Four Fantastic Vegan Food-based Experiences

It is fair to say that very rarely can a single word invoke such a strong opinion from so many people. The word ‘veganism’ is definitely one such word. Love it or hate it, veganism has taken the UK by storm in the past decade.

Statistics website Finder estimates that as of the start of 2024 that there are 2.5 million vegans are in the UK, that’s a whopping 4.7% of the adult UK population. But this figure is rising all the time with more concerns for animal welfare and the economic climate on the rise.

Not to forget the vegetarians either, Finder’s statistics indicate that in 2024 there are 3.1 million vegetarians in the UK, taking up 5.75% of the UK population!

I have followed a vegetarian diet since the start of 2020, and with the range of tasty alternatives available now in the supermarkets in 2024 you are almost spoilt for choice with the range and variety! I have to take the time to shoutout Richmond’s meat free range here as my personal favourite, its truly fabulous.

With a significant section of the population now choosing more eco, animal and health-conscious lifestyles it is important to ensure that there are menus that cater for everyone no matter what dietary requirements, or preferences. Its 2024 so no excuses!

Veganuary ended months ago, and many shops retired their Veganuary advertising range in favour of Valentine’s Day following soon after, then before you know it Easter has been and gone. Where does the time go?

We may be well into the throes of Spring now but WonderDays hasn’t forgotten the animals or the planet, or those fighting for the animals and the planet either!

When considering any sort of experience that includes a meal as part of the event, or even the primary focus, being plant based it can sometimes be quite a palaver. Any vegans or even vegetarians who have been invited to an experience involving a meal will know the drill – receive dinner invite, quick google of restaurant name, menus, scanning for the little green ‘V’ or ‘VE’ on the menu praying there’s something other than nachos and chips.

WonderDays works closely with experience providers that have a range of experiences that cater for those following a plant-based diet. Because why should anyone who follows a lifestyle centred around being eco, health or animal conscious have to settle? We shouldn’t!

Below I have 4 cherrypicked WonderDays experiences that have my personal guarantee of excellent vegan catering options, be it an afternoon tea, fine dining or whatever you are ravenous for. Whether yourself, a loved one or a work colleague has plant based dietary requirements or not, these are all top-tier delicacies to commemorate each and every special occasion.

1. 1950’s Inspired Vintage Afternoon Tea Experience

Grab the girlies, put in your victory rolls and twirl back in time to the 1950s with our vintage inspired afternoon tea experience. You and up to 5 others can enjoy a selection of tantalising treats, in a 1950s style diner complete with retro décor and rock&roll jukebox tunes.

The perfect event for all pink ladies at heart! When selecting a suitable date for your experience they ask you to choose your menu, where you can pre-select either vegan or vegetarian or option if you need to. So the difficult bit is already done, all that’s left is to do is decide which tasty treats you want!

Enjoy dainty sandwiches, scrumptious cakes and mouth watering scones, you’ll be spoilt for choice! Gorgeous vintage aesthetics combined with scrumptious delights; it really is the dream combination. The perfect event to put on your blue (vegan) suede shoes and rock around the clock!

2. Vegan Gift Hamper

Looking for a cute picnic idea for a date? Or a much-needed catchup with friends? Just picture it: surrounded by beautiful beds of daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths in the Spring, listening to the serene sounds of nature all around just watching the world go by. A well-needed opportunity to escape the trivialities of life for a day (and a good idea for an April-time aesthetic Insta post, right?)

Now we’ve sorted the gorgeous cottagecore Insta-worthy backdrop, for the main event snack showstopper: The Vegan Gift Hamper!

Our supplier has handpicked a selection of ethically sourced delectable treats to snack on. Whether you yourself follow a plant-based diet or not, you have to admit chocolate cookies sound delicious. The snacks will be sure to sustain you for an afternoon in the sun, or not depending on the British weather.

Here are the snacks you can look to expect upon opening the hamper:

Cartwright & Butler English Breakfast Tea in a Carton (x10)

Robert's of Dorset Yummy Peanuts with Garlic flavour in a resealable pouch (100g)

Olina's Bakehouse Simply Seeds Crackers with Rosemary (80g)

Mrs Darlington's Sweet Apple Chutney (120g)

Cartwright & Butler Plant Based Dark Chocolate Chunk Vegan Biscuits (200g)

Cartwright & Butler Delicious Vegan Sea Salted Fudge (175g)

Chocolate and Love 67% Cocoa Organic Dark Chocolate Bar with Mint Crunch (80g)

Whitakers Dark Chocolate Creams with Lemon & Lime Infused Fondant Centres (150g)

The perfect snack selection to share on a special occasion with a loved one, or even as a treat for yourself! Sometimes sharing isn’t caring.

