bakery anyday.


----------



## Marty1 (Feb 21, 2020)

BristolEcho said:


> Perhaps I'm bitter but quite why celebrities who are already a privileged bunch should get free food is beyond me. (Realise it's all advertising.)
> 
> By perhaps I probably should just say I am bitter.



Stormzy can more than afford Greggs offerings - they should have given the card to someone on the bones of their arse, homeless person etc.

But yeah, where’s that publicity in that?


----------



## Proper Tidy (Feb 21, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> It’s more expensive than the real thing?
> 
> Lol, rip-off.



Actually went to a greggs for my dinner today - ham and cheese baguette and a coffee, no pasties - but the normal sausage roll is now a pound too giving parity betwixt mushed up pork and mushed up fungal mycoprotein options


----------



## Part 2 (Feb 21, 2020)

Marty1 said:


> Stormzy can more than afford Greggs offerings - they should have given the card to someone on the bones of their arse, homeless person etc.
> 
> But yeah, where’s that publicity in that?



How would you pick this person given there's thousands in every city?

The service I used to work for regularly got food from Gregg's for free. At least once a week, end of the day someone would go and collect boxes full of stuff that we'd give out to care leavers.

Maybe Gregg's see this as something they don't need to shout about and the few odd pasties they give Stormzy is enough to promote the brand to enable them to do charity stuff. And let's not pretend he's gonna eat free pasties when he's fucking loaded, I can fully imagine him giving away his allowance to homeless people anyway.


----------



## Artaxerxes (Feb 22, 2020)

Part 2 said:


> How would you pick this person given there's thousands in every city?
> 
> The service I used to work for regularly got food from Gregg's for free. At least once a week, end of the day someone would go and collect boxes full of stuff that we'd give out to care leavers.
> 
> Maybe Gregg's see this as something they don't need to shout about and the few odd pasties they give Stormzy is enough to promote the brand to enable them to do charity stuff. And let's not pretend he's gonna eat free pasties when he's fucking loaded, I can fully imagine him giving away his allowance to homeless people anyway.



Stormzy still eats at his local apparently but can’t see him eating at greggs 









						'It's a focus for the community': Stormzy takes Jay Rayner to his favourite cafe
					

For the full flavour of Caribbean food and an insight into his upbringing, the star takes the Observer’s restaurant critic to south London’s Bluejay Cafe




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## weltweit (Feb 22, 2020)

Ate a ginsters vegan or at least veggie pastie  Friday and it was actually a lot nicer than I was expecting. Thumbs up to them!


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Feb 22, 2020)

I had the vegan steak slice a couple of weeks ago. Like a veg pasty with gravy. Acceptable but in the least bit steaky. I imagined some jackfruit type affair inside.


----------



## cyberfairy (Feb 22, 2020)

Part 2 said:


> I had a Greggs vegan dinner the other week. I'd already had one of the sausage rolls and wasn't taken with the dry pastry but thought I'd give it another go.
> 
> Why don't they just put a quorn sausage inside some pastry? The stuff in the rolls is just mush, maybe it's to balance the dryness of the pastry.
> 
> ...


Pound Bakery vegan steak slice is 100 times nicer than the tepid Pedigree Chum slop of the Greggs version- and cheaper and bigger too


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## not-bono-ever (Feb 22, 2020)

greggs used to sell chips. its all gone downhill since they stopped doing ths


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## andysays (Mar 23, 2020)

Greggs vegan sausage rolls the latest victim of the corona virus as all stores close for foreseeable


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## BigTom (Nov 10, 2020)

I'm fairly confident this thread moved beyond Greggs and onto general high street chains adding vegan options to menus, if not, apologies.








						McDonald's to roll out new 'McPlant' faux meat patty next year
					

McDonald's will introduce plant-based burgers as part of a new line of faux meat products starting in test markets next year, the company said Monday.




					www.upi.com
				




McDonalds have developed their own plant based burger which will be going to test markets in 2021 - they tried one with impossible meat in Canada but pulled it, now developed their own. I assume Canada, Australia and New Zealand would be test markets for them.


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## Teaboy (Nov 10, 2020)

They do seem a bit late to the party but I guess its do to with logistics, it always is with McDonalds.  It will be interesting to see whether they go down the full vege route or fudge it as Burger King did with their rebel whopper.


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## mr steev (Nov 10, 2020)

Teaboy said:


> They do seem a bit late to the party but I guess its do to with logistics, it always is with McDonalds.  It will be interesting to see whether they go down the full vege route or fudge it as Burger King did with their rebel whopper.



