How far would you go to accommodate a vegan?

[Juicyj1993]

In a few weeks we're hosting a bbq for my Husband's birthday.

We have about a dozen guests coming, one of whom is vegan. As we don't normally buy vegan food I've started looking at what we'd normally buy and what is and isn't vegan. To make sure the vegan has the same variety of choice as everyone else I'm going to have to spend quite a bit on alternatives. As we have the non vegan alternatives we won't be eating the vegan versions, so they'll either go home with the guest or be thrown.

How much would you accommodate a vegan?

Would I be unreasonable to provide vegan burger with vegan cheese, plus bun and nothing else or do I need to go the whole hog and get vegan sausages, vegan condiments and vegan coleslaw?

Ps they are vegan by choice, not for medical reasons

I’m not vegan, but a very strict and fussy veggie and I know how difficult I am as a BBQ guest! I usually bring my own throwaway BBQ and that means it’s easy to thrown on some veggie/vegan burgers and sausages. Also love barbecued peppers, tomatoes, Halloumi etc. sweetcorn is amazing barbecued too.

I’d probably go with vegan burger and then vegetable kebabs, a nice salad etc that everyone can share. Tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and some other condiments are vegan.

You don't have to spend loads. Just bbq vegan options first or foil wrap. Everyone can eat vegan options just make sure vegan gets some lol

Vegetable skewers - my kids love them.
Corn on the cob
Baked potato or wedges
Stuffed peppers
Falafel

Lots of my friends are meat eaters who come to my barbecues happily and eat the vegan sausages and burgers at our barbecues - they love the plant kitchen Marks @ Spencer vegan brand of burgers and sausages ! I am veggie but get a mix of vegan and vegetarian options - no meat😀

Accidentally vegan products include: Oreos, party rings, most supermarket own onion rings, ready salted crisps, hummus, pitta breads etc

You might be pleasantly surprised by some of the alternatives on offer and you’ll find other people are open minded to try them. A burger and cheese would be fine though

I think it needs more than just a m burger with vegan cheese in a plain bun.

Would you not normally be doing some vegetables anyway on the bbq - veggie kebabs or something - and baked potatoes, sweet potatoes or similar ? And what about salads? Loads of people don’t like mayo or creamy type dressings on salads - something with a simple vinaigrette or similar would go down well with everyone and be vegan.

Thank you everyone, we can do the veggie kebabs first on the bbq, along with corn on the cob and put those out. Thank you

DH is vegan. If you provide a vegan burger and some sides he would be dlelighted. If you would just make sure it is cooked on a different hotplate (or in the oven) so avoiding BBQA meat juices he would be most grateful.

Honestly it's not that hard. His fave burger is a big portobello mushroom in a bun with lettuce and some tomato.

Vegan salad is easy enough, lots of salad dressings would be fine, not mayonnaise types of course. I wouldn't get vegan cheese. I'd get some vegan sausages or patties to cook inside not on BBQ, Egg free buns shouldn't be hard to find, if yeast is a problem buy wraps. Tomato and BBQ sauces should be fine, just double check ingredients list. Sorbet if you're doing desert would be an easy option. You can get nut or hommus based dips that are free of any animal products and crackers or plain corn chips are easy to get vegan safe, just check as some have egg.

Probably not very if I’m honest. I’d be quite happy to include normal food that happens to be vegan, or eg separate some potato salad before adding dressing and suggest they bring their own sauce. And I’d get them something as a burger equivalent. But I wouldn’t be providing a range of fake meat nobody else would eat, or vegan dairy equivalents etc.

Do they definitely eat fake meat? Most of the vegans I know don’t - they don’t like processed ‘fake’ food / fake cheese and prefer actual vegetables. So maybe something like:

a bean burger
veggie skewers
a big salad everyone can have, maybe with some cous cous.
corn on the cob
potato wedges
griddled aubergine? Or just a selection of dips

I would check with the vegan what they usually eat. I'm a veggie and wouldn't eat and meat substitute burger or sausages. I'd eat veg or a bean or mushroom burger.

Just to say as well- it's great that you are takling it seriously. That alone will be appreciated I have no doubt. About a year after DH went vegan his best friend invited us to a fancy dinner for his 50th. They asked about dietary requirements. I said DH was vegan. He (like everyone else) was served a venison filet steak on rosti with a brandy cream sauce. DH went pale and his friend said 'Oh, I thought you were taking the piss'.

