Vegan substitutes are on the rise – and have been for a short time.
From the fabled Greggs Vegan sausage roll, to McDonald’s new McPlant burger, the rise of plant-based meat has taken the fast food world by storm – however till now, one factor remained sacred and just about irreplaceable.
And that one factor was correct, sincere Christmas turkey.
Read more: I tried the Wetherspoon Christmas chicken burger and uncovered foul play with the chips
It appears that evidently issues are altering although – and consider it or not, it is all all the way down to a faux turkey sandwich from excessive avenue espresso chain Costa.
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How, it’s essential to ask, can a sandwich even come near changing the mouth-watering perfection of a correct Christmas dinner?
Effectively, the reality is that it may’t – however that is not the purpose, and it comes a hell of so much nearer than you’d suppose.
Now this explicit sandwich is not wholly model new – because it got here out for the Christmas interval of 2020 – however given the lockdown-riddled nightmare that was the tip of 2020, we’re undecided this savoury deal with received a good run out.
So what’s on this sandwich then?
Not a lot has modified with the sandwich in 2021 – save for the addition of vegan ‘cheeze’ to the combination of textured soy protein, sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce, vegan mayonnaise & contemporary spinach, all in toasted bloomer bread.
To handle the issues within the room – sure, vegan cheese options are notoriously hit-and-miss, with the emphasis closely on miss, which could flip a couple of folks off.
For the uninitiated, it is usually value explaining that soy protein is a reasonably widespread stand-in for meat, and provides sufficient meaty flavour that, when paired with the fitting environment, can usually act as a very convincing substitute.
And the remainder of the sandwich is, fortunately, simply fairly regular – choosing a sage and onion stuffing being a protected guess, avoiding the meatier stuffing choices that may require a vegan stand-in while not sacrificing on style.
So know it is clear what it’s, there’s one query left to reply – is it any good?
Sure, it is actually fairly good truly
Straight out of the gates, it is value mentioning that I have not loved the delight of a real, meaty Christmas dinner for nearly three years now – however I have not utterly forgotten the delights of a great turkey sandwich.
That stated – this sandwich actually, actually hits the spot.
The basic combo of cheese and cranberry, blended with the equally dependable combo of a meaty turkey flavour and the sage of the stuffing makes it really feel like all the perfect bits of Christmas dinner have been compressed down to suit right into a toastie (barring the roast potatoes, in fact).
The vegan turkey actually works – it is received greater than sufficient texture and flavour to imitate the texture of darkish meat, and is mainly nearly as good as the true factor.
The vegan cheese is – fortunately – not terrible, and in reality works very well as a form of brie stand-in, pairing completely with the beneficiant quantity of cranberry sauce so give a terrific stability of candy and savoury.
The spinach, although a bizarre and non-traditional addition, can be a great part – including a contact of one thing lighter to keep away from the sandwich being excessively stodgy.
And the stuffing – good lord the stuffing.
Stuffing has at all times been my private favorite little bit of a Christmas dinner – and that is no exception.
It actually ties every little thing collectively, ensuring that whenever you’re biting into this toasted little dream-boat, you actually know that is meant to be a Christmas deal with.
The decision
So, our verdict on the Costa Vegan turkee, stuffing and cranberry sandwich is…
It is improbable.
Certain it is by no means going to interchange the enjoyment of a full Christmas roast with all of the trimmings, however it will get virtually every little thing you’d need from that feast right into a vegan-friendly, sandwich sized parcel that you may simply come out and have for lunch.
Not solely that, however the reality the sandwich comes toasted and scorching makes an enormous distinction in these darkish and wintry months, placing it head-and-shoulders above the common meal deal fashion sandwiches from grocery store opponents.
The one criticism value airing is that the sandwich is not a lot of a looker – with the inside being a bit on the gray aspect – however there is not any have to spend an excessive amount of time looking at your soy turkey when it tastes this convincing.
Vegan or veggie, or only a meat eater that is been struck by a pang of empathy for all these turkeys who dwell solely to make you uncomfortably full on December 25 – this sandwich is effectively value a attempt.