The vegan was once seen as the uber-hippy cousin of the vegetarian, but as society has become increasingly socially and environmentally aware, millions of us are beginning to appreciate that being vegan means not only doing great things for our health but also for animal welfare and the planet.
And so a fringe movement went mainstream. Committing to a plant-based diet is no small challenge. Even for those who could give up meat and fish in a flash, the thought of excluding milk and eggs from your daily intake is fairly stark. What’s left? Quinoa, mung beans and nigella seeds? What are those things and do they have any taste? Do they fill you up? Surely you’d have to follow up a bowl of raw spinach with a packet of crisps and a Mars bar. And can you get the ingredients in your weekly supermarket dash? And how would a vegan dinner party play out? These are all burning questions that would-be vegans need an answer to before they commit. And rightly so.
As one of the UK’s leading food manufacturers, Quattro Foods has taken the vegan challenge head on.
As the number of vegans in the UK soars to 3.5 million, the Quattro Foods team, ever innovating and keeping up with our changing times, has put together a delicious vegan collection. We have done so specifically for one client but in a growing market we are anticipating orders to come flooding in – especially when they taste our creamy vegan mac ‘n’ cheese, our tangy vegan chilli and our Italian inspired vegan risotto.
The health benefits of vegan food are endless and include:
- Source of B12
- High in Protein
- No preservatives
- Natural ingredients
Many vegan food products are gluten-free, and they provide tasty options for other ‘free-from’ eaters. As Quattro Foods’ factories are nut-free, we’re used to catering for clients with food intolerances or other specialist requirements and we relish the challenge that each new project brings.
Louise Davidson runs Vegan Nights, a monthly vegan food festival at the Truman Brewery in London’s City. She spoke to The Guardian about the people that fuel her culinary passions.
A vegan herself, she is inspired and excited by the popularity of the movement.
“We’re riding on that wave of veganism getting into the mainstream,” says Louisa. “People are curious about it and they’re finding out that vegan food is not just a boring salad, it’s experimental, and the food traders are amazing – people can have a drink, listen to music and hang out. First and foremost, we want to offer a positive platform, whether you’ve never had a fried jackfruit before or you’re a longstanding vegan.”
And so, as the world of food evolves at an unstoppable rate, so does innovation in the Quattro kitchen. We’re excited to see what trends are approaching and our chefs are poised to greet every challenge.