Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.
These days there is so much choice when it comes to Easter Eggs and no matter what your taste there is an egg for you. Some of my friends and family are vegan and there’s also a couple with dairy intolerances so it’s fantastic to see such a good selection of plant based chocolate this year, meaning they don’t need to miss out on this chocolately tradition.
Love Raw make the most delicious plant based chocolate and they have just launched a limited edition Easter box, although you’ll need to be quick as it’s only available from the 22nd to 24th March!
Nutty Choc Balls are a crunchy hazelnut coated in a delicious vegan cream and then covered in a crisp wafer shell and finished with Low Raw’s iconic m:lk choc and hazelnut pieces. They are absolutely scrummy and it’s probably a good job there’s only 9 in the box!!
3 x White Choc Cream Wafer Bar Each bar contains a deliciously crispy wafer, oozing with Love Raw’s signature cre&m® filling and generously smothered with vegan white chocolate. Whether you’re vegan or not you need to try these!
3 x Milk & 3 x White Choc Peanut Buttercups Each cup oozes smooth, creamy peanut butter and is covered in Love Raw’s iconic m:lk® and white choc. In my opinion peanuts and chocolate are a winning combination and Love Raw are definitely on to a winner with these.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
LoveRaw started in 2013 with the crazy idea of founder Rini to create vegan chocolate that tasted like regular chocolate. In the 10+ years since then, the website has grown and the product line has exploded to include all sorts of varieties of chocolate, including the Nutty Choco Balls (milk chocolate) that we were sent this week to try!
LoveRaw chocolate is not only vegan but is completely plant based, has no palm oil and no added artificial ingredients either. LoveRaw product chocolate bars which are similar to commercial treats on the market, and are less about blocks or bars of pure chocolate or they type of chocolate you can cook with. The LoveRaw chocolate bars are the type of treats you’d buy for yourself for lunch, or as snacks for children. The fact that you can buy them in bulk (typically packs of around 16 bars) means you can keep them for lunchboxes or even use for children’s parties where anyone, even though with dairy allergies or who are vegetarian or vegan can eat them.
The Nutty Choc Balls are based on a famous commercial chocolate that the Ambassador would enjoy… each one is individually wrapped and contains a hazelnut surrounded by hazelnut cream, wafer then milk chocolate and finally a coating of hazelnut pieces. Guessed what it is yet? The pieces are easily eaten after dinner, during a meeting or as they were in our house, as a snack in the afternoon when you need just one or two for a quick sweet hit of sugar.
You really can’t tell the difference between the commercial chocolates and the LoveRaw variety. The chocolate still has a smoothness to it and tastes like chocolate should. The added hazelnut pieces and hazelnut cream are still silky and indulgent and the wafer adds the decadent touch we look for in these chocolates. The team at LoveRaw also sent me some Cream Wafer Bars in milk and white chocolate which I have tasted before, and the LoveRaw Peanut Caramel Bar in Milk Choc which is new to me, but I will make room for!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
This one is especially for vegans! Ginsters, famous for making the pasties we all love, have created a gorgeous Creamy Garlic Mushroom Slice with all vegan ingredients. Using their finely-honed knowledge of what makes a great pasty, Ginsters bring you this lunch, or snack that incorporates a garlic twist to give you that afternoon flavour.
Made with vegan puff pastry, the pasty contains chestnut mushrooms in a white wine sauce which is also vegan. The filling also contains coconut milk, garlic puree, potatoes, onions and a mix of herbs to give it that extra flavour. I’m also told there’s a touch of lemon zest in there too, to compliment the mushroom flavour. At 170 grams, the Ginsters Creamy Garlic Mushroom Slices can be eaten as a snack, or even as a lunch, particularly if you’re adding a salad to it. Alternatively, there’s enough slice here to make a dinner if you add some vegetables to it too! It’s recommended that you eat it hot, probably oven baked, which I agree with because if eaten cold, it loses some of the extra flavours that the herbs and garlic bring to it.
