Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Vegans visiting restaurants

93 replies

AtleastitsnotMonday · 27/12/2020 15:47

Inspired by another thread (you all know which!) but not about that or wishing to cause controversy, I’m just interested to know, if you are vegan are you happy to eat in restaurants serving meat? Or with people at the same table eating meat?
I know many Vegan people for whom it is a personal choice and they don’t worry about what others do. But others were clearly repulsed by meat to the extinct that they would be uncomfortable if meat were near by. Or is it more of a case of not liking it in their home. My house, my rules. Which in my opinion is fair enough.
Like I say, I’m just interested, not looking to judge!

OP posts:

CamVegOut · 27/12/2020 19:17

Yes I do and as others have said it is eating out with others (colleagues, friends of friends etc and yes overwhelmingly men) where they seem determined to make an issue of my food or of what they think I think of the food they eat. I don't give a shit. Eat what you want and leave me alone (but don't try to make me feel inferior or start a fight with me as I will quickly tell you to f off) 😂. I don't really go for meat substitutes so actually like the veg curry option which is the main option most places I go. Some vegan restaurants are very faux meat based and don't float my boat at all, but if it is a vegan Indian or middle Eastern place I could eat most everything there 😜

Almostslimjim · 27/12/2020 20:13

My mum (vegan) will eat anywhere.

She didn't used to eat at my house because I couldn't guarantee that certain pans had never had meat in, until I pointed out that at restaurants it's the same. She now eats at mine.

Almostslimjim · 27/12/2020 20:15

I (meat eater) did once refuse to go to a vegan restaurant as they didn't have anything I could eat (due to allergies). Everything had either soy or beans in it. It was a naice restaurant and they didn't even do a side of chips!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General food

Blufandango · 27/12/2020 20:41

I hate eating out because I have food intolerances, as well as being plant based and hating the smell off food but I would eat in a none vegan place if they had options for me, I would have no problem with the people I am out with eating meat although almost all will check that I don't mind first.

ConsentOrderorNot · 27/12/2020 20:52

God yes it's my FIL that always questions me as well... and my ex-FIL before him!!!

"But WHY don't you eat meat?".
"What about seafood, do you eat that?.. WHY not? It's not meat"
"What about chicken?"
"But cows eat grass, so they're vegetarian, so you can eat them?"
"But what about venus fly traps - they eat meat don't they?"

Yes but I don't eat fucking venus fly traps!

TimeToParty · 27/12/2020 20:54

I am veggie and will eat in most restaurants with the usual caveat of I want more than shit sides!

Like other posters I have never met an aggressive or rude vegan or vegetarian. I have met plenty of rude omnivores though I guess that is more likely though as there are more omnivores around.

I have a friend who says he’d never date a vegan or vegetarian. The small-mindedness of that is very off putting.

Ginfordinner · 27/12/2020 21:13

@CarrieMoonbeams sushi is just the rice - cooked and mixed and seasoned with mirin, rice vinegar, sugar and salt. A lot of sushi pieces are vegan or vegetarian. Raw fish is sashimi, not sushi, but you can get sushi pieces with sashimi.

If you went to Yo Sushi you wouldn't be able to smell anything because many of the dishes don't contain meat or fish, and they are covered as they go round on the conveyor belt.

ScrumptiousBears · 27/12/2020 21:19

My SIL is vegan. She pretty much eats in most places but she does insist on discussing "I don't eat animal flesh" with my then 5 year old daughter 🙄 as if I didn't have enough trouble getting her to eat.

longsigh · 27/12/2020 21:24

What annoys me ( as a vegetarian) is when people say "oh I'm goring to have the steak ribs whatever do you mind is that ok, do you mind- it's quite meaty sorry I'm going to eat meat!
I don't care just don't ask me if I want to have the fish!

ConsentOrderorNot · 27/12/2020 21:36

Yo Sushi is amazing and has loads of veggie / vegan dishes! Its dangerous though... very easy to spend a fortune as the little dishes of deliciousness keep rolling past you!!

