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Veganuary began as a global campaign encouraging individuals to try a vegan diet for the month of January, but it has evolved into a major event for the hospitality industry. According to statistics from Veganuary, hundreds of thousands of people around the world participate each year, exploring a wide range of vegan products and dining experiences. In the UK, the movement is particularly popular, growing steadily with each passing year.
For restaurants, this surge in demand represents a golden opportunity. Diners who might not previously have considered vegan options are now seeking them out, and if your establishment can meet this demand, you stand to gain new customers and enhance your reputation for inclusivity. Beyond January, many new vegan dishes remain in high demand, making it worthwhile to keep at least some plant-based menu items available all year.
When it comes to menu innovation, cost is often a significant concern for restaurant owners. You don’t want to risk investing in expensive equipment or specialised ingredients that may only be useful for a short time. Yet, updating your menu for Veganuary doesn’t need to be costly. In fact, all it takes is a little planning, a bit of resourcefulness, and confidence in your kitchen team.
Here are a few guiding principles to keep in mind:
Keeping your vegan upgrades purposeful and straightforward not only reduces cost but also makes it easier to maintain menu consistency.
Change is easier to implement and less costly if your entire team is aligned. Enlisting the help of your front-of-house staff, head chef, and line cooks from the start can make your Veganuary offerings feel like a natural extension of your core menu.
Here are some practical ideas to bring everyone on board:
When you have everyone unified—chefs excited to try new recipes, servers ready to talk up the vegan specials—you create a smooth experience for your diners that doesn’t feel like a last-minute scramble.
One of the simplest ways to offer vegan options without blowing your budget is by modifying the dishes you already serve. Consider which items can be converted to vegan dishes with minimal changes. For example, if you’re known for a comforting shepherd’s pie, swap out minced meat for a mix of lentils and mushrooms. If you have a popular stew, replace the meat stock with a vegetable base, and rely on a variety of vegetables and beans for body.
By transforming dishes that your customers already love, you can reduce the cost of extensive research and development. You’ll use existing kitchen skills, similar plating methods, and cooking times can remain consistent.
A small tip: Tweak portion sizes carefully. Plant-based proteins can sometimes have a lower cost, but make sure the dish’s perceived value remains high. A generous helping of lentil shepherd’s pie, topped with golden mashed potatoes, can look and taste just as fulfilling as its meaty counterpart.
There is no shortage of vibrant, cost-effective ingredients that are already vegan. If you’re short on time and aiming to keep costs low, these staple items can do wonders:
Mix and match these affordable vegan staples according to your existing recipes to create new, enticing dishes in moments.
Even the most humble vegetables can feel premium with the right presentation. Consider plating or garnishing techniques that elevate your new vegan offerings, whether it’s a drizzle of quality olive oil, fresh herbs or microgreens, or a crunchy topping like roasted seeds.
Taste testing is crucial here. If you’re not certain about a new dish, ask your staff to be your tasting panel. A second set of eyes (and taste buds) helps ensure your dish wows both vegans and non-vegans alike.
This step doesn’t require significant investments in special plates or high-end plating tools. Often, a simple reorganisation on the plate—ensuring vibrant colours are front and centre—can be enough to catch a diner’s attention and justify the menu price.
January’s chilly temperatures might not immediately evoke thoughts of bountiful produce, but many vegetables thrive in the cold, and local UK farms often harvest root vegetables and winter greens at this time. Capitalising on in-season produce is not only cost-effective, but also a fantastic way to support local suppliers and reduce the carbon footprint of your ingredients.
Some examples of winter produce that shine on a vegan menu include:
Make your diners feel extra special by highlighting that your produce is fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced. Sharing these details can also help justify menu prices and increase perceived value.
Adding new menu items can lead to hidden costs if you don’t monitor your ingredients and processes carefully. To keep track of expenses:
Streamlining your operations this way can help you enjoy the benefits of Veganuary without an unwelcome spike in outgoings.
No matter how delightful your new vegan creations are, it won’t mean much if nobody knows about them. Use both traditional and digital methods to spread the word. Highlight your Veganuary specials on your menu and consider a small message on table cards—especially if you already print daily or weekly specials.
If you have social media channels, showcase behind-the-scenes photos or brief cooking demonstrations. People love seeing how a restaurant develops new recipes. And, of course, encourage your customers who have tried your vegan dishes to leave a review on Google—positive experiences can make your restaurant more visible in online searches.
Don’t overlook the power of good old-fashioned word-of-mouth recommendations. If your new vegan burger is a smash hit, it’ll get diners talking. You could offer discounts for those who refer friends to try your Veganuary specials, or even run a small loyalty scheme for the month if it aligns with your budget.
After delighting your guests with a brand-new vegan menu, topping off their experience with an efficient payment process is essential. When your restaurant is busy, you don’t want customers waiting for the bill too long, especially if they’re rave-review ready.
In this context, QR code payments can be a game changer. By allowing your diners to pay directly from their smartphones, you reduce the wait time and free your servers to focus on what they do best—attentive service. This kind of modern convenience often encourages customers to leave a tip, since they’re impressed by the overall experience.
One popular service making QR code payments accessible is sunday, which lets restaurant owners streamline transactions. With sunday, customers simply scan a code, split or pay the bill, and tip if they wish—all without needing to call someone over with a payment terminal. This quick, touch-free approach can increase table turnover and offer a more relaxed environment for staff and diners alike.
As you refresh your menu for Veganuary, consider also refreshing how customers settle up. You’ll end the meal on a note of efficiency—an essential factor in customer satisfaction.
