Subway’s First Vegan Sub Has Arrived In the UK

Updated April 18, 2019. American fast-food sandwich chain Subway has launched a vegan version of its veggie patty in its UK locations.

Word of Subway’s vegan patty initially spread via the Facebook group Vegan Food UK, an online community where residents throughout the nation share their plant-based finds. The new sandwich option was first spotted at the Wigan location in Greater Manchester.

Now it has been confirmed that the new vegan patty is available nationwide, along with new dairy-free garlic aioli.

The vegan patty is reportedly similar to the vegetarian version, only spicier, suggesting that it may feature the same blend of mushrooms, water chestnuts, carrots, capsicum, black olives, and textured vegetable protein, only without the animal ingredients. While the restaurant has offered the veggie patty for a number of years, it has always contained eggs and the milk-derived ingredient, calcium caseinate.

Subway Canada has offered a plant-based veggie patty at all locations since 2011, thanks to the work of animal rights charity Compassion Over Killing. In January 2018, the chain tested a vegan steak at nearly two-dozen locations in Finland. The spicy plant-based steak was made from a vegetable-centric blend of green peppers, spinach, corn, peas, red onion, and spices.

In June 2018, locations throughout Australia and New Zealand began offering a vegan falafel option in order to meet the rising demand for plant-based food.

While vegan patties and falafel may not yet be available to U.S. Subway customers, those looking for a plant-based meal can build a “Veggie Delight” sandwich using Italian bread, Hearty Italian Bread, Roasted Garlic Bread, Sourdough, and Wrap as a base and all of the vegetable fillings. Condiments include Buffalo Sauce, Yellow Mustard, Brown Mustard, Oil, Vinegar, Subway Vinaigrette, Sweet Onion Sauce, and Guacamole.

Subway isn’t the only American chain to trial vegan options outside of the U.S. Fast-food giant McDonald’s launched the plant-based “McVegan” sandwich in Finland and Sweden in December 2017. Major pizza chain Domino’s has tested dairy-free cheese options in the UK, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and New Zealand and Pizza Hut added vegan cheese to UK menus in November 2017.