Peach and Blossom were the birds breathing a sigh of relief at the White House last month as President Joe Biden carried out the Thanksgiving tradition of “pardoning” two turkeys, but for UK birds worried about Christmas time, there’s no need to be afraid. With so much plant-based fare weighing down our festive dinner tables this year, there won’t be much room for them too.
According to a Tesco consumer report based on data from 6,000 adults across two surveys, as well as from sales and searches on its website, it’s beginning to look a lot like a plant-based Christmas for a growing number of us. The supermarket reveals that more than a quarter of Britons (27 per cent) say they will serve or consider prioritising vegetarian or plant-based options as part of their main Christmas dinner – whether it’s a fairytale of fake pork or the most wonderful parsnip gratin this thyme of the year.
As well as looking at trends like when people start to feel that festive spirit (for a tenth of us it’s when the decorations go up; for a fifth it’s when we’ve bought our Norway spruce and are rocking around the Christmas tree … although worryingly 12 per cent of us put it up in November), the report shows that our yuletide palates and plates are changing for the greener.
Since a quarter of us (25 per cent) are also looking to spend less on trimmings, it’s good to know too that vegetables are the cheaper as well as the healthier and more delicious options (except you, sprouts). Imagine then what you could save if you ditched the meat and made veg the centrepiece?
A third of Britons would welcome a plant-based Christmas and the MFM recipe pages have a host of wonderful non-meat ideas for the big day, including Christmas Whole Roast Cauliflower, Creamy Christmas Pie, Christmas Mushroom Log and Christmas Savoury Strudel.
Last Christmas, Tesco sold more than 57 million mince pies, among them its popular vegan variety, Plant Chef (£2.15). Other veggie offerings this year include Tesco Plant Chef 2 Seeded Roasts with Roast Garlic & Port Gravy (£2.75), Tesco Finest Roasted Vegetable & Cranberry Star (£6) and Tesco Finest Butternut Wellington (£7).
“We know that a number of customers are choosing plant-based diets and we’re seeing an increase in desire for Christmas centrepieces that are meat-free,” said Breige Donaghy, the company’s director of product development and innovation. “We have an incredible range of inspiring and delicious meat free options that give the traditional meat mains a run for their money in terms of flavour and flair for your Christmas table.”