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?

Fake meat is rank processed crud. Absolutely agree with previous comment about vegan ‘cheese’ especially the fake mozzarella which looks like someone has done a ‘special’ on the plate.

Please can we have healthy vegetarian offerings, not fake meat.

If anyone is a member of The Vegetarian Society I also think they are going more and more vegan ( even though there is a Vegan Society)

I don't know why it's so hard for everywhere to offer one veggie option and one vegan option as a basic standard and ideally 2 of each if they find those are popular. It wouldn't take much. I really wouldn't mind having to eat vegan if the food was good quality and actually a plate of decent vegetable-based food but it's always a fucking "plant" burger that's UPF and probably never saw a real plant in its life!

Dairy is a dying industry. You'd better get used to this fact.

It's attitudes like that one which drive people to go omnivore, not vegan.

I do - frequently. Everywhere is vegan now and I hate the frankenfoods this means.

I've even got up and left when the only option on the menu is a lazy chef's choice of a vegan burger.

And whilst I'm on it, I resent paying £18 for a main course which is mostly cheap pasta when the meat/fish options are the same price. I'm also not doing that any more. They make a lot of profit on veggie food so they could at least make an effort.

It's not "lazy putting everyone into one box". It's cost and practicality.
Small part of customers eat these items so it does make for many businesses sense to have x versions. So to prevent food waste and money waste, the item is made edible for bigger market.

I don't do milk (lactose intolerance) and gluten (celiac) and I have had excellent afternoon teas.
I have vegan friends and I have done great afternon teas with them. It's not that complicated.

Don't be silly. Why would what some randomer on the internet say MAKE someone consume more meat? If someone wants to go vegan, they aren't going to NOT go vegan because some other vegan was forthright on Mumsnet.

Because a restaurant wants to give choice. So rather than one veggie, one vegan; they usually do 2 vegan which then gives the illusion that you have options.

Well I just Googled and 5-7% are vegetarian in the UK vs 1-2% vegan so maybe veggies should have more of a say here instead of the tiny minority who shout the loudest... where have we seen a tiny noisy minority trample all over people before? 🧐

Yes, this.

Indeed - the vegans are in this thread already trying to guilt trip the veggies!

And yet I'm being accused of bashing! 🤣

As a vegan who is GC, the two don’t compare. I stand up for women and children, I stand up for animals.

Its more the 'holier than thou' attitude most dont want to be associated with by going vegan
Not just here but most vegans have no issue getting in someones plate, talking down or belittling people who not vegan and their food choices

Their attitude keeps people who may be interested away

It's not vegans' fault. The fault of restaurants. For instance, a nearby restaurant had a lovely aubergine curry. Naturally vegan and suitable for everyone! Now they have replaced it with a fake meat curry. Not sure why.

A restaurant should cook food people actually like and want to eat, based on market research (like any business), not food we're forced to eat because it's the only thing on the menu because chefs are genuinely scared to try anything else because they don't know how to cook vegetarian/vegan food (anymore). A UPF shitburger isn't a good choice for anyone, veggie or vegan or omnivore. I think veggies are just too tolerant of this whole situation and that's why it's been allowed to creep up on us. As I said, I'd be happy with all vegan options if it wasn't just the UPF "plant" burger. That's not a choice.

We have the same gripe with having to have the vegetarian option endlessly because we don’t eat pork. It’s annoying but it is what it is.

I mean people like you who think that vegetarian options should all be veganised, so that will mean in the end that people like OP will give up and go back to being an omnivore. I used to be a vegetarian, though more for health than for ethics. I discovered that it is healthier for me to be omnivorous. Hardline vegans who want to lecture everyone and be right will put people off.

Yeah. I'm an omnivore but very rarely actually ate meat until recently. I'm allergic to nuts and I don't know what's in fake vegan meat and cheese but it gives me stomach cramps and diarrhoea (which is how I know that my local pizza takeaway adulterates it's mozzarella). It's now relatively rare for me to find a meat-free option that I can safely eat.

Decent vegan food doesn't involve fake meat. I cook a lot of vegan meals that just use ingredients like pulses. I never use vegan meat, butter or cheese. There's no need. I'm not vegan by the way. Just like vegan food.

Yes I agree, but some vegans need to stop militantly attacking vegetarians and other vegans who want to improve the food options. On this thread the pundits arrived on page 1 to tell us how dairy is terrible etc etc it doesn't move anyone forward.

(Judgy) Vegans are more annoying than TRAs.

It's not vegans' fault. The fault of restaurants

I know!!!