Tofutti in the UK

[Mr Flibble]

Does whoever imports Tofutti products into the UK have severe refridgeration problems, or is their icecream just naturally crap?

Virtually every tub of their icecream I've ever bought from a variety of shops across the UK has either had ice crystals or had a texture like it's been defrosted and refrozen.

Their 'rock and roll' cones (seriously the marketting guy who came up with that name needs kicking!) looked so promising, but when i first got them this time last year the cones were always soggy and rarely did the tops bare any resemblance to the picture (I remember from my non vegan days that most cornettos didn't look quite as good as the picture but at least bore some resemblance). I tried them a few times from different stores and it was the same. So, I stopped buying them for about 9 months, until today when I thought i'd give them another try. Silly me, they are the same/worse.

Has anyone else experienced this? I think it's a real shame, cause if they were any good (ie the icecream up to swedish glace standards, the chocolate to green and blacks, the cone non soggy) I think there's a chance they could be sold in a lot more places. I'm not sure whether I should be writting to Tofutti or the importers.

[puffin]

I hate there ice cream. I only had it once so i cant really comment on the quality issue. It has a really nasty after taste that stayed in my mouth for hours after. I do remember though that it was more like sorbet than ice cream.

[Kumem]

Will third what you two have said, it's vile.
We bought the mango ice cream and the strawberry one. It is more like sorbet, but not as fresh, refreshing or nice. When it melts it tastes and looks like liquid with badly melted sugar in it.
I can't stand Swedish Glace, but never liked ice cream and it does taste like dairy ice cream. My bf loves it.

[Gliondrach]

So that's what Toffuti is. I've seen it mentioned on here but thought it was a cheese replacement. I've only had vegan ice cream once. It melted whilst in the fridge, even though it was in the freezer bit. It turned to sludge. Blooming 'orrible.

I might try to make my own one day. Or I might not.

[sugarmouse]

tofutti is a brand i think-makes cheese,cream cheese etc and other replacemnts.i never cared for ice cream realy so i canot commentbut i would write to tofutti.they may not even know their importers do not care well for their products?


i have heard some of their products are not vegan, is this true?

[the_marmite_kid]

mr fibble i wont hear a bad word said about the rock and roll cones, they are flippin lovely. but i do know what you mean though, i've only just recently tried them this summer but the first one i had the cone was soggy, i was a little disappointed, then the second one was the same (second box) but once kept in the coldest part of the freezer for a while they were fine, i still manage to loose pretty much all the nuts off the top of the cone as i fight with the wrapper, i think they must have fine fishing line threaded through the paper as its always a challenge to get the wrapper off without throwing the whole thing on the floor or is that just me? and my clumsiness/eagerness to get at that lovely ice cream.

ive only ever tried the raspberry swedish glace, it was ok but tasted like a cup of tea to me (without milk) im not sold on that. are any other flavours better?

[tipsy]

i really think it may be an importing problem, because thier stuff here is pure "rock & roll" (pun intended)

tofutti cuties used to be my greatest weakness...

as far as toffuti products that are NOT VEGAN :

9. Are all Tofutti products vegan?
No, not all of our products are totally vegan. Although all of our frozen dessert and cheese (except smoked salmon Better Than Cream Cheese) products are completely vegan, all of our frozen food entrees (except our Pizza Pizzaz) and all four of our cookies do contain egg whites. Of course, every product that uses egg whites will have it clearly listed in the ingredients. We never use whole eggs, as we are always cholesterol free.

^from http://www.tofutti.com/faq.asp

i really dont like that answer....does the wording bother anyone else???

[Mr Flibble]

ok, i shall write to them

I've never bought any of their products which don't have the word vegan on them. I had another cone today, and took a couple of pics. As usual the cone was soggy and it looked like it's been defrosted and refrozen:

[tipsy]

ewww.... gross!

they definatly dont look like that here!

[puffin]

Now that looks horrible. I hate soggy things. I thought cones were suppost to be crunchy.
I would just like to add that i love swedish glace

[Tigerlily]

I like Soy Delicious but I don't think they make it in the UK.

Rice Dream is nasty, tastes like a bunch of chemicals.

[the_marmite_kid]

mr flibble, they may have soggy cones but i see that didnt stop you eating it

[Mr Flibble]

well, it'd be wrong not to really

Won't be buying any more thou.

[Gorilla]

i have a lot of trouble getting Tofutti in Brighton, i've seen their ice cream cones (i agree - dumb name!) and they're always soggy like you said Mr Flibble. i don't bother buying them anymore as they're too expensive for not very good quality.

[Marrers]

I have had a few dodgy ice cream tubs (with crystals in - I'd presumed it was my health food shops poor storage) but must say on the whole I love Tofutti ice cream. I always go for vanilla choc fudge or chocolate cookies, can't bear strawberry or fruity flavours. I used to love Better Pecan though I always thought they should add a little more pecan swirl. The last few tubs I've tried had been overloaded with pecan swirl so I've stopped getting that now - can't win! Lol.

