January 14 2019  |  Catering

Virgin Trains courts vegan travelers with new menu

By Rachel Debling


The new onboard options are plainly labeled so that passengers can identify food that fits with their lifestyle

A full vegan menu is available on board Virgin Trains in all classes, a first for the United Kingdom, according to a December statement from the rail operator.

The new menu items are clearly labeled vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free, where applicable. In addition, First Class kitchens and the onboard Shop (Standard class) now keep soy milk on hand for passengers who choose to go dairy-free, and the rail operator is working to source more local and fresh ingredients for its menu. The meals – such as vegan chilli and a breakfast pot in the Shop and Mediterranean pasta salad and potato hash in First Class – are available at almost all times of the day.

Julie Harper, Virgin Trains’ Food & Beverage Proposition Manager, commented on the decision to offer vegan options in a statement from the company: “The clear message we’ve had from vegan customers is they need consistency so they have peace of mind when they board the train. 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.”

The introduction of the new options has been praised by the Vegan Society as a positive step toward providing a wider variety of meat- and animal-byproduct-free foods to travelers.

Louise Davies, Head of Campaigns, Policy and Research at The Vegan Society, also noted: “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. 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.”

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