EVERYONE knows the best way to start the day is with a Full English, complete with pork sausages and crispy bacon.
Yet this breakfast of champions is under threat, with a shortage of pork, due to plummeting pig numbers.
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But have no fear as there are many different bacon alternatives – or facon – available in the supermarkets that could do the job.
Hayley Minn tests the leading brands, rating them out of five on taste, and a rasher rating on how good they are as a replacement to bacon . . .
Richmond Back Bacon Meat Free Rashers
£2.70 for 8, Sainsbury’s
RICHMOND is known for its pork sausages, so I had high hopes for this vegan bacon and it didn’t disappoint.
The facon, made from soya and wheat has that classic bacon smell when it’s frying.
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The taste comes close to the real thing, but there’s something missing. It also burnt a lot quicker.
TASTE: 4
RASHER RATING: 4
Plant Menu No Pork Streaky Bacon Rashers
£2.19 for 10, Aldi
I CAN’T believe how much this tastes and smells like real bacon.
I’m still questioning whether it really is just made of pea protein, like it says on the pack.
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After trying it first in a bacon sandwich, I hid it in the carbonara that I made for my partner and he couldn’t tell the difference either.
TASTE: 5
RASHER RATING: 5
This Isn’t Bacon Plant-Based Rashers
£2.95 for 120g, Tesco
LOOKING at the packet, you can tell they aren’t your usual rashers as they’re small and shrivelled up pieces.
So, while these are delicious, they’re more like salt beef than bacon in both taste and texture.
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I could imagine them being the perfect replacement in a salt beef sandwich.
TASTE: 4
RASHER RATING: 2
Najma Sliced Smoked Turkey Rashers
£2.05 for 150g, Asda
It’s not just vegan alternatives to bacon available – there are also different meats on the market, usually in the Halal section.
These turkey rashers are delicious, and would be great to put in a sandwich.
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But they’re more like ham slices.
TASTE: 4
RASHER RATING: 3
ASDA Plant Based 10 Meat Free Bacon Style Rashers
£2.50 for X, ASDA
Taking ASDA’s facon rashers out of the packet, they looked exactly like the real thing, although there wasn’t as much of the smell as some of the other brands.
And when it came to the taste, these unfortunately had no flavour at all.
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They definitely had the texture of bacon though, so if you smothered them in ketchup, you probably wouldn’t notice the difference.
TASTE: 4
RASHER RATING: 4
La Vie Vegan Bacon Rashers
£2.35 for X, Waitrose
La Vie’s bacon has been voted Best Plant-Based Bacon Product in the UK, and the company has been attacked by the Pork Lobby for being too realistic.
For this reason, I had extremely high hopes – and I was right to.
10
Their alternative tasted and smelt exactly like bacon.
My only issue was that the facon fell apart in the pan very easily, so it would be better in a pasta dish than as one piece on a fry-up or in a bacon sarnie.
TASTE: 4
RASHER RATING: 4
Morrisons Plant Revolution Rashers
£1.89 for X, Morrisons
Morrisons’ offering of fake bacon was the cheapest of all I tried, and sadly it wasn’t great.
Despite the fact it looked very similar to bacon, I was disappointed by the lack of a taste or scent.
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If anything, these tasted of cardboard.
TASTE: 4
RASHER RATING: 4
Beef Bacon
£6.95 for 200g, The Dorest Meat Company
Another meat alternative available when it comes to bacon is beef – but it’s quite pricey, and only seems to be available from the butcher’s.
The Dorset Meat Company’s beef bacon tasted incredible, and was so juicy.
10
However, this was essentially a steak rather than a bit of bacon I could have with my breakfast.
I ended up eating it with some chips and veg instead!
TASTE: 4
RASHER RATING: 4
