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 can imagine @EbonyRaven looking at horror at a fruit salad.

"Where's the meeeeeeeeeat????? 😫😥😭"

I’ve seen enough programmes on making sausages, hotdogs etc 🤮

I can definitely tell the difference. I've grown up on proper amazing homemade meals. All meat. Probably because my dad's a butcher. Don't get me wrong I love a salad but I need meat at a bbq. It isn't a bbq without it.

I’m sure you can. 😂

I’ve seen 2 posters point out your very weird, over the top, pro meat eating posts in the last couple of weeks. You’re getting quite the reputation for going onto threads and talking about devouring meat and needing meat. Your posts sound nuts.

Some people can't see beyond meat and dairy though , I know people like this.
Just can't comprehend a meal without meat in it, if it is they see it more as a side dish.
Also don't understand that milk or eggs gets in everything

I think you should ask them their favourite bbq meals, and don't be embarrassed for asking. If you don't ask, you don't know. They might have mushrooms or peppers etc. Chips, crisps, hummus, nice salads, rice salad.
Are you doing puddings? I do a Jamie Oliver salad I watched on tv that's really nice but sounds vile 😂 it's lettuce, sliced pickled onions, pear, olive oil and lemon dressing.

I seem to be alone in this, but to me a bbq is 70% sides- of which 50% will be vegan naturally. New potato and mint salad, baba ghanoush, tabboleh, tomato salad, lime and chilli basted corn, ember baked jacket potatoes, hummus, roast pepper salad, roast root veg quinoa or cous cous, grilled asparagus, or baby courgette, stuffed mushroom skewers, retro stuffed tomatoes, potato wedges on and on the options go. I'd not dream of having to buy vegan meat or any extras because vegetables as a side already feature heavily and vegans in my experience just have more sides. Of course as an omnivore I also bbq a herb stuffed leg of lamb, or many marinated steaks , sometimes steak burgers, or lamb chops. But the meat, even for a meat lover , should be 20% of a meal. Good meat doesn't need to dominate. I'm always disappointed at an overly meat based bbq. Sausage , burger and random meats always feels like the bbq version of the beige birthday buffet. It's good, but it's a kids meal and not a proper celebration imo.

"Don’t you think there’s something very unappealing about eating a pigs snout, bollocks and any other body part that they can scrape up to put into the sausages?" Btw - no I don't think it's unappealing at all. If I'm eating a pig I want to eat all of it. Snout/ asshole/ bollocks . Yum. I respect the meat I eat and that means I eat all of it as long as it tastes good. I'd be wrong to happily eat shoulder whilst eschewing trotter imo. That's a part of eating meat as ethically as possible.

By all means do accommodate by please do not turn it into a vegan BBQ, unless you warn all guests in advance. I would be very disappointed to find out on arrival. Yes, everyone can eat vegan food, but personally, I find it rather uninspiring and unsatisfying and I find I am always left hungry afterwards.

Most vegans and veggies I know would much prefer a veggie kebab, some salad and bread or potatoes, then lots of fake burgers, sausages and condiments

I'd probably just go full vegan. Vegan food is very tasty these days and most people wouldn't notice I guarantee it. Asda does a whole range of meat free alternatives. I'm a meat eater by the way but find myself choosing to buy it less and less due to cost and the alternatives just taste better to me with the added seasoning etc.

I'm a meat eater too, but mainly eat vegan.
I wouldn't go full vegan though at a bbq, as fron experience some people get really funny at the thought of having no meat.
Best to have both meat and vegan alternatives available

I've never been a proper vegan but eat vegan meals regularly. I'd say its easier than you think to accommodate especially for a bbq. I'd provide lots of extras like a couple of vegan salad options with vegan friendly dressing or keep dressing and cheese etc on the side so your other guests can add. Fruit salad and sorbet for dessert. Anyone can eat those. Veggie skewers and then some vegan burgers and sausages cooked first or separately to the meat unless your vegan is happy for them to be cooked on the same grill. I'd make sure your vegan guest gets first pick and then the rest is fair game for all your guests. I was vegetarian for a few years and remember being given a literal block of cheese and a boiled potato for dinner at someone's house once. So just don't do that and you'll be grand! Your vegan will appreciate the effort!

I like meat substitutes in their own right but there's no way in he'll any meat eater would mistake it for meat.

dont vegans need to eat protein then as many people seem to be suggesting veg and maybe a potato or bread with it. I think you need to offer them a proper meal that will
fill them. I’d personally just get some sort of pre-made vegan protein such as sausages or burger. Surely if people are going to a bbq that’s what they’ll expect. I wouldn’t bother with vegan cheese as it’s an acquired taste and unlikely to get eaten unless you send them home with it.

🙄

This is hilarious. I used to as well but the vegan I used to cater to bought a new build house and a puppy so that was it for me. She was quick to complain about the poor animals being killed and moved for the new development though.

Do some veg kabobs and make sure a couple of salads are vegan. It’s only one meal. If you are vegan and go to a bbq you need to bring something with you.

We're not vegan but try to balance our food to include lots of vegetables so a normal BBQ for us would include as well as meat: corn, vegetable kebabs and green salad and potato salad so when we have vegan guests we just make sure anything like the potato salad has vegan mayonnaise, eg. So no extra work

That's up to OP. Vegan food is suitable for everyone so a good idea to do a fully vegan bbq.
We did a fully vegan bbq for my husband's birthday and noone had any complaints.

That's OP's choice. Vegan food is suitable for everyone and we did a fully vegan bbq for my husband's birthday- noone had any complaints. Most people just appreciate good food.

Very disrespectful to people's ethical beliefs. What were your dietary requirements that demanded animal flesh or secretions?

If you want the guests to leave early a vegan bbq is the way to go!

Please don’t substitute all the salads with vegan dressings. If I’m going to a bbq I’m likely only able to eat a few things because of allergies. Sometimes I find myself with a plate of coleslaw and a slice of cheese for my meal. If you swapped them for vegan versions, I would have to check ingredient labels carefully and even then I would be gambling since manufacturers are allowed to hide some of my allergens under general categories.

It's not that they can't be arsed. Surely you can understand that someone who is an ethical vegan doesn't want to contribute towards animal death and suffering?
If someone things murder is wrong, for example, they won't commit murder just to keep you happy.