Maintaining a Vegan or Vegetarian Diet in the UK

If you’re someone with dietary restrictions, it can be nerve wracking to leave the comforts of your own country. You’ll be accustomed to various substitutions, brands and options from home already and may not know where to start when looking abroad. 

As someone with a dairy allergy, I spend a lot of time reading food labels and often look for vegan options when shopping or eating at restaurants as vegan options tend to be more readily labeled than dedicated ‘dairy-free’ items. With this in mind, I’m going to go through just how vegetarian and vegan-friendly the UK is when it comes to labeling, restaurants and menu substitutions.

The UK is one of the most vegetarian/vegan-friendly countries in the world and I find that it even excels over Canada in many ways. While it can be quite easy to navigate vegetarian/vegan options in metropolitan areas of Canada, smaller or more rural areas are quite limited and can make substitutions costly. Let’s take a closer look at what the UK does well when it comes to vegetarian/vegan options:
 

Starting with Coffee

If you’re looking for your daily caffeine fix, you’ll find dairy-free substitutions at just about every major coffee chain in the UK (and there are a lot!). What sets the UK apart from Canada here is that substitutions at many chains (such as Pret) are free even if looking at a substitute that tends to be a more costly substitution in Canada like coconut milk. 

If you’ve ever ordered a coffee in Canada and have wondered whether or not the item is really dairy-free, you’re not alone! Rest assured, many coffee shops in the UK utilize dedicated dairy-free stickers to indicate when a drink has been made with a dairy alternative. 
 

Don't Skip Dessert

Don't feel like you need to skip out on dessert just because of your dietary needs/preferences, because as vegan/vegetarian friendly as the UK is with savory options, they're becoming increasingly more accessible with 'sweet treats' as well. Whether looking at marketplaces for homemade items, or smaller coffee shops/bakeries, there's no shortage of desserts for your dietary needs.

One of my favourite places to go in London recently was The After School Cookie Club (various locations around London) who offered an entirely vegan menu including cookies, shakes and ice cream! They even offer baking classes if you ever want to expand your culinary skills. 

Grocery Shopping

The UK as a whole has strong labelling laws that require clear labelling for Vegans. As such, you’ll see “Suitable for Vegans” on the packaging of various items throughout UK grocery stores (even on their own supermarket-branded items). With this label, you’ll also typically see The Vegan Society’s official Vegan Trademark which may already be familiar to you. 

Major grocery chains like Tesco, Waitrose, M&S, Sainsbury’s often have dedicated sections for vegetarian/vegan items to make them easier to find. This can be a bit tricker to locate at smaller express shops (like Tesco Express), however the vegan-friendly items are usually grouped together in their own sections (for example, vegan friendly chocolate bars grouped together in the snack aisle). 

Even discount shops like Lidl will have vegan friendly basics for sale and often offers a more affordable price for students on a budget!

Take-Away and Restaurants

Those looking to indulge at restaurant chains will be wonderfully surprised at just how vegan/vegetarian friendly food options are in the UK. Popular fast-food stops like Greggs offers their iconic Vegan Sausage Roll, while North-American favourites like McDonald’s offers plant-based options. 

Popular UK restaurants like Wagamama, Wahaca, Pizza Express and even Nando’s offers an integrated vegetarian/vegan menu or easy substitutions to make eating out as easy as possible. 

For those looking for the real ‘Pub’ experience, rest assured there are pubs that offer fantastic vegan options across the UK. From fully vegan Sunday roasts, to plant-based pies and British staples. You never have to go hungry!
 

When in doubt - learn to cook!

If you’re unhappy with the in-store vegan and vegetarian options, search online for new recipes and get creative! Take the opportunity to learn how to make some of your favourite vegetarian/vegan dishes. You can always find basic ingredients for protein-rich meals, like chickpeas, lentils, beans, Greek yogurt, tofu, cottage cheese, protein powders, nut butters, etc. There are plenty of ways to satisfy your nutritional needs. 

You might need to make some compromises, but you won’t have to reinvent your whole diet. And if you live in a large, diverse city (i.e. London, Glasgow, etc.), you might not encounter any limitations or differences at all. I recommend exploring your options online while researching your future university town – it might save you some stress when you move.