There Is Now a Chief Vegan Pizza Officer At Papa John’s

(Updated January 18, 2020) Papa John’s UK has hired a “Chief Vegan Officer” (CVO) to help grow its plant-based menu.

Clare Every—who also runs the Instagram account The Little London Vegan—will work with the Head of Research and Development on a part-time basis for the next six months.

She said in a statement on Instagram, “over the next six months, I’ll be helping the team develop their vegan products and expand their plant-based offering. I’ll be the eyes and ears for the company, keeping them up to date with all of the latest trends and developments from the vegan world.”

The Chief Vegan Officer

Papa John’s started looking for a CVO back in October 2019. “[It] has been a huge year for plant-based food and gone are the days where vegans and veggies are limited to a couple of disappointing side dishes,” Papa John’s Marketing Director Giles Codd said in a statement before the job was posted.

“With the launch of several new vegan menu items this year, including vegan Sheese® which flew out the door as soon as it hit the menu, it’s clear that there is a huge appetite for more exciting plant-based offerings,” Codd added.

In her new role, Every intends to help Papa John’s take its vegan options “to the next level.” She asked her 87,000 followers to submit suggestions that she can take to the company; some of the new ideas include a vegan ham and pineapple pizza, bacon, and garlic rolls.

Vegan at Papa John’s UK

At the beginning of 2019, Papa John’s UK launched its first vegan menu featuring three pizzas topped with Sheese. The chain sold out of the vegan cheese on the first day of the launch. It also introduced vegan marmite and cheese rolls.

Papa John’s later introduced other options, including its Cheesy Vegan Potato Wedges and Jalapeno Cheesy Potato Wedges. Now, it offers a total of eight vegan pizzas, including the new Jackfruit Pepperoni and American Hot Jackfruit.

Competitor brand Pizza Hut has also expanded its vegan menu. It recently launched a new vegan pizza, plus Quorn chicken nuggets and dairy-free cheesecake.