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Roots of Kimchi – authentic Korean kimchi made in the UK A fusion of Korean heritage and modern British artisan production, Roots of Kimchi is a new brand of kimchi made in the UK, organic and non-organic options are available. Packed with flavour and a spicy kick that you can't ignore, Roots of Kimchi is created in small batches to authentic family recipes by a Korean chef. It delivers a wild taste sensation undiscovered by British consumers until now..... hang on a minute though, what is kimchi? Okay, Kimchi is a Korean cuisine staple. ingredients can vary slightly but generally speaking it includes pickled, fermented vegetables, garlic, chilli, ginger and often fish sauce. It gets tastebuds dancing with its sweet, sour, spicy flavours. It's no one hit wonder and can be used as a condiment, a dip, an ingredient or side dish.  Rob Peacock, co-director at Roots of Kimchi said, “Many British people will never have heard of kimchi, but we’re determined to change that. Not only is it delicious and bursting with flavour, it offers a host of nutritional advantages as part of a balanced diet. Our range of Kimchi for Kids is also a good way to encourage children to consume more vegetables, it’s a fun and tasty new food for them to try.” Roots of Kimchi is produced in four variants, all made to a gluten-free recipe: • Organic Vegan Cabbage Kimchi – staple Korean kimchi with bold, rich, wholesome flavours • Organic Vegan Mooli Kimchi – big, crunchy chunks, slightly sweet • Organic Mooli Kimchi for Kids – a slight twist on traditional radish kimchi made from crispy shredded organic mooli, vegan and full of goodness • Organic Parsnips & Carrots Kimchi – naturally sweet, crunchy, vegan  Julia Davies, nutritional therapist and consultant to Roots of Kimchi, commented, “I often recommend kimchi to my clients as a way of introducing wholesome, nutritious vegetables to their regime and because the positive impact of kimchi on the gut and the immune system is profound. Gut health is more important than ever now and the market really needed an organic range of authentic kimchi. It’s fantastic that the Roots of Kimchi team has delivered it.”  I was given Roots of Kimchi samples to try and was impressed by the deep flavours of garlic and chilli, the robustness of the vegetables and overall punchiness of the product. Unlike some others I have tried, this is no dumbed down kimchi. Food wimps it's not for you! Some kimchi facts 1. An average of 40 pounds (18kg) of kimchi is consumed per person per year in Korea. It is considered Korea’s national dish. 2. There are hundreds of kimchi varieties made with different vegetables as the main ingredients. 3. Kimchi contains high levels of lactic acid bacteria (108~9/ml), organic acids, vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and other functional components beneficial to health. It is considered a nutraceutical food. 4. It helps improve digestion and gut health and studies show that kimchi's benefits including positive values such as being anti-atherosclerotic, anti-diabetic and anti-obesity. 5. Kimchi contains living micro-organisms amplified during fermentation. In addition to the benefits of lactic acid bacteria, kimchi has probiotic effects. 6. Kimchi includes vitamin B, vitamin C, carotenoids, chlorophylls, indole-3-carbinol, flavonoids and unsaturated fatty acids. 7. By maintaining good gut health, kimchi can help fight bacterial and viral infections. 70-80% of our immune system is in the gut. 8. Clinical research has shown that kimchi may decrease insulin resistance and increase insulin sensitivity, while improving glucose tolerance. It is also low in calories. Roots of Kimchi retails from £4.99 for a 275g jar and £6.99 for 475g and is available from amazon.co.uk and health food stores. Roots of Kimchi organic products are certified by the Organic Food Federation.
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Norseland, the UK’s leading speciality cheese company and creators of award-winning Applewood® Vegan, have added Mexicana® Vegan to their range of vegan cheeses. When Applewood ® Vegan launched, the company challenged cheese-lovers to try its new product saying, "it tastes so much like the real thing we bet you’ll never know the difference”. Do you know, they are absolutely right? Now, Mexicana®Vegan, free-from lactose, milk, eggs, soy, nuts, gluten and fortified with vitamin B12 and calcium and made with gorgeous spices and jalapeño peppers, is evey bit as delicious. Whether as part of a (vegan) cheeseboard, on jacket potatoes or melted in a toastie, these two are tops - smooth texture, balanced tang, authentic aroma, it's all there. Norseland also created the world's first, best-selling Cheese Advent Calendar and this Christmas are launching the Ilchester® Vegan Festive Selection, featuring three new brands; the Ilchester® Melting Mature Cheddar Vegan, the Ilchester® Blue Vegan Cheeze (with blue spirulina vein) and Mexicana® Vegan Spicy Cheeze. Reflecting on the first anniversary of Applewood® Vegan, Lisa Harrison, senior brand manager for Applewood® Vegan, said: "It's been a great year for Applewood® Vegan. We had high hopes for the launch as In blind taste tests with vegans, conducted by Wirral Sensory Services, Applewood® Vegan ticked all the boxes and scored significantly higher than other smoky cheese alternatives already on the market. So we knew that we had got the texture - it melts very well - and taste right, but the demand at the launch was incredible; 40% of Asda stores that stocked the cheeze sold out on the first day so the factory where the cheeze was being made had to put on extra staff to meet the demand. Other supermarket giants signed up to stock it including Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury's, which stocks the new Applewood® Vegan Slices. We are so proud of what has been achieved and to be a dairy company not shying away from the increasing demand for plant-based alternatives and making the bold decision to offer a vegan alternative for a well-known established cheese brand such as Applewood®." Norseland has also launched a new website, called Flexi-Friday, an initiative to help cheese lovers follow a flexitarian style diet. The website has easy-to-follow recipes using the company's vegan cheese as well as tips on how to follow a flexitarian-style diet (those who eat mainly vegetarian food but occasionally eat meat and fish). About Applewood® Vegan • Applewood® is the UK's first major cheese brand to launch a vegan cheese alternative. • Applewood® Vegan is made in an allergen free factory negating the risk of cross contamination from dairy products. • Key features of Applewood® Vegan is that it is coconut based, it has Applewood®'s unique smoked flavouring and is free from dairy, lactose, soya and gluten. • Ingredients include water, coconut oil, potato starch, modified maize starch, yeast extract, salt, natural flavouring, thickener (carrageenan), calcium phosphate, smoke flavouring, calcium chloride, colour (carotenes), paprika and vitamin B12. • Approved by the Vegan society. • Applewood® Vegan has won awards including Gold award at the FreeFrom Food Awards 2020; Best Vegan Cheeze in the 2019 PETA Awards, Best Vegan Cheeze in the 2019 Vegan Food UK Awards and Best Vegan Cheeze For Melting in the Vegan Cheeze Co. 2019 Awards. Disclosure - I was sent a couple of packs of cheese to review and can honestly say that there is no need for cheese lovers to hanker after 'proper' cheese any more, this is EVERY BIT as good as the real thing - try it and see!
