To expect pubs to serve a decent vegetarian meal?

[Allshallbewell2021]

Three pub meals over the past three months have been dire or inedible. One risotto (rice not cooked) one bean/taco meal (clearly from a tin really grim), one Xmas dinner butternut squash thing (clearly from the freezer, slimy and disgusting).
And not cheap either.
Tonight I had chips, peas and battered halloumi (too much straight cheese for anyone) but quite nice.

Is a good vegetarian pub option not economically viable?

I disagree about vegans! The mainstream popularity of veganism means as a veggie I have SO many more options than before. There's now stuff I can eat everywhere and sometimes I even get paralysed by choice, something I've only previously experienced in a dedicated vegetarian restaurant.

I really couldn't care less if my meal out was vegan, as opposed to vegetarian. At home I eat vegan meals more than half the time anyway without even thinking about it.

I do think pubs can be rubbish and assume that you're on a diet or bafflingly that you don't need protein. They're definitely worst at Sunday roast/ Christmas style meals.

I think how well they do really depends on location though. The most incredible veggie or vegan pub food I've had was, unsurprisingly, in a town with a high hippy content!!

I think it depends on where you live. I'm in the Peak District, where most places have multiple vegetarian options. Vegans usually get two choices.

Manchester and Sheffield (our nearest big cities) are full of veggies and vegans, so it makes economic sense for pubs to cater to them. In rural Yorkshire, for example, it's less popular so pubs don't make the effort.

For me it would depend on the type of restaurant you run and how flexible the dishes are.

If its a small menu restaurant but freshly prepared and a frequently changing menu I find there is also more flexibility in adding/subtracting something or simply getting properly cooked food and some protein in the veggie options. Its also less likely to be fake meat and fake cheese which have taken over the veggie options in recent years (I loathe both).

The OP is describing badly prepared food as well as lack of choice. If a pub/restaurant can cook meat dishes properly there is no reason why they can't at least properly prepare the food on their own menu.

As the OP says, we often end up having to make do with "the" all purpose veggie/vegan/nut free/dairy free/soy free/wheat free option on the menu because we are part of a larger group and haven't chosen the venue. It can at least be properly cooked.

@paintingvenice

But you're not really offering everyone two choices, you're offering vegans two choices tailored exclusively to their needs. Vegetarians as you can see from this thread would much prefer not to have fake cheeze or meat.

My closest friend has real issues with food and has a really restricted diet.

Someone on here recommended Adams, in Birmingham, and I decided to go for my 50th.

I emailed them and asked if they could accommodate him, they created a totally different three course meal for him.

When we got there they had even printed a menu for him.

Agree OP!
So sick of looking at a menu to find 1 vegan and 1 veggie option (either both with mushrooms/beetroot/goats cheese!!)

so fed up of the UPF vegan options.

That's really good of them - I love it when places do that sort of thing. We went for a meal with friends recently, one of whom has a very restrictive diet, and the head chef (it was madly busy) actually came out to talk to my friend and work out a menu for her. It made her day, she'd got used to making do with chips and undressed salad in most places.

I agree completely. Vegetarians are now largely lumped in with vegans when the vast majority do not want to eat the highly processed offerings; vegan cheese, patties, no thank you. But I think you have touched on another matter that eating out in this country is generally a mediocre experience. & for those who say don't go, that's exactly what I have done - taken my custom elsewhere. I tend to eat out now less often but in more high end places where the chefs produce inspirational food. Provision of inventive vegetarian options is a reliable indicator of quality food.

I and most vegetarians I know now actively avoid going to pubs whose menus only offer one or two depressing catch-all veggie/vegan/gluten free options, so I suppose from the point of view of those pubs their vegan and vegetarian orders are going down.

Many pubs are reporting lower numbers in general likely due to the cost of living crisis. I can only speak for myself but I've certainly found that as the proportion of my income I can spend on eating out diminishes, I've become less and less inclined to spend £20 on a spice-free vegan "chilli" with soggy rice in a pub when I could go to an Indian or an Italian restaurant and spend less on food which actually tastes of something.

