With the festive period, and the indulgence it brings along with it, now over and the new year in full swing, consumers are on the biggest health kick of the year with most people looking to change their diet and shift the focus on to healthy eating.
For many, the perfect way to do so is by participating in Veganuary. With January proving a popular time for consumers to try a vegan diet, the start of the year is a key time for any catering establishments looking to benefit from the increasing popularity of plant-based dining.
While catering to the vegan market may seem daunting at first, it’s incredibly simple with a few easy changes and has already proven a popular move for many dining establishments. To get you started, here are some of our key catering tips for Veganuary:
Focus on the Latest Trends
You need only to look at the success of Gregg’s vegan alternative of their popular sausage roll to see the benefit of offering plant-based alternatives of foods which are already a big hit with diners. A surprising number of food items and drinks can be made vegan-friendly by substituting a few simple ingredients, without losing the defining flavour of the dish itself.
Thanks to the launch of the Country Range 6” Frozen Vegan Sausage Roll and Vegan Pasty, now all caterers can offer what has proven to be one of the most popular food launches of the past year.
Both available as frozen products for easy storage and convenient use, these high-quality vegan options are guaranteed to taste just as delicious as their original meat-filled counterparts.
Our 6” Frozen Vegan Sausage Roll is made with a vegan puff pastry that’s glazed for the classic sausage roll look and texture. For the filling, we have used soya protein to recreate the sausage-style taste.
Our second vegan product launch of the year, the Frozen Vegan Pasty is also glazed, and hand-crimped for the perfect finish. The filling contains all the traditional elements you would expect from a pasty including potato, swede, onion, and a meat-free mince alternative, all finished off with rich vegan gravy.
Work with What You Have
Integrating vegan dishes into your current offering is far easier than most caterers assume. In fact, you can use many of the ingredients that you already have at hand to create some fantastic vegan recipes.
To create plant-based alternatives of your current offering, you can simply switch out ingredients for their vegan parts. Beef mince, for example, can be swapped out for soya mince, margarine used to replace butter, and plant-based milks used in the place of dairy milk for food and beverages.
Whether you know it or not, many of the ingredients that you already have in stock will be vegan, meaning that you won’t have to change a thing in order to serve these as part of your vegan offering. Much of the Country Range product offering is suitable for use in vegan dishes. From bakery items through to condiments, snacks, and spices, you’ll find vegan-friendly ingredients and products across the majority of our range.
As these are items you are likely already using, it means that you can easily create vegan dishes without having to stock up on vegan ingredients specifically, helping you maximise your profits.
For a simple yet delicious vegan addition to your menu, which can be made using ingredients you are likely to already have in stock, why not try one of our brand new vegan recipes for mushroom and almond pithivier or vegan Portuguese tarts.