They've already said they're not going to be '100% vegan' (or even vegetarian tbh) as they will be cooked on the same griddle as meat ones

eta: that was for the Beyond Meat one they trialed, but it will be the same with any... the Beyond Meat one was topped with a slice of cheddar cheese... so a lot less than 100% vegan. Tbf though, I can't see them having a large veggie and vegan customer base. So I guess this product will be aimed at meat-eaters wanting to cut down


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## BigTom (Nov 10, 2020)

mr steev said:


> They've already said they're not going to be '100% vegan' (or even vegetarian tbh) as they will be cooked on the same griddle as meat ones
> 
> eta: that was for the Beyond Meat one they trialed, but it will be the same with any... the Beyond Meat one was topped with a slice of cheddar cheese... so a lot less than 100% vegan. Tbf though, I can't see them having a large veggie and vegan customer base. So I guess this product will be aimed at meat-eaters wanting to cut down



As much as anything it may be about groups of people. If one person in a group of people doesn't want to eat meat then they'll all go elsewhere.
Plus vegetarians may not be bothered about being cooked on the same grill as other things.


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## Artaxerxes (Nov 10, 2020)

It's important we appeal to soft vegetarians and not just full on vegans, normalise eating plants rather than aiming for perfect 100% ethical right out the gate.


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## IC3D (Nov 10, 2020)

Mcdonald seem to have pulled all veggie options since they reopened in June.
Greggs still repping soft veggies with their lush cheese and onion bake nom


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## isvicthere? (Nov 10, 2020)

Artaxerxes said:


> It's important we appeal to soft vegetarians and not just full on vegans, normalise eating plants rather than aiming for perfect 100% ethical right out the gate.



"Soft veggies"? The social democratic, change-from-within wing of ethical eating constituency! (Only joking.)


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## Artaxerxes (Nov 10, 2020)

isvicthere? said:


> "Soft veggies"? The social democratic, change-from-within wing of ethical eating constituency! (Only joking.)



Centrist vegans


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## Funky_monks (Nov 10, 2020)

mr steev said:


> They've already said they're not going to be '100% vegan' (or even vegetarian tbh) as they will be cooked on the same griddle as meat ones
> 
> eta: that was for the Beyond Meat one they trialed, but it will be the same with any... the Beyond Meat one was topped with a slice of cheddar cheese... so a lot less than 100% vegan. Tbf though, I can't see them having a large veggie and vegan customer base. So I guess this product will be aimed at meat-eaters wanting to cut down


Do they still do the spicy beanburger?
Those are/were nice without being frankenfood grown in a vat.


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## BigTom (Nov 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> Do they still do the spicy beanburger?
> Those are/were nice without being frankenfood grown in a vat.



idk about BK cos not eaten there for years but describing the plant based patties as frankenfood/lab grown is weird. They are pea (Beyond Meat) or soy (Impossible Burger) based protein patties, I'm sure there are other plant or fungal proteins other brands are based on. Beyond Meat even make a thing out of having no GMO/no hormones in their products. 
Are you thinking this is lab grown meat? We are still years off that being commercially available, it's still incredibly expensive to make at the moment.


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## Teaboy (Nov 11, 2020)

mr steev said:


> They've already said they're not going to be '100% vegan' (or even vegetarian tbh) as they will be cooked on the same griddle as meat ones



Same as the rebel whopper then.  That's fine with me but it would be a no from a lot of vege's I know.  Like the rebel whopper its clearly aimed at people like me who are vege but fairly relaxed about it.  I actually really liked the rebel whopper its a shame its not on the menu at the moment due to covid.


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## danny la rouge (Nov 11, 2020)

Teaboy said:


> Same as the rebel whopper then.  That's fine with me but it would be a no from a lot of vege's I know.  Like the rebel whopper its clearly aimed at people like me who are vege but fairly relaxed about it.  I actually really liked the rebel whopper its a shame its not on the menu at the moment due to covid.


Yeah, it’s a no from me.  I’m not vegan, but animal fat is a no.


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## danny la rouge (Nov 11, 2020)

It’s weird though. I’ve been vegetarian for 37 years now. You’d have thought the rise of Veganism and “plant based” would make choices easier not harder.


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## Teaboy (Nov 11, 2020)

danny la rouge said:


> It’s weird though. I’ve been vegetarian for 37 years now. You’d have thought the rise of Veganism and “plant based” would make choices easier not harder.



I think it has but just in the kind of place we are discussing on this thread.  Fast food by its nature will aim to produce vast quantities at low margin.  If you're doing that then you go where the big markets are.  Veganism is certainly growing but it is still pretty niche and besides McDonalds could produce the best vegan burger ever but many vegans and vege's will still not eat there for obvious reasons.  Its a little different with Greggs but then again they're not having to redesign millions of kitchens to accommodate their vegan products.

The like of Mcdonalds and BK have never given a shit about vege's and vegans and they still don't really.  What they do give a shit about is meat eaters and there is a definite trend in certain countries towards meat eaters wanting to eat less meat but not change their diet radically.


