One in Three Brits Have to Bring Their Own Food to Christmas Celebrations

Recent data coming from UK supermarket Asda indicates that 29% of Brits are uncertain about preparing a vegan-friendly Christmas dinner, while 75% of vegans often feel compelled to bring their own main dish to festive celebrations.

Addressing this issue, Asda has introduced the OMV! Turkey & Trimmings for One, priced at £3.50. This vegan alternative includes a plant-based turkey, cranberry and orange stuffing, vegan sage and onion stuffing balls, and ‘no pigs’ in blankets, aiming to simplify the vegan Christmas dinner experience.

Concerning Christmas Day preparations, according to the survey, about 17% of Brits express anxiety over cooking a separate meal, and 19% are unsure about vegan meal options. Additionally, 21% fear their offerings might not meet expectations. In response, 28% of Brits have researched vegan meal options online, while 9% either resort to traditional nut roasts or request their vegan guests to bring their own dishes.

The study further reveals that 27% of vegan participants feel apprehensive about the meals they might receive at a meat-eater’s home during Christmas. A significant 75% have encountered unpalatable vegan meals from non-vegan hosts due to blandness (42%) or dryness (30%). Additionally, 18% were served non-vegan dishes.

Vegan Brits often face disappointing meals from non-vegan family members, including dry nut roasts (26%), plain vegetables (18%), beans on toast (9%), and occasionally non-vegan items (10%), according to the survey.

In a separate survey conducted by the electrical retailer Curry’s, in terms of Christmas meal preferences, stuffed mushrooms were the most popular, followed closely by nut roast and Wellington.

The UK’s favourite meat-free Christmas mains

• OMV! No Turkey Joint with Umami Gravy – said to look and taste exactly like the real thing and including both white and dark meat.
• OMV! Oyster & Porcini Mushroom Wellington, a centre piece featuring a white cap and oyster mushrooms topped with a rich chestnut and porcini mushroom duxelles in a flakey no butter puff pastry.
• OMV! Miso and Mushroom Gravy.
• Frozen vegan Christmas dinner options: The OMV! No-Nut Roast and OMV! No-Turkey Crown.
• OMV! Mushrooms Pigs in Smoky Aubergine Bacon. Mushroom sausages made with white and oyster mushrooms wrapped in a smoky aubergine bacon, seasoned with a touch of smoked paprika and natural smoke flavours.
• OMV! Crumble Topped Mince Pies – filled with mincemeat, with a cinnamon & ginger spiced crumble topping, finished with icing sugar.
• OMV! Espresso Martini Flavoured Loaded Choc Bar – it’s a milk-style chocolate bar with espresso martini flavour and caramel crunch pieces, loaded with cocoa nibs and white choc style drops.
• OMV! Double Choc & Honeycomb Cake Pop Bites. Chocolate cake based truffle filled with honeycomb pieces, fully enrobed in Belgian dark chocolate and finished with a rose gold lustre.
• The OMV! Strawberry Trifle – a strawberry compote made from whole strawberries topped with hand placed egg free sponge then a dairy-free custard, finished with a lentil and coconut cream.