BANGERS and mash, sausages and chips, toad in the hole, the hot dog - no getting away from it, the banger is a staple of British home cookery.

Fortunately they are a pleasure you don’t need to abandon if you decide to take up a plant-based diet.

Sausages are such a useful staple if you want a meal in a hurry, and they are remarkably versatile, whether you fancy a vegan version of a cooked breakfast (sausages, beans, mushrooms and fried tomatoes anyone?) or a rich French-style cassoulet with lentils, vegetables and a splash of red wine.

While Quorn has become a popular meat substitute, even for those who aren’t vegetarians, not all of its products are free of animal ingredients. They have, however, as plant-food eating has grown in popularity over the last few years, introduced a range of labelled vegan products - including Cumberland sausages.

They are billed as being high in protein and a good source of fibre, and like the standard Quorn sausages, they are tender and tasty. Quorn products are made from something called Mycoprotein - which is made from a member of the fungi/mould family. While this does not sound particularly appetising, it’s worth remembering how we use moulds in cheeses and other seemingly odd ingredients like bacteria in fermented foods. Quorn now sell various vegan products including burgers, fillets and the curiously named fishless fingers. While I’m not a fan of all their products, the sausages are great.

Another vegan sausage I would recommend are those in the Linda McCartney range. These are made primarily of soya protein, and although labelled as vegetarian rather than vegan, I can see no animal products in the ingredients list.

Cooked from frozen, they can be grilled of baked in the oven. They have a pleasing savoury flavour and are also surprisingly filling. They’re my everyday favourite, and also the favourite of a vegetarian colleague.

I’ve been recommended Vegusto’s ‘delicious meat-free alternative to the classic banger, but with a tasty smoked flavour’ - described as expensive but nice. Of course you can also make your own - and there are plenty of interesting vegan sausage recipes on the internet. Do you have a recommended plant-based sausage or sausage recipe? Email sarah.singleton@newsquest.co.uk.