sevenhills wholefoodsTextured Pea Protein Granules (70%), Canadian Yellow Pea Mince, Vegan Meat Substitute, 200g

We’ve tried protein powders before but this Sevenhills Wholefoods product was our first time trying protein granules.Protein powders have never impressed us; they tend to have uninteresting flavours and we have only used them to add protein to a drink. Protein granules are a very different kind of experience. They are intended to be used as part of a solid meal, not part of a shake.The packaging says to rehydrate the granules before use, but we added some straight to a casserole and found the result satisfactory. Out of the pack, the granules are crunchy and a nice pale yellow colour. They actually make a tasty snack this way, but it's probably best to soak them in water before consumption.The pack size is 200g. The label states that each 100g of granules provides 72g of protein.Although the raw material is Canadian yellow peas, the processing occurs in China which, justified or not, raises concerns about purity and ethics. The packaging is plastic and bears a symbol with writing regarding recycling that is too small to read. Packaging occurs in either the UK or Germany.Because of our doubts about purity and the number of travel miles involved in the production and shipping processes, we are dropping a star from the rating. So, it would have been five stars for versatility and taste, but ended up at four stars overall due to questions regarding production integrity and ecological concerns.

Although I’m an omnivore myself, my partner is veggie and I am always happy for a chance to cut down on my meat consumption. I’ve always found mince is an easy substitute as there isn’t such a marked difference between plant-based substitutes and meat here when it comes to texture, and of course mince tends to absorb the flavours it is cooked with anyway. In recent years I have been noticing more meat substitutes based around pea protein, and it seems to work really well. Such is the case here.These pale yellow granules have a similar texture to a chunky mince. You can rehydrate them before cooking or just throw directly into the cooking pot if there’s enough spare liquid to soften them. They are perfect for old standards like Bolognese sauce, chili, or a meatless cottage pie. They take very little time to soften in liquid and are quite pleasant to eat. They don’t have a lot of flavour but as you will likely mostly be using them with spices and sauces, that’s not really a problem. They are currently priced at £7.99 for a 200g bag which is a bit on the pricey side so even though we are enjoying them, I am unlikely to become a regular customer.

An interesting alternative to chilled, canned and frozen plant proteins; shame about the price.I've tried lots of plant protein options over the years, from the meat substitutes you can find in the chilled and frozen sections, to classics like tofu, seitan, tempeh and various pulses and legumes. I think I've tried one of these dried ones before, but it was many, many years ago, and these were the early days when you had to go to specialist stores to get them.It's very simple to prepare; you cover them in water for three minutes, drain, and then use. After soaking, the texture of each individual pea is a bit like mushy cereal, so I sautéed them in a non-stick pan, to try and get some browning and texture on the outside; I put together a korma, and it worked well. This has basically no taste on its own, so will require some seasoning. I don't buy the advice often given about plant proteins absorbing the flavours of other components in the dish; treat it like any other main ingredient and season it well before using. You could add this directly to a dish, and if you're going to do that, it would be better to soak it in stock first to get some flavour in.This pack provides 72g of protein per 100g, so 144g in total; and for a non perishable item that doesn't require a lot of preparation, that's pretty special. However, you do have to take the price into account, and that's where this falls down; £8 just doesn't make a lot of sense for this pack size, when there are much cheaper options like dried soy available, providing comparable amounts of protein.The origin information is not clear; it seems that these peas are grown and processed in Canada, then shipped to China for more processing, before being packed in the UK or Germany; it's a lot of food miles. I love the transparency, and it's great that there's all of this collaboration, but I don't think that counts as "minimally processed"; how about "sufficiently processed"?

This is great stuff and such a fantastic alternative to soya protein chunks if you need a vegan/vegetarian protein source. Really easy to use with no boiling needed (just rehydrate and then stir into your dish) and they have a slightly chewy, enjoyable texture that soaks up flavours from sauces and marinades really well. Very versatile indeed.Had to bump off a star because of the price; it’s priced like an organic product (which it isn’t) and the label on the bag says made in China despite ingredients being listed as “100% yellow peas from Canada” on the product page...

It's not got much flavour to it which is great in the sense that you can use it in any recipe. Got that reason there's versatility. It's easy to prepare to get it ready to combine with your sauce base.I wasn't a fan of the texture though. I've normally had soya or mycoprotein products (I hope that's spelt right - basically quorn) and I much prefer the texture of these. However, I think with the right prep and recipe there is potential.Another thing I didn't like is the cost. The cost makes the other products mentioned earlier seem more attractive.