6 things we love hot right now

From the ingredients that are selling like hotcakes to the dishes being shared most on social media, we look at what’s trending in the world of food and drink this month

-  ANNA LAWSON

1 NOVELTY EASTER EGGS

When it comes to this year’s supermarket Easter ranges, we’ve noticed an overriding theme: 2021 is the year of the unconventionally shaped Easter egg. We’ve spotted chocolate bunnies and chicks (Tesco), sausage dogs (M&S), milkshakes (Aldi), pomegranates (Waitrose & Partners) and even a chocolate aubergine (M&S). Turn to page 94 to see which supermarket Easter products we loved most.

2 VEGAN MINCE

If mushrooms (see right) aren’t your thing, there’s another way to cook plant-based versions of your favourite meaty meals: vegan mince. Not only has Waitrose & Partners reported a 56 per cent rise in sales of vegan mince recently, there’s also been an increase in the amount of mince alternatives available in shops – they’ve come a long way since Quorn was the only option. Meatless Farm, Naked Glory, Moving Mountains, Linda McCartney and Vivera all produce vegan mince, and there are plenty of own-brand supermarket versions, too. We’re all certainly putting this popular ingredient to good use – we’ve spotted an increase in online recipe searches for vegan cottage pie, vegan meatballs and vegan spaghetti bolognese, to name just a few.