vegan option work Xmas lunch baked beans

[Ceci03]

So there was an Xmas lunch provided on site where I work today. When booking you were asked if you are vegetarian or vegan .

But there was very little veg options. The soup was chicken. The starter was scotch eggs or prawn balls or lamb koftas. There were plain tomatoes and cucumber and some undressed lettuce so I had a bit of that.

The Main course was turkey and the works. I was pointed to some very dried out jacket potatoes and baked beans. There was some
Cheddar cheese I guess for vegetarians.

For dessert I had a bit of watermelon.

Aibu that this was very bad form for
Vegans and vegetarians???!!!!

Some absolutely bizarre and ignorant answers in this thread.

OP I agree that is incredibly poor, especially as they asked about requirements. A vegan roast is so easy! Shocking in 2023, when most people are at least vaguely aware that we need to reduce our meat consumption on a population level (for health and environment).

There’s good for vegan food and then there’s good. I’m not saying all vegan food is horrible or getting at vegans, it was more about the poster I was replying to felt chefs should somehow be honoured or something to have to try and create vegan dishes that are on a par with non vegan food. Some vegan food is good, but non vegan food generally tastes better and doesn’t need as much thought to make it taste good.

Yanbu. Considering how much middle Eastern food (you know - like Jesus would have eaten) is both vegan and cheap i can't belive they didn't think to do some bread / hummus, falafel (basically mini nut roast) and a nice tabbouleh / couscous or something.
It's really not hard!
I'm a dedicated meat eater by the way but love vegan food too!

Did that poster actually mention they were vegan? Or are you just assuming they are?

Taste is subjective. Non vegan food generally tasting better is just your opinion. It is not a fact.

This is just my experience but the chefs I know are passionate about all food and love creating new vegan dishes. They see it as a challenge.

Urgh the vegan haters are out in force on this thread aren’t they?! Yawn.

YABU - if they'd put out a vegan roast or similar then they'd still need to cater for those with allergies etc.

By providing plain salad and plain potatoes they can ensure that no one will go hungry regardless of dietary requirements - everyone can eat those even if they are not up to their personal tastes.

As a carnivorous person....I think it's poor. Surely it wouldn't have cost any extra for veg soup (and chicken soup followed by turkey is weird) or tomato(everyone's fave) then a nut roast or a veggie Wellington...I don't think they tried at all

that said the person on our local fb group who moaned there was no.vegan.choice and only one veggie option in the tiny new pizza take away...there are only 12 pizza actually on the menu...it's a small kitchen...how are they expected to separate everything to cater for a minority?

Plain potatoes and salad is insufficiently nutritious on its own. Baked beans are full of additives. It's really not hard to cook vegan food that caters for coeliacs and nut allergies too - anyone who says it is has no imagination.

Op that sounds awful. I'm not vegan but I think I put out more vegan options then that! That's pitiful it isn't hard to accommodate!

There are quite a few vegetarians and a lot of Muslims some who eat out vegetarian. I mean forget vegan for a minute there wasn't even a veggie alternative. I thought we had moved on . I mean a bit more imagination than baked beans ??!!!

Ha! “Patronising” to expect a paid chef to “relish” the opportunity to creative new menu ideas & increase the number of customers their menu tempts? That’s just developing you’re vocational skills & doing a decent job.
Please post your references which demonstrate “vegan food…is generally more expensive to make taste good”. That’s sounds like your inexperienced, personal opinion. I’d love to cook for you & show you that’s not true.

I’ve eaten a lot of vegan food, a lot of it is nice enough, but you can’t compete with real butter or cheese in a dish, you just can’t.

I agreed that they should have done better, that wasn’t a vegan bash, but more of a don’t think that all chefs relish the idea of having to come up with an exciting vegan menu. After you stating rather patronisingly that you felt sorry for the chefs who aren't creative enough to come up with exciting vegan options.

Eating meat is a choice, too!

Lots of people who eat vegan food are dairy intolerant.

There are no excuses for serving foods this woeful, imo.

Does every dish require butter or cheese?

All the good ones 😁. Jokes aside, no, but even things like curry’s that could be naturally vegan taste better with buttery garlic bread.

each to their own, eat what you like, but don’t act like chefs should be honoured to cater for you. That was my point.

I find that weird OP. I'm from the SE UK though where things have been improving for a while.

Work Xmas do was in a more central UK area (military) and I was surprised to see only 1 vegan option on the Xmas menu, this was covering vegetarian too which is a bit lazy imo.

At my kids rugby club they were making a song and dance about beig more inclusive but regularly had meat-only (pork) options. That did change.

My point is, maybe they don't get may vegans where you were?

Do you mean olive oil? Many people avoid vegetable oil.

Nobody can be arsed with vegans that’s why

The hard of understanding are on parade this evening. You're omnivores, not carnivores unless you're actually a fucking T-Rex or similar. If you're trying to boast about how highly evolved you are, at least try and use the correct terminology.

I can fully believe that a works Christmas lunch might be poor for a vegan, but the fact that it didn't even cater for vegetarians is very unlikely. 3 meat/fish starters? Presumably there was another one which had all been eaten by the time you got there? Otherwise it makes no sense.

Carnivore diet is a thing

Did you all pay for it? Where do you work?

I'm a Scottish solicitor juggling a baby and retired but would say

It's a 2020 employment hearing decision based on specific faces. Not binding.

I can't find the second part?

The employer was league against cruel sports, they didn't contest his claim about veganism, said he was dismissed for other reasons.

Is it an underlying believe or a health or plant choice.

So for an employer, respect against harassment? Don't think that's a problem here

Food? It was provided, yes I agree it could have been better, but hey I eat meat, fish, veg and I would chose that, albeit with cheese as well.

Food provision is not direct discrimination. Indirect discrimination is not unlawful.

All of this is employment law, rather than criminal.

So I disagree with a 2020 judgement in a very specific case being thrown about as "law"

I very much doubt being served a baked potato with beans would amount to anything.

@Pipistrellus Agreed. For carnivores.

Facts not faces. Can't edit on app.

Yes shit, but the outrage about protecting characteristics very misguided

That's shocking. And don't get me wrong, I love baked beans, but really?! If we didn't laugh, we'd cry. 😂

One of my vegan stories... Went to my cousin's very lavish wedding. She advised me ahead of the day that I was one of two vegans and told me to make myself known as me and the other vegan were catered for.

While photos were being done, the staff started bringing out trays and trays of hot and cold canapés... chicken, prawns, quiche and mini burgers. I was ravenous and told a waitress I was one of the two vegans and she said, "Yep I know we have a vegan option, I'll bring it out for you and the other girl over there."

Five mins later, she returned, her face crimson she said, "This is for the vegans... " she was holding a saucer, with two cocktail sticks each containing a couple of olives and a couple of sun-dried tomatoes and said, you have got one each!

Despite being soooo hungry, we did find it funny, clinked our olives together and declared "Cheers!", before downing them in one. 😆 The sit down meal was not much better, nice soup for starter but main was a risotto that tasted of absolutely nothing. Literally no flavour, at all. Salt didn't even help. Myself and DP skipped the evening reception and the hog roast!!