Where to Find Sustainable Vegan Fast Food
Unity Diner, London
It’s best to avoid fast food restaurants for chips (KFC cooks theirs in fat, as does McDonald’s abroad, and Burger King’s plant-based whoppers are cooked on the same grill as meat.
McDonald’s fries are vegan in England (but not always abroad) and their Filet-o-Fish is made with Alaskan pollock (a fish now veering towards being endangered). Experts say that if you eat fish that has no label, it’s probably pollock.
Created in the 50s for Catholics (who didn’t eat meat on Fridays), this plain fish in a bun with tartare sauce is apparently President Trump’s favourite meal.
When he recently enjoyed a huge banquet on a state visit, apparently on the flight back home he said ‘Whatever the hell they served, I don’t know’ (it was made with British organic ingredients including Hampshire watercress, Kent raspberries and Victoria plums). As a teetotal, he was also not impressed with offerings of organic cognac, wondering where his usual diet soda was.
Chip shops can use plastic-free packaging from Vegware (which also sells biodegradable pots for mushy peas). Another good swap would be to use rapeseed oil (that helps our local farmers) instead of palm oil (causes deforestation and is imported from Indonesia).
Note that most vegan restaurants don’t accept cash, as bank notes are made with animal fats (and plastic). Check site updates for accessibility, and dog-friendly restaurants.
Unity Diner (a London vegan carvery to help animals)
Unity Diner (London) offers a vegan carvery on Sunday (with vegan Yorkshire puddings, maple-glazed veggies, vegan cauliflower cheese and gravy), then fast food in compostable packaging through the week (including burgers and hot dogs, ‘fish and chips’, tempura prawns and vegan kebabs).
Located in Spitalfields, nearest tube stops are Aldgate East and Liverpool East (just a few minutes walk away).
All profits help support its own Surge Sanctuary (to home rescued barnyard friends). You can also help to buy bales of hay by setting the sanctuary as your choice at easyfundraising. Then anytime you buy a product or service from participating retailers, a percentage goes to them, at no cost to you.
This means that whenever you buy a product or service from participating retailers, a percentage goes to the sanctuary, at no cost to you (and does not affect loyalty points).
Why Would Anyone Eat ‘Vegan Meats?’
Some people criticise others for eating faux meat and fish. But the truth is, in a country of 60 million people, there is not enough land for people to eat free-range (and millions of others choose not to eat animal products anyway).
Likely you don’t agree with factory farms. So in this case, everyone needs to eat less meat (even those who eat it). And as long as it’s made with natural ingredients (and no palm oil), what you eat is your own business. In fact, many town planners are now refusing permission for new Mcdonald’s restaurants, due to concerns for public health and protecting independent eateries.
It would be nice if everyone lived on lentil soup, but that’s not going to happen! So fast food chains like Unity Diner fill the gap, for those who are resident or visiting London, and fancy a double bacon cheeseburger, with fries on the side!
And instead of harming animals, this diner is helping to rescue the animals, who end up in sanctuaries, due to the fast food meat industry.
What About Fast Food Litter?
This is a real problem with many fast food joints. But Unity Diner is plastic-free, and only ever uses compostable packaging and straws. Just deposit in the nearest bin, to biodegrade away!
If you love your fast food, instead try one of the many recipes online to make your own vegan versions:
Purezza: Vegan Pizza in London, Brighton, Manchester
Dominoes offers good vegan pizza (but you can’t order mini-pizzas and the boxes’ plastic sauce dishes end up littered everywhere – it’s presently in legal wranglings with Sheringham council in Norfolk, due to it not wanting any more chain stores, in a town with 40 indie food outlets they wish to protect).
Purezza (London, Brighton, Manchester) is an award-winning vegan pizzeria that launched around 10 years ago, founded by an Italian who uses mostly local organic ingredients and no palm oil (outlets are furnished with reclaimed materials, run on green energy and even the loos have recycled bathroom tissue!
The range includes pizzas topped with their own cashew mozzarella (sold wholesale to other restaurants) includes Quattro formaggi (4 vegan cheeses!), Fungi pizza (with truffle oil) and Plant-based salami pizza.
CauliBox makes reusable pizza takeaway boxes that can be washed and returned to companies to save money and reduce waste packaging.
Don’t give leftover pizza crust to garden birds or wildfowl (could choke, and salt is toxic). You also can’t recycle greasy parts of pizza boxes, just throw them away.
