Review: Mash Direct Fresh Veg

I was recently sent a selection of freshly prepared vegetables from the lovely people at Mash Direct. They're an independent family owned company that aim to provide easy to cook, delicious, healthy veg with all the flavour of being homemade. It's certainly a great product for this time of year and is perfect for anyone who wants to take a bit of the stress out of Christmas.

Each product in the award winning Mash Direct range contains specially selected heritage vegetable varieties, grown and prepared on their family-run farm in County Down. The vegetables are gently steam cooked immediately after harvesting to ensure a fresh flavour and texture, whilst retaining their natural nutritional benefits. All Mash Direct's products are gluten-free, with no artificial additives, preservatives or colourings and are low in salt. 

There are lots of seasonal favourites in the Mash Direct range including:

• Honey Glazed Parsnips coated in butter, honey and light brown sugar (RRP £1.59p). As with most of the Mash Direct products these just need to be cooked in the oven. Parsnips are one of my favourite vegetables, especially with a roast dinner, and I really enjoyed the lovely sweet flavour here.
• Ready to Roast Root Vegetables - a mix of parsnips carrots and beetroot, marinated in herbs (RRP £1.79p).  This colourful trio of veg was very popular with all the family - my kids especially loved the combination of colours!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and a Butter Glaze - freshly steam-cooked Brussels Sprouts with a bacon and butter glaze (RRP £1.89p). These just need 10-12 minutes in the oven. I really enjoy the combination of Brussels sprouts and bacon and especially when they are as easy to prepare as these! 

Duck Fat Roast Potatoes - These potatoes are coated in duck fat and cooked so they're crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside (RRP £1.89p). I've tried a few ready-made roast potatoes (usually frozen ones) and always been disappointed with the flavour. These roast potatoes from Mash Direct however are completely different and taste (almost!) as good as homemade. 

Red Cabbage and Beetroot - This is one of Mash Direct's most award-winning products - it's won two Great Taste awards, a Grocer Gold Award and a Quality Food Award. The veg is delicately steam cooked and blended to create a mix of flavours and textures. It's a really delicious combination of flavour that I've never tried before and would be a great addition to any festive meal.

Overall, I enjoyed all the products from the Mash Direct. I've never bought ready-prepared fresh vegetables before but I've been won over by just how easy and tasty the Mash Direct range is. It's a great range for taking some of the stress out of this busy period, especially if you have a lot of family meals to prepare. 

The Mash Direct range can be found in the ready meal aisle and is available in Northern Ireland and Scotland in Sainsbury's, Tesco and Asda and throughout Great Britain in Asda, Ocado and Wholefoods as well as other independent stores. The full Mash Direct range includes; Creamy Garlic Potatoes, Red Cabbage & Beetroot, Spicy Potato Wedges, Vegetable Burgers, Bubble & Squeak Mash Pot, Bangers & Mash Mash Pot, Potato Croquettes, Honey Glazed Parsnips and many more.

See the full list of products at www.mashdirect.com/products

PR Samples.