If you’ve decided to explore more plant-based opportunities or even give up eating meat and dairy all together, you’ve chosen a great time to do it. The National Food Strategy says the UK should eat 30% less meat by 2030. For people who eat meat every day, this can be achieved by going meat-free on just two days a week. The great news is that most restaurants and chefs are fully on board with this idea and many have created some fantastic dishes and dedicated menus embracing a vegan diet.
We’ve put together a handy guide of special Veganuary menus and upcoming events which celebrate a meat free lifestyle.
Where: Acai & The Tribe, Great Northern Warehouse
Enjoy customisable açai bowls that are bursting with flavour and freshness – perfect for celebrating Veganuary without compromising on taste. Seven of their eight delicious options are entirely vegan and you can personalise the toppings to create the perfect bowl, so you’ll be spoilt for choice when starting your health kick.
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Where: The Alan, 18 Princess St, Manchester M1 4LG
Diners are invited to choose a selection of four dishes from the light bites and small plates menu to be paired with a drink of their choice for £20 per person. Also included on the menu are vegan and vegetarian dishes to celebrate the month of Veganuary.
Where: Almost Famous, Great Northern Warehouse
The popular burger place has a range of vegan options on offer, including the ‘Blame It On The Vegan’ burger – complete with vegan chorizo, jalapeño and Cholula for a flaming hot treat! ICYMI, Almost Famous is also offering 50% off burgers every Sunday – Friday throughout January.
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Where: The Blues Kitchen, 13 Quay St, Manchester M3 3HN
Given January is a great opportunity to try new things, The Blues Kitchen has plenty of options on the menu to suit those partaking in Veganuary, and the whole menu is available at 50% off all month. Small plates include Buffalo Cauliflower and Smashed Avocado Tostada, mains include the Vegan Cheeseburger and a Crunchy Salad Bowl.
Where: Byron, 1 Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, M1 1RG
¡Viva Vegan!…Byron’s Veganuary 2023 special, The Mex-It-Up burger, has been inspired by Tex-Mex flavours in partnership with Meatless Farm. The burger is available at £8.50, or make it a meal with a side of fries and a drink for £12.50.
Comprising a Meatless Farm vegan chicken breast, smashed avo, tangy pickled jalapeños, homemade chipotle ketchup and a special spiced vegan cheddar (created using Byron’s signature spice blend) topped with crunchy shredded iceberg lettuce and a slice of tomato to add freshness. Head down to your nearest Byron Burger (or via Deliveroo) and order yours. Available from 3rd – 31st January 2023.
Where: Ducie Street Warehouse, Ducie St, Manchester M1 2TP
New Head Chef Scott Munro has created a special Veganuary menu, available from 3rd until 31st January. Plus they’ll be offering a 50% discount off ALL food at the restaurant as part of their January money-saving deals.
The new plant-based menu will include a selection of small plates such as char-grilled aubergine with date syrup and zhoug; black bean tostada with salsa bandera and coriander; and hoisin oyster mushroom bao with spring onion and sriracha aioli. Desserts will include vegan lemon meringue with raspberry textures and spiced apple crumble with cinnamon crumble and apple sorbet.
Where: Cottonopolis, Newton Street, Manchester, M1 2AE
This January, Cottonopolis is set to welcome guests to the restaurant with a menu of four delicious tasting dishes for £30, including a drink (bottle of Estrella, glass of house wine, or a soft drink). This offer will run from Sunday (from 4pm) to Thursday (all day every day from Mon-Thurs). As usual, there will be a great selection of plant-based dishes available including mirin & seaweed tofu & pickle plate, Polyspore mushroom gyoza, cauliflower karaage, and vegetable tempura, pickled shitake, rice. Booking is recommended.
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Where: Fat Hippo, Lane 7, Great Northern Warehouse
The Burger Lab over at Fat Hippo has been clocking in some serious overtime this winter to create the best vegan burger specials this Veganuary. Sloppy Faux – the new dirty, loaded vegan burger special is available throughout January joining the five existing burgers on the vegan menu. It’s a single plant-based patty with vegan cheese, Beyond Meat® Sloppy Joe sauce, BBQ, chipotle mayo + pickleback ’slaw for £14.50. You’ll also find Sloppy Waffles which are waffle fries topped with Beyond Meat® Sloppy Joe sauce, chipotle mayo, pickles + pink onions (£4.90).
Where: Maray, 14 Brazennose Street, Manchester, M2 6LW
Celebrate ‘Green January’ at Lincoln Square’s Middle Eastern inspired restaurant with 50% off Vegan and Vegetarian dishes throughout the month, with a reservation. Tuck into plant-based dishes such as their signature disco cauliflower, falafel sharer and chick pea dopiaza rounded off with a vegan chocolate tart with cherry jam and pistachio crumble.
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Where: The Real Greek , The Corn Exchange and The Trafford Centre
The UK’s only group of authentic Greek restaurants,has partnered with plant-based meat brand Eatplanted to launch a Veganuary Menu, available throughout January 2023, for lunch and dinner, at £11.95 per person for four dishes.
