Matthew Glover, VFC co-founder, who also co-founded the global Veganuary phenomenon says: “We’re incredibly excited to be working with Tesco to bring VFC into mainstream grocery. As the new vegan brand on the block, we couldn’t be happier to join the range of quality vegan products already offered by Tesco, and to be injecting a little passion into the sector. Our mission, of course, is to disrupt the current food system that is tied to factory farming, slaughterhouses and environmental degradation. And we’re doing all that with delicious feel-good food. This is a very important – and very welcome – milestone for us and, as a well-funded startup backed by Veg Capital, it is just the start.”

Derek Sarno, Tesco’s Director of Plant Based Innovation says:  “I’m thrilled that Tesco is the first large retailer to bring VFC to the mainstream market. The plant-protein market is growing rapidly, and VFC brings something genuinely exciting to the sector. With no compromise on flavour, it offers a delicious alternative that will help make eating plant-based easier – and tastier – than ever.”  

The Tesco launch is being supported by an advertising campaign covering the London Underground, bus sides and roadsides, all in the capital. A week later, roadside and high street ads will go up across Manchester, Bristol, Brighton & Hove, and Kent. The exact details are being kept under wraps for now but as an activist brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously – while taking its mission very seriously – the campaign is expected to be bold and engaging, and will undoubtedly ruffle a few feathers.

In the meantime, and to celebrate their US launch, the VFC team have recreated iconic American movie scenes, including When Harry Met Sally, with VFC in a cameo role.

Says Glover: “VFC is not just available in America. You can now have what she’s having from Tesco.”

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https://yorkonafork.com/2016/08/09/searching-for-the-source/Fried chicken through is something I do like to indulge in though so the news of a vegan alternative with its roots in York definitely piqued my interest. VFC is a collaboration between the co-founder of Veganuary and restaurateur/chef Adam Lyons who is well known to the foodie community in York as the driving force behind Source, which developed a strong reputation for vegetarian and vegan food. The duo’s stated aim is simple, to save chickens by offering a vegan fried chicken that’s “All meat, No animal”.

I took delivery of an “original bundle” that featured a selection of their products for £25, requiring an amount of freezer logistics that was suggestive of the value it represented. The selection included original bites & fries, original bites and original fillets in quantities to keep one going for some time. First up, I tried the bites & fries on an evening requiring a low effort meal. This just needed popping in the oven for an appropriate period while the accompanying sauce defrosted itself at ambient temperatures. Special mention to the barbecue sauce that came with this one, every scrap of which disappeared along with the fries that came with the VFC bites, which are tremendous and reflective of the passion, knowledge and skill from the team involved.

Similarly to the Beyond Burger, I don’t think many who regularly eat chicken would be fooled by these bites or fillets, but that’s not to say I think anyone would be disappointed. The VFC bites and fillets have a pleasing density with a texture that gives a satisfying bite and a well judged crunchy coating that’s well seasoned and a reminder that those involved have a passion for good food as well as animal welfare. This is something that’s reflected across the range and ensures that these products don’t feel like you’re ditching enjoyment for ethics or losing out on something comforting. While the bites & fries were an enjoyable way into a low stress dinner, there’s plenty of scope to embellish here too as shown by the creative social media posts that VFC have been wise to tap into, with all sorts of fried chicken dishes getting a vegan makeover.

I, like so many, am making sure that my meat consumption has a bit more thought going into it as time progresses. I’m convinced that the casual consumption of over farmed meat will be something the next generation (rightly) hold us to account for so I make sure I have a good relationship with a local butcher who can tell me everything I ask about an animal’s origin and welfare. Meat is certainly not something assumed to be essential to every meal in this house and I’m more than happy to drop in substitutes of the right quality. No matter how much you fancy some industrially farmed, low welfare chicken as a guilty pleasure it’s always going to leave a bad aftertaste, that guilt is there for a reason. VFC may be squarely aimed at the vegan market but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it and incorporate it into my diet, which is certainly something I’ve been doing, the bites making a great snack and fillets part of a wider meal. There will always be those entrenched on both extremes of this debate, but this is one animal substitute that’s easy to understand and appreciate for all concerned.

