But, with many people moving away from consuming animal products and opting for plant-based ones instead, you might be wondering what options there are when it comes to great vegan marshmallows. When vegan food is compared, like-for-like, to its meat and dairy-based counterparts, it can get a bad rep. But really, vegan fare should be considered as a cuisine in its own right, which is exactly what Mallow has set out to do. The Borough Market opening comes from the team behind cult veggie restaurant Mildreds - big shoes and all that - so does the food live up to its credentials?

Traditionally the juice from the plant would be combined with sugar and egg whites, the latter being used to aerate the mixture. Most mass produced marshmallows no longer use juice from the eponymous plant and even artisanal producers rarely use it. There are a range of recipes used, as we shall see, with flavourings (artificial and/or natural) replacing the marsh-mallow and gelatine often used instead of eggs. CalorificWe were led upstairs to the Floret dining room, where walls are decorated with sweeping floral murals and warm, globe-like lampshades hang from the ceiling. The giant pink painted flowers weren’t really to our taste, but they had managed to achieve a calm and cosy vibe via mellow lighting and fake foliage, which we appreciated.

One thing to note is they don’t get as gooey all the way through as they have a slightly firmer, more substantial texture.Anandas’ gelatine-free marshmallows are different to others available on the market as they use agar and locust bean gum as gelling agents. As a result, their marshmallows are much softer with a slightly flakey yet pillowy texture. They’re large, perfectly soft and pillowy, and have a subtle vanilla flavour that makes them oh-so moreish. Plus, not only are they vegan, but they’re also gluten-free. Free From FellowsTM Mallows are available in strawberry, vanilla and mini pink and white vanilla mallows. Perfect for BBQing with friends and family or simply enjoying all to yourself. There are a range of methods and ingredients used in vegan marshmallows. However, most of the mass of the finished product is identical to a non-vegan one, with sugar providing almost all the energy these treats deliver. So, vegan or not, sugar and flavourings are going to be key elements of the sweet. Plant Based Ingredients Egg whites are probably more likely to be used if you are consuming a higher class marshmallow, such as in a patisserie or a fine dining restaurant. Egg whites create fluffier, lighter marshmallow but, of course, once again, they are non-vegan.

No matter what recipe is used, almost all of the marshmallow’s calories and most of its mass will be made up of sugar. So, vegan or not and however you eat them (they have to be toasted in our opinion and are a perfect way to end a vegan BBQ), marshmallows are certainly something to be enjoyed in moderation! But can vegans enjoy them at all? Not if they contain egg whites or gelatine. What Makes Marshmallows Not Vegan?

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I took Charles to Mallow in Canary Wharf because one of the worst spats we ever had was when I duped him, when he was very hungry, into eating at a vegan cafe in Edinburgh without so much as whispering the words “plant-based”. Somewhere between the concrete scones, the sludgy, tree-bark soup and the bottom-of-a-bird-cage tabbouleh, the truth came out, though. Whether marshmallows evoke memories of nights sitting round the campfire, trips to the cinema or are just a sweet treat you enjoy, from a vegan perspective the first question, as ever, is: are marshmallows vegan? Well, as is often the case, there is no simple answer here other than the fact that some marshmallows are vegan and some are not. On the plus side, that means plant-based eaters who love these fluffy treats can still get their fill but, on the downside, they must be careful when selecting their marshmallows.