THERE’S a lot of talk about Veganuary – switching to plant-based meals over the course of the first month of the year – but new research suggests there’s some confusion over what can and can’t be scoffed.
Food delivery firm Deliveroo crunched the numbers, and found that a third of us aren’t sure what makes a vegan diet.
Deliveroo surveyed 2,000 Brits to find out what they thought being vegan really means – the data revealed that 18% (2 in 10) of Brits think that vegans can only eat fruit and vegetables and 8% said that vegans couldn’t eat meat, dairy or eggs, but could eat fish.
But it was the Gen Xers – those aged 35 to 44 – who are most likely to know what the options are.
To help, Deliveroo is delivering some new Veganuary specials including wagamama’s Vegan ‘Chicken’ Kare Lomen (see below).
This is a perfect dish for those looking for a meat-free replacement. The fake meat is hard to distinguish from the real thing, while the noodles and sauce is delicious.
In all, there are more than 20,800 vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants on the app, a 17% increase from last year.
To help, Deliveroo has added a ‘Vegan’ category title to the app, making it easier for consumers to find or discover vegan products and dishes.
Elena Devis, Vegan Category Lead, Deliveroo, said, “On our fourth consecutive year celebrating Veganuary, we’re delighted to see the continuous development of the plant-based space across independent, national and grocery partners.
“As customers’ expectations around selection and value increase, we expect brands with exciting new launches, vegan meal deals, and promotions to see better results.”
She promised to continue to improve the app to make it easier for people to find vegan options.
“We will work with the best local restaurants and grocers to ensure everyone can find food that suits their dietary needs for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
Toni Vernelli, Head of Communications at Veganuary, said, “We’re delighted to have the support of Deliveroo for the fourth year running and so excited to see all the new vegan dishes being launched on the platform for Veganuary.
“Our job is to help people try vegan for January – whether for the planet, animals or their health – and Deliveroo’s commitment to catering for this growing number of conscious consumers makes our job much easier.”
The most popular vegan dishes ordered from vegan-friendly menus are: Bang Bang Cauliflower from wagamama, Vegan Royale Meal from Burger King, Vegetable Samosas from Dishoom. Chocolate & Hazelnut filled Cinnamon Churros from Tortilla, and Vegan Giardiniera from PizzaExpress
As well as wagamama’s new Vegan ‘Chicken’ Kare Lomen’, Crosstown Doughnuts have partnered with Deliveroo exclusively to deliver three limited-edition flavour doughnuts.
Available until the end of January, the flavours include a Rhubarb & Jasmine doughnut, Strawberry Cheesecake doughnut, Blood Orange doughnut and Pistachio & Raspberry dough bite.
And Ole & Steen has a Vegan Social (£3.95), a reinvention of its Cinnamon Social.
Other vegan items available include a Raspberry and Almond Swirl, No’duja Toastie and a ‘Feta’ Salad.
To mark Veganuary, some retailers will be offering 20% off orders until January 31.
Customers can place orders directly through the Deliveroo app, or online at: https://deliveroo.co.uk/