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UK pub chain Greene King launches vegan menu
Greene King has launched a new vegan menu at more than 100 of its Flaming Grill pubs across the UK, including vegan fish and chips, supplied by VBites – the catering company owned by philanthropist Heather Mills.
The new vegan menu was launched in April, and features nine plant-based dishes. The ‘fish’ in the fish and chips is made from VBites’ Making Waves fishless steaks, which are breadcrumbed fish bites made from things like what, konjac flour and tapioca starch. The dish costs £6.49 and comes with oven-baked chips, peas or mushy peas and tomato salsa.
Flaming Grill, owned by Greene King, said: “Meat reducers and flexitarians can now enjoy the iconic traditional fish and chips, with a clear conscience as they enjoy the UK’s first truly sustainable ‘fish’ made entirely from plant based ingredients.
“The contaminants in our oceans are finding their way into the food chain. Through taste-obsessed development, the ‘Making Waves’ range proves some delicious, truly revolutionary alternatives to real fish, which look and taste the same, but without harming any fish, or our oceans, at all.”
A spokesperson for V-Bites said the launch is part of an “exciting transition towards a plant-based revolution”, adding: “A total of seven percent of the UK now leads a plant-based, vegan lifestyle. 3.5 million people lead the change in the UK, and VBites are no strangers to being part of this.”
They added: “The contaminants in our oceans are finding their way into the food chain. 80 percent of commercial fish species are now gone and we are at a crucial point where protecting the environment is not only ethical, but necessary for sustainability and the protection of our marine eco-system.
“It has been predicted that by 2048, scientists believe that all wild fish populations will have collapsed, and we will have fish-less oceans by this date, if no change is made.”
The addition of plant-based meals to its menu, by one of the UK’s biggest pub operators, is a reflection of the growing interest in veganism in the UK.
While Green King is the first major pub chain in the UK to introduce a dedicated selection of plant-based meals, earlier this year London welcomed its first vegan restaurant. The Spread Eagle, which sits on Homerton High Street in Hackney, is owned and operated by Meriel Armitage and Luke McLaughlin, and features an entirely vegan menu.
Elsewhere, a vegan wine boom is expected to predicted sweeping across Britain, with a number of retailers launching vegan range. As reported by The Guardian, the Co-op has ambitious plans to increase its vegan wine range to 100 labels by the end of the year. The supermarket has been working with winemakers around the globe to develop a range of vegan-friendly fining agents.
Last October Majestic added vegan and vegetarian symbols to its wine labels and on its website to help vegan wine lovers find drops that are suited to them. The retailer currently boasts 32 vegan-friendly wines in its portfolio.
Co-op’s vegan wine range