How to be vegan in Ireland: Food

I've been meaning to write a post like this for a while now, a short guide if you are considering becoming vegan and happen to live in Ireland -A very non-vegan place! Just the food stuff for now. My experiences written here are mostly based around shopping and dining in Dundalk, Ardee and Carrickmacross, so unfortunately, the supermarkets near you may vary -as many Tesco and other supermarkets do from town-to-town.

Vegan Alternatives

Pasta and Breads: I was surprised to find out that a lot of breads are vegan (apart from the Irish soda breads, of course) and store-bought pastas that don't say 'fresh pasta' on them -So no alternatives needed there! Just check the ingredients on packs. Usually allergy words like milk and eggs are in bold.

Spreads and Sauces: In Ireland we have dairy free margarines such as Pure (Sunflower, olive and soya varieties) and Dunnes Stores own brand (which is much, much cheaper, and I think lower in fat) SunLite. If you want to try Pure anyway, it's available in Tesco's and Dunnes Stores. Most tomato based pasta sauces are fine, but again, simply check the back of the jar. Or even better (and healthier) make your own with tinned tomatoes. It's insanely easy and cheap.
I love pesto and that's one thing I missed (there's hard cheese generally in pesto -which I found out recently a lot of people don't realise). I discovered a delicious one in the SuperValu in Ardee (some home-made brand, can't remember the name right now, *sad face*) and then also made my own version... Ok, ok, Bicky made it. He's back to being a part-time stay at home wifey and fur-baby daddy... And apparently a pesto making expert. So easy to make and so delicious... Nom nom... anyway, where was I... Oh mustard. If you're looking for bit of an extra kick in sandwiches, most mustards are grand. Another good one is egg free mayo -available from Holland & Barrett and the PlantGoodness24 website.
And of course, the forever love of every vegan, the one and only, sexy hummus.

Fake Meats (Alternatives): Some vegetarian foods are also accidentally vegan (get used to that term! It's everywhere... Google it if you ever want to read other vegan food lists). Linda McCartney sausages (which in my opinion are waaaay tastier than the Quorn version) are also suitable for vegans (available in Tescos and Dunnes Stores), and Aldi have two vegetarian burgers which also happen to be vegan. Hooray -Check out their "Mae's Kitchen" bean burger and vegetable quarter pounders. I should point out here, that I was temped to put the above items under the "Junk Food" section. They are at the end of the day processed foods and basically junk... Like I'm not against the odd treat, but don't be under the illusion that because something is marked vegetarian or vegan that it is automatically healthy. You can be vegan and eat chips or processed shite all day... You just won't feel very good. In that case, you might as well