- Gluten-free
- Vegan
Specialising exclusively in gluten-free products since 2005, Christchurch-based company Pavillion has built a reputation for crafting savoury pies, pastries, desserts, pizza bases, slices, and biscuits that are every bit as delicious as their gluten-containing counterparts.
They use carefully sourced local and imported ingredients, and are committed to quality and transparency, with each product thoroughly checked to ensure that it is completely gluten-free.
I came across this brand when browsing through Redmart. It is so RARE to find any kind of gluten-free vegan pastry so naturally, I was super excited when I saw these 🤩 Granted, they are not the most healthy being a processed product, but I still had to try it to satisfy my pastry craving!
Vegan Chickpea and Spinach Pie
Ingredients: Chickpea and spinach filling (rehydrated chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut cream powder, spinach, onion, spices, garlic, salt, modified maize starch, acidity regulator (330, 270)), pastry (rice flour, maize starch, modified maize starch (1422), tapioca starch, potato starch, soy flour), water, margarine (vegetable oil, water, salt, emulsifiers (471, 322-soy), acidity regulators (500, 330), antioxidant (307b-soy), salt, colour (annatto extract)
At first glance, the most unhealthy ingredients that stood out would be the additives like acidity regulator, emulsifiers, antioxidants and colouring. Those who are sensitive to these should take note. Next up would be the modified maize starch, which would have been processed and left with no nutrients.
For those concerned with allergens, this one contains soy. Otherwise, there are no other added thickeners, preservatives or flavourings in this pie.
I baked this in the oven at 180 degrees for about 45-50 minutes. I had forgotten to thaw it, hence it was still relatively frozen and required a longer bake time. Otherwise, it should have taken maybe about 30 minutes to bake nicely.
This pie baked up beautifully with a crisp and flaky exterior. The pastry tasted really good, with a nice buttery flavour which reminded me of real pastry 😍 The filling had whole chickpeas and bits of onion, tomato and spinach. Taste-wise it had a subtle, aromatic curry flavour which was pretty good. The contrast of the warm gravy filling and flaky butter pastry got me hooked. I really enjoyed this one!
Vegan Spinach and Feta Veggie Roll
Ingredients: Spinach and feta filling 55% – spinach, vegan feta (water, coconut oil, modified potato starch, salt, sugar, emulsifier (341), flavours, acidity regulators (270,330), yeast extract, preservative (202), onion), vegan cheese (water, modified potato starch, coconut oil, potato starch, salt, emulsifier (341), flavour, yeast extract, acidity regulator (270), preservative (202), natural colour (160a)), gluten free flour (maize starch, rice flour, modified maize starch, tapioca starch, potato starch, soy flour), potato flakes (potatoes, emulsifier (471), mineral salt (450), antioxidant (223-sulphites, 320), acidity regulator (330)), water, lemon juice, spices, salt, vegetable oil, pepper, glycerine, sugar, yeast, acidity regulator (330), antioxidant (300), preservative (223-sulphites), natural herb extract, Pastry 45% – gluten free flour (rice flour, maize starch, modified maize starch, tapioca starch, potato starch, soy flour), water, margarine (vegetable oil, water, salt, emulsifiers (471, 322-soy), acidity regulators (500, 330), antioxidant, salt, colour (annatto extract)
Next up we have the Spinach and Feta Veggie Roll. This has a much longer laundry list of ingredients compared to the chickpea pie. Aside from the same additives like emulsifiers, acidity regulators, antioxidants and colouring, this one has added preservatives like potassium sorbate and sulphites, flavourings and mineral salts.
For allergens, this one contains soy as well.
I baked this in the oven straight from the freezer, at 180 degrees for about 35 minutes. As this pastry is smaller, you can get away with baking it directly for the freezer. I will still recommend thawing the Chickpea Pie for about 2-3 hours outside the fridge before baking it to have the best results, since its a larger pie.
Similar to the Chickpea Pie, the flavour and texture of the pastry was on point. Buttery and flaky perfection👌 Taste-wise, this one has a mild herby taste which I suspect is thyme. Also a tad saltier than the pie with a slightly more umami taste with the vegan cheese and feta.
The overall taste is pretty okay, but the texture of this veggie roll is a tad dry, leaving a starchy or sticky mouthfeel which I’m not quite a fan of. This veggie roll also did not grow on me like the pie. I was enjoying it at 2 veggie rolls, but after eating my 3rd and 4th one, I was not feeling it anymore.
Final Thoughts
The Chickpea and Spinach Pie is a clear winner here 🤩 Firstly, it has lesser unhealthy ingredients, namely preservatives and flavourings. Taste-wise, I also think this tastes better with the contrast of gravy and flaky pastry. Overall a great, quick and easy meal to indulge in once in a while 😄
Where to buy: Redmart
PS: Every time I review something it goes out of stock 😭😭 Add this to “Wishlist” on Redmart so they know to order more and we can all eat this again!
