November 2004

“Like most people I love getting together with friends and family for festive food at Christmas. In the past, there have been a few awkward occasions where people haven’t quite understood what veggie food is, and have served me a plate of fish, or Christmas pud made with animal suet! To help those catering for veggies this Christmas I joined forces with The Vegetarian Society and put together some top tips to help make everybody’s Christmas a happy one.”

Wendy Turner Webster, patron of The Vegetarian Society

1. Talk to your guest in advance

First off, find out whether your guest is a vegetarian or a vegan. Vegetarians don't eat meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish, crustacea or any other product which has been made from a slaughtered animal. They also tend to use free-range eggs. Vegans go a bit further by also cutting out milk, dairy products, eggs and honey. It's also helpful to remember that vegetarians and vegans, like anybody else, may have food allergies or things that they just don't like. If you're going to cook something special for them, it's well worth a quick chat in advance to make sure that your efforts will be appreciated.

2. Read the labels

If you're not used to shopping for vegetarians, the main things to watch out for are animal fat, gelatine (which turns up in some desserts) and animal rennet (which can be used in cheese).Most supermarket cheeses now use vegetarian rennet, so just make sure you choose one with a label indicating that it is suitable for vegetarians. To avoid gelatine, read the ingredients label or look out for products approved by The Vegetarian Society (including veggie jelly crystals for your trifle). Christmas pudding and mincemeat traditionally contain suet, which is a form of animal fat, but many brands now use a vegetable version which tastes just as good.

3. Make plenty

Whatever you decide to prepare for your veggie guest, allow for a couple of extra portions because the meat-eaters almost always want to try 'just a little'…

4. Unfamiliar ingredients

If you have difficulty getting hold of the ingredients you find in veggie recipes, try your local health food shop. They will probably also have a good supply of nuts and dried fruit for everyone to enjoy and can usually be relied upon for a bit of advice.


5. Keep it separate

If you're having a traditional Christmas dinner, your veggie guests will probably enjoy sharing the roast potatoes, veg and gravy, so cook them in vegetable oil, separately from the meat. Vegetarian gravy granules and mixes are readily available in supermarkets and the majority of stuffing mixes are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, so look out for ones that mention this on the packet.

6. Ready-made options

If you don't want to cook a separate dish, you shouldn't have any trouble picking up a nut roast or other ready-made festive option from the supermarket or health food shop. Just bear in mind that some vegetarians enjoy food that looks and tastes like meat, but others don't - check first to avoid an unhappy guest.

7. Washing it all down

Beers and wines are often fined or clarified with animal products but labeling laws don’t demand that this is mentioned on the bottle. Some supermarkets and wine retailers, however, do take the trouble to share this information with consumers. Marks & Spencer recently won The Vegetarian Society Award for Best Retailer of Vegetarian Wine and Beer. Co-op, Tesco, and mail order company, Vintage Roots, also score well in this area.

8. Finally make life extra simple - ring The Vegetarian Society on 0161 925 2000 for a free copy of the new recipe booklet “Christmas Classics and Festive Feasts.

Notes for editors

• Recipes and images (jpeg format) featured in ‘Christmas Classics and Festive Feasts’ are available for press use. For these and other seasonal recipes and jpegs, contact Kerry or Liz in The Vegetarian Society Press Office: 0161 925 2000, kerry@vegsoc.org, liz@vegsoc.org

• Outside office hours The Vegetarian Society Press Office can be contacted on 07973 108 165. Alternatively visit the website for lots more information at www.vegsoc.org

• The Vegetarian Society defines a vegetarian as a person who eats no meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea. Vegetarians also avoid the by-products of slaughter such as gelatine or animal rennet in cheese. The Society only approves products containing eggs when they are free-range.

• Date for your diary:
National Vegetarian Week 2005 will take place from 23rd - 29th MayPress Officer

press@vegsoc.org
For the latest Vegetarian Society press releases visit www.vegsoc.org
The Vegetarian Society
Direct line - 0161 925 2012
Fax 0161 926 9182
Registered Charity: 259358

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