Bloody nose for Waitrose as vegans treated to meat adverts in plant-based cooking show

WAITROSE has apologised for offending vegans by advertising meat and dairy during ITV’s first plant-based cooking show.

Viewers of ITV’s Living on the Veg hit out at the supermarket, which sponsors the broadcaster’s Sunday morning cooking segment, after its advert at the beginning and end of the episode featured animal products. The 10-part series, which started last Sunday, is ITV’s first vegan cooking show.

It features Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, the internet sensations and founders of the vegan recipe channel BOSH!, which has had 1.5billion views online.

Last week’s episode saw the pair tackle a plant-based Sunday roast with actress Sadie Frost.

But viewers were shocked to discover that the highly anticipated show was “sponsored by farm animals”. Matt Jackson said on Twitter: “Gotta love the vegan TV show on ITV London, adverts topped and tailed with chickens and cows – sponsored by

‘Gotta love the vegan TV show on ITV London, adverts topped and tailed with chickens and cows’

Waitrose. You couldn’t make it up.” Another described it as “awkward”, while Meg, a nurse and vegan, wrote that “a little thought around the programme advertising would’ve been nice”.

A third tweeted: “I am sure you can use images of plants, fruits and veggies to be more appropriate.”

Waitrose said it was “sorry for the sponsorship credits” and that it was not aware of the subject of the programme in advance. Dr Samantha Calvert, head of communications for The Vegan Society, said: “I can only hope that the airtime was sold months in advance.”

Dawn Carr, PETA UK’s director of vegan corporate projects, said: “Waitrose missed a trick here.”

A Waitrose & Partners spokesman said: “We’re sorry for the sponsorship credits used around this programme on Sunday – our credits top and tail a number of food shows on ITV and we didn’t know the subject of this one in advance.” They added that they were in contact with ITV and would “make sure that all foods featured in the future are more matched to the topics”.

An ITV spokesman said: “Waitrose’s sponsorship with ITV is pegged around Sunday morning cookery programming, as opposed to the Living on the Veg show specifically.

“As such the brand idents are tailored around cookery themes, and absolutely no offence was intended.”