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Source York has been an important part of the food scene in the city since opening a few years ago, successfully placing feet in both vegan and omnivore camps. Its mix of innovative plant-based dishes along with a range of pulled meats, ribs and so on deprives meat eaters of an excuse to avoid visiting somewhere that serves up such distinguished veggie and vegan dishes. With their restaurant being shut for the moment Source York has, alongside a whole industry, been after ways to keep sharing its joys and hit upon the idea of a picnic for enjoyment at home.

While we may have a little more in the way of personal freedom than we had a couple of weeks ago, we still opted to enjoy the picnic in our own garden (a luxury that I’m all the more appreciative of these days) which enjoys easy access to running water and conveniences along with the absence of other people less keen on the etiquette of social distancing. The picnic concept Source came up with has allowed them to transplant a clear sense of their ethos and identity into a different setting, bringing elements of the restaurant dishes together to create an impressive and visually striking spread that needs no preparation before enjoying. A tie up with York Gin popped a couple more goodies into the mix to enjoy in the sun too, their award-winning Old Tom being perfect to enjoy in the warm weather.

The centrepiece of the spread was a pair of Buddha Bowls, each featuring a half avocado, crusted with sesame seeds, and bang-bang tofu with pickled mushrooms and red cabbage along with quinoa that turned the pickles into proper little show offs.. Hummus shortages are a rare thing in this house so the burnt onion variant included didn’t last long and the nacho bowl was demolished in equally short order with its embellishments of avocado and other sauces. Some pulled jackfruit and pulled pork finished off the savouries and both made a great adjunct, though it speaks well of Source’s ability to balance a meal that it would have been no lesser experience with the absence of meat.

The meal was ended with a vegan chocolate mousse with almonds and goji berries that punched in a good bite of chocolate bitterness along with a smooth, luxuriant texture. I’d never have guessed that this was vegan if challenged, a both technically impressive and delicious way to finish.

The big question remaining is when you’ll have the opportunity to sample this experience, which I gather is unlikely to be repeated due to the scale of the endeavour and practicalities of mass catering from a restaurant kitchen. That doesn’t mean it’s not a big success though. I think it’s absolutely key at the moment for restaurants to maintain a connection with the customers who they’re looking forward to welcoming back in due course. While very different to a restaurant experience, Source absolutely succeeded in making this representative of their unique place in the York food scene and have, hopefully, piqued people’s interest for a takeaway offering that will be coming soon. Keep an eye on their social media channels for more news.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for this meal. Opinions are impartial.

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Comptoir Libanais Leedsremains a bright and cheerful presence under the Everyman Cinema in Leeds’ Trinity Centre. On our last visit, there was a slightly incongruous soundtrack leaking into the restaurant from the cinema, film soundtracks overwhelming the vibe a little. When we arrived I noted that was no longer the case as we were quickly seated, not taking much time to order everything from the “Vegan Flavours of the Month” menu. This consisted of three dishes that weighed in around £20 to enjoy the triumvirate. We chose to supplement these with a spinach fatayer to make sure we had plenty for the two of us and that Baby Fork would have ample opportunity to pick at our meals. In retrospect, this isn’t the greatest editorial decision I’ve ever made, having already enjoyed this dish on our previous visit. That said, the repeat order speaks of how much we enjoyed it.

Our food arrived quickly along with a glass of their Lebanese house wine, vegetable tagine, falafel with hummus & harissa sauce and coriander dressed baked aubergine all present and correct. The aubergine threw a good punch of heat that didn’t overwhelm the coriander or distract from the vegetable and the falafel was far from the powdery, dry examples sadly too common. Hummus is generally a good thing, remaining so here and the vegetable tagine was a delight that packed in depth of flavour against a backdrop of varieties of rice that broadened its texture and flavour. The spinach Fatayer was probably a step toward over indulgence in a light meal for two, and took us a step away from the vegan theme thanks to its inclusion of feta, but thematic misstep or otherwise was as enjoyable as last time.

