The Best Brands of Faux Meats (animal-friendly!)

Magpye is an amazing company in Northumberland, where a couple make vegan pies (without palm oil) then fill them with vegan steak and chicken, and sometimes vegan steak and blue cheese! They are even made with pastry made from regenerated local wheat.

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets. You can recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle.

The range includes:

• Steak & ale (in onion gravy)
• Chick’n, Leek & Bacun (in creamy parsley sauce)
• Mince & Onion (in homemade gravy)
• Mushroom & Roasted garlic
• Roast Chickn’ Dinner (in a pie!)

Why Choose Vegan Meats?

Often people are criticised for choosing vegan meats, saying they are ‘not natural’ and we should ‘support our farmers’. In fact, England has 60 million meat so we don’t have enough free-range land to eat meat in its present quantities, without resorting to horrible factory farms.

So if you eat meat, choose free-range (and pay a little more). And some of the time, choose vegan meats (these are fine if made without palm oil, and you recycle the packaging). No cholesterol too!

Moving Mountains (plant-based meat alternatives)

Moving Mountains Foods (sold in shops and wholesale to hotels and restaurants) is one of the better brands, made with pea protein and sold in easy-to-recycle packaging.

This brand sells burgers and other faux meats like sausages and hot dogs, along with faux fish fillets and fish fingers (as good as the captain’s!)

Avoid sausages for young children and choking hazards. Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (keep these items away from animal friends, as some ingredients may not be safe).

Most councils now offer soft plastic packaging. If not, use supermarket plastic recycling bins.

The brand was founded by a vegetarian entrepreneur, who was told by his GP to give up dairy for his health. He did, and now this brand sells millions of plant-based alternatives to the masses.

Their burgers hold up well for a barbecue or in a pan, always staying tender and moist. You’ll also find faux versions of chicken, beef and pork.

There are also plant-based versions of:

• Beef (including bolognese mince and ‘meatballs’)
• Pork (including hot dog sausages)
• Chicken (including nuggets)

Vivera (plant-based meats from The Netherlands)

Vivera is a Dutch food brand that is widely sold in UK grocery stores, and tends to offer a better selection than many of the supermarket own brands. They are mostly based on sustainable tofu, so packed with protein. And all affordable and easy to cook.

This is quite an interesting story. The brand began (under a different name) as a meat butcher. But as people requested plant  foods, it began to add them to the range. Eventually they were so popular, they  decided to give up selling meat, now only sells plant-based foods, and changed their name!

Now sold across Europe, the range includes:

• Plant-based steak, mince and bacon
• Plant-based chicken breast & pieces
• Plant-based kebabs
• Plant-based salmon fillets
• Mini protein-bites

Planted (tasty vegan meats from Switzerland)

Planted is one of the newer vegan meat companies, now sold widely in UK supermarkets and grocery stores. Founded in Switzerland, this is setting the standard for ethics and sustainability, and taste!

Sold throughout Europe, the range includes:

• Steaks and burgers
• Chicken schnitzel and nuggets
• ‘Pulled pork’ and Bratwurst sausages
• Kebabs and ‘vegan duck’

The brand’s ambassador is meat-loving wrestler Christian Stucki. A passionate amateur chef, he has made this brand uber-popular (the chicken is even now sold in Swiss Subway restaurants). He says their plant-based steaks blew him away, and the natural ingredients and nutrition make it a great swap.

Juicy Marbles (also available for food service)

Redefine is one of the new lab-created meat companies, this brand is eaten and served by chef Marco Pierre White. It’s like ‘real meat’, but created with plant-based non-GM wheat and soy protein, alongside beetroot and yeast extract. Available for food service.

Juicy Marbles uses natural ingredients (secret recipe!) to create gourmet plant-based steaks and joints, you seriously would not know the difference. Also available for food service, they are also super-easy to cook.

Linda McCartney’s Vegan Lamb Steaks

Pairing vegan lamb with a fresh mint sauce not only enhances its juicy texture but also invites a burst of herby freshness. Look in stores for Linda McCartney’s vegan lamb steaks (above), made from textured soy protein, onion and seasonings.

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people & pets (many human foods including fake meats and salt are unsafe around animal friends).

Recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle. 

Other Good Brands of Vegan Lamb

MOCK Lamb Pieces are sold at Welsh vegan pub The Queen Inn. These mock lamb pieces cook from frozen in just 8 minutes, so are ideal for kebab shops and food service. They are also Halal-certified.

PLNT plant-based lamb strips are high in iron and protein, and include vitamin B12.