Food on the move

For vegetarians and vegans, considering our food options is one necessary part of making any journey. Whether it’s a snack at the bus station or a sandwich on a train, we’re often at the mercy of whichever provider we’ve decided to travel with. Nowhere are we more vulnerable to this than thousands of feet up in the air or in a train carriage.

Vegetarians tend to be climate-conscious folk, so it’s probable that many want to reduce the number of flights they’re taking. However, travelling is necessary when we head to see friends or family, or take a well-deserved holiday. But are we being short-changed when it comes to the food on offer?

Up in the air

Airline food has come a long way from the standard “meat-and-two veg” meals. These days, airlines try to cater for a variety of different palates, including vegetarians and vegans. However, the options available vary depending on which airline you fly with.

Speaking with our followers on social media, it’s clear that they have had mixed experiences with vegetarian and vegan food on airlines. Some of them reported positive experiences with certain airlines like Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, and Singapore Airlines, praising the variety and taste of the options they were provided with. Others painted a picture of inconsistent provision of veggie options, which can be poor in quality even when they are made available.

“There is no consistency, even within airlines,” one commenter said. “One meal is great, the next one is overcooked, the third is mediocre. I understand that the food is all prepped ahead and then sits for hours before we get it, but I’d like things to be a bit better prepared.”

Unfortunately, the vegetarian options that some airlines offer can be very limited and bland, such as basic salad or tomato pasta dishes. Some no longer even cater for vegetarians, instead offering a blanket plant-based option suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. The responses we received mentioned this lack of catering specifically for vegetarian diets is becoming more common across the catering sector as a whole.

One positive development in airline catering is the growing availability of global cuisine, with some airlines now offering options such as East Asian and Indian vegetarian meals. Several commentors told us they loved these due to their taste and variety. However, this also may be an issue for people who are less familiar with foreign cuisine and would prefer a more Western option.

“For short-haul flights I haven’t had an issue getting a veggie or vegan sandwich on British Airways/easyJet,” one respondent said.

“For long haul flights, what I have noticed is a change from lacto-ovo vegetarian meals to a choice of vegan or Indian vegetarian. Both of those have compromises – either unfamiliar desserts, no chocolates, long-life products, and vegan cheese or margarine instead of regular (and I find these inedible). It’s much easier now to select special meals via apps… It would be amazing to have a Western vegetarian option, which really can just be a combination of what’s already available.”

Sometimes, it’s not just the quality of food options, or even the availability of those options, that lets veggies down. Service can also an issue. Vegetarian or vegan meals often go missing if they get handed to other passengers. Some people commented that there can be a lack of awareness or understanding from flight attendants regarding the difference between vegan and vegetarian meals. The result is some people often going empty-handed.

“I preordered vegan food on a return flight with TUI from Copenhagen to Cape Verde some years ago,” someone told us. “It failed to appear on the outward flight. When I reported this and asked if they could make sure there was vegan food on the return flight, they said they couldn’t do it since they hadn’t done it on the outward flight! It was a very long flight via Oslo with no food.”

Off the rails

The difficulty vegetarians face to eat well while travelling is not just limited to being on planes. It’s an issue many of us face on our rail services too.

All train companies with catering services in the UK now have vegetarian or vegan options, with seven rail operators now having vegan food options on their menus. These include hot meals, sandwiches, sweets, and plant-based milks. For example, Great Western Railway offers a falafel and hummus tomato wrap, while Virgin Trains have a vegan items range.

While the availability of veggie and vegan food seems better on the ground than it does in the air, passengers can still encounter issues. As on planes, options can be limited, and those that are available can be steeply priced. Food is largely only available on larger rail services too – if you travel on a smaller, more
local route, you’re on your own!

“There is no food offered on [the] line I travel, and it goes from Exeter to Waterloo,” one commentor said. “It’s essential to take your own snacks and drinks!”

The responses highlighted a limited choice of food to eat when travelling by train, often opting to eat before your journey, if at all. For some respondents, how much you pay for your journey, and whether you’re in first or standard class, seems to determine how much choice there is.

One commentor pointed out they didn’t trust the provisions on offer, saying they rarely buy food on a train, and usually pick things up from a shop first. They also said there seems very little choice and what there is seems “mega expensive”.

“I usually get a salad to take on board,” another responder wrote. “However, if you [travel] first class it’s very different.”

Room for improvement

Overall, it’s clear that while some transport providers are doing a good job of meeting their passengers’ needs, there’s plenty of room for improvement across the industry in terms of understanding the requirements of vegetarians and vegans.

We’re certainly keen to see improvement. Rest assured this will form part of our activity moving forwards.

Do you have an inspiring business or hobby that our readers might be interested in hearing about? Let us know by emailing us at hello@vegsoc.org.

join us for £3/month to read more articles!

This is an article featured in the Summer/Autumn 2024 issue of our members’ magazine The Pod.

To read more fantastic articles, please sign up to become a member of the Vegetarian Society and get your copy of our latest magazine! Joining us costs as little as £3 a month.