DH is vegan for ethical reasons.

Aldi do a great Vegan range at a low price. I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but their frozen vegan sausages are lovely and a great price, too.

You won't have to spend "quite a bit". You can pick up 6 sausages for £1.35 - https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-plant-menu-onion-rosemary-sausages-300g6-pack/4088600213293

Two burgers for £1.99 - https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-plant-menu-ultimate-no-beef-burgers-227g2-pack/4088600455532

Coleslaw for 99p - https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-plant-menu-coleslaw-300g/4088600225272

I wouldn't bother with cheese - they'll likely bring their own. Vegan cheese is one of those things where they tend to have a specific brand they like.

Heinz Organic ketchup is vegan and I'm sure everybody could use that.

Warburtons white sliced rolls are vegan, they'll be fine for everybody.

The only specifically vegan things you really need to buy at the sausages and burgers which would set you back less than £3.50.

Ask them what they'd like to eat??

I'd just do the whole thing vegan. Avoids the issue of having to separate the vegan/non-vegan food.

One of my friends is vegan and when he visits we just go vegan while he's here. It's so much easier not worrying about what he can or cannot have

This is an interesting one....I know this is going to get people's backs up.... but I don't go very far to accommodate vegans now, because all the vegans that I know, never, EVER attempt to accommodate me. They don't even buy like, a pack of chocolate biscuits in or anything I may like. I have to take my own snacks/food to their house because they don't buy fuck all for me..., Yet I'm expected to provide for them being vegans.

I've provided for them for the last 5 or 6 years, but about 9 months ago, I decided to stop and just get take out now when they come (or a prepared ready meal,) because I'm not going to get special vegan food in and soy milk and cook and prepare different food - when they can't be fucked to do it for me.

Some people say 'oh, but it's their belief..!!! They simply CAN'T go against it.' Yeah sure! . Not all but SOME vegans I know/know of are utterly insufferable and arrogant. Want everything their own way, but won't bend an INCH for anyone else.

The vegan friend probably doesn't want that fake stuff anyway. It's not hard to provide real food that happens to be vegan.

Just make your salads with vegan ingredients-vegan Mayo and pesto eg. Chuck on some veggie kebabs and corn and a couple of vegan burgers. That will be more than enough. I’m a vegan and usually take my own food tbh

This is really strange. A lot of vegans are morally opposed to dairy etc so why would they buy it for a guest?
In terms of you accommodating them- you don’t have to specifically, because surely you would have vegetables in your house?

I refuse to buy the fake substitutes so just use veggie recipes that don't have animal products then everyone can eat and enjoy them. Corn on the cob, veggie kebabs, big garlicky portobello mushrooms, and a variety of salads. Sorted.

I’m a vegetarian and if you provided that then I’d be blooming chugged to bits! My SIL always did a buffet and EVERYTHING contained meat (about 15 items no exaggeration) part from a salad 😐. She did a Christmas breakfast one year and asked me to bring something 🙄. You are being very thoughtful. X

I'd make sure at least half of the extras were vegan as a standard. You can buy vegan mayonnaise, salad dressing etc.

I do that for my coeliac niece. Use condiments etc that are gluten free as a standard.

So just make sure all of the salads, veggies are vegan friendly and then there won't be waste. A couple of separate alfoil trays to go on the bbq so the vegan bbq options aren't cooked in meat fat, and don't all have to be cooked right at the beginning and then going cold.

My experience is that whenever there is a vegan or veggie option, all the meat eaters want some to try as well as their meat! So get extra or make sure the vegan gets to it first! A lot of the basics can be vegan anyway, like coleslaw (many mayonnaises are actually vegan, so it isn't much bother to get/make a vegan coleslaw just check the label), green salad,veggies etc obviously fine as long as you don't our cheese or butter or everything. Can do a 'greek' salad but leave the feta to the side for most people to add. Sweetcorn done just don't butter it let people do their own butter if they want it. So actually all you are doing is getting them in some burgers and/or suasages, which asi say, everyone will probably eat one of our of interest! Also be aware some wine is some ed through fish scales so not vegan.

Al

• chuffed!