The decline of Beanfeast

[pogofish]

I don't understand all this anti Quorn sentiment. As a serious meat eater, (I've just finished a plateful of Lamb's Heart casserole [Canterbury Casserole]) Quorn is one of the few vegetarian substitute products I like and respect. Quorn chicken is better than the real thing, better, smoother texture and no side-effects compared to other substitutes.

Maybe go and look for the previous Quorn bunfights then - its all laid out there.

 

[Next2China]

I don't think I will look, it could be messy.

 

[Greebo]

I don't understand all this anti Quorn sentiment.<snip>.

Among other things - hidden ingredients. Even the plain versions of quorn contain unspecified flavourings. Which means that people with some types of allergy just have to avoid it altogether.

 

[DIMPLES1]

But what if the supermarket promotes one product over another because they make more money from it? They are bound to sell more of a certain product if it's placed in more prominent positions (at eye-level), often on special offer and placed with related products. This is the case with Quorn mince, which is sensibly placed with all the other chilled meat-free products.

The Beanfeast is tucked away by the tinned vegetables, often on the top shelf. No wonder many people thought it wasn't still being made.

If more people realised that there was something tastier than Quorn at about 1/3 of the price, I expect it would sell much more.

Where items are placed on shelves is bought by the manufacturers / sales teams from those companies that market them.

I suspect Quorn spend a hell of a lot marketing -advertising & placing - which is reflected in their pricing.

They have made 'vegetarian' food more socially acceptable, IMO.

I also suspect beanfeast has very limited marketing spend, but the 2 products they do still make, are cash cows for them . . . . or should that be cash beans

 

[Maggot]

Where items are placed on shelves is bought by the manufacturers / sales teams from those companies that market them.

I suspect Quorn spend a hell of a lot marketing -advertising & placing - which is reflected in their pricing.

They have made 'vegetarian' food more socially acceptable, IMO.

I also suspect beanfeast has very limited marketing spend, but the 2 products they do still make, are cash cows for them . . . . or should that be cash beans

Some good points here. Quorn probably do have a much larger marketing budget than Batchelors, who make Beanfeast.

I don't hate Quorn, and will happily eat their stuff, but I suspect much of their popularity is due to marketing.

 

[mr steev]

Where items are placed on shelves is bought by the manufacturers / sales teams from those companies that market them.

I suspect Quorn spend a hell of a lot marketing -advertising & placing - which is reflected in their pricing.

They have made 'vegetarian' food more socially acceptable, IMO.

I also suspect beanfeast has very limited marketing spend, but the 2 products they do still make, are cash cows for them . . . . or should that be cash beans

I think it is because Quorn is marketed as 'low fat meat free' rather than 'vegetarian' iyswim. They don't even mention the word 'vegetarian' on their packaging. A vast amount of Quorn products (perhaps even the majority) are sold to and bought by meat-eaters (all be it 'meat-reducers') The amount of vegetarians has stayed pretty constant over the last couple of decades, dipping slightly even. Whereas the market of 'meat-reducers' is ever growing... hence Quorn's success.

As a veggie it annoys me a little that most vegetarian sections in shops and supermarkets are more and more fake meat products by the likes of Quorn, pushing the smaller companies (cauldron, granose etc) out.

 

[fredfelt]

As a veggie it annoys me a little that most vegetarian sections in shops and supermarkets are more and more fake meat products by the likes of Quorn, pushing the smaller companies (cauldron, granose etc) out.

To me that makes sense. The vege section for meat replacement type stuff - then the rest of the supermarket for everything else. ie veg from the veg section, pies from the pies section etc.

 

[mr steev]

To me that makes sense. The vege section for meat replacement type stuff - then the rest of the supermarket for everything else. ie veg from the veg section, pies from the pies section etc.

I guess you're right. Supermarkets have never really had a huge veggie selection anyway and more non-meat products are better than nothing.
I did find myself in Asda after a particularly stressfull and draining few days recently, starving and after a vegetable pie, not a pretend meat one or cheese and onion, just a vegetable pie. Not much to ask in a huge supermarket I thought. But I'd more or less given up looking when my gf spotted one in amongst the meat pies.
I do like the idea that veggie food should just be treated like everything else and not warrant a 'special diet' section, but then I'm used to just going to the veggie section, tutting at all the fake meat, then going home and making myself something

 

[moose]

I disagree - I don't want to have to rummage through 'normal' stuff to get to the veggie stuff. I don't even go near meat/fish aisles, or touch meat substitutes.
The meat substitutes should be next to the meat, and the veggie stuff (such as it is, these days) kept separate. My local supermarket has finally put in a 'Meat Free' freezer and a (much smaller) 'Vegetarian' freezer, and I hope they do the same with the refrigerated stuff.

