Food orders for work related events are to be vegan and vegetarian only

You can actually get uk grown chickpeas.

https://hodmedods.co.uk/products/british-chickpeas

I buy soy milk made with French soy beans.

We have had this rule for some time. Honestly? Noone notices any more. You just get used to it as the food is decent, and there is something for most tastes.

Do people with genuine allergies actually trust outside catering?

Exactly!

I think you're missing the point. It's not what we do that's the issue here. It's the sheer crass hypocrisy of using "carbon footprint" as a reason when, if you looked into it a little, you'd be worried about avocado deforestation, palm oil ingredients, cheese production, pesticides on wheat and corn, etc etc etc.

I agree, but there are plenty of people around who would happily deprive others of that choice.

Tried this in our place. head of hr decided it. had it a few times but the amount of food waste was shocking no one was eating it. ceo saw last time the amount being thrown in the bin and had a canary. told to go back to mix catering. with a small selection for vegan and vegetarian. food waster contributes to your carbon footprint aswll (and no one wanted ut to bring home before anyone asks)

Cheese is worse for carbon footprint than chicken or fish unfortunately. It's the same problem as beef: you're growing the crops, processing them into cattle fodder, shipping it to the cows, keeping them alive while they fart and burp methane, milking the cows, shipping it in a chilled container to the cheese factory (which may be in another country), processing it, then shipping it in another chilled container to the shops (possibly in another country again). It all adds up, but it's the inefficiency of turning the crops into cattle fodder into milk that's the killer.

What about those who are allergic to dairy, ham, eggs, wheat.....

Allergies are an entirely different issue.

To all the posters whose concern is that this policy doesn't reduce the carbon footprint enough - if this is so important to you that you're up in arms about this, I'm curious as to what actions you're taking to combat climate change? I assume you're out with Just Stop Oil every weekend or at least supportive of them?

Or is it actually that you don't give a shit about the environment and therefore think no one else should either.

Well there's nothing stopping you buying your own - that's what I usually do as I'm not a midday sandwich fan. Dietary preferences are just that - preferences. You can't please everyone, it's too much hassle and too expensive to provide food that's low carb, low GI, high protein, halal, kosher, vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian, pescetarian, low FODMAP, high fibre, low fibre, low fat, sugar-free...etc.

I'd be fine with this policy - even taking into account the water used for avocados etc. it's still more environmentally friendly to eat veggie than meat.

I think it's fine, as long as people's dietary needs are taken into account. I am allergic to nuts and soya which rules out a lot of vegan food, but there's still plenty I can eat. I would be pissed off if there was loads of processed fake meat/cheese and I was left nibbling on a lettuce leaf and fruit salad, but it should be possible to do plant based food that suits most cultural/medical/ethical dietary restrictions.

All of those contain gluten as default, including the crisps, unless specifically gluten free alternatives are purchased.

I’d understand more if it was veggie only. But vegan? Is that really reducing carbon footprint? Processed vegan cheese and quorn, foods that come from abroad like avocados- are they really a lower carbon footprint than British sourced dairy? I wouldn’t want a lot of processed vegan food but would happily accept no meat.

Allergies are a completely different issue. Allergens are present in all kinds of food. Food containing meat isn't magically allergen free. The whole 'vegetarian food isn't inclusive' is so redundant because no food is completely inclusive. Vegetarian and vegan food is more inclusive than meat though.

What about those who are allergic to nuts, soya, quorn or preservatives that are common in vegan food?

I had vegan cheese recently and had a bad reaction no idea what was in it.

I actually cook and eat a lot of vegetarian food.

It isn't necessarily inclusive.

There would be uproar if there was no veggie food, it wouldn't be allowed.

🤦🏻‍♀️ Do you really need that explaining?

I'm sure it did lower the carbon footprint. Beef is incredibly CO2 intensive, and the extra carbon cost in transportation means non-meat products are still lower in carbon. As a start, all of that feed for the cow had to be imported into Scotland, so the starting point is almost the same.

Agree.
A few people making decisions on behalf of everyone else is wrong. They could have asked.

There would be uproar if there was no veggie food, it wouldn't be allowed.

There should always be choice.

@AsTheyPulledYouOutOfTheOxygenTent I get that's their alleged reasoning. But how much food does this one team order? And how do you know the vegan and vegetarian food isn't from beunos aires? Can't they just get the food from ethical suppliers that use local, organic ingredients? I bet the bosses still want to fly out to meetings that could be done on zoom, and book fancy hotels for themselves.

They did this sort of thing in Scotland. So instead of using locally bred, slaughtered etc beef, they use UPF and if anyone hasn't noticed, we don't grow/produce most of the ingredients in vegan food in this country, so the carbon footprint isn't lowered. I was vegan and cooked veg curries etc, but a lot of vegans have a diet full of UPF. Have a look at what the food contains and pount out that this decision isn't doing anything for their carbon footprint.

I think then it would be sensible to bring your own stuff in. Dd has to, she has coeliac disease and wouldn’t touch a buffet with a barge pole. It’s the odd time. Surely most people provide their own lunches most days. Missing out on a free buffet is hardly a reason to start shouting disability discrimination.

Yes it’s greenwashing. There are food producers who will do more local/seasonal food which is a far better choice.

I don’t have a problem with vegetarian myself but not so much vegan stuff. I have tried meat alternatives and they all give me a bad stomach.
Lots of vegan food is also full of things that people are generally intolerant of like nuts and wheat.

Perfectly reasonable. I'm not vegetarian but a) it won't kill anyone to have a meat-free meal once in a blue moon and b) your employer is paying for the food, so it's very much a case of beggars can't be choosers.

Me too. It's not easy to find stuff I can eat at meetings anyway, if it's vegan then there's usually nothing I can eat. It seems to be something that's completely overlooked.