Waitrose gives Pancake Day a vegan option

PANCAKE Day is the latest British tradition to go vegan, with supermarkets now starting to offer dairy-free versions of the traditional treat.

Waitrose has announced that, for the first time, it will be stocking vegan pancakes made with soya milk rather than cows’ milk, and without eggs, ahead of Shrove Tuesday.

The company said it made the decision after searches for vegan pancakes rose by 1,385 per cent last month compared to January last year. Charlotte Mccarthy, vegan buyer at Waitrose, said: “Shrove Tuesday is always a favourite with our customers and this year we wanted to make sure everyone had a ready-made delicious pancake to eat. Whether you have them swimming in maple syrup, with ‘facon’ or go classic with lemon juice and sugar – our vegan customers won’t be missing out on their sweet treat this February.”

Latest estimates from the Vegan Society suggest there are now around 600,000 vegans in the UK, compared to around 150,000 in 2006. Supermarkets have responded as demand for animal-free products has rocketed.

Waitrose introduced a dedicated vegan section in 2018 and earlier this year Iceland reported that sales of its plantbased foods rose by 10 per cent in 2019.

This week, the Vegan Society released guidelines calling on employers to also give vegans their own shelf in the office fridge. The organisation urged managers to provide plant-based menus in staff canteens as well as the option of animal-free clothes.