Designed by Michelin Star Greek chef Nikos Karathanos, the tempting vegan plates use only natural and clean ingredients, alongside firm vegan favourites from The Real Greek’s classic menu. Using only peas, sunflower and oats, with a dash of rapeseed oil, water and Vitamin B12, Eatplanted offers juicy unique plant-based meat that promise the perfect meaty bite.
Meze dishes can be shared between family and friends and include Vegan Tzatziki, Santorini Fava, Houmous and Beetroot Salad mixed with soya yoghurt and drizzled with a tangy orange vinaigrette.
Hot meze include the new Eatplanted Vegan Chicken Monastiraki served with vegan tzatziki, onion and tomatoes; or Eatplanted Vegan Pulled Pork served on a bed of tahini sauce; Vegan Meatballs (Soutzoukakia) served in a tomato and cumin sauce or the traditional Cauliflower Yahni.
Where: Trove at 5 Murray St, Ancoats, M4 6HS;17 Marble St, M2 3AW and 1032-1034, Stockport Rd, Manchester M19 3WX
The sourdough bakery and patisserie is making one of their most popular dishes the focus of the month. Enjoy a hearty vegan breakfast – smoked aubergine, panisse, cannellini
beans, mushroom, cavolo nero, seasonal chutney, tahini and your choice of toast (£10). Of course, the Trove pastry team will be bringing some new delicious vegan cakes to the counters along with topped focaccias. This month’s special is a Gochujang Loaf and the Weekend Special Loaf is Malt Bread.
Where: 20 Stories, 1 Hardman Square, Manchester M3 3EB
Manchester’s highest restaurant will be hosting a one-off dinner on Thursday 26th January with a selection of vegan food and drink to celebrate Veganuary.
The exciting five course tasting menu curated by 20 Stories Executive Head Chef, Daniel Scott and his team, will be the first totally plant-based dinner ever hosted at the restaurant.
Expect dishes such as potato and truffle, black garlic, lemon and chives; seared king oyster, sea herbs, yuzu ponzu; and ras el hanout tofu, blood orange, carrot and barley. The dessert will be a black olive and chocolate tart with olive oil ice cream. View full menu here.
The event will take place from 6pm – 9pm and is priced at £50 per person. A vegan wine flight can be added for an additional £40 per person. Tickets can be booked via this link.
What: Manchester Vegan Festival, Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Longbridge Rd, Trafford Park, Stretford, M17 1SN
Find out more about the vegan lifestyle, try some new food and meet with other vegans on Sunday 12th March 2023 from 10.30am to 4.30pm.
These Vegan Festivals are for everyone, whether you’re flexitarian, vegetarian, vegan, looking to reduce your meat intake or increase the amount of plant-based food you consume. There is lots to inspire, with talks, recipe ideas and information on going vegan.
Visit 80 fantastic stalls including world food caterers offering plant-based street food such as vfish and chips, burgers and hotdogs as well as some foods that you won’t see in the shops. There’ll also be lots of stalls selling fashion, gifts, bathroom goodies, pet treats, jewellery and handbags. Charities and not-for-profit organisations will also be attending including animal welfare charity Miracle’s Mission.
Entry is £5 payable per day on the door (under 16s free) or £15 for VIP tickets in advance from Eventbrite to include fast track entry and a goody bag full of vegan products, samples, discounts and offers. For more information visit www.veganeventsuk.co.uk or the Facebook Event page.
And if you decide to continue your plant-based plan further into the year….
National Vegetarian Week (15–21 May 2023) will highlight how switching to veggie meals can reduce your carbon footprint and help the planet.
Richard McIlwain, Chief Executive of the Vegetarian Society, said: “The very first National Vegetarian Week ran in 1992, the same year as the Rio Earth Summit which saw the creation of the first ever UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Thirty years later, we are still battling to reduce emissions and yet every single one of us can take meaningful action by simply reducing or cutting out meat from our diets.
“In 2022’s campaign, we inspired people to switch over 70,000 meat-based meals for veggie and plant-based dishes, saving over 100 tons of carbon, equivalent to the emissions released by driving a car around the earth’s equator over 16 times!
“For 2023 we want to reach out to even more people encouraging a greater number of businesses, schools, local authorities, supermarkets and individuals taking part in the week. People often don’t think their own actions can make much of a difference. But by joining the many thousands of people signing up for the week, we aim to demonstrate how, together, individual efforts can lead to real and meaningful change.”
National Vegetarian Week 2022 saw record-breaking attempts, celebrity supporters and fantastic planet-friendly recipes. It also had a range of businesses across the UK getting involved and, for the first time, was supported by local authorities, many of which have declared climate emergencies.
The Vegetarian Society is a campaigning charity bringing the benefits of plant-based eating to all. It campaigns to make changes happen to help people, the planet, and to help animals.
Also read: GREAT THINGS TO DO IN MANCHESTER TO MAKE DRY JANUARY FLY BY.
