During the month we've asked the team to give you some of their vegan-friendly picks from around the shop to highlight some of their favourites that you've maybe not tried, and Victoria’s pick is Sosmix:
“It’s a versatile swap for a lot of veggie meat which usually comes in plastic packaging that is unlikely to be recycled given the facilities available in Sheffield. You can add many flavours and make into any shape.”
There really are so many uses for Sosmix including Sosmix Scotch Eggs or Vegan Toad In The Hole. It’s a totally plant-based recipe that is high in fibre and protein, and as Victoria said you can add to the mix before shaping - imagine Cajun Spiced Sosage Rolls! And it really is super simple and easy to use. Just mix 150g of Sosmix with 250ml of cold water, then allow to stand for 10 mins before shaping and cooking.
Paddy has gone with the Gummy and Fizzy sweets:
“The texture is definitely better than gelatine-based sweets. They normally come in so much packaging, but with us you can buy as little (or as much) as you want.”
This really is a great swap as it’s better for the planet as well as animal welfare, but also helps with waste reduction too as we have a plastic-free supply chain with our supplier. The paper sacks that the sweets are delivered to us in are easy to recycle and given the amount of sweets we have sold in the shop, this removes what would add up to hundreds of small plastic packets if bought pre-packed from other stores.
For Rae’s pick, she has chosen the whole Miniml range as she uses so many of their products at home that it was hard to choose just a few.
While it’s easy to narrow veganism down to concepts like not consuming animal products, it’s also important to switch not only what’s on your plate, but also in the cleaning cupboard. By swapping to refillable cleaning and personal care products from Miniml you can be sure animal welfare is considered through the manufacturing process. Other brands are unlikely to contain any animal produce, but it’s also important to think about other aspects such as animal cruelty and make sure that products are not tested on animals.
All of Miniml’s products, but also throughout most of the range of cleaning, cosmetic and personal care products that we sell in the shop carry the Leaping Bunny logo which means that the product is certified to be vegan-friendly as it is free of all animal produce and not tested on animals.
While it’s important to check for this certification (or others similar such as from the Vegetarian Society) if a product does not carry this type of certification it doesn’t automatically mean you should jump to a conclusion that the product and the manufacturer cannot be trusted. It takes a lot of resources, money and time to be awarded these certifications, so if the product is from a small business then check the ingredients list and maybe have a look on their website to see if they have statements on their ethics and policies on topics such as animal testing can go along way.
However, should the product be manufactured by a well known brand that you would expect to see on the shelves in the supermarket and NOT carry such accreditations, then this is where alarm bells should start ringing and you may want to do some more research and maybe reach out to the manufacturer to ask why they are not certified and put some pressure on them. 💪
All of the products we've featured here are available in-store totally package-free when you bring your own containers to refill, and of course, by switching to refills you will:
👍 Buy only what you need and save waste
✅ Save money
🚫 Reduce plastic pollution
🐇 Improve animal welfare
🌍 Reduce environmental impact
You can also view them on our online store to order for home delivery by clicking on the links above for each product.
What are your own vegan-friendly favourites from the shop? Let us know in the comments 👇