Vegetarian options to serve alongside a hog roast at a wedding

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Casual wedding next summer, thoughts are hog roast for the main meal. What would you serve as a vegetarian option that fits the same vibe?

I'd appreciate any advice and experiences of this type of menu.

Or is it a really bad idea 😬

As a vegetarian I obviously hate hog roasts, but even meat eaters often don't like actually seeing where the food is coming from - and the smell is very off putting.

Sounds lovely and nutritious …but not what you originally suggested, which is why I posted. You sound like a great host!

I would really hate to be around a hog roast full stop, no matter the veggie option.

Pizza sounds fantastic though! Or a fish n chips van with halloumi option or something.

Nothing wrong with the pizza. Not sure about the hog roast, but I can't stand jackfruit, and I can't stand vegan "meat". I don't think many vegetarians like either of those.

I’ve been veggie for 40 years.
I’d advise not to try and emulate the pork, whether with jackfruit or some other kind of meat substitute frankenfood, but do please give the veggies and vegans thoughtful and filling food of equivalent fillingness. Plenty of protein in beans, pulses and cheeses, and bits if you can be certain of no nut allergies, including airborne.

The pie @Gowlettdescribed sounds like a great centrepiece, accompanied with some hefty salads, cheese board and bread. Yumbles do some great vegan cheeses. Cater for twice as many veggie/vegans as you expect, and beat in mind also that many people skip t eat port for religious reasons.

Most of all please have the hog roast somewhere that guests can be away from it. I absolutely cannot stand the smell of pork and I know I’m not alone.

Our village used to do an annual fund raising hog roast and the caterers would leave the head on. I stopped going. They do a plain bbq now.

A vegetarian is not being strict if they don’t eat seafood- they are actually a Vegetarian. Anyone who calls themselves a Vegetarian and eats seafood is not a Vegetarian.

Vegetarian chilli I love the M & S one and the chef at work does an amazing butternut squash tikka masala, I do eat meat but I'm fussy with it so I quite often eat meat alternatives.

I'm not a lover of hog roast but my job is working events mainly weddings, parties and we have had them on the menu but the chefs often cook the hog out of sight of guests, some people love to see it but alot of people don't so we tend to ask and cook the meat out of sight if need be.

Might be something to consider.

But the vege chili and curry options go down well with rice at the events we have done, and we have run out because even meat eaters go for the alternative option.

Lifelong vegetarian here. I would eat this and say nothing but I do like a protein or I feel very hungry. Any vegetarian or plant based thing would do, vegan pulled pork, veggie burgers or sausages, etc. but something substantial to replace the pork which is the main focus of the meal. I'd also remember you can't please everyone though, so make the gesture and forget about it. Oh and maybe over cater veggie or else keep it for people who have specifically ordered it. Some non vegetarians will inevitably eat some of it and the actual vegetarian can miss out.

I’m a meat eater and find hog roasts gross - really greasy and messy, and at the end you get a glorified sandwich that’s less nice than a burger. Definitely do lots of vegetarian food because I suspect a lot of people will prefer it. Chickpea burgers are easy to make, tomato and mozzarella filo parcels, vegan sausages, 3 bean lasagne - any of those would work well with a salad.

A giant roast carrot 🥕😅

Proper pizza from a pizza oven would be a great alternative, but then why have the hog roast at all? Just have pizza and a buffet. It's ok, but even as a meat eater I'm not keen on seeing a whole pig on a spit.

As a vegetarian I doubt I’d be able to eat anything if there was a hog roast. DH loves meat but even he would find that really off putting.
As some PPs have said lots of vegetarians and vegans don’t like fake meat either. Halloumi kebabs sound good.

Pizza van might work, fish and chips, pies or pasties ( Pieminister do events) maybe depends on the time of year.

I would hate to turn up at a wedding and have to eat hog roast.
And I'm not vegetarian.
The sight, smell, taste, messiness of it all.

I have been to an event with a hog roast and the veggie option served alongside it. I think I just didn't eat anything, horrible.

I’m suprised at the don’t have hog roast comments and people find them gross etc

we had a hog roast for our wedding 5yrs ago and everyone loved it. Did have a couple of veggies - I do have a mind blank of what we served them but whatever the venue suggested and they 2/3 we’re happy and fed

plus we have the various sides suggested here with coleslaw - new pots - corn cobs - pesto salad

We had one and it didn’t appear to put anybody apart from the non meat/pork eaters off eating it.

As well as vegetarian friendly options we also provided a couple of large salmon. Sorry, I can’t remember what the vegetarian options were.

Please provide something substantial that's not a fancy vegetable. Vegetarians need protein and substance too especially at a party where they are drinking. I would go for bean burgers in rolls that can go alongside the salad and sides - cheese optional so you've got a vegan option too.

How is lasagne a side??

I was about to get aerated at that but she thinks lasagne is a side so 🤷🏼‍♀️

We had a hot roast at our wedding and everyone loved it. I think the veggie option was falafel.

This!
Every wedding I've been to with buffet style, the omnivores pile their plates with meat and the delicious looking vegetarian food, leaving little for the actual vegetarians so double cater vegetarian food and maybe direct your veggie guests to go up first.

The pie & pizza options sound great, also anything with halloumi!

The problem with stuff like ‘vegan pulled pork’ is that it’s some kind of lab-created fake meat full of dodgy ingredients so I’d avoid that both for that reason and because a lot of vegetarians / vegans don’t want to eat something that tastes like meat.

As other people said, you need to either make sure the vegetarians get priority on the non-meat / non-fish options or have enough for everyone. And also keep the veggie options away from where the hog roast is being dealt with to avoid cross-contamination or them stinking of pork.

I’m assuming you don’t have any Muslim / Jewish guests?

I’ve hosted a couple of birthday hog roasts and they went down really well. We had pork sausages and vege sausages as extra options, plus lots of sides. Then an ice cream van for dessert

For our wedding, we had a bbq and it was brilliant. Plenty of options for everyone to choose from - could that work? We had:

Burgers - beef & vege
Sausages - pork & vege
Chicken skewers
Veg & halloumi skewers
Salmon skewers
Coleslaw
Cheese
Jacket potatoes
Greek salad
Green salad
Bread

Oh, and rice salad and pasta salad!

We had roast beef or ham and lots of sides, each table went up to get there’s sliced fresh. Basically a carvery. there were also lots of nice salads. The veggie options were a spinach and feta pie or chickpea patties.

i dont mind a hog roast. Friend had pizzas at her wedding anniversary do…and there’s was a bit of a delay as van could only do so many. I’d think about cheese table instead.