@madeinmanc

At this point can I also just say that risotto should be banned!

And vegetable lasagne !

@jemenfous37 I totally agree with you that the vegan obsession has ruined vegetarian eating out (I don’t blame vegans as vegan food can be lovely, I blame the appalling idea of veganism that has taken root in pubs and restaurants which consists of fake ultra processed and non nutritious shite).

As a vegetarian I used to be able to rely on getting a nice nut loaf, lentil and cheese pie or macaroni cheese. Now even our local Italian, where you used to be able to count on a nice veggie meal with real ingredients, is mostly offering a disgusting ‘vegan’ fake cheese substance in its non meat options. It is grim.

To those who say go elsewhere to eat, our point is that there is often not anywhere else that offers better veggie food.

DH and I now go almost exclusively to Indian and Thai restaurants where we can find them.

It's more likely that the food is bought in as complete units ready to sling in the microwave/fryer and assembly. Most of those places won't have "spare" ingredients - they'll have 5x vegan burgers complete with plastic "cheese", and they can't substitute stuff without taking cheese from a meaty cheeseburger, for example.

It was better before the rise in veganism. Now the pubs round us offer meat, fish and a vegan option. Barely any veggie. I understand it makes sense for them, but I don't want to eat ultra processed fake meat/cheese. I'm hoping with he decline in demand for vegan options this will change, but not holding my breath.

It annoys me immensely when some restaurants also include FISH!! In the vegetarian options, vegetarians DO NOT eat ANY animals, this also includes fish!!!!! 😅

I think most pubs serve pre made meals that are heated up.

Whats happened lately is that veganism, gluten free etc have become more in demand, but are still far less in demand than unrestricted meals including meat. Its not economically viable for pubs to offer several alternatives, so they try to make one that ticks all the boxes. Its then so restricted its typically unpalatable.

How do we change this situation? I've wondered before about sending anonymous emails to restaurants near me saying "I'm local and I'd love to eat at your place but your vegetarian option is grim. Here are some suggestions"

...but then I don't want to be "that person".

As a veggie I agree things have got worse in recent years partly down to the increase in vegans. I’m particularly bitter that Pizza Express has made its Giardiniera (vegetable) pizza vegan, ie, with plastic cheese substitute instead of mozzarella so I can’t order it any more. In the restaurant they’ll sometimes agree to do it the old way, but ordering online for delivery you’ve got no chance. Hmph.

And their vegetarian calzone contains no cheese of any kind. Like who would order that. Not to mention they got rid of loads of their vegetarian pizzas.

Agree vegan food has spoilt veggie food. I want cheese, eggs, milk. I generally order two starters and a side. Theres usually a deep fried cheese, or mushroom starter. Less risk if one of the dishes is poor.

I'm an ex-vegetarian that now eats chicken and fish but I would choose battered halloumi with chips&peas over battered fish with chips&peas as halloumi is nicer than most pub-style battered fish.

Totally agree you need ro be going to nicer pubs op, there are some great veggie options at real gastro pubs.

The thing I find irritating is that as I haven't lapsed to being fully omnivore there's often less choice for me than I would have expected. At a place my family have booked for a Christmas meal, all the fish and poultry options have bacon or chorizo as one of the ingredients. I may be choosing a veggie option after all!

YY to places trying to cater for all dietary requirements in one dish - I'm gluten free but according to some places that means I must also eat vegan cheese!

I can't get onboard with battered halloumi and chips I'm afraid. At least fish has nutritional value, battered cheese and chips is just pure carbs and fat.

Agree, but it's so tasty! 😂

You say that like it’s a bad thing…

@KvotheTheBloodless If you are ever going to be in Birmingham then I highly recommend it. There is a waiting list and it is not cheap but wow is it worth it.