In case you didn’t know, JD Wetherspoon serves vegan pizza.
People noticed that the pub chain—colloquially known as Wetherspoons or Spoons—added vegan pizza to the menu last January. Setting it apart from other chains, Wetherspoons oped not to advertise the dairy-free option. Instead, diners discovered the dish on the “Spoons” app, which allows pub-goers to order food and drink online and have it delivered to their table.
The British pub company runs just short of 1,000 locations across the UK. According to Birmingham Live, pizza is available at most Weatherspoons locations.
The dish, listed as a Gourmet Vegan Pizza, includes mushrooms, roasted peppers, tomatoes, onions, and courgette. “Most impressively, the pizza is a relatively light 590 calories,” Birmingham Live wrote.
A new option, BBQ Jackfruit & Applewood Cheese Pizza, was recently added to the menu, per the Instagram @vegan_food_uk.
Matt Elsdon, Spoons’ Senior Food Development Manager, said in a statement, “We listed a gourmet vegetarian pizza with roasted vegetables and mushrooms in our autumn menu change. But if you remove the cheese then the pizza is suitable for vegans, so we listed separately.“
Vegan at Wetherspoons
It’s not Wetherspoons’ first foray into plant-based dining. In October 2018, the pub chain introduced a vegan full English breakfast. The dish features two hash browns, two Quorn sausages, mushroom, tomato, and toast.
The meal joins Wetherspoons’ other animal-free options, including teriyaki noodles, nachos, five bean chilli, and sweet potato, chickpea, and spinach curry.
Vegan Pizza in the UK
The popularity of plant-based pizza is surging in the UK at the moment. Supermarket chains Iceland and Morrisons both carry own home-brand vegan pizzas.
Italian food chain Zizzi created an innovative Vegan Rustica Quattro No-Maggi, a pizza featuring four kinds of dairy-free cheese. And following high demand, Pizza Hut launched a cheesy vegan jackfruit pizza in early 2019. Papa John’s UK has also steadily builts its vegan menu: last January’s launch included jackfruit pepperoni and hot sausage.
