The British Kebab Awards, an annual event celebrating local kebab restaurants across the UK, has added a vegan kebab category for the first time in its 10-year history.
This year, the British Kebab Awards included a Best Vegan Kebab category to celebrate the growing appetite for plant-based kebabs. Sponsored by plant-based meat brand Eatplanted, this year Brighton’s Beelzebub and Resistance were presented with the new Vegan Award! Vegan Kitchen in King’s Lynn will be giving away free brickplanted kebabs for a plant-based takeover at their restaurant for the day to celebrate their achievement.
“The Sweet Kebab is undoubtedly a UK favourite,” Rob Reames from Eatplanted said in a statement. “So by sponsoring Eatplanted’s first ever plant-based kebab category, by creating awareness of the growing popularity of plant-based versions, we’re helping to satisfy the appetite of anyone looking to swap their meat for a healthier, more climate-friendly option. An alternative without losing the flavor of that Moorish kebab.”
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According to green energy experts at Uswitch, vegan kebab recipes received 6.8 million views on TikTok in 2022, making them one of the most popular dishes of the year on the social media platform. This is just one indication of the growing demand for plant-based alternatives.
For the British Kebab Awards, it was necessary to add a vegan category to cater to growing consumer preferences.
“The British Kebab Awards is a celebration of all things kebab and the introduction of the first vegan kebab category shows how the scene is evolving to suit people’s tastes,” British Kebab Awards founder Ibrahim Dougs said in a statement.
“I would like to thank Eatplanted for helping to raise awareness of the vast offering of vegan kebab restaurants and takeaways,” said Dougas.
Vegans in the UK
The United Kingdom, and particularly its capital city of London, has long been regarded as one of the world’s most vegetarian-friendly destinations. Although the UK is best known for its traditional, meat-heavy meals, such as fish and chips and the weekly Sunday roast, things have been changing in recent years.
In fact, London took the top spot as the world’s best vegan-friendly city last year, according to vegan resource and review tool HappyCow. The first city to surpass 200 fully vegetarian restaurants in 2022, London now has more than 400 vegan businesses.
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Veganism continued to grow in London, where Londoners could shop at La Foxmagerie (the United Kingdom’s first vegan cheese shop); Have dinner with a large group at Erpingham House (UK’s largest vegetarian restaurant); And indulge in some fried chicken at two locations at The Temple of Seitan (the world’s first vegetarian chicken shop).
“London and Berlin top the list of vegan-friendly cities. It’s hard to find a restaurant in these centers that doesn’t have a vegan option,” HappyCow founder Eric Brent previously told VeganNews.
“Meanwhile, vegan restaurants around the world are becoming more sophisticated and innovative with their menus,” he said.
Vegan food delivery in London
And according to UK-based food delivery company Deliveroo, vegetarian food orders increased by 115 percent between October 2019 and October 2020. According to the company, customers in the cities of Brighton, Bristol, London, Manchester and Edinburgh set the highest volume of vegan orders and meals containing plant-based meats and continue to be a growing trend.
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Some of the most popular vegan dishes ordered from Deliveroo this year include the Sneaky Clucker plant-based chicken sandwich from vegan diner OOV Vegan in Bristol; doner kebab wraps from award-winning eatery What the Pitta in Brighton; and Neat Burgers from Neat Burgers in London and Whitechapel namesake—a chain backed by world champion vegan race car driver Lewis Hamilton.
“It’s great to see that Deliveroo customers are embracing the growing choice of vegan food available on the platform,” Elena Davies, commercial manager and vegan category lead, Deliveroo, said in a statement.
“Year after year, we’ve seen a huge increase in demand for plant-based foods, and as a company we aim to be the platform for healthy and vegetarian options.”
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Nicole Axworthy is news editor and cookbook author for VegNews DIY Vegan.