Once heated, the aromas of the garlic and mushroom fill the room and you can see the generous white wine filling. I enjoyed this as a lunch because it has such a hearty punch to it with the mushrooms and potato but the flavour of the garlic and herbs comes out too. The pastry is lovely and you wouldn’t know it was vegan because it’s so flakey and soft. There’s a real taste to the mushroom sauce from the white wine which comes through with the vegetables, and why it’s best that this Creamy Garlic Mushroom slice is eaten hot. Delicious!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
We’ve never really done a proper Blind Test before. That is, officially comparing one brand of a product against another, without knowing which brand is which and not being able to tell them apart. So when LoveRaw Chocolate asked us to test and review their product against other brands, it was quite the coup! Naturally, we love anything that’s a challenge but when it involves chocolate too, we’re all ears…
LoveRaw are a chocolate brand with a difference. They produce chocolate products which are largely vegan (allergens are listed so you can check easily) and they have a whole host of products available which seem to be ever growing and includes white, dark and milk chocolate alternatives.
We were sent a Blind Tasting Pack which had three different LoveRaw products; Nutty Choc Balls, Cream Wafer Bar (milk chocolate) and Cream Wafer Bar (white chocolate. Each of the LoveRaw products was teamed up with the High Street equivalent and all the items were in clear packaging, just marked with their numbers for easy identification. The LoveRaw products are all plant based, contain no palm oil and have no artificials. The High Street versions are not any of those (ie not plant based, contain palm oil and have artificial ingredients.) A sealed black envelope was also included so that after the tasting you can find out which were the real LoveRaw items. How exciting!
First up was the Nutty Choc Balls. Looking at them, I couldn’t tell the difference. They look incredibly similar and when I bit into them, the chocolate didn’t give me any clues as to which one was plant based. I guessed that A1 was the High Street variety only because it tasted slightly more processed. A2 had a smoother texture which led me to think it was made with more love. We shall find out the answers at the end of the testing (even I haven’t opened the envelope yet!)
Second was the Cream Wafer Bar in Milk Chocolate. These bars looked different. B1 looks like it’s intricately made by a machine in a factory and the bar is slightly longer. B2 is smoother, and the chocolate looks darker so I suspect that this is the LoveRaw one to look at. Tasting them, B2 has a lighter texture to it and has more layers but the chocolate between the two tastes the same. B1 has more additives, you can tell that from opening the packet and the smell of the chocolate is artificial. In this testing, I think B2 is the LoveRaw product.
Finally, it’s the Cream Wafer Bar with White Chocolate. I’m not a huge fan of white chocolate so this is going to a different type of test. C1 looks like it’s made in a factory because it’s got intricate designs on it whereas C2 looks like it could be handmade and dusted with chocolate flavouring. As for the taste, I started with what I thought was the High Street version (C1). It’s light and wafer-like and I like the texture of it. C2 is densely packed and doesn’t melt as easily but both taste of white chocolate and have some fun sweet flavours going on. I think C2 is the LoveRaw version.
So to recap, before we go to the big finale, this is what I think the products are:
Nutty Choc Balls: A1 is the High Street Competitor; A2 is LoveRaw
Cream Wafer Bar (milk chocolate): B1 is the High Street Competitor; B2 is LoveRaw
Cream Wafer Bar (white chocolate): C1 is the High Street Competitor, C2 is LoveRaw
Let’s scroll down to see the results in the black envelope…
So I was right for the Milk Chocolate Cream Wafer Bar but wrong for the Nutty Choc Balls and White Chocolate Cream Wafer Bar! Goes to prove that you really can’t tell the difference between LoveRaw and the High Street Competitors!
Disclaimer : We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own
A fun way to count down the days to Christmas is with an advent calendar and these days there so many different ones to choose from. When you have food allergies and intolerances though, the choice of chocolate calendars is very restricted, so I was really pleased to be able to try an oat milk chocolate advent calendar from HaPPi Choc.
The calendar has a fun Christmas bauble design on the front with 24 numbered doors to help you count down to the big day. Behind each door you will find a delicious Salted Caramel, Plain Milk or Orange oat milk chocolate wrapped chocolate. The chocolate is suitable for Vegans and is also gluten, soya & palm oil free, as well as dairy, egg & nut free so it is the perfect choice for anyone with a food intolerance or who eats a plant based diet.
