We announce the crème de la vegan crème!
There is no doubt that plant-based eating is on the rise, and manufacturers, retailers and restaurants are making and selling vegan fare like never before. From vegan meats to dairy-free milks, from the very best chocolate to plant-based cheese that hits the spot, the choices for those adopting an animal-free diet are growing week by week.
But with so much vegan food available, which companies are getting it right? We wanted to find out, and so we asked the experts … Veganuary’s participants and supporters in the UK, the US and Australia. Six-and-a-half thousand people responded; we worked through the results; we crunched the numbers; and now … (drum roll) … the results are in!
In the UK, the best-rated restaurant by a country mile was Zizzi, which polled more than one-third of all votes cast. Its secret? The organic, dairy-free mozzarella-style cheese that saw 8,000 vegan dishes a week sold during Veganuary 2017. And its vegan sticky chocolate and praline torte has only made us love Zizzi more.
Tesco topped the list for the best supermarket, and its new range of dairy-free cheeses may have been the secret of its success. If you haven’t yet tried the blue cheese, GO AND BUY IT NOW. It’s amazing. Sainsbury’s came a close second, and again we’re thinking cheese. Its lasagne and mac ‘n’ cheese ready meals certainly caused a stir.
The best-loved UK brand was Linda McCartney, which was one of the first companies in the country to cater specifically for vegans. Whether it was the country pies, the ‘scampi’ or the hoisin ‘duck’ that brought them the votes, we don’t know, but we do know what we’re having for tea tonight…
In terms of our favourite foods, this is how the UK vote stacked up:
- Best cheese – Violife
- Best vegan meat – Linda McCartney
- Best dairy-free milk – Alpro
- Best ice cream – Swedish Glace
- Best chocolate – Green & Blacks
In the US, Daiya was the favourite cheese, polling 43 per cent of the votes. The huge range of styles and flavours, makes Daiya the envy of vegans around the world. Gardein came out top for vegan meats, but Beyond Meat was snapping at its heels. And as for ice cream, Ben and Jerry’s polled a third of the votes, but vegans still love the range by So Delicious best. These are the results:
- Best cheese – Daiya
- Best vegan meat – Gardein
- Best dairy-free milk – Silk
- Best ice cream – So Delicious
- Best chocolate – Edangered Species Organic
Vegans in Australia also voted. MyLife biocheese was the firm favourite, polling 40 per cent of the votes, while ever-popular and very-delicious Fry’s won out in the vegan meat category.
- Best cheese – MyLife Biocheese
- Best vegan meat – Fry’s
- Best dairy-free milk – Vitasoy
- Best ice cream – Sanitarium
- Best chocolate – Lindt Dark Excellence
Thanks to everyone who voted!
(Is anyone else hungry?)
