NEW research conducted by Spoon Guru, has revealed that over half of vegans (61%) are being snubbed at restaurants across Britain; and 41% have been served food that’s excluded from their diet while dining out. With the UK just being named the vegan hub of the world¹, the research suggests improvements need to be made as more Brits are turning to plant-based diets.
As part of Veganuary, the study looked into the struggles of consumers throughout the UK that have chosen to switch to a new diet. Whether it’s motivated by food intolerances, allergies or a lifestyle choice, vegan and vegetarian diets proved to be the most popular (26%), while one in two of those surveyed (54%) have chosen to take on an exclusion diet as a ‘lifestyle’ choice. This suggests Brits are becoming more conscious about the ethical side of their food choices and potentially the health benefits.
Additionally, the results showed that finding the right food on a night out is still a challenge for vegans, with 35% saying they find it difficult and 39% revealed they struggle when in social settings or at a function. Shockingly, the data found that a staggering 61% of vegans have faced prejudice and been given the cold shoulder by waiters because of their choice of diet.
Top five vegan populated UK regions:
1. South West
2. North East
3. Scotland
4. East Anglia
5. Wales
With 64 % of the world’s population now actively excluding certain food from their diet², the food industry is under mounting pressure to meet a growing consumer demand for tailored food choices.
Based on the survey results, consumers believe that retailers have been responsible for poor ingredients labelling as 25% of vegans stated that it’s the number two reason for accidentally consuming food restricted from their diet, where’s number one reason being that over 41% of respondents have been served the wrong food by the wait staff in bars and restaurants. In addition, 71% of vegans believe that the issues surrounding the clarity of food labelling can be solved through the use of technology.