CarrieMoonbeams · 27/12/2020 22:56

I stand corrected @Ginfordinner, I did know that, somewhere in the depths of my mind, but like so many things these days it had escaped me!

Sewsosew · 27/12/2020 23:10

I went to a vegan/vegetarian place with a vegan friend. She made sly comments about my vegetarian choice because it has cheese and wouldn’t it be better without (it wouldn’t be).
I’d say 10 years later she is much easier going, I did stop eating out with her though.

Graphista · 27/12/2020 23:40

@ConsentOrderorNot

Couldn't give a shit what other people eat or don't eat. Which is more than I can say for others - as a lifelong veggie, I am sick to death of meat eaters feeling the need to challenge me on my eating habits, when I have no quarrel with theirs. It's boring.

This!

Except it's not just meat eaters any more it's vegans too!

Talk about piggy in the middle

And the companies that produce vegetarian and vegan products are also lumping us in with vegans whether we like it or not! As are the supermarkets. So many of my much loved products have either been made vegan (and no longer cook or taste the same) or disappeared altogether it's incredibly frustrating!

Graphista · 28/12/2020 00:12

Is the same as not drinking, drinkers often quiz me (aggressively)

Absolutely I've had periods of being teetotal - due to meds I've been on or as I suffer badly from depression if I'm going through a particularly bad spell I'll abstain as it's a depressant and can make me worse , which is nobody's sodding business but mine! and yet the number of people who've badgered, harassed and vilified me for not drinking is ridiculous! Even on nights when I was the designated driver! People are dicks

Who the hell are you all hanging out with who aggressively question your choices?

Family, friends who are normally otherwise not dicks, but mostly acquaintances. For me it's mainly been work colleagues or ex and his work colleagues. Now that was REALLY bad cos it wasn't just questioning it was outright haranguing including disgusting comments on oral sex!

And I'm not the only veggie or vegan that's experienced that.

It's got better over the years as it's become a more common choice but it still happens sometimes

@CarrieMoonbeams Ohh yes tends to be one reaction or the other -

Either trying to convert you to eating meat (inc being tricked into eating meat I've had - which actually made me ill! I have discovered I can't eat beef products gives me an incredibly upset stomach for days)

Claiming they hardly ever eat meat. Usually at some point in that conversation though it'll turn out they don't understand that certain things aren't vegetarian...like suet

Bizarre

older people and men do it more frequently

There's a strong stench of misogyny about it all

Yo Sushi is amazing and has loads of veggie / vegan dishes! Its dangerous though... very easy to spend a fortune as the little dishes of deliciousness keep rolling past you!!

Agree. Very easy to spend lots in there and eat way too much. The desserts!

One of dd and i's favourite restaurants is a Japanese owned, run and cuisine place and they do tons of vegan and vegetarian dishes and are very accommodating of customers preferences and happy to alter dishes as asked. It's all super fresh and tasty. They've been hit hard by this years events but also kindly have provided catering for the most vulnerable.

Thisusernameistakenagain · 28/12/2020 00:21

Vegan
Don't care at all until someone notices I'm not eating meat or someone else mentions I'm vegan and then I get the third degree about it. I dont do that to other people regarding their religion or choices. Annoying and makes me feel interrogated and self conscious.

slashlover · 28/12/2020 00:22

Veggie for 30 years and went to a steak house for my dad's birthday (not this year) as that's where he wanted to go. Choice of two - one catered for me, one didn't so we went to the one which did. I wasn't expecting a massive menu and was happy with the macaroni cheese on offer.

slashlover · 28/12/2020 00:26

Although I did once work with another veggie who wouldn't "allow" her boyfriend to order something with meat if she was there. She would also quiz him about what he had eaten eg. she wouldn't kiss him at night if he'd had a ham sandwich for lunch even though he'd brushed his teeth.

