Tesco’s Wicked Kitchen Range Review

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• Ever since Tescos Wicked Kitchen range first
  hit supermarkets in 2018, I have been a massive
  fan. Created by American Chef Derek Sarno in
  collaboration with Tesco, Wicked kitchen offers a
  diverse and exciting line of chilled meals,
  sandwiches, desserts, pizzas, salads, pastries
  and meat alternatives. They also recently added
  several new items to their range in 2019, as they
  have become a reliable source of quick,
  convenient and delicious vegan food. Most of
  their items can be eaten directly from the packet
  or need five minutes in the microwave or oven.
  This ease of preparation is a valuable feature of
  any food product considering the hectic work
  schedules that dominate our modern world. A
  feature that both the Wicked kitchen range and
  the meals we provide here at Plant Sumo share.

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• Website Sarno said he envisioned the Wicked
  Kitchen range as plant-based meals designed with
  meat-eaters in mind. Which as someone who has
  eaten my fair share of meat, I would have to
  agree with. All the meal options they provide
  have centralised plant-based proteins and meat
  alternatives, in the same way, the typical
  western diet centres meal times around meat.
  Making them a truly fantastic option for anyone
  experimenting with or transitioning into a
  plant-based diet. I speak from personal
  experience. At university, I experimented a lot
  with my diet and new ways of enjoying food. But
  no matter if I was a meat-eater, flexitarian or
  full-on vegetarian I always popped one of their
  products into my weekly shop. From this, I became
  what some would call a Wicked connoisseur. I
  have tried almost all of their items, from
  savoury snacks to sweet desserts, and while I
  would not classify any of their offerings as
  bad there are definitely things that made me go
  WOW and things that made me gomeh. So here are
  the highs and the lows, of the Wicked Kitchen.
  Lets start with everyones favourite dessert.

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DESSERT
WOW Red Velvet Brownie

• Honestly one of my ultimate favourite offerings
  from Wicked, hence me featuring it front and
  centre. Its just absolutely delicious. You
  couldve told me I was eating a non-plant-based
  brownie I wouldve believed you. This is
  especially significant since in my own personal
  experience I have often found vegan desserts
  lacking in the same indulgence and creaminess of
  products made with eggs and milk. So when I
  picked this up, I didnt expect anything special.
  But this brownie completely blew away all my
  expectations. The ganache is fruity, tart and
  sharp, a beautiful compliment to the richness and
  creaminess of the chocolate.

The red cocoa bling not only looks aesthetically
pleasing but also provides a much needed crunchy
texture that stops the brownie from being too
creamy on the palate. Decadent and indulgent
without being sickly, this offering from wicked
kitchen proves that vegan comfort food can rival-
and even come out on top- compared to dairy-based
desserts.
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MEH Pineapple Dream Cake

• I know what youre thinking- Rachael, you dont
  like the pineapple dream cake? Every single
  review Ive seen has been raving about it, some
  even praising it as one of the most sublime vegan
  desserts theyve ever had. But honestly? I found
  it rather disappointing. I found it lacked the
  freshness, creaminess and zesty punch other
  reviewers have praised. The pineapple wasnt bad,
  but at the same time wasnt a decadent fruity
  experience. I found the biscuit crumb slightly
  dry and cloying. To be clear- its not at all a
  bad dessert. If youre all about pineapple I
  would say go for it. But I think going into this
  I had really high expectations because of the
  hype that inevitably has shaped my
  disappointment.

Either way, I wouldnt go out of my way to choose
it over the other offerings from Wicked, unlike
the ultimate vegan comfort food- their red velvet
brownie. Speaking of comfort food, while I have a
definite sweet food I know desserts arent for
everyone. If you favour a more savoury flavour
Wicked offers some phenomenal pastries.
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PASTRY
WOW All The Rage Rolls

• Another one of my Wicked faves, a sausage roll
  equivalent that is significantly healthier but
  just as delicious. They have an aromatic and
  powerful garlicky and sage flavour which I adore
  and find extremely comforting. The kale is
  crispy, the soya protein is meaty and hearty and
  the puff pastry is buttery and soft. I also
  really love the onion seeds, which are not only a
  creative and beautiful addition to the roll,
  giving it a lovely artisan rusticity but also
  provide some much-needed crunch to add dimension.
  Flaky and with an addictively delicious filling,
  I would pick it over the now legendary Greggs
  vegan sausage roll any day. Thats saying a lot,
  considering I went to uni in Northern England,
  where Greggs absolutely dominates the high
  street. Please visit wicked kitchen Tesco to know
  more about it.