If your Veganuary specials prove popular, consider keeping at least a few permanent plant-based dishes on the menu. Many diners who discover a restaurant during Veganuary are likely to return if you continue to offer plant-based fare that impresses them. This leads to valuable repeat business and establishes your restaurant as inclusive and forward-thinking.
Keeping certain vegan options year-round can also reduce the scramble each January, as you’ll already have good supplier relationships and experienced staff. Additionally, some of your existing non-vegan customers may want to order a lighter, plant-based dish occasionally, which further diversifies your audience.
Nothing kills a buzz faster than inconsistency. When you introduce new vegan items, whether seasonal or permanent, ensure you have a system for quality checks. A dish that tasted incredible in the test kitchen needs to deliver the same flavour and presentation each time it is served.
This means:
Delivering reliably tasty, beautifully presented dishes reassures customers that they can count on your restaurant for an excellent meal every time.
Your diners are the best critics (in a good way). Implement ways to gather feedback about each new vegan item. That could be a quick chat with a customer, a social media poll, or encouraging Google reviews directly after a meal—especially if they paid via a fast QR code system like sunday.
Use this feedback to refine dishes or decide which items merit a place on the permanent menu. A willingness to listen and adapt fosters loyalty, as customers see you genuinely value their opinions. This strategy also helps keep your vegan offerings fresh and compelling since you’re basing decisions on real-world preferences.
Looking for some immediate inspiration? Here are a few ideas that require minimal investment, yet offer full-flavour experiences:
None of these require obscure or expensive plant-based replacements. Instead, they use standard kitchen staples spiced up with a few twists.
Introducing new menu items, especially those that require creative thinking, can greatly boost staff morale. Many chefs and cooks relish the chance to showcase their skills, experimenting with fresh flavours and techniques.
Encourage staff to suggest vegan dish ideas or ingredient swaps. Let them highlight their personal flair. This inclusive approach can energise the kitchen environment and translate into more authentic, inspired food. When customers sense your team is proud of their creations, they’re more likely to become repeat patrons.
Veganuary serves as the catalyst for introducing more colourful, health-conscious choices. But that doesn’t mean you should sideline those dishes once February arrives. By monitoring their popularity, you can choose to keep certain bestsellers on your core menu. Over time, you might develop a loyal following among plant-based eaters and anyone looking to try something different.
Staying updated on industry trends can also help you maintain momentum. Keep an eye on vegan products that quickly gain traction, such as new plant-based meat alternatives or dairy-free cheeses. If they fit your concept and remain cost-effective, consider testing them out.
Once you decide to add vegan items, it’s important to measure the results. Keeping a watchful eye on sales figures, profit margins, and customer feedback allows you to gauge whether your new additions are doing well.
Consider setting targets, such as:
If a dish consistently sells well, you can emphasise it further. If it flops, refine your technique or consider replacing it. Data-informed decisions help you evolve the menu with agility and minimal financial risk.
Imagine a small bistro in Leeds that specialises in local comfort food. When Veganuary came around, they decided to test a vegan version of their classic pie. They replaced the filling with a rich, miso-infused mushroom and onion stew and used a flaky pastry made with vegetable margarine.
The result was an instant hit—both with long-term vegans and casual customers intrigued by a new filling. The bistro promoted it heavily online, showing step-by-step videos of the pie being made. Positive reviews poured in, and within weeks, the new vegan pie had become a regular menu item. Cost-wise, it was even cheaper to produce than the meat version, and staff found the cooking process simpler.
Stories like these reinforce that pivoting to plant-based dishes for Veganuary can be both profitable and fulfilling.
When your guests complete their meal, the last impression they take away is the payment process. A lengthy queue at your payment terminal or complicated item splitting may overshadow an otherwise brilliant meal. But if you streamline how they settle up—say, via a quick QR code in partnership with a solution like sunday—they’re more likely to exit the restaurant with a smile.
Because they can easily pay and tip, there’s a higher chance they’ll leave a positive Google review reflecting the full dining experience, from the first bite to the last tap on their phone. Take advantage of this synergy: an enjoyable new vegan menu plus a frictionless payment process can result in word-of-mouth marketing that’s pure gold.
1) Does offering vegan dishes for only one month really make a difference?
Yes. Veganuary can capture new customers who might have overlooked your restaurant previously. Some diners continue to enjoy vegan meals later in the year, so the changes you implement can have a lasting effect.
2) Will I need specialist vegan ingredients?
Not necessarily. Many standard ingredients—lentils, beans, vegetables, spices—are already vegan. You can build new dishes by reworking existing recipes with minimal substitutions.
3) How do I ensure my staff can handle vegan questions from customers?
Provide a concise training session. Walk staff through the ingredients used, potential allergens, and cooking techniques. A well-informed server can improve a customer’s overall experience.
4) Why consider QR code payments for my restaurant?
QR code payments reduce waiting times, simplify splitting bills, and make tipping easier. This smoother process can positively influence how customers view and review your restaurant.
5) How can I market my vegan items to stand out?
Highlight them on your menu, use seasonal or locally sourced produce, promote them via social media, and share behind-the-scenes recipe creation. Encourage feedback and reviews to generate buzz.
6) Should I keep new vegan options after January?
If they sell well and complement your brand, absolutely. Offering permanent vegan dishes can broaden your customer base and boost loyalty among plant-based diners.
7) Are there low-cost ways to get customer feedback?
Yes. Encourage brief chats at the table, include a prompt for feedback in your payment system, or run quick social media polls. Customer insights can shape a stronger, more profitable menu.