3. View from the Shard & Three Course Dining with cocktail at Marco Pierre White’s London Steakhouse Company

With an extreme amount of irony, on the list is our View from the Shard and Three Course Dining at Marco Pierre White’s London Steakhouse Company. Yes, you did read that correctly… A Steakhouse. Not likely what you were expecting in this list, I know.

Being vegetarian, one could forgive me for showing more than a little concern here, as Steakhouses would obviously cater for primarily carnivore -centred diets, specialising around different cuts of meat. Whilst this is true, the London Steakhouse company gives the assurance to its guests that they have menu options that cater for vegans and vegetarians too so there would be something for all of its guests. Marco Pierre White himself even followed a plant-based diet himself for a time and has spoken up previously on the importance of vegan dining options for all his restaurants all 12 months of the year, not just Veganuary. So, knowing this I feel more secure in the assurance that there would be suitable options.

Morals and ethics aside surrounding this topic aside, the reason I actually chose to include this experience is that before looking at the menu, I would never have even considered a Steakhouse as a viable dining option. My diet obviously isn’t as strict as it would be if I were vegan, but until looking at the menu options for Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse I genuinely would have never even considered that they would have any sort of vegan or even vegetarian options. I must admit I feel a little naive not knowing this, but to be completely frank I’ve never even been to somewhere like Miller and Carter either, so I was quite surprised! I figured if I didn’t know this then there must be others like me who didn’t too (maybe-maybe not).

If the quality of the cuisine itself is your primary focus point (it would be for me) then I can assure you – with this restaurant their reputation precedes them. Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse company assures customers that chefs work hard to ensure that all dishes are made with top-quality ingredients that appropriately befit the taste, quality and atmosphere of a 3 Michelin star chef’s restaurant. If you were looking for fine dining and a shining 5-star service, and the option to pair this with view from the iconic shard too for an experience like no other, then this is one to make sure you don’t miss.

There are many differing menus and dining options available, for 5 or 3 course meals or the A la carte menu. I appreciate that for most plant-based diners, a Steakhouse just wouldn’t be the first choice. But the main point is, if you happen to get an invite to a cousins birthday meal or some other special occasion in which everyone else but you all eat meat then don’t worry, there are options for you.

4) Unlimited Brunch at Inamo Soho

In my humble opinion, there are few food-related pursuits better than a brunch. Especially a pan-Asian brunch. Combine a delicious brunch in either Soho or Covent Garden with a stay in either a 3* or 4* hotel to create the perfect mini-break away to the capital! This would be the perfect addition to an action-packed couple of days exploring the capital and after all, they always say breakfast is the most important meal of the day! If you aren’t too keen on eating in the morning but still love a nice breakfast then a brunch is definitely the way to go. Not to mention unlimited brunch – you’ve got to get your monies worth!

Plant-based folk know pan-Asian cuisine always has your back when it comes to decent, distinctive and truly delicious vegan options. There is sure to be plenty of truly delicious options, offering selections from Japan, China, Thailand and Korea. Both restaurants are a dynamic amalgamation of chic modern-dining interior with timeless cultivated recipes. They proudly host the highest vote of ‘Best Brunch’ in London by TimeOut in the LoveLondon awards.

The chefs at Inamo work tirelessly to provide customers with high quality ingredients, spices and succulent flavourings whipped up by form of regional cooking and preparation. This would present you with the opportunity to get acquainted with food from cultures you might not necessarily have tried before!

To give a sneaky preview of what plant-based delights are on offer, my own personal vegan favourites I’d be most excited to try from the Asian tapas include the spicy edamame (it might sound incredibly sad but I love these so much), the vegan salmon temaki, the tamarind mushrooms and the miso soup – one can never go wrong with a soup. Not to forget the mandarin sorbet for dessert!

Now to consider the beverages, after all what’s good food without the perfect tipple to accompany? If you choose the unlimited brunch package, this comes with unlimited bubbles, crafted cocktails and a multitude of beers and wines if bubbles aren’t your style.

And with that, if you have tried any of these experiences please let us know what the food was like!!

Lucy.