Veganuary is almost over, but that doesn’t mean the market for vegan products is anywhere near done. Our inboxes have been brimming this month with emails from companies asking us to try out new products suitable for vegans, and this one was one we could not say no to...
These pots of gold will change the way you consume sweet foods
GATO & Co (www.gatoandco.com, pronounced gateau, like the French for cake!) is a start-up brand with big ambitions, to change the way we tuck into indulgent desserts with their feel good puds.
Handmade with whole, simple ingredients, they’re vegan, free from gluten and dairy and half the sugar of similar desserts; January 2019 sees the brand reformulate their bestselling puddings, Hot Chocolate & Coconut Brownie and Hot Salted Caramel Sticky Toffee Pudding, to become fully vegan (RRP £2 per 80g pot) and launch the new Salted Caramel Chocolate Ganache Pot.
Containing 50% less sugar than comparable pudding pots, GATO is a new generation of puddings – just sweet enough, scrumptious and holistically healthier; they taste decadent but are guilt-free enough to become a daily sweet treat. Unlike most potted desserts, there are no empty calories as each pot is crammed with satiating and delicious unrefined ingredients such as ground almonds (used in place of flour), almond milk, raw cacao, creamed coconut and even courgette (used in place of butter).
We taste tested these pudding pots ourselves, to see if vegan substitutes with half the amount of sugar can actually be as good as the real thing… And they were!
Out of three that we tasted, the Salted Caramel Sticky Toffee Pudding was the favourite. It had a soft texture and if you didn’t know it was gluten free, dairy free, half the sugar and completely vegan, you absolutely wouldn’t be able to tell.
They all smelled absolutely divine, too. And with a cooking time of 35 seconds in the microwave, is there anything to dispute? You can oven cook them for 8 minutes, but we just couldn’t wait.
Co-Founder Kim Lamza says of the decision to make the move to plant-based: “We’ve been working hard behind the scenes for the past year to make our range fully vegan, so everyone can enjoy our indulgent and healthier puds! We’ve been dying to launch vegan products since GATO first launched but it’s taken us a year to perfect the right taste & texture – we are so excited to share them in Veganuary 2019.”
Scrummiest hot, the pots will round off dinner elegantly, pair perfectly with a cup of afternoon tea or a scoop of ice cream, or act as an ideal elevenses.
The Chocolate & Coconut Hot Brownie is handmade with melted dark chocolate and silky coconut for a delicious choco-coconutty sensation - and it really does top the desert off!
Ground almonds and creamed coconut replace flour and butter and aquafaba replaces eggs. Add a spoonful of powerful superfood, chia, and soak it in almond milk…the result? A moreish chocolatey treat that is holistically better for you.
After a lot of hard work, laughter, fun and not a lot of sleep, GATO can be found in Whole Foods, Sainsbury’s, As Nature Intended, Harrods and Ocado… but watch this space, it’s just the beginning, so grab a spoon and tuck in!
So, let’s break down the full benefits of GATO & Co’s products. They’re lower in sugar, free from gluten and dairy, suitable for vegans and made with simple, whole ingredients. They’re all under 300 calories per pot, so you really can’t go wrong.
We also love the fact that these little pots of gold come in mini reusable dishes, meaning they can be used for other culinary means, or even as a little candle holder! There’s everything to love with this brand....
If you want to try the range yourself, these products are stocked in Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Harrods, Marigold, Whole Foods and As Nature Intended.
You can also try the Melting Chocolate Hot Fondant from the range, made with organic dark chocolate and earthy cacao for an insanely rich chocolatey taste. Ground almonds and shiny aubergine puree replace flour and butter and boost the protein content; honey adds mellow sweetness (side note: this one does contain eggs)
For more information, please visit www.gatoandco.com
Find GATO & Co on social media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gatoandco
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gatoandco
Instagram: www.instagram.com/gatoandco
Tagged in Vegan