Granose Meat-Free Mixes - A Review & Give-Away

I generally like to make most meals from scratch, but sometimes it's good to have a few convenience products to fall back on. I hadn't tried packet mixes for a while, so was interested to see how the new range of Granose Meat-Free mixes, from Symington's would compare to ready-made products.

In the UK, we have access to a wide variety of processed, chilled or frozen vegetarian products, but sometimes, it's useful to have a standby in the cupboard. Maybe you're a not vegetarian but occasionally have veggie friends or family over, or maybe you need a product which doesn't need to be chilled. For example, when camping or on Duke of Edinburgh type expeditions, or to take on holiday to countries where vegetarian products are still hard to find, such as France. They would also be great for students going away to university, who might have limited fridge and freezer storage.

"Granose has a 100 year history, making it the natural choice when it comes to providing dried mix meat free meals that are healthy, hearty and delicious. What’s more, they are easy to prepare and designed entirely with your convenience in mind. Granose means goodness, for all the family.
There are 6 products in the range, Meat Free Lincolnshire Sausage Mix, Meat Free Burger Mix, Meat Free Bolognese Mix, Meat Free Savoury Mince Mix, Falafel Mix and finally the Soya Mince."

With this in mind, I tried out some of the products to see how they compared to ready-made products.
All of the products are labelled as vegetarian, but actually appear to be vegan too. The mixes were really easy to prepare as you basically add water, stir well and leave to firm up, before shaping into burgers, sausages or balls (I used my burger press). You then bake, fry or barbecue.

The joy of packet mixes, is that you can add extra ingredients, such as herbs or spices to vary the flavour, so if you like your falafels spicy, you can add some extra chilli! One thing I will mention, is that I found I needed a little less water (just a few tablespoons less) than stated on the packet, so don't add it all at once. I brushed my burgers and sausages with oil and barbecued them; they held together surprisingly well.

The finished products all tasted pleasant, but had a different (less meaty) texture to ready-made products which my teens were a little dubious of! Once we'd added the required amount of ketchup, relish etc, I think they tasted pretty good. Maybe not as succulent, but certainly a good, convenient alternative.

If you want to try out the products yourself, they are available at Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Holland & Barrett.

You also have a chance to win a selection of Granose products. Just leave my a comment, telling me your favourite vegetarian/vegan convenience product and fill in the Rafflecopter entry form. 
UK ONLY, closes midnight 3rd Sept. 2016. 

 Integrity Statement
 I received the products pictured in consideration for a review  and giveaway. All views expressed are genuine.


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