The confirmation follows a petition asking for the dairy-free option launched by Animal Aid in conjunction with Vegan Food UK - which was signed by almost 30,000 people

Pizza chain Papa John's has confirmed it has plans to roll out vegan cheese across its 350 UK branches.

The announcement follows a petition, which was set up by animal rights organization Animal Aid and vegan blogging and news website Vegan Food UK, which warned Papa John's it risks losing ground to competitors as demand for vegan food skyrockets.

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A staggering 30,000 people signed the petition, urging the chain to join other major pizza outlets - including Pizza Hut, Zizzi, and Pizza Express - which have all added vegan cheese to their offerings.

Rolling out vegan cheese

"At Papa John's, we are completely committed to our customers, and ensuring that we deliver better pizza with better ingredients," a spokesman for the company told the Worthington Herald.

"We were pleased to see the positive response to the recent vegan cheese alternative petition, as this is currently an area that we are developing, and hoping to roll out in the not-so-distant future."

Vegan petition

"We are thrilled to see that Papa John's has reacted positively to our petition, and that they are looking to introduce a vegan cheese alternative very soon," Tod Bradbury, Animal Aid Campaign Manager, said in a statement sent to Plant Based News.

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"We thank them for taking our comments and those of almost 30,000 others on board. By adding vegan cheese to their menu, Papa John’s will be showing that they are up to date with the fast-growing vegan movement.

"They will appeal to a much wider audience - be they vegans, those wanting to try vegan food or indeed those who have allergies to dairy products. “We hope that Papa John’s decision not only has a positive effect on their sales, but also encourages other pizza chains and restaurants who have not yet introduced a vegan cheese to do so."

You can sign the petition here