To be annoyed that vegan options have replaced vegetarian?

[Sacredhandbag]

It's only a silly gripe in the grand scheme of things but it's bloody annoying.

I've been a vegetarian my whole life but since veganism has become more popular and more and more people are becoming part of the movement (and good on them!) it's like restaurants, cafes and hotels have skipped adding vegetarian options and thought "well vegan options covers both so we'll just add a few of those"

No! I am not vegan. I am vegetarian. I still want my eggs, my cream, my cheese, my butter. I want a stilton and broccoli bake, not a grilled bit of cauliflower!

Afternoon tea (I'm a fan and have one as often as I can) is the worst for it. There's an ordinary menu and then there's a vegan menu and that's it. You order one or the other. I don't want chicken or fish sandwiches but I sure as hell want my scones with proper clotted cream! So I have to be specific about the sandwiches and say I want some from one menu and some from the other. Bloody annoying.

Any other veggies feel the same?

Tbf change to bean burgers may happen since gut health is on trend

I'm not even a vegetarian and I 100% agree. I don't like to eat much meat - I prefer fish or veggie. On most menus these days it's hard to find a fish/seafood option that's not a starter and the vegetarian options have been replaced with ultra-processed vegan mush.

I also want to know where everyone is eating. There are excellent veggie options in any Italian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Turkish restaurant etc.

I just ask for the starter as a main and they beef it up for me

I am just having a nosy at independent restaurants near me.

Fine dining-one Vegetarian option no vegan although they will make something especially if asked-Puff Pastry Galette of roasted Butternut Squash, Kale and marinated Goats Cheese V Toasted Almonds and Biquinho Peppers.

Mid-range Italian-two pastas marked as vegetarian, both penne with vegetables, one in a spicy tomato sauce-nothing vegan.

Two pizzas marked as vegetarian, one a basic margherita one with a few more toppings-nothing vegan-I think perhaps the penne arrabiata could be vegan and they've just not marked it as such? But equally maybe not depending on what the veg is cooked in, if the pasta is fresh etc.

Good quality independent 'gastro pub' -one vegan burger ('Moving Mountains' variety so meat impersonator rather than the dreaded 'bean burger'), a bean and veg chilli and a sweet potato and spinach curry both vegan, and a vegetarian sausage and mash.

'Greasy spoon' cafe has a vegan breakfast (not a vegetarian one but you can add an egg to it) and beans on toast (without butter would be vegan) and cheese and cheese/cheese and coleslaw baked potatoes nothing vegan on the 'not breakfast food' menu.

Is that fairly representative? Would vegetarians be happy with those options?
That's only looking at main courses.

Yanbu this is really annoying, I have moaned to restaurants in the past about this.

I would be happy with those options. It's certainly not all restaurants that only offer one combined vegetarian/vegan option. I'd say the restaurants that do this are in the minority. However, there are enough restaurants doing it that we've all noticed and been irritated by it!

Yes-I am surprised that gastropub has only one vegetarian but not vegan option, and it isn't anything involving cheese or cream aside from the mash. It is a traditional pub however so that's their department I guess, English grub rather than anything more exotic-the food is especially nice and high quality though.

They do a range of giant Yorkshire puddings and roasts, very popular as I've noted, nothing vegan/vegetarian incorporated into those-which I think they'd do well to add, a vegetarian nut roast option perhaps and a Yorkshire pud with veg gravy and traditional veg only? But again, they're very traditional so everything 'roast' wise is probably cooked in dripping.

@AnnWalkersLeftSlipper , you really are confused, aren't you, you poor thing.

@Lentilweaver , middle eastern restaurants are pretty good IME.

Not at all, you just completely misinterpreted my post! Hence why others have also reacted to my response. Re-read if you feel like it, what you responded relates to nothing like what I meant at all!

@justasking111 Was the pun intentional?

And they make it worse for themselves by treating their vegetarian customers with such disdain that they and their families don't return.

Judging by the times I'm offered dishes made from cheap ingredients at the same price as the meat and fish dishes, the profit margin on vegetarian dishes must be huge. Make it vegan and take out the cream and cheese etc and it will be even higher.

We rarely bother eating out now.

The vegans who preach to everyone else are so annoying. It's like a religion for them. My DD (mentioned up thread) is only vegetarian because she doesn't like the texture or taste of meat and fish. It's a lifestyle choice, based on nothing to do with how our food is produced, but on her preferences. Kind of like why I dislike mushrooms, or mustard, or soft Tofu.

What is 'missing the point' about her post? I feel exactly the same and so do a lot of people. Sanctimonious vegans are infuriating and they actually make me want to be a bit aggressive about my meat eating (I eat meat every day anyway, and judgy vegans make me want to do so very obtrusively) Non judgy vegans are a whole other story: I might not want to eat out with them, but I have no (heehee) beef with them.

No,YANBU! This really annoys me too. I'm not actually a vegetarian but I don't like much meat,only eat chicken and bacon. But I do love cheese,butter,eggs, milk etc, and it really pisses me off when all the non-meat items on a menu are vegan.

And why there is vegan bashing 🤦🏻

God it's so tedious.

I'm a long-time veggie too, and fully agree with the OP's sentiments. It's one of the main reasons I've never been a big fan of eating out; I prefer my own cooking. I'm well aware of all the arguments about dairy, but veganism often seems to me like a classic case of "the best is the enemy of the good". Plus much vegan food is, in fact, highly processed, as other posters point out.

Vegan bashing happens regardless. There was a post about a vegan wedding that the OP had to be ask to be withdrawn not to long ago because meat eaters were so aggressive about a vegan wedding being terrible. People were just posting shitty comments for the sake of it. And meat eaters go on the vegan board to arseholes.

These threads always turn into vegan bashing ones which is a shame, It's a valid and interesting discussion topic.

I am not a preacher at all, I only say I am vegan if it is directly aligned (e.g. if someone else says they are), on this type of thread, or if I need to (e.g someone invites me to dinner or such).

I'll give people advice and help with the subject too.
The number of people (often my own family!) who preach at ME about how vegans are XYZ and how I am going to drop dead any moment etc is a different matter altogether.

To be fair, a lot of non-vegan food is very highly processed too.

If restaurants are doing this as a cost cutting exercise then I think it's extremely short sighted. I would put money on vegetarians being an older, wealthier demographic and making up a decent proportion of money spent at restaurants.

There are so many restaurants I've never been to because they offer only crap vegan options. I cook mostly vegan at home but it's difficult to make good vegan food and most restaurants aren't up to it. I'm not going to spend money on food that is significantly less nice than I eat at home.

What do we do about this? I've wondered before about whether I should have a stock email I send to all restaurants I end up not going to because of their inability to offer a decent vegetarian option. Maybe if we all do this on mass they'll finally realise how much business they're losing.

A lot of gastro pubs but their food in ready prepped. I have learned to differentiate between those that advertise home cooked versus home made.

My question wasn't about anything to do with veganism!

"I'd like to cancel dessert, please."

"That's a little difficult, chef's just opened the tin".

I totally agree with you, it's lazy, offer both options.