Lower in sugar than other chocolate brands HaPPi chocolate is sustainably sourced with their cacao purchased directly from Luker, a Columbian family owned business and co-operative. HaPPi are 100% ethically driven and work closely with a network of farmers, alliances and communities to improve social welfare, biodiversity and farming practices and their oat milk chocolate is made using single origin 47% Colombian cacao and oat milk.
In line with HaPPi’s sustainable ethos all the packaging is recyclable with the calendar containing no plastic at all. The inner tray that contains the chocolates is made from cardboard rather than plastic which is fantastic, I’ve been trying to reduce my plastic use this year so it’s great to have an eco-friendly advent calendar this year. HaPPi also give 1% of their annual net sales revenue to good causes and mental health organisations so buying a HaPPi advent calendar helps lots of other people too.
With smooth creamy chocolates no one needs to miss out on a chocolate advent calendar this year.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
The brand new Sea Animals Collection from PLAYin CHOC is here in time for the Coronation weekend! The sustainable and ethically sourced chocolate is accompanied by a cut out toy of a sea animal along with an information card to educate children about the world around them. If you remember Kinder Surprise as a child, then this is the modern, environmentally friendly version for the 21st century.
PLAYin CHOC was created by Mum Maya back in 2016 in her kitchen at home where she wanted to make simple chocolate for her family which was just cacoa, coconut and vanilla. Crucially, it was also dairy free chocolate, hence there’s no milk or cream involved in the process, just coconut products.
With the help of her two children as ‘chief testers’, Maya perfected the Peruvian, fairly traded organic chocolate and created the PLAYin CHOC brand. Their mission is to create healthy chocolate treats without plastic, and to promote environmentally sensitive topics. Among other projects PLAYin CHOC have featured are Endangered Animals, Woodland Animals and even a whole dinosaur set! At Christmas and Easter they produce Advent Calendars and gift boxes and this year PLAYin CHOC have produced the Sea Animals Collection.
We were sent these three boxes to indulge ourselves. Opening the boxes, we found an orca, seahorse and swordfish. You can’t tell what’s in the box until you open it so it’s a great surprise for children. The box contains two pieces of chocolate (in recyclable plastic), a cut out of each animal which children can put together to create a toy and an information card about the animal, some facts and their personalities. There are 18 different animals to collect in all and the toys, which are made out of durable cardboard, can be used again and again, along with the cube boxes the chocolate and toys come in!
Although the chocolate is coconut based and vegan, it doesn’t taste very different to everyday chocolate so the kids won’t notice the change. It is 100% plant based though so it will appeal to everybody – these make great gifts in children’s party bags or to keep them quiet on car journeys and whilst travelling.
With so many toys to choose from, healthier vegan chocolate and fair trade, what is there not to like about the PLAYin CHOC range, especially for the Coronation?
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
April 22 is Earth Day, when we are reminded that this fragile Earth needs more care and attention than it is currently receiving. The Review Studio are passionate about using less plastic to help save the World’s resources but to also save the oceans from the plethora of plastic.
DenTek and Sudocrem have a range of eco-friendly products which they sent to us to review for Earth Day. Starting with DenTek, the first is the Triple Clean Eco-Friendly Plant-Based Floss Picks. Yes it’s a mouthful to say! The picks are made of renewable plant-based bio resin so that they don’t pollute with more plastic. Even the bag is recyclable! Both the handle and the floss string are plant based, and have a fresh mint flavour. Infused with fluoride, they help clean teeth with their extra tough strength and contain an antibacterial ingredient for a more hygienic clean. I have used similar floss picks for many years, and these work just the same, with no easing of effectiveness. The mint taste is lovely too!
DenTek have a huge range of interdental brushes, like these Easy Brush Eco Friendly brushes (8 in a pack) which come in 3 sizes. If you’ve been to the dentist in the past 10 years, you’ll know they not only use interdental brushes a lot now, but they also recommend using them at home. These brushes are also mint-tasting and with the different sizes, they fit most teeth and you can use different brushes for different sized gaps. They are also made of plant resin and are reusable so the handy case which is also provided, can keep them safe.
