The above title is from an article written by my colleague Hayley Cooper.
What I often hear is that vegans are so “difficult” – but are we really? We’re not asking for much. We don’t want expensive meat, fish, eggs and mammary fluids from another species. All we would mainly love are fresh, nutritious, delicious wholefoods. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, wholegrains. Simple. Yes, sometimes a pizza with vegan cheese is nice too!
I have my own share of bad experiences, and most of the below mentioned horror stories (of which there were many) are the result of ignorance, which can be remedied through education and consulting. But the ones that really stood out to me is where the vegan customer was met with pure spite. For that, there is simply no excuse.
Vegans aren’t vegan to taunt anyone, to make anyone’s life more difficult. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Vegans are vegan to stop the breeding and horrendous lives of more than 80 billion land animals that are needlessly slaughtered each year for consumption (as well as trillions of fish). To possibly not know this is one thing. To not understand it, is another, which will hopefully change as we move closer and closer to a more plant-forward world.
But to punish someone’s compassion by tricking them with food they for ethical reasons have chosen not to consume, that’s inexcusable.
And as the author points out, if someone is allergic, one may end up killing them.
Being hospitable means being able to give a customer what they are looking for. This includes being able to cater to a variety of dietary requirements.
The time to complain about those “difficult vegans” is over. To meet them with spite will end up costing one their business, guaranteed, as bad reviews travel fast.
Instead, think of the plant-forward movement (of which vegans are a part) as an opportunity to gain more customers, to lower your carbon footprint, and to lower your overheads!
Reach out if you need help adapting your menu, or training your staff, or both. Imagine the time and headspace you could save by simply being ready for any kind of request?
