Greene King has launched a Vegan Pizza for #Veganuary 2020. We checked it out this weekend to see if it’s a hit…
It only seems a few short years ago that Vegan options away from Manchester City Center were a bit thin on the ground. I’ve had some frankly bizarre dishes served to me over the years. Once the chef came out and told me he had a ‘veggie thing’ in the freezer but didn’t quite know what was in it – mmm doesn’t that get the tastebuds salivating!
But in 2020 its all change. It feels every restaurant and pub chain is falling over themselves to launch a vegan menu and this is a very good thing! It is – almost – at the point that you don’t have to check the menu beforehand. We have indeed come a long way.
In to this comes Greene King, who after first launching Vegan options in their pubs in 2018 has decided to increase the range for 2020. They invited us down to try their new Vegan Pizza.
The Vegan Vegetable Pizza comes with Vegan ‘cheeze’, roasted peppers, red onions, jalapeños and rocket. The extra thick and crunchy crusts are ideal for dipping into a vegan mayo and I really enjoyed the vegan cheese far more than I expected.
Look, I’m not going to say that it’s the best Vegan Pizza in Manchester because that would be ridiculous. But the fact that places like Greene King are offering a great Vegan Pizza on the menu is something that some be celebrated.
Away from the Vegan pizza, they also offer a vegan chickpea burger with hoisin sauce, fish-free fillets with chips and even a few dessert options.
They do have a few vegan beers on draft too. I opted for the Ashari!
Hopefully, as things progress it would be great to see even more on the menu. Maybe a vegan pie or a vegan version of the veggie Sunday Roast (please do this Greene King!)
Talking about the new Vegan options Phil Thomas, chief commercial officer at Greene King, said: “It’s no secret that across the sector we’re seeing an increase in demand for vegan dishes as more and more customers choose plant-based meals, but I think what is surprising is the rate of growth.
“I think there was a longstanding assumption that vegan food was generally unexciting, but because of the creativity and passion we’re putting into developing our plant-based dishes, we’re increasingly seeing traditional meat-eaters actually choosing a vegan option when dining out on the strength of the dish itself. Fish-Free Fillets and Chips is the top seller in the vegan mains category, which offers great-tasting traditional pub food that we know our customers love whilst suiting their lifestyle choice.
“There’s certainly the demand for vegan food and as we further expand our menu to include new, exciting and innovative dishes, it would be safe to expect further category growth throughout Veganuary and beyond.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
If you are thinking of visiting your local Greene King pub to try the vegan pizza out be sure to phone ahead first as not every venue has it yet – hopefully it won’t be long before it’s everywhere.
Love vegan pizza? Let us know your favourite places in the comments below or via Twitter.
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