Including a glass of wine and a soft drink, all this attracted a bill of less than £40, more than fair for a decent lunch in the middle of a good sized city with or without meat. Whatever your thoughts and the motivations behind veganism and Veganuary, menus like this broaden the offering and could be argued to inspire people to try something different. After a recent breakfast at Gatwick, this is my third time at Comptoir Libanais and I’m sure it won’t be my last.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for this visit, opinions are impartial.

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To start with, we stuck with vegetarian options, choosing asparagus with white bean hummus and a cashew & tomato pâté. The pâté came with a simple salad, which would have benefited from a stronger dressing, and some gluten free toasts. It’s only on double checking the menu now that I realise those toasts were gluten free, which speaks well of them. The pâté worked well, perhaps not as smokey as advertised, but light and delicious with no hint of compromise to become vegetarian. The asparagus was presented over a few crispy potatoes and roasted tomatoes which sat in that promised bed of white bean hummus. The tomatoes were in danger of over shadowing the rest of the plate, but the asparagus was still able to speak for itself and the hummus was well balanced. With the potatoes in the mix too this was a great start to the evening.

We’d not consciously avoided meat in the starters and similarly not sought it out for mains, with chicken and hake (£2 supplement) being our choices for the next course. The chicken was cooked with ginger and lemongrass then served with turmeric roast potatoes and broccoli with a saffron sauce. This dish attracted a bit of criticism in a recent review, so I was curious to try it myself for the sake of comparison. It’s fair to say the chicken was perhaps a touch dry, but there was plenty of flavour in the plate, arguably too much going on with the turmeric and saffron fighting it out. The saffron sauce really made the dish: rich but delicate and balanced well with the fresh broccoli.

The other main we chose was hake fillet baked in chermoula with spiced lentils and salsify. This really packed a punch, with a good amount of spice and a generous serving of the salsify that had been roasted in batons to present itself as an exciting alternative to chips. The fish flaked into chunks as it should and the chermoula made its presence felt with a good balance of coriander, lemon, garlic and so on. The lentils needed to be aggressively flavoured to face off against all this and were entirely up to the challenge. If anything we were over-faced by the quantity of fabulous lentils with which we were presented, making it a shame to leave some.

Despite failing to summit the mountain of lentils, we thought it appropriate we attempt a pudding too so made our best attempt at a vegan chocolate mousse. As with the gluten lacking from those toasts in the starter, I’d not have guessed this was missing dairy. Topped with mint, raspberry and pistachio, the mousse was made from an avocado base with almond milk which gave a lovely smooth texture and nutty undertone.

At a shade under fifteen quid for two courses or nineteen for three, this all represents great value. There’s a pleasing amount of invention in the dishes, using good ingredients, but not at the expense of flavour. Filmore & Union has been a reliable option in York since it opened, particularly for those following specific diets. We had a lovely evening with good food from the Filmore & Union summer menu and I heartily recommend it for a great value evening out.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for our visit. Opinions remain impartial

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If you’re a parent then before planning your visit make sure you arrange childcare: the Whippet bills itself as for adults only and aims to offer something a bit different from other restaurants, something reinforced by the thoroughly adult wallpaper that you wouldn’t want to have to explain to a child. With care for Baby Fork duly sorted, we took up a table in the sheltered garden, just out of the scorching sun, and waited for food to arrive. As an aside, I’d prefer to see the garden entirely non smoking when serving as a dining area.

Our first dish was perfect for the hot weather: a Heritage San Marzano tomato gazpacho that was poured at the table over salted padron peppers, fermented cucumber and a beetroot and tapioca cracker. We were sampling this meal at the beginning of the heat wave we’re currently enjoying/enduring, so the sharp hit of fresh tomato did its thing well. The tapioca cracker needed eating quickly to retain its crunch against the gazpacho and broadened the dish well. Our other starter was a, rather more unusual, asparagus and almond milk “Panna Cotta” that snaked its way across the plate under some dressed asparagus tips, slices of radish and an olive tapenade. I was surprised at how small a dent in my appetite this dish made but the elements worked together rather than competing, making for an enjoyable plate and certainly one of the most unusual ways I’ve seen asparagus used.

