Pâté is a popular food in England, often served as a starter. But rather than choose brands made with pork liver or palm oil, find some nice plant-based alternatives. This sun-dried tomato and butterbean pâté (The Veg Space) is great in sandwiches and dips, or serve with crackers for a vegan cheeseboard.
Keep these foods away from pets, due to onion, garlic & mushrooms. Read more on food safety for people & pets.
Where to Buy Vegan Pâté
Cornish Roots offers a nice line of artisan vegan pâté:
- Spiced bean crush is made with mixed beans, garlic & chilli
- Hotpot Bean Pâté has crushed beans, sumac & aleppo chilli pepper.
- Lush lentil is made with green lentils, garlic & hemp
- The dream bean has red lentils, edamame beans, coriander & lime
- The Urf’ mother is a mix of black and other beans, with garlic & chilli
Bonsan is a family business that produces a fine line of unique plant-based pantry products and groceries, which you can find in good independent health shops and farm shops, or order in bulk online, to save on packaging. Enter your postcode to find nearest stockists.
Most councils (and supermarkets) now recycle food packaging.
This brand was created to show that vegan food need not boring. It can be tasty and nourishing, and good enough to serve to all guests, whatever their dietary preferences. The site also has very simple recipes that you can make, using their products.
Plant-Based Alternatives to Brussels Pâté
One of the most popular pâté flavours in England is Brussels pate, which is made from pork liver. Liver sausage is also mostly made from pork liver.
But nearly all brands on sale are from factory-farmed pigs, and of course this pate is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians. Look in stores for VBites Brussels pâté, which is really nice and free from palm oil.
Positive Bakes (Leicestershire) makes plastic-free vegan cakes and afternoon teas (sold with ‘flotted cream) but also has ventured into savoury creations with this mushroom pâté in a glass jar. The same company offers a nice sundried tomato pate which contains protein-rich butter beans (which are also high in calcium) A tasty and healthy snack.
Shocken Foods is a vegan charcuterie company co-founded by a Michelin-starred chef and successful caterer. The East London pâté range includes smoky/spicy and smoky/fruity flavours (serve with red onion jam).
Kinder Alternatives to Pâté de Foie Gras
Pâté de foie gras is a so-called ‘gourmet food’, made by force-feeding ducks or geese so that their livers turn to pate. So cruel it’s banned to make in the UK (and Switzerland, Finland, Italy, Poland, Germany, Turkey and Czech Republic).
Still produced in other countries, it’s falling out of favour due to welfare concerns (King Charles has banned it from royal residences) and bird flu. Boycott places that sell it. This recipe for vegan foie gras (Full of Plants) is by a French chef. It’s been tested on those who eat the real thing, to be an exact replica.
This Faux Gras (Two Spoons) is made from mushrooms and lentils, for a umami-rich seasoned paste by an American who has lived in France for several years, ideal on toasted garlic bread or gluten-free crackers.
Shocken Foods No Duck Pate features brandy and black truffle. Sold frozen, it was created by award-winning foodies.
Voie Gras is sold by Nestle (you can’t have everything but at least they’re trying). Spain’s Hello Plant Foods has sold nearly 4 million units of its faux gras, including to in Michelin-starred restaurants (Parisian chef Fabien Borgel also launched his own faux brand in France).
There’s a hidden consumer that loves foie. But what happens is that a photo of the ducks with the tubes sticking out of them flashes before them and they don’t want it. When they try Fuah! their eyebrows shoot up and they go ‘Madre Mia’. Javier Fernández (founder of Hello Plant Foods)
Dressings, Spreads and Sauces
All these spreads and sauces are by Bonsan.
- Hot and Fiery Chilli Sauce is packed with flavour. As is Organic Worcestershire Sauce (free from fish anchovies). Use to make vegan sausage rolls (make your own pastry to avoid palm oil).
- Sweet Mustard Dressing uses the finest rapeseed oil, cider vinegar, lemon juice and agave syrup, to drizzle on green salads or or roasted veggies. Or try the thick and creamy non-dairy Caesar dressing.
- Red Pepper and Cashew Spread is rich in protein thanks to nuts. Lovely on crackers or use in pasta for sauce.
- Toscana-Style spread replicates the flavours of Italy with a medley of organic vegetables. Good on bread or use a a dip for vegetables or breadsticks.
- Lentil and Turmeric Spread is a spicy condiment that’s packed with protein. Perfect in sandwiches or on toast, or use as a dip for Middle Eastern meals.
- Cashew-Chive Cheese-Free Spread is the best organic sandwich filler, or use in pasta sauce. Use it to make this vegan feta pasta sauce.
- Organic Green Pesto is perfect for pasta. Conventional pesto is not even vegetarian, as by law it contains a cheese with calf rennet.