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## IC3D (Nov 11, 2020)

I mourn the demise of the humble bean burger, it seems to be disappearing in favour of meat imitators.


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## Teaboy (Nov 11, 2020)

IC3D said:


> I mourn the demise of the humble bean burger, it seems to be disappearing in favour of meat imitators.



Indeed.  There are enough people out there who are vegetarian because they really don't like the taste, texture or even thought of meat.  My sister turned veg around about when she was 13.  The reasons why have been largely lost in time but now she is 45 the idea of meat turns her stomach. She'd never touch a fake meat product.


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## danny la rouge (Nov 11, 2020)

IC3D said:


> I mourn the demise of the humble bean burger, it seems to be disappearing in favour of meat imitators.


Me too.


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## Funky_monks (Nov 11, 2020)

BigTom said:


> idk about BK cos not eaten there for years but describing the plant based patties as frankenfood/lab grown is weird. They are pea (Beyond Meat) or soy (Impossible Burger) based protein patties, I'm sure there are other plant or fungal proteins other brands are based on. Beyond Meat even make a thing out of having no GMO/no hormones in their products.
> Are you thinking this is lab grown meat? We are still years off that being commercially available, it's still incredibly expensive to make at the moment.


By "frankenfood", I mean highly processed synthetic food (a meat equivalent might be a turkey twizzler, which I also wouldn't eat).
Ingredients of beyond burger:
Water, Pea Protein*, Expeller-Pressed *Canola Oil*, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, *Cocoa Butter*, *Mung Bean Protein*, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, *Beet Juice Extract* (for color).


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## BigTom (Nov 11, 2020)

Funky_monks said:


> By "frankenfood", I mean highly processed synthetic food (a meat equivalent might be a turkey twizzler, which I also wouldn't eat).
> Ingredients of beyond burger:
> Water, Pea Protein*, Expeller-Pressed *Canola Oil*, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, *Cocoa Butter*, *Mung Bean Protein*, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, *Beet Juice Extract* (for color).



well tbh that's odd cos frankenfood usually refers to genetically modified, and I'd say those ingredients would be cooked in a kitchen (or the industrial food manufacturing equivalent of one), not put together in a lab. Processed sure but you're not using either frankenfood or lab in the normal way here afaik, and a quick google gives the definition I was expecting.


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## Teaboy (Nov 11, 2020)

Yeah, they're all fairly run of the mill ingredients really.  Canola Oil is essentially rapeseed oil which is loads of homes and increasingly high end restaurants.  You may not want that stuff in a burger and that's ok but it and themselves its pretty standard stuff.

You'd have to get really into the nitty gritty of hippy and food purists to have an issue with those ingredients as I see it.  I'm just happy some people are eating this instead of animals.


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## Jeff Robinson (Nov 12, 2020)

BigTom said:


> well tbh that's odd cos frankenfood usually refers to genetically modified, and I'd say those ingredients would be cooked in a kitchen (or the industrial food manufacturing equivalent of one), not put together in a lab. Processed sure but you're not using either frankenfood or lab in the normal way here afaik, and a quick google gives the definition I was expecting.



Funky_monks likes his burgers made as god intended - out of slaughterhouses full of blood, shit and screaming.


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## BigTom (Nov 12, 2020)

Jeff Robinson said:


> Funky_monks likes his burgers made as god intended - out of slaughterhouses full of blood, shit and screaming.



made me laugh but tbf to Funky_monks his objection is to processed foods including meat based stuff, and I assume would include industrially produced meat burgers.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 12, 2020)

IC3D said:


> I mourn the demise of the humble bean burger, it seems to be disappearing in favour of meat imitators.



Aldi do a good one and that's from someone who enjoys meat.


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## oryx (Nov 12, 2020)

This thread constantly popping up in my alerts has given me a terrible craving for a Gregg's vegan sausage roll (or three, as happened last time I tried 'one').


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## tonysingh (Nov 12, 2020)

I am slightly concerned that Greggs have popped up on Just Eat. Not sure if I can resist the temptation now....


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## wtfftw (Jan 5, 2021)

I tried one today. Bit disappointing tbh. 



What I really want is those party food veggie sausage rolls from my childhood. Mini sausage rolls (probably from the freezer section - I dunno as I wasn't cooking) and the sausage bit was cheese and something? Not just cheese and onion as they were a bit green.

Help me. Do they still exist? What are they? Where do I buy them?


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## mr steev (Jan 6, 2021)

wtfftw said:


> I tried one today. Bit disappointing tbh.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I remember them. 'mini party rolls' or something. Frozen in bags from Sainsbury’s. I haven't seen them for years. I used to like them too.


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## Nylock (Jan 6, 2021)

Morrison's vegan mini sausage rolls are great


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