Diners enjoy a meal out - but could non-vegan meatless options be on the decline? (stock image)
(Picture: REUTERS)Carnivores and herbivores are well served by London restaurants but vegetarians are finding there is little in between on the menu.
The Vegetarian Society and restaurant owners have lamented a trend at high end diners of cheese, eggs and other non vegan products being excluded from meals not containing meat or fish.
Martin Williams, chief executive of M & Gaucho restaurants, said credible vegetarian options are being knocked off the menu to ensure restaurants have plant based vegan options.
He said: “I think it is a trend. [For some pubs] plant based vegan options are ticking boxes and that is possibly to the detriment to credible vegetarian options.
“At Gaucho we are trying to cater for both.”
Although steak amounted to 85 per cent of their orders at Gaucho, the food expert said they were making sure they had room on the menu for vegan and vegetarian dishes - such as their gnocchi.
He added: “You need an enhanced menu. Conscious dining is very important and I think people will weigh up what they want to eat and are choosing sustainable options.
“You can’t have too big a menu. If your menu is too big you’ll have too much food waste and that is another environmental consideration.”
It is a similar scenario at fast food outlets.
Burger King offers two burgers that do not contain meat and both are plant-based versions of standard menu items.
Three of the four savoury non-meat items at McDonald’s are vegan while at Leon two of its five hot boxes are vegan as is one of its three burgers and the only specific vegetarian option is a halloumi wrap.
Vegetarian diner Matt Sibley told the Standard: “Vegan options are good and really tasty, but I want to get my meat replacement burger with real cheese as an option.”
John Soonaye from the Vegetarian Society said: "There is a strong argument for the inclusion of good quality vegetarian options alongside vegan ones. Vegetarian and vegan food both have a significantly lower environmental impact than meat.
“As vegetarian options are often more familiar to meat-eaters, they can be a more appealing choice. This can make it easier for those wanting to reduce their impact on the planet or reduce the amount of meat they eat, and the more people who do this, the bigger impact it has."
However, the Vegan Society said plant-based foods are not exclusively for vegans and suit most diets.
A spokesperson added: “Plant-based products are not exclusively for vegans and are suitable for most diets and religions, often constituting a safe food option for all, including vegetarians, meat and dairy reducers, the lactose intolerant, followers of certain religious groups, and the health-conscious.
“Veganism is far from being a trend, rather a lifestyle choice that people make for very important ethical reasons - there’s simply been more awareness about it in recent years.”
