REVIEW: MEATLESS FARM CO. MEAT FREE MINCE

A couple of weeks ago Meatless Farm company reached out to me on Instagram and asked if I would like to try their new plant-based mince. Plant-based? Mince? Of course, I said yes. 

Instagram: @_sunfl0werseed

Within a couple of days, I received a voucher for Sainsbury’s and off I went to my local store to pick it up. I found it lying among Sainsbury’s vegan range, (which may I add is AMAZING). I never shop in Sainsbury’s purely because I am a poor student and would rather get my deals in Aldi, but wow, I was impressed! 

When I spotted the mince, I was a little nervous. It looks like THIS.

Instagram: emeatsvegan

A couple of months ago there was a huge hype about a new plant-based mince from Naturli, which could be found amongst real mincemeat. I actually never got around to trying Naturli’s mince because I was extremely put off by how real it looked. 

Naturli's meat free mince
Instagram: @naturli

I am embarrassed to say that I used to absolutely love meat, however, unsurprisingly, since going vegan, the thought of eating anything meatyrepulses me. Don’t get me wrong, I love fake meat and I think the options now a days are incredible, however, anything too meaty really makes my stomach churn. 

So, when I picked up Meatless Farm Co’s mince, I was apprehensive, as a part of me was thinking, “you’re not going to like this.” 

I picked up the rest of my ingredients, (the voucher was certainly a big help at the checkout, thank you Meatless Farm Co), and off I went home ready to make one of my favourite classics, Spaghetti Bolognese. 

Meatless Farm Co actually sent me a recipe to follow for a Bolognese, as a part of their spag bol challenge. I did have to make some amendments, as a few of the ingredients (Worcestershire sauce and parmesan) were not vegan. But, all was forgiven. 

I am positive you all know how to make a spag bol, but I’ll leave the recipe that I made here if you are interested in following along. This recipe made three decent sized portions, (potentially four). 

Ingredients

1 large onion 

3 cloves of minced garlic (if you’re not putting 3+ cloves of garlic in your meal, you’re not doing it right)

A handful of mushrooms 

A packet of tender stem broccoli 

400g of Meatless Farm Co mince 

1 tbsp of tomato puree

A tin of chopped tomatoes 

Mixed herbs 

Chilli flakes 

Salt 

Pepper

A portion of pasta (who even measures pasta nowadays?)

Fresh basil 

Method 

Fry your onion and garlic until brown. Add your mushrooms and tender stem broccoli and fry until fully cooked. 

Next, add your Meatless Farm Co mince and fry until brown all over. I found it took a while to brown, so be patient with it. Also, if you find it is sticking to the pan, add a little bit of boiling water just to moisten it up a bit. 

Once your mince is fully cooked, add your tomato puree and chopped tomatoes. Next, add your spices to your acquired taste and leave to simmer. 

In the meantime, boil your pasta, (I will not be giving instructions for this step). 

Now that your pasta is cooked, your Bolognese should be about ready too. 

Dig in!

My verdict

THIS IS THE BEST MEAT FREE MINCE I HAVE EVER TASTED. My fears were squashed as soon as I dug in, as it did not taste as meaty as I was expecting. Granted, I have not really ventured out into plant-based minces, sticking in my comfort zone with Morrisons’ meatless mince, but, I have to say, this won by a landslide.

Congratulations to Meatless Farm Co. for killing it with this mince. I can’t wait to try the rest of their range!

Have you tried this mince? Let me know your thoughts!

Until next time,

Emma xxx