The new range of vegan dishes includes a trio of mains, and despite there being only two of us we pushed forward to make sure we sampled the full range. First up was a roast aubergine and tahini wrap served with charred lettuce hearts, sesame, red chilli and seaweed presented a couple of ways. The aubergine had tremendous depth of flavour and was one of my favourite elements of the meal, working brilliantly with the tahini shot through the aubergine flesh. The pieces crispy fried seaweed on the wrap gave a strong savoury element to the dish that continued into the somewhat strong seaweed broth that would have been in danger of overwhelming the plate without some restraint. Next up was a courgette and chickpea hash that was served as a fried patty over Jersey Royals along with confit fennel. The bubble n’ squeak type main element was a wetter mixture than I expected but absolutely delicious and a superb accompaniment to the simply prepared potatoes. The final main we tried was a cauliflower steak spiced with ras al hanout under which had been scattered pomegranate and apricot. Cauliflower “couscous” and garlic roasted beetroot “fries” occupied the rest of the plate, the beetroot being particularly compelling while the fruit and spice helped each other out admirably.

The desserts with which we finished our meal were suitably ornate, starting with a maple and pistachio baklava nestling under slices of peach and a rosewater granita that took the edge off the day’s heat perfectly. Finally an eggless macaron that had been delicately filled with strawberry compote sat along with elderflower, gooseberries and a lemon sorbet that was doomed to a short life in this intense heat. Both dishes demonstrated plenty of skill and judgement from the chef.

Any concerns that vegan dishes in a steakhouse would be lazy bandwagon jumping were easily dismissed by this meal. There was an abundance of inventiveness and good produce evident that reinforces a genuine desire to offer something of good quality to widen The Whippet’s appeal. We went overboard with three main courses between two of us but three courses each for two people would come in around fifty pounds plus drinks. It’s increasingly obvious that our society’s reliance on intensively reared and heavily processed meat is a bad thing for both our own and our planet’s health so any offering such as this that broadens a restaurant’s appeal can only be a good thing. I may not be vegan but whatever your dietary choices, there’s plenty to enjoy here.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for this meal, opinions are impartial.

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With Adam Lyons running the open kitchen and wife Katie looking after front of house, there’s a strong background of cooking and hospitality ready to underpin Source restaurant. Adam has been involved with the Aldwark Arms, Jamie’s Italian and the Royal York (post its recent transformation), but with the opportunity coming to strike out and open his own place, things are changing further on Castlegate.

We arrived at Source restaurant at seven on a Thursday evening and I was immediately taken about at how busy the place was. Source had only been open three weeks at the time and, that early into the journey, I’d usually expect to see lots more empty tables while word percolates through the town. In fact, the guys have had to turn tables away on some nights; testament to their choice of location at the end of the street where there’s a lot of footfall.

The Source restaurant interior is distressed to just the right degree. There are bare wood surfaces and filament light bulbs aplenty along with attractive quirky light fittings, but it’s not overdone or forced. We were lucky enough to be sat facing that open kitchen so, after encouraging Adam to stick his head out for a photo, we had a good view to enjoy while flicking through the menu’s different elements. The three elements that are highlighted are “Slow Meats, Superfoods and Vegetarian”. York does have a couple of go-to places for vegetarian food but what’s unique here is the intention to cater so effectively for both vege’ and carni’ diners with intriguing sounding dishes on both sides of that particular balance sheet. One could be concerned about the other two elements of that trifecta, with both superfoods and slow-cooked meats being very in vogue at the moment, but after hearing Adam speak passionately about provenance, quality and health, I don’t have any concerns that these specialisms are mere box-ticking.

To start with, the three of us chose cauliflower florets, buffalo wings and lime-grilled avocados while we ordered a bottle of Australian shiraz to keep us company. We noted the extremely good value prices in the short interval between ordering and our dishes arriving before noting the simply-presented food that let the colour stand out. My favourite of the three was the buffalo wings (thanks for the taster, Grace!) which shed meat from bone with little persuasion and had a subtly sweet flavour. I can’t comment on the avocado due to a mild, but irritating, allergy but I’m assured it was lovely. I can certainly agree that it was neatly presented on a flat board that required great skill to prevent rolling off during transit. Cauliflower is a much under-appreciated vegetable whose meaty texture gives a good basis for main dishes. In this case the florets were al dente and surrounded by rocket leaves and pomegranate seeds and combined to balance out nicely. We all agreed the spice on the cauli’ was a bit too aggressive, but the dip softened it off to a significant degree as we reflected on the portion size being in danger of jeopardising appetites for the mains.

