Hello.
I'm Barry.
This is Jamie.
And today, we've got something rather provocative
for our chefs to review.
Get your [INAUDIBLE] ready, because this
could be a good one.
Today's chef review is a little bit different,
and it could be spectacular.
Today, we are introducing our two chefs, Ben and James,
to the UK'S first bleeding vegan burger.
The company behind the burger is called Moving Mountains.
And they make some very bold claims.
So they say that this tastes, smells, feels,
and sizzles in the pan, just like a real meat burger.
But it's made completely from plant-based products.
This could either be blinding--
Or terrible.
I hope it's not terrible.
Blinding.
Let's go for blinding.
Yeah, definitely blinding.
It's going great.
So we need to bring in Evans.
But I've got an idea.
Let's blindfold him.
What?
I was going to say why, but why not?
Blind taste test.
Yep.
Don't tell him anything.
See what he picks up is different about that burger
to anything else.
Yeah, perfect.
Benny boy, turn around.
I don't see what difference this makes.
I'm still blindfolded.
[LAUGHTER]
James, turn around.
I don't know what's going on.
It's the same as usual.
You don't know what's going on either.
Nope.
OK.
Straight up.
Ta-da!
It's food.
Thoughts?
It's a burger.
Put your hands out.
That's it.
Oh, it's dripping.
Oh, he's getting it.
There we go.
Tap it from underneath.
It's got that hollow sound of bread.
So it's some sort of burger.
Exactly.
Lovely.
Good.
Simply cheese, some not meat.
Oh, what makes you think it's not meat out of interest?
Because it's got a kind of reddy color.
And you guys know I'm not a big fan of meat substitutes.
Yep.
So here we are.
Here we are.
If I was you, Ben, I'd go in for a bite.
Really?
Really.
Trust us.
I'm a bit nervous.
What do you think it is?
It's a burger.
But it hasn't got the firmness of a cooked burger.
It's quite earthy.
So let's take your blindfold off.
And before we explain anything, have a look at it.
There you go.
Now what do you think?
It's a good, well-constructed burger with lots of dressing
and cheese and salad and a brioche bun.
This is the Moving Mountains B12 burger.
It's 100% raw plump meat.
When perfectly cooked, the Moving Mountains B12
bleeds through the middle with beetroot juice instead
of animal blood.
It's a bleeding vegan burger.
It's very good.
Yeah?
Instantly, I'd say it's the best meat substitute I've eaten.
Because I don't hate it.
Wow.
Wow!
We never get compliments from James, so--
Not hating something is the normal person equivalent
of, "This is actually really good."
That was like a really grumpy thing to say, wasn't it?
I'm trying to be less grumpy.
God.
Normally-- and I like what you've done by removing
our senses--
normally, you have preconceptions
before you bite into something.
Mine was just a fear because I don't trust you boys.
But actually, once you add vision back into it,
it starts to taste even more like a beef burger.
You've got mushrooms to maintain the mouthwatering,
succulent texture that you mentioned.
Peas provide a source of protein.
Potatoes provide a slightly crispy, grilled crust.
Wheat and soy proteins give it a fibrous texture
akin to the bite and depth of a traditional burger.
Beetroot juice allows a juicy bleed
at the center of the patty.
Coconut oil provides the fatty, satisfying consistency.
And it's also got vitamin B12 in it, which is traditionally
associated with red meats.
And it's been added so that the burger can genuinely
compete with a beef burger and provide essential nutrients.
So the patty itself is vegan, but we
have put it in a brioche bun.
And we've added cheese so that you can realistically
compare it to a traditional beef burger.
It's looks so much like meat.
It tastes meaty but not in a beefy way, if that makes sense.
It doesn't taste like a beef burger,
but it has a meaty flavor.
From a chef's point of view, we know
that you'll be looking at things like mouth feel, obviously
smell and taste, and those kind of things
that you would expect from a burger.
It's really close.
The texture is really good.
It's not like seitan or something.
It just doesn't feel like meat at all in any way for me.
It tastes more like cardboard.
Whereas this-- it feels like meat.
I feel like you don't get the same taste
from like all the fat and stuff that you
would do with a burger.
How do you reckon it compares to the seitan and the jackfruit
and the stuff that we've tried before.
Oh, I don't think they are ever a replacement, whereas this
is a direct replacement.
Usually, you'd take a meat substitute
and just throw it on the floor, wouldn't you?
Well, like seitan, yes.
Yeah.
100%, yeah.
Jackfruit?
If it's being used as pulled pork,
yes, I'd throw it on the floor.
But this is great.
Have you tried this?
No, not yet.
Not yet.
But we're going to.
You're going to.
We're going to try it as well.
You're going to try some of this one.
Yeah.
But I'm just going straight for the burger.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
So I went vegan for a month in January.
And therefore, I tried lots of different vegetarian sausages,
burgers, that kind of thing.
That whips all of them.
That tastes almost fatty.
Vegetarian sausages-- they're quite dry.
There's no satisfaction you get from them.
If you think about it, the pool is not
quite the same as real beef.
But it is ridiculously close.
There's elements that remind you of a normal burger.
But the flavor profile is different.
But it's not a bad thing.
So obviously, this isn't just meant
for vegetarians and vegans as a meat substitute.
But it's more looking to convert meat eaters who
are looking to reduce the amount of meat
that they eat for health reasons or for environmental reasons.
What do you reckon?
Well, there's no doubt we need to be eating less meat
or finding more sustainable ways of feeding the world, not even
just us here in London.
So this is out to achieve that, and it does.
For health reasons, absolutely, or if you're
going to a vegetarian restaurant people, 100% would eat this.
It's delicious.
My thing about reducing meat is I always
say, "Buy super high quality meat less often."
But if I was given this in a restaurant or something,
I'd be really happy.
So what do you think of that?
Is it something we actually need?
Should we be creating meat imitations?
Or should we be celebrating high quality fruit and veg?
Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
It's an important topic.
Yep.
We will see you in a few days every Wednesday
and every Sunday at 4:00 PM.
Goodbye.