Vegan-friendly restaurant deals for 'Veganuary' 2020
Including 41% off pizzas, 50% off burgers, ⅓ off sushi
If you're one of the record 350,000 people taking part in Veganuary 2020, or if like me you've been vegan for many years, chances are you like food. And animals. And the planet. So I've rounded up the best discounts in vegan-friendly restaurants to help you save money and animals this month. For more planet-saving tips, see our blogs on Sustainability.
Whether new to vegan food or not, you may be surprised by some of the restaurant chains with vegan options. Even eateries that are almost exclusively associated with meat and/or cheese – such as pizza places, burger joints and carveries – have further upped their plant-based game for Veganuary 2020.
So here’s a quick round-up of the best, though do remember, even with a voucher, you’ll almost always pay full-price for your drinks – to get around this, see our guide on your Tap Water Rights. You could always pick up a free tea or coffee on the way home (don't forget to bring your own cup – there's no Planet B!)
Pizza restaurants
Pizza Hut - 41% off food until Thu 30 Jan
Not only valid on vegan dishes (handy if you’re going there with a non-vegan companion), but a decent discount to try its new 'Vegan Pepperphoni' vegan cheese pizza with vegan pepperoni. Unfortunately, you can't use the discount on kids' meals.
Pizza Express - 30% off food & drink in most restaurants until Thu 30 Jan
There's now a large vegan menu at Pizza Express, which includes pizzas with vegan cheese, pasta, wine, and desserts. If you're also gluten-free, you can ask for a gluten-free pizza base, which is vegan too, or choose gluten-free vegan pasta dishes.
Zizzi - 25% off your total food bill in most restaurants until Thu 23 Jan
There are plenty of vegan options on the menu at Zizzi (select 'vegan' on the filter on the left), including pizzas, pasta and a vegan 'Golden Millionaire's slice' – a chocolate chip cookie base with layers of salted caramel for dessert. You can also ask for a vegan and gluten-free pizza base at Zizzi, as well as gluten-free pasta.
Roast and burger restaurants
Frankie & Benny's - 50% off vegan food on selected Mon/Fri in Jan
At Frankie & Benny's, the new vegan menu includes more than last year – breakfast, calazone, and dessert options are all new. So, if you've not been to F&B's for a while, it might be worth it with a voucher, as you can get 50% off mains, sides, and desserts with this one. You can also get 50% off any main (non-vegan mains included) with another voucher until Fri 31 Jan – good if you're going with anyone not trying Veganuary.
Toby Carvery - 40% off mains via app until Sat 18 Jan
Yes, Toby Carvery is a carvery, which means meat, right? Well, yes, but you can still get vegan options, including roast mushroom and ale pie. There have been some menu changes for Veganuary, so you'll be able to get a burger or chilli-non-carne instead of a vegan roast if you like.
Harvester - £6 vegan (or veggie) dishes, norm up to £12ish
Another restaurant you might not know has a vegan menu is Harvester, which offers a choice including 'The Beyond Bean Burger', which is normally about £12ish, that you can get for £6 with this offer after 5pm on Mondays. There's also a choice of vegan desserts, including a vegan sundae, which aren't part of the offer.
Phew, writing this blog is making me hungry! But there's still more...
Sushi and tapas restaurants
Yo! Sushi - 1/3 off plates Mon-Fri until Fri 31 Jan
If you're a lover of Japanese food and have spent time in Japan like me, you might be surprised at the breadth of Yo! Sushi's vegan-friendly menu. You can get selected vegan plates and hot food including pumpkin katsu curry (but annoyingly not tofu katsu curry) with 1/3 off Monday to Friday.
Las Iguanas - 2for1 mains until Thu 16 Jan
Get 2for1 on mains from the a la carte menu, not including sides or drinks. Vegan options include vegan nachos, jackfruit tacos, veggie chilli (ask for vegan), and more. Las Iguanas also has vegan desserts, so save some room! Sadly, desserts aren't included in the 2for1, only mains.
How else can I get discounts on vegan food at restaurants?
You can also get 2for1 between Sunday and Thursday with Meerkat Meals, and we’ve full details on how you can manipulate the scheme to get 2for1 for a year and only pay £1ish.
If your phone’s on O2, you can also sometimes get offers like a £10 for two mains at Pizza Express, or a free hot drink at Caffè Nero. See my deals-stacking trick for how to get 50+ FREE hot drinks a year using this offer.
35% off sustainable vegan ready meals from Vibrant Vegan
Yes, cooking from scratch is cheaper, but sometimes it's hard to find time to cook, especially if you're trying Veganuary this year for the first time. We've Blagged a 35% discount on Vibrant Vegan's sustainable protein box of six high-protein ready meals from Wed 15 Jan to Tue 21 Jan. There's 1,000 codes available, so it's worth going quickly if this is something you'd like.
It's more MoneySaving to cook at home, surely?
Of course, if you cook from scratch you'll almost always end up with a cheaper dinner than at a restaurant, but if you’re not in the mood to spend ages in the kitchen (and want minimal washing up), supermarket pizzas are a decent low-cost option.
You can now get vegan pizzas at most supermarkets. The cheapest I've seen is £1.75 frozen at Aldi, £2 frozen at Iceland* (no-cheese Italian vegetable, or falafel pizza), or £2.50 fresh at Tesco* which is my favourite.
You can also get a vegan Goodfella's frozen falafel pizza for £2 (norm £2.50) at Asda* or Sainsbury's, or £2.50 at Tesco* or Morrisons*. Other pizzas are available, but these are the cheapest.
Are you trying vegan food this January? What's your favourite vegan-friendly restaurant? Let us know in the comments below, or on Twitter.