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Virgin Trains has become the UK‘s first train operator to offer a full vegan menu for all its customers on all services.
The operator now offers vegan options on First Class menus as well as in its onboard shop.
Virgin Trains revealed to Plant Based News that the new options are a response to the growing demand for animal-free food.
Vegan options
Options for vegans in the Virgin Trains Shop currently includes a vegan breakfast pot complete with mushrooms, hash browns, spinach, and baked beans, or vegan chili in the evening. The onboard Shop in Standard and First Class kitchens are now routinely stocked with soya as an alternative to cow’s milk.
The First Class menus now include a potato hash breakfast, Mediterranean pasta salad, and spicy Bombay potato among other options.
According to the company, it has also started labeling menus more clearly, so customers can identify vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Vegan demand
“The clear message we’ve had from vegan customers is they need consistency so they have peace of mind when they board the train,” Julie Harper, Virgin Trains’ Food & Beverage Proposition Manager, said in a statement sent to Plant Based News.
“We’ve worked really hard to ensure that our menus in First and Standard deliver that consistency throughout the day and include some really delicious, appetizing options that we hope will tempt vegans and non-vegans alike.”
“We’ve been campaigning for decent vegan options on trains over the last few months and it’s great to see Virgin respond with a menu that anyone can enjoy,” Louise Davies, Head of Campaigns, Policy, and Research at The Vegan Society, added.
“Market trends are showing a rapid growth in plant-based eating. We hope that others will follow Virgin’s lead and take notice of the power of the vegan pound.”