CorianderQueen · 28/12/2020 00:31

I'm veggie DP is vegan. We don't care what other people eat. It's a very personal choice and not one that anyone can be forced into changing. Meat eaters should take a similar stance and mind their beeswax.

CorianderQueen · 28/12/2020 00:49

@PatchworkElmer

I’ll happily eat in most places. The only one I actively avoid is Nando’s.

They have a bee plant based option now

Ileanna · 28/12/2020 02:54

@ConsentOrderorNot

As an omnivore I agree, why do people always make comments, why do they care what people eat. I can't watch come dine with me anymore without shouting at the TV because there's always one man who starts with the sarky comments, digs and outright complaining that they can't eat at a vegetarian or vegan household FOR ONE MEAL and they need meat FOR ONE MEAL.

If people kept a strict food diary for a month they would see how often they eat vegetarian and vegan meals and snacks. I know I definitely eat vegetarian meals more often than I eat meat and I eat vegan meals a lot too. My partner is an omnivore as well and he eats mainly vegetarian and sometimes vegan. Unless you're desperate Dan or have a medical issue you don't eat meat three times a day every single day and snack on pepperami in-between.

WizardHowl · 28/12/2020 06:19

I’m a vegan and I don’t dictate what other people eat, so I’ll eat at non-vegan restaurants if that’s where people I’m with choose to eat (let’s face it, there aren’t that many strictly vegan places anyway!). However, I think I’d struggle with Nando’s or a steakhouse as the smell of cooked/cooking meat does make me a bit queasy if it’s intense. And I would draw the line at someone else wanting to cook meat in my home, but I’m not bothered if a visitor brought a ham sandwich with them or something like that.

Terracottasaur · 28/12/2020 06:30

I don’t mind eating in restaurants that serve meat and I don’t care if the people I’m eating with eat meat.

I do find certain kinds of meat - like a bloody steak - a bit disgusting, but I wouldn’t make a fuss about it.

EggnogAndAMincepie · 28/12/2020 06:31

When I was vegetarian/vegan it never bothered me if people ate meat, fish or another form of animal product in front of me. I ate it myself for a good 27 years. I eat it again now after becoming poorly with severe anaemia and not being able to get enough vitamin B through supplements alone. What did bother me was the silly comments of why would they call it a quorn burger or quorn chicken when it isn't really either. I really don't know, why don't you write to Quorn headquarters and ask them!! the other thing that pissed me off was people thinking they could catch me out or change my mind about being a vegetarian. One time was vegetable soup. Found out afterwards it was made with ham stock and another time during a xmas meal the roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings were cooked in goose fat and I was already part way through eating them when my SIL told everyone what they were cooked in. If that was me I'd have cooked the vegetarian persons separately

SexyGiraffe · 28/12/2020 06:35

I'm a veggie, not a vegan, but I don't tell other people what they should or shouldn't eat. You an rip a chicken carcass to pieces next to me if you must, as long as you don't try and make me eat it!

And FWIW - some good (carnivore) friends can over on Christmas Eve and brought a huge tray of ribs that they heated up in my oven. Could have done with them cleaning the tray after but I'm not annoyed about it.

Agree with PPs who say how boring it is with meat eaters constantly having opinions about what we eat! Just lay off FFS!

FrancesHaHa · 28/12/2020 06:57

The discussions about veganism/ vegetarianism/ meat eating on MN always baffle me. IRL no one I know questions or criticises each others choices on this. All the meat eaters are happy to go to veggie restaurants sometimes or eat veggie or vegan food at a wedding. All the non meat eaters are happy to go to a restaurant that serves meat, as long as there are some decent options for them to eat on the menu. No meat eaters would take meat to a vegetarian/ vegans house, because you would be expecting to eat whatever the host choose to cook which wouldn't be meat. None of the vegans preach about animal cruelty and none of the meat eaters question their choices.

MN does feel like a different world sometimes

Flip

1 2 3 4

Swipe left for the next trending thread