UK-based Italian restaurant chain ASK Italian has launched its new autumn menu and it features a number of new vegan options.
“We have some exciting twists on Italian Classics we know you will love,” the company announced on Instagram. The new vegan “twists” – which add to the chain’s existing extensive plant-based menu – include the Prima Zucca Zucca pizza, which is topped with butternut squash three ways, Spaghetti Lentil Ragu, Tuscan Bean Soup, and Vegan Spicy Nuts and Nibbles.
The UK is home to a plethora of restaurant chains that specialize in Italian food, and over the past few months, a number have given in to the rising consumer demand for vegan options.
Most recently, Pizza Express launched its 2018 autumn menu, adding a jackfruit-topped pizza and a carrot cake vegan dessert to its offerings. “Considering that almost a third of all evening meals eaten in the UK are now vegetarian or vegan and over a fifth (22%) of the population is actively choosing gluten-free foods, it’s no surprise to see this consumer behavior driving restaurant meal choices,” said Amanda Royston, the Senior Marketing Manager at Pizza Express, in a statement.
Frankie & Benny’s, an Italian-American chain, also launched a new vegan menu earlier this year; and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s string of Italian restaurants “Jamie’s Italian,” added new vegan options at the beginning of the summer. His website noted at the time, “Jamie is passionate about how much good we can do for ourselves and the environment by cutting back the amount of meat we eat.”
It’s not only Italian restaurants, however, that have launched new vegan options in the UK in a bid to keep up with demand. Earlier this month, news that Subway is trialing a new vegan version of its veggie patty surfaced on social media, and pub chain JD Wetherspoon launched a new vegan breakfast option.
Across the UK, consumers are becoming more and more concerned about the impact of animal products on their health, the planet, and the animals. One survey conducted in the spring noted that nearly 8 million Brits were eating completely meat-free, and 25 percent planned to reduce their meat consumption over the next year.
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This post was last modified on December 15, 2020 6:28 am