They are still a long way from toppling chicken chow mein as the nation’s favourite takeaway, but vegan meals are now the UK’s fastest growing choice, with orders rising almost fivefold over the last two years.

Burgers made from black beans, sweet potato and quinoa and vegan “fried chicken” are among the dishes challenging doner kebabs and tikka masala when households cannot be bothered to cook or do not have the time.

With 600,000 people believed to be vegan in the UK in 2018, and an increase in “flexitarians” choosing to reduce their consumption of animal products, orders of vegan takeaways grew 388% between 2016 and 2018 while vegetarian orders rose 137%, according to research by the British Takeaway Campaign.

Pakistani, Greek, Persian and Turkish takeaways also grew in popularity more rapidly than the nation’s favourites – Chinese and Indian – over the last two years, indicating a growing cosmopolitanism in UK appetites. In a blow for proponents of fish and chips, English takeaways recorded the slowest growth – less than 1%. Meanwhile average household spending on takeaways has grown to nearly 15% of food expenditure from close to 11% in 2015.

Paul Baron, the owner of I Am Doner, a pair of kebab shops in Leeds and Harrogate, said his vegan kebab routinely outsold chicken, halloumi and falafel. Made from seitan, a meat substitute derived from wheat gluten, the “voner” kebab sometimes outsells the lamb alternative too.

“Demand increases by the week,” Baron said. “The vegan crowd comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. A lot of people are coming in who aren’t vegan.”

The online delivery platform Deliveroo reported that vegan orders had quadrupled over the past two years and said that in the last 12 months the number of vegan restaurants on the app increased by 168%, making it one of the fastest-growing categories.

Last month the platform’s top-selling vegan dishes were Wagamama’s vegatsu version of katsu curry, Pizza Express’ vegan margarita and the smoky chorizo and cheese burger from Arancini Brothers. In June 2019 the platform recorded its highest number of vegan orders, followed by January 2019, perhaps driven by new year resolutions.

“As people look for healthier and more diverse eating options, they aren’t turning away from takeaways, they are turning towards them,” said Ibrahim Dogus, the chairman of the British Takeaway Campaign.

Northern Irish households spend on average £57 a month on takeaways, more than any other part of the UK, while those in the east Midlands spend the least. The research also reveals variations in taste with Scotland’s favourite being an Indian, London preferring Chinese and the north opting mostly for pizza.

Mainstream caterers are increasingly targeting vegans and people who want to eat fewer animal products. In January the airline Jet2 introduced a vegan pasta arrabiata in its in-flight service and in April Ryanair added a vegan lasagne. Thomas Cook has a vegan biryani and tagine on its planes. Meanwhile the bakers Greggs announced it was working on vegan versions of all its best-selling products, from steak bakes to pasties and doughnuts, in an attempt to repeat the runaway success of its vegan sausage roll.



