Vegetarians get shafted in a number of ways - either they're berated for not eating meat (proof: any episode of Come Dine With Me) or they end up with limited choices in the majority of restaurants.
But Christmas surely has to be the bottom of the barrel for veggies, as the words 'nut roast' resurrect themselves like the Ghost of Christmas Past.
Waitrose has just conducted a survey to find out how grim it is and have found that some have been offered a Pot Noodle in lieu of an adequate veggie replacement, while some have just been served the scraggy ends of the side dishes.
Key gripes were being served their meal when everyone was having their dessert, only being served soggy, undercooked, burnt or plain boiled vegetables and the gravy being made with turkey giblets so they have to go without.
1 in 5 have been served meat on the day, while 28% have not been asked what they'd like to eat on Christmas day. Unsurprisingly, 25% of vegetarians prefer to cook for themselves to make sure everything is veggie.
The traditional nut roast was voted top veggie Xmas dinner, while 37% said Quorn tends to be the usual option offered.
So, what's the best practice of catering to a veggie guest? Maybe ask them in advance what they would like to eat - as this is the most popular bit of advice from the survey.
Also:
- Be aware not to use goose fat to roast potatoes
- Don’t use the meat juices to make the gravy and if you do, serve a gravy suitable for veggies too
- Be creative with what you serve
- If in doubt make sure you serve extra vegetables on the day