Your 101 Guide to a Vegan and Plant-based Christmas 2021
Christmas is just around the corner and with recent trends showing a consistent rise in plant-based eating. Statistically speaking a recent survey shows that 19.6% of Brits are expected to choose vegetarian or vegan food this Christmas and in 2021 82% of people who tried Veganuary had drastically cut meat intake, according to a 6-month survey carried out by Veganuary.
Here are some of the latest product launches, restaurants and which supermarkets are making the most effort to ensure you can have an easy 2021 eat plant-based this Christmas! Let’s get started with my top 3 supermarkets for this year’s festivities.
Three supermarkets to shop at this Christmas
Aldi
Aldi, the UK budget supermarket recently announced its menu for this year's festivities which is deemed its best yet! You can’t really go wrong with Aldi; they even have a section dedicated to Vegan at Aldi page. Let’s dive into a sample selection of their Plant Menu range including:
Mains
– Specially Selected Vegan Festive Wreath (£3.99, 480g)
– Plant Menu No Turkey Crown with Vegan Bacon (£4.60, 560g)
– Plant Menu 10 No Pork Streaky Bacon Rashers (£2.19, 180g)
– Specially Selected Root Vegetable & Camembert Nut Roasts (£2.99, 2x195g)
Sides/Canapés
– No Pigs in Blankets (£2.49, 228g)
– Specially Selected Vegan Stuffing Balls (£1.99 for 300g)
– Plant Menu Vegan Gravy (£1.49, 400g)
Dessert
– Foodie Market Free From Gluten Free Christmas Pudding (£2.59, 400g)
– Moo Free Dairy Free & Vegan Christmas Chocolate Selection Box (£3.99, 105g)
– Moser Roth Vegan Orange Truffles (£3.99, 144g)
Sainsburys are widely known for their own label brand Plant Pioneer that offers a wide range of vegan/vegetarian products. They also have a rather diverse range of vegan recipes ready at your disposal, so get creative and let’s see what they have to offer:
Mains
– No Turkey Stuff Crown by Plant Pioneers (£5.75, 490g)
– Nut Roast with a Tangy Spice Orange & Cranberry Glaze (£5.50, 500g)
– Plant Pioneers Meat Free Wellington Vegan (£3.00, 500g)
– No Salmon en Croute - could be used as a starter (£5.50, 760g)
– No Turkey Parcels - could be used as a starter (£6.00, 360g)
Sides/Canapés
– Vegan Trimmings Selection (£5.50, 540g)
– Party Food Selection, 8 No Prawn Tempura, 6 No Chicken Kievs and 10 BBQ No Pork Belly Bites (£9.50, 510g)
Dessert
– Chocolate & Salted Caramel Star (£8.00, 440g)
Tesco
Tesco are known for their Wicked Kitchen range of which they recently stated was going to be made more “accessible”. They too have a page dedicated to plant-based recipes! Here are some of the most popular Christmas offerings, but vegan.
Mains
– Wicked Kitchen No-Turkey Roast Crown (£5.00, 560g - Serves 4)
– Tesco Finest Sweet Potato & Red Cabbage Christmas Log (£10.00, 850g - Serves 4)
– Tesco Plant Chef No Pork & Cranberry Wellington (£3.00, 500G)
– Tesco Finest Vegan Christmas Dinner for Two - No Beef Wellington with vegetable mix, roast potatoes, roasted vegetables with thyme, vegan gravy, sage and onion stuffing balls, meat-free cocktail bangers and cranberry sauce. 2 Christmas puddings with sultanas, cider and rum with brandy sauce. A bottle of Champagne and 2 Christmas crackers. (£35.00, 2.417KG)
– Tesco Finest Stuffed Half Butternut Squash Serves 4 (£9.00, 650g)
– Plant Chef Portobello Mushroom Wellington Serves 2 (£6.00, 360g)
Sides/Canapé
– Wicked Kitchen No-Chicken Drumettes (£4.00, 250G)
– Tesco Plant Chef No Moo-Zzerella Sticks (£3.00, 200G)
– Tesco Plant Chef 15 Meat Free Mini Pasties (£2.00, 330G)
Dessert
– Tesco Free From Christmas Pudding (£3.75, 400G)
– Wicked Kitchen Spiced Rum Christmas Pudding (£1.50, 100G)
– Wicked Kitchen Brownie Bliss Dessert - Serves 6 (£7.00, 500g)
– Tesco Plant Chef 6 Mince Pies (£1.25 - 20p per 57g serving)
Vegan Drinks
– Tesco Finest Premier Cru Brut Champagne (£21.00, 75Cl)
– Yellow Tail Shiraz (£7.00, 75Cl)
– Tesco Finest Pinot Grigio Blush (£7.00, 75Cl)
Aldi, Sainsburys and Tesco ranges are superb and offer a wide range of vegan as well as vegetarian products that are affordable. This has been proven in a recent study by Oxford University that showed switching to meatless diets can slash costs by up to a ⅓ across the 150 countries that were studied including the US, UK, Australia, and parts of Western Europe.
