First there was Dry January – a month of abstemiousness after a boozy Christmas and New Year – now there’s Veganuary where restaurants will offer some vegan dishes on their main menu alongside their usual fare throughout the month. This ‘restaurant revolution’ was pioneered by The Humane League UK and Vegan Chef Day and has been embraced by a plethora of London establishments.
Jason Atherton’s “slick” and “always buzzing” HQ will boast a special 8-course vegan tasting menu this Veganuary. Dishes include: Salted baked beetroot tartare, braised broccoli stem with lemon puree and toasted almonds. Enjoy a flight of organic wines alongside – as long as you’re not also doing Dry January.
Four Hundred Rabbits kickstarts 2018 with a brand new vegan special sourdough pizza featuring a best-selling peanut butter by award-winning London-based producer Pip & Nut. Served throughout the month at their restaurants in Nunhead and Crystal Palace, the Veganuary exclusive will match Crown Prince squash pesto, wood-roasted beets, Berbere chickpeas, crispy onions, celery, sultanas, plus Crunchy Maple Peanut Butter.
Young’s Pubs and Geronimo Inns
This January Young’s Pubs are delivering a flexitarian approach to dining. Available Monday-Saturday, between 8 January – 28 February, Young’s and Geronimo Inns will be offering a new winter warmer menu, with two main courses available from just £20-£24. On the menu: Herb roasted sweet potato, spinach & celeriac filo pie with purple broccoli and toasted almonds & herb yoghurt; and wild rice, saffron, orange & kipper kedgeree. Vegan options of charred cauliflower steak, butternut squash puree, savoury pistachio crumble and charred fennel, orange, walnut & buckwheat salad pickled Romanesque & pomegranate will also feature.
This social enterprise, not-for-profit café and community space just off Brick Lane has gone 100% vegan in January and is serving pulled jackfruit and non-chicken escalope sandwiches, not-meatball marinara subs, and tofish and chips. They have a month of events planned including an exclusive book signing with Fat Gay Vegan plus a vegan ‘clinic’ for new vegans and a cooking class. The Canvas is also stocking a completely non-alcoholic pink sparkling wine. Perfect for Dry January.
This Lebanese chain has launched a vegan feasting menu for the month of January, priced at £19.95 the menu is for two people to share and includes a meze of four starters and two mains and a dessert. They have also started a ‘Dine in for £10’ offer, where guests can enjoy a starter, main and dessert for just £10 with a vegetarian and meat option.
Farmacy W2
Camilla Al Fayed’s health-conscious yearling, complete with pharmacist-inspired decor, in Bayswater is the perfect spot to do Veganuary. Try one of their Marco Bowls – a dish that includes your entire five-a-day in a single serving – seasonal greens, sweet potato, avocado, seaweed and quinoa, and all drizzled in a tangy miso and ginger.
For both vegan eaters across the UK, and those who want to kick-start their New Year resolutions by joining Veganuary, YO! will be launching some more tasty plant-based dishes. These include the Green Gyoza, spinach dumplings and Agedashi Tofu, a hot tofu dish with daikon, ginger, spring onion and topped with Ponzu sauce. And YO! has introduced Spicy Cauliflower to the menu – crispy cauliflower marinated in a light spice, garnished with red chilli and spring onions.
These menu newbies will make up the extensive 10 vegan and 25 veggie friendly plates. All 47 dishes are priced at just £2.80. The menu is available Monday-Friday from 1-19 January and available at selected sites throughout the UK.
For Veganuary this spicy street food concept (with an outpost in Leeds as well as Old Spitalfields Market) has launched a new black bean, broccoli and noodle Spice Bowl. The dish can be topped with Keralan Chickpea or Sweet Potato Saagwala.
This ludicrously-named Soho newcomer has laid on a couple of new plant-based dishes for Veganuary. One the menu: Miso and mango-glazed aubergine with peanut crumble, chickpea salads with rose harissa, and roast sweet potatoes with soy yoghurt and pomegranate popcorn.
