Ireland’s leading fuel and convenience store chain Circle K has upped its vegan food options.
The company, which has more than 420 stations across Ireland, launched a vegan BLT to cater to the growing demand for meat-free food.
A social media user spotted the product and posted an image online in the Vegans Of Ireland Facebook group. According to the picture, plant-based bacon, iceberg lettuce, tomato, and egg-free mayonnaise sandwiched between Swedish flatbread is now available. The shopper described the dish as “gorgeous,” with commenters adding that they had also tried and enjoyed it.
Vegan BLT
Circle K isn’t the first to veganize the popular BLT, traditionally made with bacon and mayonnaise containing egg.
Boots, the UK’s largest pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, created its own version, too. Boots’ vegan BLT features smoky maple syrup-flavoured roasted carrot instead of meat.
Smoked tofu, eggplant, and tempeh can be used to swap out bacon for a plant-based BLT, as well as various vegan bacon products.
Veganism in Ireland
Those in Ireland are turning toward plant-based food more than ever.
In a 12-month period, food delivery app Deliveroo experienced a 119 percent increase in vegan and “healthy” food orders in Ireland. Just Eat also reported a spike in numbers, with Irish consumers ordering 25 percent more meat-free food.
Government officials have been encouraging Ireland’s citizens to curb their diets toward plant-based. Last month, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland released its updated version of “Healthy Eating, Food Safety and Food Legislation – a Guide Supporting the Healthy Ireland Food Pyramid.” The guide recommended choosing peas, beans, and lentils as a source of low-fat, high-fibre, “good-quality” protein. It also urged the public to eat more plant-based sources of fibre, like rice, potatoes, and pasta.
The island’s Taoiseach (prime minister), Leo Varadkar, recently announced he was reducing his meat consumption for environmental reasons. “I think the government needs to lead by example,” he said.
Ireland’s former president Mary Robinson also encouraged people to eat less meat in an effort to “get carbon out of the atmosphere.”
In response to shifting demand, products like Oumph!’s meat-free pulled pork and Vivera’s plant-based steak have hit supermarket shelves in Ireland.
Image Credit: Christina Hughes