I have had the same trouble with the cones but tried again recently and got a fantastic batch. I thought they must have changed the recipe but reading what you guys say maybe it was just a one off stroke of luck.

I also tried the Tofutti individual portion pack (4 tiny tubs) but they were dreadful, tasted like plastic with the consistency of marshmallows, so I gave up on those.

I like Swedish Glace too - the chocolate and caramel flavours. Vanilla is okay too.

. . . not that I like ice cream or anything . . .

[DoveInGreyClothing]

Hmm I buy rock n roll cones from my local Holland and Barret and they've always been nice, maybe it is an importing problem.

[Spiral]

I gave up with the Rock and Roll cones as they started to be a funny shape as though thay had defrosted and full of ice crystals. Swedish Glace Smooth Vanilla lollies are nice.

[RedWellies]

Does whoever imports Tofutti products into the UK have severe refridgeration problems, or is their icecream just naturally crap?

It's crap! Although I like the Rock and Roll cones. I stick to Swedish Glace. (I once heated up Alpro choc custard and poured it over the vanilla ice-cream )

[Marrers]

No, Tofutti ice cream is not crap! It is lovely as long as it is stored properly. (You say you like Rock and Roll cones so you must like Tofutti ice cream!!)

All the Rock and Roll cones I've had recently have been great (from my local independent health food shop).

[Gorilla]

i still don't think i've ever seen tubs of Tofutti ice ceam - just the cones.

"vanilla choc fudge or chocolate cookies" - i want those!!!

[Spiral]

All the Rock and Roll cones I've had recently have been great (from my local independent health food shop).

When I first started buying them they were fine, but about a year ago wherever I bought them from they were an odd shape and looked as though they had been defrosted at some stage and were full of ice crystals. Perhaps it was just a problem with a few batches as you've had no problems with them. I'll have to try some again soon, they were pretty good.

[Marrers]

It's in tubs like Ben and Jerrys, not like Swedish Glace. Don't they have it at Infinity?

[Gorilla]

Infinity have never had any tubs of Tofutti when i've looked in there... they only seem to have the cones, and they don't always have those.

[Mr Flibble]

"vanilla choc fudge or chocolate cookies" - i want those!!!

Don't get too excited, they're not very generous with the amount of stuff in their icecream. The titles sound better than they are - it's all marketting

[Gorilla]

it's ok, i'm sure if i ever did find any, it'd be so ridiculously expensive i wouldn't bother anyway.

[Jane M]

Tastes ok over here. Did get one bad pint that was frosty but only one time and I buy it regularly. It has got to be a refrigeration problem of some kind. Oh just a suggestion but if they ever put that marshmallowy stuff in what they ship over there.....AVOID IT!!! Really gross....

[Gorilla]

It's in tubs like Ben and Jerrys, not like Swedish Glace. Don't they have it at Infinity?

i checked in Infinty the other day, and they had a few tubs of Tofutti vanilla ice cream which i don't think i'd noticed in there before, but i probably won't try it as it's only vanilla and i'm quite happy with Swedish Glace.

they do occasionally have the Tofutti Vienetta-style thing, which i've had once and was quite nice, but too expensive to buy very often.

[Marrers]

Yeah, I'd say it's not worth it for the vanilla, Swedish Glace is better! If you want to really splash out go for the Soy Delicious 'Chocolate Obsession' from Taj. It's expensive (around £4.50 for a Ben&Jerrys size tub - I imagine because they are importing it in relatively small amounts) but it is divine!

[Gorilla]

what's so good about the Soy Delicious then - does it have anything special in it or is it just chocolate?

i needed some more vanilla ice cream yesterday and Infinity had run out of Swedish Glace, so i thought i'd try the Tofutti one. well, i'm not impressed at all. the vanilla flavour tastes really artificial to me, it has quite a watery consistency and it leaves a funny coating in my mouth. disappointing.

[celtic rose]

I find Tofutti ice cream is more like a sorbet. Won't buy it again. But the rock'n'roll cones are lush.
Try Swedish Glace Raspberry Ripple - best of the bunch I think

[Marrers]

Soy Delicious is chocolate ice cream with chocolate slithers through it (maybe some choc sauce as well, I haven't got a tub to hand to check the description).
It's american ice cream and I just think they do a better job of the soya ice cream over there - they have so many brands and so many flavours to choose from. I tried quite a few but the peanut butter and chocolate Soy Delicious was one of my favourites out there. If only we could get all the flavours over here!

[snaffler]

I do like the Tofutti Cream Cheese although it's not the worlds most healthy stuff so it's only now and again I buy it.

[gogs67]

Must admit,I like the strawberry cones!

[Tigerlily]

I'm jealous. I can't find the Toffuti cones here.