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MEH Packed Puff Pie

• I have no comfort in saying this, but this
  comfort dish was not what I imagined it to be. It
  would be better described as a potato pie, as
  that was the dominant flavour. I personally found
  the portion of mushrooms and cauliflower in the
  pie lacking. Message though to any spud fans out
  there you will probably love this pie! I also
  found the brandy to be a strange addition. As I
  feel it not only did not blend as perhaps
  intended with the other ingredients, but made the
  pie a bit soggy. Shout out though to the seed
  toppers, which were delicious. This pie is one of
  the only Wicked items I would personally not
  recommend, though give it a try yourself! You may
  have a different experience. If youre not the
  kind of person who picks up a pastry for lunch,
  Wicked also offers a diverse variety of wraps and
  sandwiches in their Food To Go section.

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FOOD TO GO
WOW Sweet Potato Pakora Wrap

• Ahh, the sweet potato pakora wrap. So many times
  I munched on one of these during a lecture, it
  was my absolute go-to for a quick snack while at
  university. Fresh, vibrant and with a mellow
  element of spice, the fire-roasted red peppers
  are bursting with flavour and the sweet potato
  pakora is crispy and comforting. I have also
  always been impressed with the quality of
  Wickeds vegan mayonnaise considering its my
  favourite condiment. Its smooth, creamy and
  blends perfectly with the spicier elements of the
  wrap. If you want to get into the wicked
  products, this is one I would definitely
  recommend.

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MEH Smashin Chickpea Sandwich

• While far from unpleasant, the smashin chickpea
  sandwich simply lacks the same level of flavour
  the other sandwiches and wraps have. Full of
  chickpeas, pesto, spinach and avocado mayo, there
  is little to no contrast in flavour or texture,
  meaning it tastes nice, not exciting. The tomato
  bread is a nice addition, but still lacks the
  dimension of flavour that would elevate this
  sandwich into a top item on my list. The fact
  this is the entry for my most Meh of Wickeds
  sandwiches and wraps says a lot. In my opinion,
  their fresh wraps, sandwiches and deli options
  are their strongest offerings. I couldnt even
  really find, as is evident with this sandwich
  being my meh option, anything I found
  particularly subpar. So while Im completely
  sure you would still enjoy this sandwich, In my
  opinion it isnt one of the standout options from
  the Wicked line.

But what if you want an easy option for the
evening? When youre exhausted after work and
cant be bothered with cooking and cleaning?
Wicked offers a diverse selection of Ready meals
that are both relatively healthy and innovative
in terms of ingredients.
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READY MEALS
WOW Cheeky Tikka

• Some of the best vegetarian/vegan food in the
  world is Indian, or at very least inspired by
  Indian cuisine, and this ready meal is a
  testament as to why. Bursting with spice, body
  and vitality, the saffron rice was fluffy and
  light with a subtle creamy element of sweet
  potato and the roasted chickpeas were full of so
  many gorgeous layers of spice. All coated with a
  luscious thick hearty sauce. Yum. Also as Im not
  a massive fan of peas, the extent to which I
  loved the pulled pea protein in this surprised
  me. I finished it and then thought to myself
  hmm, I wish I had another. Enjoy your flavoursome
  vegan diet food delivery from our various meals.

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MEH Wicked Mac

• Im a big fan of Mac and Cheese. And throughout
  my life finding a vegan version which has been
  similarly satisfying has been extremely
  difficult. Emulating the taste of dairy cheese is
  an arduous task. Its so easy to make something
  despite your best efforts which tastes synthetic,
  with an unsatisfying texture or look. And Mac and
  Cheese is such a classic comfort dish that
  attempting to rival it as a vegan competitor is
  always going to be a challenge. To me, while I
  liked the crispiness of the onions and the pasta
  itself was nice the cheese flavour of this
  offering was slightly off, despite their best
  efforts.

