When I first decided to give this whole vegan thing a try nearly 10 years ago, plant-based food was just beginning to tip into the mainstream in the UK. It wasn’t widespread by any means, but you could usually find a handful of vegan cheese options, a few dairy-free milks, and the British vegetarian staple: Linda McCartney sausages, or at the very least, a packet of Quorn mince in most supermarkets.
The food was accessible enough that going plant-based felt achievable. I could stock up on a few staples at what we Brits affectionately call “big Tesco” (it’s technically a Tesco Extra, but no one actually calls it that), then head to the small plant-based shop I was lucky enough to live near for more exciting meats and cheeses.
A decade on, things have changed dramatically. The UK is now one of the best places in the world to be vegan, with fully stocked supermarkets, fast-food options, and thriving independent restaurants. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Here are five things I love about being vegan in the UK, and the one thing I don’t.
Tesco
1 The UK excels at vegan groceries
The UK’s vegan boom took off in the late 2010s and accelerated into the early 2020s. The country’s biggest brands and supermarket chains—Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda—leapt on the trend. Soon, shelves were packed with everything from plant-based meats and milks to cheeses, frozen pizzas, and chocolate.
I’m happy to report that this abundance hasn’t disappeared. When I first went vegan, I waved goodbye to my favorite lunch: a tuna sweetcorn sandwich drowned in mayonnaise. Today, I can pick up every vegan ingredient for a convincing replacement at my local Tesco.
But there is a downside to all this mainstream accessibility. That small plant-based store I once relied on is no longer open. I’m ashamed to admit my custom waned over the years. Although I still tried to pop in occasionally for a tofu chicken wrap or a tub of nutritional yeast, the reality is that many independent vegan businesses simply can’t compete on price with major supermarket chains. And during a cost-of-living crisis, price becomes a deciding factor for most shoppers.
McDonald’s
2 The McPlant era
One key concern before I went vegan? Long drives. Or, more specifically, what I was going to eat at a gas station to get me through hours on the road, whether I was heading off for a weekend away or a painfully early airport run.
Thankfully, the fast-food gods heard my prayers. And by “fast-food gods,” I mean soulless multinational corporations, always eager to cash in on a growing trend.
First came the vegan sausage roll from Greggs. Launched in 2019, the humble plant-based pastry became a full-blown cultural moment. It dominated headlines, sent customers queueing out the door, and reportedly helped turn the bakery chain’s fortunes around. As a vegan—and a food writer—it was an undeniably exciting time to be paying attention to the UK’s plant-based scene.
Greggs’ success opened the floodgates. KFC surprised everyone with a vegan chicken burger. Burger King rolled out a plant-based Whopper. Papa John’s seriously upped its vegan pizza game. And then, in 2022, the McPlant finally landed on McDonald’s menus across the UK.
Crucially, these weren’t limited-time novelties—they stuck around. Which means that today, a long drive is no longer powered by chips and regret, but by a meaty burger and fries.
Jam Delish
3 London, Brighton, Bristol: the holy vegan trinity
I live in Portsmouth, a coastal city south of London. There are a couple of vegan eateries here, which I’m eternally grateful for, but it’s not exactly what you’d call a vegan paradise.
Fortunately, England is a small country, and just a few hours on the train can take me to London, Brighton, or Bristol—three bustling cities packed with independent vegan restaurants. In fact, each has been crowned the “vegan capital of the UK” at one point or another. In 2022, Brighton even claimed the title of “vegan capital of the world,” according to Chef’s Pencil.
A few personal favorites? Jam Delish, a family-run Caribbean spot in North London, for oyster mushroom “chicken” with Jamaican gravy; Purezza for out-of-this-world vegan pizza; and Bristol’s Koocha Mezze Bar for a mountain of seitan döner.
I’m a southerner, so access to these three vegan utopias comes fairly easily. But the plant-based love isn’t limited to the south. Up north, Manchester and Sheffield both deliver on the vegan front, and in Scotland, you won’t be disappointed by Glasgow or Edinburgh.
PizzaExpress
4 Eating out without the side-salad spiral
Often, I eat at non-vegan restaurants. That’s partly because I live in a city with limited vegan-only options, and partly because not all of my friends and family are vegan. But in recent years, most restaurants—whether independent spots or national chains—have stepped up to cater to plant-based diners.
It’s not always guaranteed, but for the most part, I can now walk into a restaurant without checking the menu in advance, confident there will be at least one vegan main on offer. This hasn’t always been the case. When I first went plant-based, dining out often meant relying on the failsafe combination of side salad and fries. Thankfully, those days are largely behind us, and the vast majority of eateries now make a genuine effort to accommodate vegans.
As for the best chain restaurants for vegans in the UK, it would be remiss not to mention Wagamama. While its vegan options are constantly changing—often just after you’ve found a new favorite—there are always multiple plant-based dishes on the menu. Other reliable mentions include Pho, PizzaExpress, Bill’s, Thaikhun, and Banana Tree.
The Roundhill Pub
5 The humble Sunday nut roast
The Sunday roast is a British institution. Thankfully, it was never a major concern for me when I went vegan, because alongside the traditional meat options, the nut roast has long been a pub staple. And, reassuringly, that’s still very much the case.
While the dish might look meat-centric at first glance, much of a good Sunday roast actually revolves around the supporting cast: crispy roast potatoes, tender vegetables like carrots and parsnips, and generous piles of red cabbage. Vegan gravy is now easy to come by, and stuffing is just as satisfying when made plant-based. The nut roast simply slides into place.
For the very best vegan Sunday roast experiences, though, you can’t beat a fully vegan pub. London’s The Spread Eagle and Brighton’s The Roundhill Pub are both highly rated.
Subway
The one thing I don’t love? Mainstream vegan food has stopped taking risks
Listen, I know I’m lucky. I’m a vegan living in the south of the UK, with easy access to London and Brighton in 2026. It’s exactly the kind of future the OG vegans of the 1970s were dreaming about.
But the UK’s vegan scene isn’t perfect. Like the US, we’ve seen a wave of vegan restaurant closures in recent years—a casualty of wider problems in the hospitality industry and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Independent spots, often the most creative ones, have been hit especially hard.
Getty, IKEA, Subway | Photo illustration by Richard Bowie
Mainstream vegan food doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, but its sense of adventure feels like it’s dwindling. Falafel has become the default option (ahem, Subway), replacing a period when brands and restaurants were genuinely experimenting. Vegan dishes are still appearing on menus, but they’re being simplified, pared back, and played safe. Even giants like McDonald’s have slimmed down their vegetarian offerings, quietly axing much of the range while keeping the McPlant in place.
That said, there’s evidence to suggest the vegan movement is simply going through a natural reset after an explosive period of growth. And honestly, I buy it. Ten years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the UK we have today. So I’m optimistic about where we’ll be in 2036.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