[Barley]

I always found the cones ok - haven't had them for a while, but the ice cream is crap (as Mr Flibble says!) have only tried it a few times but ALWAYS full of bits of ice and tastes of nothing really.... Swedish Glace gets my vote and I don't try anything else these days. Have to say the Tofutti cream cheese replacement is good though - with a little sugar added it makes a lovely 'cream' topping for just about anything... mmm

[Michael Benis]

Tofutti warning!! They do not guarantee that the sugar they use is not refined using bone charcoal. See the FAQ on their website.

Cheers

Mike

[Gorilla]

i have found Tofutti Cuties in Brighton!!! (i still hate that name though!)

i bought a pack of strawberry and a pack of cookies & cream - at £4.25 a pack they'll have to be a very rare treat! so far i've tried the strawberry ones and they're gorgeous (if a bit small).

i also found the chocolate cookies ice cream tub. i had to buy that as well of course looking forward to trying that.

[herbwormwood]

I have never tried the ice cream but it could be the freezers in the shops. Freezers in small shops sometimes don't work very well and if a frozen product melts and refrezes it spoils it. A freezer can overheat just by too many customers standing over it at once or leving the door open too long.

[Michael Benis]

I didn't have that much bad luck with Tofutti, but I have discovered from their FAQ (on their website) that they can't guarantee the sugar they use is vegan, claiming they aren't able to find out whether it's refined using bone charcoal or not. That's a good enough reason not to buy their stuff for me. I have also written to the Vegan Society about this...

Cheers

Mike

[Mr Flibble]

I have never tried the ice cream but it could be the freezers in the shops. Freezers in small shops sometimes don't work very well and if a frozen product melts and refrezes it spoils it. A freezer can overheat just by too many customers standing over it at once or leving the door open too long.

true, although I've bought it from shops where all their other frozen stuff (including other brands of icecream and sorbet) is fine. As far as i can tell Tofutti either have distribution problems or just has quality issues.

[chickendude]

Wow. I've always loved tofutti. All the other ice creams are too...frozen. They're hard to scoop out. The tofutti ice creams are almost creamy (which I think is what most of you are bashing) but that's what I like most about it. And I find the taste to be highly delectable. Hm.

But I might put a hold on them until I find out about the sugar issue. :/

[RedWellies]

[QUOTE=chickendude All the other ice creams are too...frozen. They're hard to scoop out. /[/QUOTE]
Come here and try Swedish Glace...MUCH nicer!

[chickendude]

Swedish Glace? Is that proprietary to the UK? Is that a company? or an ice cream flavor?

[RedWellies]

I think it's a brand name of a company (can't remember the company's name...maybe Warner.) I think they are Swedish, or at least it's made in Sweden!

It don't know if it's available outside the UK. It is lovely though! And comes in lots of flavours.

[Mr Flibble]

It's made by these nice people: http://www.ingmanglass.se/

It's distributed in the UK by these not so nice people: http://www.fayrefield.com/gallerySwedish.htm

[Michael Benis]

But I might put a hold on them until I find out about the sugar issue. :/

The current asnwer in their FAQ http://www.tofutti.com/faq.asp#117 is much nicer than the old one, but the meaning is the same.

Cheers

Mike

PS: It's FAQ No. 26:

26. Does Tofutti use sugar that has been refined with animal bone char?


Most of our frozen dessert products use cane sugar. We assume that the sugar is refined with animal bone char since this is a fairly common procedure in the sugar refining industry. Please keep in mind that all sugar refining in this country is done by a handful of companies, who establish their own procedures for refining sugar. It is our understanding that if this process is used in bleaching the sugar, the bone char is actually extracted at the end of the procedure and no bone char remains within the finished sugar product. Our products are certified kosher parve, which means no animal parts could remain in the sugar. Also, I would like to bring to your attention that not all of our products use cane sugar. We also use corn syrup sweeteners and NutraSweet. We also have two stick novelties, Totally Fudge Pops and chocolate coated Marry Me Bars, which are sweetened with organic sugar.

These products are already available in most health food stores and in select supermarkets around the country. Please bear in mind that we sell products that appeal to the lactose/dairy intolerant consumer. We would like to satisfy consumers' other health concerns as well, and so we will continue to work to the best of our ability to accomplish that goal.

[JoJo]

I really like the Tofutti Rewards ice cream lollies. They are vanilla 'ice cream' with berry sauce and covered in dark chocolate. Yum Yum!!

Has anyone else tried these?

[Gorilla]

i've never heard of Tofutti Rewards before.

their answer about bone char sugar is a bit of a cop-out.

[chickendude]

I believe everything that uses organic sugar/corn syrup is still vegan, right? The ice cream I have in my freezer uses corn syrup instead of sugar, but the Better Than Cream Cheese doesn't.

Someone told me the Better Than Sour Cream uses organic sugar, is organic sugar refined with bone char as well?

[Marrers]

Those Tofutti Rewards are fabulous! The only place I've ever seen them is in May's General Store in Lewes so within reach for you Gorilla!

Tofutti sold in the UK is made here so the bone char sugar is not an issue for us (according to Mary at Is It Vegan / Realfood).