Wicked does have scrumptious mac options-
especially their BBQ vegan mac and cheese which I
would recommend, but I found the Wicked Mac a bit
of a let down. Reading this, Im sure youre
thinking- doesnt Wicked have any products for
cooking? What if I want to just cook vegan
recipes myself? Well dont worry, they also offer
products for cooking, including a range of meat
alternatives
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MEAT ALTERNATIVES
WOW 2 Jalapeno Griller Patties

• Perfect for a barbecue or home-cooked meal, these
  plant based patties are an exciting and
  flavourful take on the classic meat burger. The
  cheese that oozes out of the pockets is like a
  dream soft, rich and a wonderful accompaniment
  to the bold meaty plant-based burger. And the
  heat that engulfs your taste buds while having it
  is an enriching kick to the system. So basically,
  its full of flavour, punch and spice, with a
  texture and consistency that I found to be
  genuinely very close to meat, for those who
  desire an alternative not too different from what
  they may be used to.

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MEH 12 Little Brats

• While an ambitious idea perfect for all those
  vegan christmases, these 12 little brats in my
  opinion miss the mark in being the ideal
  plant-based bangers. The combination of maple and
  mustard while an idea that should work in theory,
  doesnt really in practice, as the balance is too
  shifted towards the maple, leading to a rather
  syrupy cocktail sausage. If thats your thing, go
  right ahead! But for me personally I am not a fan
  of that kind of sweetness in a sausage. They also
  dont emulate the taste of meat, so if you are
  looking for a plant based sausage that is
  scarcely different from a pork one, perhaps
  Quorns sausages may be more fitting for your
  specific needs. So! How to finish, after
  discussing all this mostly decadent and delicious
  food? Thats right- A healthy salad.

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SALADS
WOW Rainbow Salad Bowl

• This rainbow salad made me smile as much as an
  actual rainbow does. On the purely aesthetic
  level, its a classically stunning salad, vibrant
  and fresh with its multicoloured vegetables and
  leaves. In terms of its flavour, I was extremely
  impressed. The crunchy and zesty red onion and
  carrot combine perfectly with the tandoori style
  sweet potatoes and aromatic onion bhajis. The
  chickpeas and lentils are soft and wonderful on
  the palette. The cool minty dressing uplifts the
  salad, preventing it from becoming too spicy. And
  the mango, which I was initially unsure about,
  really works as a fresh addition. And at only 321
  calories per pot, this rainbow salad is both
  extremely healthy and extremely delicious.
  Another one of my absolute faves, whenever Ive
  been feeling in the mood for something fresh and
  low calorie.

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MEH Tex Mex Salad Bowl

• A Tex Mex salad is supposed to be bursting with
  hot and earthy flavours, owing to its roots in
  hearty Mexican Texas-style cooking. But this one?
  Just felt heavy and a bit bland. A shame
  considering most of Wickeds salads are packed
  with flavour. I personally think it was a mistake
  to make the heat content of this salad mild, as
  that spiciness is what the salad is missing. Its
  heavy carb content of rice and beans is a lot to
  digest, and all the other ingredients- including
  the avocado dressing- do little to make it more
  dynamic and exciting.

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Wicked Kitchen My Verdict

• I love Wicked Kitchen. I think the vast, vast
  majority of the products from the Tesco range are
  absolutely amazing. The options I liked the least
  arent even bad examples of food!! They just
  dont in my eyes measure up to the truly
  innovative and mouth-watering options- many of
  which I have listed here as personal faves- which
  Wicked offers. For the standing of plant-based
  foods in the supermarket the Wicked range is
  undoubtedly pioneering. Sarno has imaginatively
  reinvented plant-based food in an innovative and
  accessible way, and for that this range deserves
  a lot of credit. Especially since vegans and
  those experimenting with plant-based food deserve
  to have the same access to fresh and easy prep
  meals as meat-eaters, a need which Wicked Kitchen
  has catered to. For us at Plant Sumo, we provide
  a similar service- just delivered directly to
  your door. Cheap, nutritious and delicious
  plant-based meals. Take a look at our main
  website at https//plantsumo.com where all our
  offerings are listed, and sign up today for your
  subscription.

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