 

[Maggot]

I disagree - I don't want to have to rummage through 'normal' stuff to get to the veggie stuff. I don't even go near meat/fish aisles, or touch meat substitutes.
The meat substitutes should be next to the meat, and the veggie stuff (such as it is, these days) kept separate.

I'm a veggie who does eat meat substitutes, and I don't want to have look amongst the meat to find my Cauldron sausages.

 

[_angel_]

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[fredfelt]

... tutting at all the fake meat, then going home and making myself something

I'm getting worse as the years go by. I end up tutting at the real meat!

When I have socials, or picniques in the summer if anyone brings along some low grade processed poor excuse for meat I have to try hard (and sometimes fail) not to say anything. However when I cook for friends it's also an opportunity to show that you don't need meat for fantastic food. If I do make any 'veggie points', it's in the serving of fine veggie food, rather than lecturing.

 

[Next2China]

Sticking up for you Vegetarians: I don't think you need to imitate Carnivore food /Meat-eaters, I know an Indian girl, Indians have a long history of vegetarian cooking /food and her food is delightful! i don't even notice I haven't eaten animal products (meat, egg, milk etc.) not a soya cube or meat substitute in sight. Delicious.

 

[fredfelt]

Sticking up for you Vegetarians: I don't think you need to imitate Carnivore food /Meat-eaters, I know an Indian girl, Indians have a long history of vegetarian cooking /food and her food is delightful! i don't even notice I haven't eaten animal products (meat, egg, milk etc.) not a soya cube or meat substitute in sight. Delicious.

I think much of it is habit. Many people were brought up on meat and two veg. If a meat eater caters for a veggie they'll often just replace the meat - this way most at the table can eat meat while a veggie can be easily catered for. For this reason I expect many replacement meat products are brought by meat eaters for their guests and family members.

Usually the best veggie food is a dish that makes no apology for being vegie - a dish where a slab of meat, or slice of processed soya come to that, looks out of place. However it can take a bit of time to learn how to cook this way and to change old habits.

 

[billy_bob]

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Good or bad? Come on _angel_, we're gonna need a smiley here.

 

[Maggot]

Had some beanfeast tonight and loved it. I wonder how it compares to Quorn healthwise?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Had some beanfeast tonight and loved it. I wonder how it compares to Quorn healthwise?

I'm sure I've had Beanfeast before years back - I'll have to have a look for it.

I used to use Sosmix when I was a veggie twenty odd years ago. I think they did a burger mix which looked like shrapnel and wood shavings.

 

[Geri]

Sosmix was flipping lush.

 

[Maggot]

I'm sure I've had Beanfeast before years back - I'll have to have a look for it.

I expect only the larger supermarkets will stock it. Usually found with the dried and tinned stuff.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I expect only the larger supermarkets will stock it. Usually found with the dried and tinned stuff.

I'll have to trek to the big Sainsbury's in Salford to see if they stock it. The branch in Fallowfield might be a better bet as that's in student-land, so more veggies I'd guess.

 

[coley]

I'm sure I've had Beanfeast before years back - I'll have to have a look for it.

I used to use Sosmix when I was a veggie twenty odd years ago. I think they did a burger mix which looked like shrapnel and wood shavings.

Used to love sosmix but haven't seen it around for a while, beanfeast, like sosmix is a base for creating your own dish.

 

[lizzieloo]

They taste of beef crisp flavoured dust, never liked them. can you still get sosmix? I liked that

 

[lizzieloo]

Used to love sosmix but haven't seen it around for a while, beanfeast, like sosmix is a base for creating your own dish.

*Must read thread before posting*

 

[mr steev]

The company that used to make sosmix changed hands and I don't think they do small packs like they used to. You can still order it online, but in large amounts

http://www.alternativestores.com/ve.../index.php?route=product/search&search=sosmix

There seem to be a few other companies calling their products 'sosmix' but it's not the original (and not vegan in a few cases)

 

[coley]

*Must read thread before posting*

Eh? Is that in the T&Cs?

 

[Wilf]

I used to quite like the Bolognese version, though if you didn't put enough water in it went into toxic shock inducing lumps of tomato-y goo.

 

[lizzieloo]

Asda do mixes that are pretty nice IMO

They do (did?) a lincolshire style sausage mix and a nutroast mix in the same range. I've used the nutroast one for nut burgers.

 

[Wilf]

Actually, it's all coming back to me. As a vegan I always kept half an eye on getting enough protein. You got way more with this than the usual veggie burgers - and it was easy to cook. The curry version was rank though.

 

[mr steev]

They do (did?) a lincolshire style sausage mix and a nutroast mix in the same range. I've used the nutroast one for nut burgers.

They still do the lincolnshire sausage one. I get it occasionally when I make sausage rolls or veggie scotch eggs

 

[lizzieloo]

We used to get those asda packets a lot even though we both eat meat, it's good to have them in the cupboard instead of meat, real meat is something you have to plan cos it goes off.