SMASHED is the only British alcohol-free drinks brand which produces 0% beer, lager, ale and ciders DRYNKS, the British alcohol-free craft brewer which focuses 100% on producing the best 0% drinks, has launched the UK’s first full range of alcohol-free (0%) beers and ciders. The SMASHED brand of premium craft drinks is now five strong as it launches two delicious new drinks - SMASHED Pale ale and SMASHED Berry cider. The range has everything you need for a fun night out or in, with drinks to suit everyone. The Manchester-based business secured one of Dragons’ Den’s best ever deals in March 2020 with Peter Jones amazed at how close to an alcoholic drink the SMASHED beers and cider tasted. Richard Clark, founder of Drynks Unlimited said: “Our SMASHED range of 0% beers and ciders have to be tasted to be believed. They taste so good you wouldn’t even realise they don’t have any booze in them. Our drinks geniuses have carefully crafted the SMASHED range to allow people to have a great night. Whether you’re looking to reduce your alcohol intake as part of a healthier lifestyle or if you just want a great tasting alcohol-free drink you can ‘swap in’ we’ve got you covered.” DRYNKS is the only UK drinks brand who can produce the full remit of craft beers and cider because it owns the first and only state-of-the-art alcohol-free brewery which gently removes alcohol from premium craft beer and cider. This use of contemporary craftmanship creates a 0% drink that is truly sessionable.
All SMASHED drinks are vegan, gluten free (where possible), low in sugar and contain less than 100 calories per bottle/can. These two new drinks complement its recently launched Smashed Lager, Smashed Citrus beer and Smashed Cider that all taste just as good as their alcoholic equivalent. The SMASHED range uses fine British ingredients to create authentic tasting craft beers and ciders and then the alcohol is gently swept away in a low impact cool vacuumed environment. This clever process maintains the same bubbly, personality, character and flavour of the full alcohol version. DRYNKS recently had a successful appearance on Dragons’ Den where they blew away the dragons with the quality and taste of the SMASHED range. The business received an offer from Sara Davies. Peter Jones stated; “I was quite surprised because I didn’t think it’d taste even close (to an alcoholic drink) but I’m quite surprised how close that is.” Deborah Meaden said: “That tastes…really good!” Smashed drinks don’t compromise on ingredients, process or equipment to create vegan-friendly, gluten-free (where possible) drinks. All Smashed drinks are available in both 330ml bottles and 300ml cans, with a NEW 660ml Smashed Lager bottle which is great for sharing with friends. The 330ml Smashed bottles and cans have a RRP of £1.99 and are available in Booths supermarket as well as online at www.drynks.co.uk, Zeroholic.co.uk, Drydrinker.com (exclusive Smashed Lager 660ml) and a range of local independent retailers across the UK. Smashed Pale Ale NEW Smashed Pale Ale is light and refreshing, a fusion of the traditional and modern. Caramel and hints of toffee, finished with a modern American hop providing tropical and passionfruit notes. Smashed Berry Launching NEW A purple berry coloured sparkling fruit cider with a fruity, fresh, clean nose with hints of English cider. The taste is sharp and refreshing with a perfect balance of sweetness backed up with strong summer berry flavours followed by hints of English cider and a firm cider astringency to finish. Smashed Lager Smashed Lager is a refreshing pale gold lager beer with a clean taste which perfectly balances with hint of barley malt, complex aromatic floral notes and a mild hoppy bitterness. Available in 330ml can and bottle as well as a 660ml sharing bottle. Smashed Cider Golden, slightly opaque sparkling liquid with a fresh inviting aroma of English apples. The taste delivers pure refreshment with a perfect balance of sharpness, sweetness and bite. The initial refreshing upfront green apple taste is perfectly complimented with a great mouthfeel and a satisfying astringent mature English cider finish. Smashed Citrus A pale gold sparkling liquid with fresh, clean aroma expressing English malt, hints of hop and touch of citrus. The taste has been crafted for pure refreshment with pleasant malty base which has a perfect balance and sessionability. The product has great mouthfeel and a hint of sweetness pairs perfectly with the slightly sharp citrus notes in the aftertaste. Drynks kindly sent me samples of their SMASHED product to get my take on them. They get a thumbs up from me! Excellent! |