We selected shredded chicken, shakshuka and pulled jackfruit to get a good range of the produce being shown off. All of these dishes came with a chunk of cornbread more impressively light than anything I’ve attempted myself by some margin. My shredded chicken (free range of course) was saturated with flavour and offset by plenty of sweetcorn and spicy Yorkshire chorizo. The chips were soft and accompanying slaw refreshing and crisp without being drenched in dressing. The Shakshuka was presented in a piping hot skillet with another side of corn bread. I didn’t taste it but it looked a good representation of the dish, the eggs yolks remaining soft and luscious. The most unusual dish we tried was BBQ style pulled jackfruit. I’ve got to confess to not having seen this on a menu before but I’d heard the flesh made an eerily convincing meat substitute. Served with the same sides as the shredded chicken, you could easily have mistaken this for a meat dish. The ‘meat’ was topped with jalapeños and, without foreknowledge, you could have mistaken the texture for pork pulled through BBQ sauce.

It has to be said that the pricing was extremely reasonable with mains ranging from £8.50 to £14.50 and starters as little as £3. Portion size was generous too, large enough to put desserts beyond reach and line up a nice lunch of leftovers. There were a couple of minor rough edges, certainly no more serious than I’ve seen in other newly opened establishments, but the service was seamless and friendly and the high standards to which the guys want to hold themselves evident. I don’t doubt that Source has a bright future!

Disclaimer: we were invited to enjoy a complimentary meal, the opinions here are the reviewers own

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Minor pronunciation-based confusion aside, it’s not too hard to find Bicis y Mas on Walmgate; the latest addition to the street’s food scene comes from a slightly oblique trajectory. A bike shop and workshop that offers vegetarian food and continental beers (‘bikes and more’, literally) situated in the former GA White’s furniture store feels a slightly worrying collection of specialities to fill.

We popped up early on a Saturday morning for breakfast and made a couple of easy choices to have a standard vegetarian breakfast and some spiced beans on toast.

Service was a little bit on the slow side but when the food appeared, it was clear that the presentation and fresh preparation took a little bit of time. In the interim, a well balanced Americano and an Earl Grey tea (loose leaf) kept us ticking over despite my partner’s difficulties with the mechanics of the teapot.

The vegetarian breakfast was pleasingly hearty and varied in taste. A brace of perfectly fried eggs topped bubble n’ squeak, veggie sausage and a hash of tomato and mushroom while toast was served on the side (a mix of granary and white). The bubble n’ squeak was excellent, fried to a perfect crust and consistently tasty. It missed the pleasingly unpredictable nature of Sunday roast B&S leftovers, but this was a moist pleasure. Vegetarian sausages were a touch less overwhelmingly successful: butternut squash, sage and onion came through but none strongly enough to really replace a more porcine offering. I’m still trying to place the flavour, but this was the one element which felt notably inferior to its fleshy counterpart. Tomato and mushroom chunks complemented everything well to negate the need for other sauces and I left satisfied. Those eggs in particular were notable. I’d not want to fight a hen laying eggs with yolks that size!

Spiced baked beans was a more straightforward dish, though not to the detriment of flavour. Lemongrass flavours made their way through from the more generic spice and marked out an adventurously spiced portion. It was perhaps a touch too much so for my taste but (as mentioned before) that reflects me as much as the dish.

The coffee was good, tea was good and came with an offering of lemon or milk, loose tea portions being left to one’s own devices to infuse (unless you get confused… ), so everything worked. Having a sniff around the bikes, I found them more sensibly priced than I’d feared too.

That name though. I can’t help but think that easy pronunciation of one’s name should be a priority when opening a new place. As we were leaving, we asked the staff how it should be pronounced and got a very mixed response. Still, if you can manage to arrange the meeting point and are open to vegetarian food, you’re onto a winner with Bicis y Mas.

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