Finally I want to share three more supermarkets I’d recommend and they are M&S who are known for their Plant Kitchen range, Waitrose for their Plantlife and GoVeggie ranges and finally, Abel & Cole offer an online range of typically organic “Christmas vegan & veggie food” - you can find the finer things in life such as there “Luxury Christmas Vegan Cheese Selection, Organic”. Oooooo.
Restaurants
No doubt too you’ll want to go out to a restaurant that can help you to keep up your plant-based/vegan outings! To cover the UK respectively, I chose three vegan friendly restaurants in the cities of Brighton, London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Let’s explore!
Brighton
The Roundhill Pub - a fully fledged plant-based kitchen and pub! I personally have been there before and the range they offer is really great.
The No Catch Co. is not ‘Christmasy’ per se however, when in Brighton you can’t beat a spot of fish & chips, but vegan!! Recently opened by Ed Winters (earthlinged) you can expect cod & chips, haddock & chips, tofish burger & chips and much more!
Food for Friends is an award-winning vegetarian and vegan restaurant. Certainly a spot for those up for a fancy day out! They serve a wide range of delicious food such as Bao Buns (small plate), Spinach, pea & leek chickpea frittata (large plate) and Winter spiced toffee pudding (dessert)
London
Mildreds is fully plant-based with a menu full of “fresh, colourful food that’s vibrant and full of flavours”
The Gate is another plant-based restaurant established in 1989 with locations in Marylebone, Angel, Hammersmith & St John’s Wood!
The Wulf and Lamb offers all day plant-based dining with locations in Chelsea and Marylebone - “best known for our indulgent Mac’N’Cheese and burgers but we also offer healthy salads and whole-food plant-based dishes.”
Manchester
Alvarium are primarily focused on a great range of classic and special drinks such as Black Forest Martini. Yum! They do offer brunch, bar snacks and Sunday roasts!
The Allotment creates vegan and gluten-free food “like you’ve never tasted before” and they too offer a great range of drinks, day/evening menu and brunch! Expect cauliflower wings, Tofu Laksa, Blueberry Cheesecake alongside your beverage of choice. Happy dining!
Vertigo is a plant-based eatery offering fully classic ranges of food on their breakfast, brunch, lunch and dining menu. You’ll see the likes of scrambled tofu toast, 1/4lb cheeze burger with fries or Falafel bowl! The place is for the not-too-fussy as there’s something for everyone!
Edinburgh
Erpingham House is likely the one you’ve heard about before even if you’re not vegan! “We’re 100% plant-based, plastic-free & mostly organic” with a menu that keeps on evolving. This one is certainly not one to miss - check it out for yourself!
Harmonium is a 100% vegan restaurant that caters to all ages and is dog friendly. The one you can guarantee will be a great day out with everyone - they also switch up their drinks menu regularly so you can always expect something new if you become a returning customer.
Nova Pizza is the FIRST vegan Italian restaurant in Edinburgh *claps* run by a Roman family. Some of their favourite dishes are the Caprese Starter, Spaghetti Carbonara and Pizza Amatriciana. Now I’m drooling!
There you have it! I hope you have enjoyed this breakdown of your 101 vegan and plant-based guide to products, supermarkets and restaurants which you can add to your bucket list of fun adventures and take on your journey this Christmas and beyond!
Written by Harry Bone
Harry is a percussionist and musician with a passion for sound and creativity. I am a content creator and writer enthusiast as well and I have been using my Instagram platform as a medium for this. An aspiring sound maker and content creator you can find my current adventures at @harrysvegan & @__hbmusic