Alternatively, DenTek have the Earth Friendly Sustainable Birch Wood Interdental Brushes. The handles are made of real birch wood. This pack comes in three sizes of interdental brush; 0.4mm, 0.5mm and 0.6mm which makes it an excellent starter pack for anyone who hasn’t used them before. They last for about 3 uses each, or until worn out before they need replacing. This pack of 6 brushes is also great for travelling!
Lastly, the Sudocrem Naturals Nappy Cream is not only for babies and children, but can be used cosmetically too. The super-rich Sudocrem texture means you only need a small amount to coat a thin layer, which can be used at every nappy change, or if you have dry skin, like I do. It is 96% naturally derived with ingredients such as apricot kernel and chamomile extract to calm, sooth and nourish every day. The 30mg tube is great for handbags or keeping on your desk whilst working as it’s a fabulously rich but not greasy hand cream. The slight apricot and chamomile fragrance also leaves a slight perfume which is also comforting whether it’s when you’re changing baby, or sitting on a call at your desk with very dry hands!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
With Veganary in full swing, it is still difficult for a new vegan to find plant based items around, unless you know what you’re looking for.
Available in Tesco stores, we were sent a selection of Vegan cupboard staples to try for Veganary and with some surprising results – both easy to cook and delicious!
First, we tried the Paxo Meat Free Meatball Mix and the Meat Free Burger Mix. The packets both contain 120g of mixture and cook at the same temperature so I made a batch of each at the same time.
The Burger mix makes 4 good sized burgers. The instructions are similar for both the burgers and the meatballs; add 180ml of cool water to the mixture and stir in, then leave for 5 minutes for the mixture to firm. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade (180 degrees for a fan assisted oven) then shape into patties or meatballs.
The mixtures are actually quite different in texture and taste, so starting with the burgers, I made up the mixture and let it stand. You can smell the aromas of the added herbs and spices as soon as you open the packet, so even just letting it stand, you can smell what they’re going to taste like. I used a spoon to put the mixture onto a baking tray, with grease proof paper underneath to make them easier to remove. They kept their shape very well, and if you wanted to get to ‘expert level’ with these mixtures, you could use a ramekin or something to hold a perfect patty shape if you wanted to. I made up the meatballs in the same way but this time instead of spooning the mixture onto the tray, I used wet hands to shape the meatballs.
Into the oven and each mixture only takes between 16 and 18 minutes to cook. You can fit other things in the oven at the same time as well such as onion or in my case, sweet potato fries.
The burgers came out looking like the same shape I created but the meatballs had lost a little of their firmness and were a bit more like patties rather than meatballs, but it didn’t really matter. The burgers had the same texture as their meat counterparts, just without the little bits of fat in the middle, and had a savoury taste to them. I thought they were a bit dry though, so eating them with a vegan cheese or salad would help, or experimenting with the amount of water you use. The meatballs were a similar texture but had different flavours because of the herbs and spices added to them. They would work well in a tomato sauce though, so again, experimenting would be beneficial.
We also had two different flavour lunch pots; Plantastic Protein Boost Cajun Rice and Plantastic Protein Boost Satay Noodles with Sweet Pepper. These are great for children or for adults as a snack as they’re easy and quick to make. With boiling water, fill the cup to the ‘fill’ level and stir, leaving for 2 minutes. Stir again after another 3 minute and they’ll be ready to eat.
Each pot is 68 grams net and 100% plant based. They’re high in protein and have virtually no fat.
The flavours of Cajun Rice and Satay Noodles make a change to the usual bland plant based recipes you find in shops, and are probably more closely associated with other brands who do similar pot meals. The Cajun Rice with Tomato and Pepper transformed the room with its flavour emanating from when I opened it to when I poured on the boiling water. I really enjoyed the flavour as well as the texture of the rice and tomato pieces. It was a hot flavour too, which was great on a cold day! The Satay Noodles with Sweet Red Pepper was also tasty and had an authentic satay flavour to them. I don’t normally eat noodles though so this was a nice change for a snack.
