Are you prepared for Veganuary?

Catering companies are bracing themselves for 2018’s Veganuary, a movement encouraging people to cut out meat and animal products. This year saw 60,000 people go vegan for the month of January, up 260% from 2016, with popularity expected to surge even more this year. Flexible workplace and venue food company, Grazing Catering is introducing more than 100 new vegan dishes to its menus to keep up with the surge in demand.

Direct requests for vegan from Grazing customers have increased month-on-month in line with the ever-growing media attention for vegan and ‘free from’ dishes. Robbie Lorraine, director of food at Grazing Catering, has started to create the innovative new vegan catalogue in the company’s new state of the art development kitchen, which opened last year.

Using cutting edge innovation, some of the recipes will feature in-house produced seitan – a meat substitute made from wheat, gluten and nutritional yeast.

New dishes include: hay smoked heritage carrots with toasted amaranth and dried cranberries; clay baked celeriac ‘steak’ with shaved truffles and grilled leeks; lentil and herb-crusted yellow courgette with green courgette spaghetti; and vegan fried ‘chicken’.

“We’re putting the same passion and creativity for food into our vegan dishes as we do into all of our others – no more vegan options as an afterthought and a sad salad or plate of fruit,” said Sam Hurst, Grazing’s CEO. “Of course, they are not just for vegans but anyone who wants to eat a bit less meat and dairy and enjoy more healthy options as part of a balanced diet.”

Will you be going vegan for Veganuary?