Lastly, we had the Plantastic Millionaire’s Flapjacks with Chocolate and Caramel. Combining both a millionaire’s shortbread and a flapjack but completely plant based, this was a nice snack in the afternoon which the whole office enjoyed! The ‘biscuit’ base was a bit grainy and more like a shortbread than a flap jack, but you could taste the chocolate and caramel easily. Apart for the slight grainy-nss, you couldn’t tell that they were entirely plant based.
Available from Tesco Asda and Sainsburys:
Plantastic Protein Boost Pots from £1.29 each
Plantastic Millionaire flapjacks from £2.25 a box
Paxo Meat Free burger and Meatball mixes from £2.25 a box
Disclaimer: we received the product for the purpose of the review and all words and opinions are our own
These days the market for meatless products is thriving. Whilst my family isn’t vegetarian, we have been trying to eat less meat and generally have one or two meat free meals a week. As we are still experimenting with vegetarian food I’m always on the look out for new veggie items to try so was really pleased when Biona Organic asked if we would like to try some of their plant based burgers.
Like many food brands, Biona began life on the kitchen table, founders Noel and Donata began experimenting with simple home-made granola, which they packed and sold in their pioneering organic shop, Windmill Wholefoods. It became so popular, they quickly outgrew the kitchen table and Biona was born. Today, the company bring more than 350 organic products to lovers of good food in 30 countries across the world.
We tried three different burgers and as today is National Burger Day it is the perfect opportunity to tell you about their delicious organic vegetarian burgers.
Organic Black Bean Cashew Burgers
These delicious vegetarian burgers are made with black beans, fresh vegetables and crunchy cashews and are expertly seasoned with a delicately smoky and mild nutty flavour. The burgers are made with all natural, organic ingredients and are free from artificial colours or flavours.
Organic Edamame Bean Burgers
The delicious Edamame Bean Burgers contain a nutritious blend of wholegrain rice, edamame beans and a subtle hint of seaweed.
Red Lentil Sunflower Seed Burger
A tasty vegetarian burger made with red lentils, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and a hint of spice. Made using all natural, organic ingredients and free from artificial colours or flavours.
The burgers were a nice size and easy to cook, you simply heat lightly in a pan until golden brown. As they cooked, they developed lovely crispness to the outside, similar to the crispness you get when you cook a beefburger. Once cooked, I chose a nice soft bun, sat the burger on a bed of lettuce, added a dash of mild chilli sauce and topped it with a homegrown tomato. Taking a bite, I was pleasantly surprised with how flavoursome all three burgers were, the flavours all worked well together and made a tasty meal.
If I had to pick a favourite it would have to be the Black Bean Cashew Burgers, the combination of beans, red pepper and cashew nuts melded together nicely and the smokiness added an extra dimension to the flavour.
Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Moving Mountains pride themselves on creating plant based foods on three fronts: Taste, Environment and Health. Founder Simeon van der Molen started the company in 2016 with a view of, “bringing real, radical change to people’s everyday diet by providing a plant-based alternative that is genuinely competitive in taste, texture and satisfaction to animal meat.”
We were sent some of their fish-alternative plant based products to test. I’ve never tried plant based fish before so this was an interesting test!
Moving Mountain Plant-Based Fish Fingers
The Moving Mountain Fish Fingers look almost identical to commercial fish fingers (so no trouble convincing the kids!) complete with breadcrumb coating and white filling. Apart from being fish-free, the only difference is that the filling is not flakey like fishfingers are. Instead, it’s a slightly smoother texture and they cut without tearing as much. From frozen, they cook in about the same time and can be stored in exactly the same way.
The plant based fish fillets were similarly very similar to the fish fingers in texture, with the filling being white but not as flakey. They had the familiar battered coating though, and also cooked evenly and crisply as if they were similarly frozen fish fillets. What surprised me the most about these was that they filled me up just as much as meaty fish fillets, and you soon forget that they are plant based!
How did they taste? Well whether you’re a fan of white fish or not, these are a great alternative to fish, or a new find which are also flavoursome and hearty. I dressed them up with some coleslaw and a bit of pepper on top which alters the flavour if you’re looking for a bit of difference, but one bonus of plant based fish – they’re not greasy at all!
Available at Ocado, Waitrose, Sainsburys, Cote Brasserie, Hard Rock Café, Booth’s Grocers and Odeon.
The Review Studio 