01st October 2019
Would you ‘spike’ vegan dinner guests?
Survey shows nearly ⅓ of adults would
With veganism proving to be a trend that’s here to stay, online searches for vegan recipes and vegan-friendly wines have been gradually increasing over the last four years. Noticeable spikes in the run up to Christmas mean it’s fair to assume that many of us are searching with dinner guests in mind; but a new survey from Virgin Wines has found that many UK adults are willing to ‘spike’ their guests with unsuitable booze.
In a survey of more than 1,000 people, Virgin Wines asked shoppers about their knowledge and interest in vegan and organic wines. While 36% of adults now choose to buy vegan wines, almost 30% stated that they would serve non-vegan wine even if they had vegan guests at the dinner table.
Other findings from the data include:
- 39% of people didn’t know that not all wines are vegan-friendly
- The number of people who buy vegan wine primarily for environmental reasons (29%) is almost equal with those who do so because of animal welfare concerns (30%)
- 35% of people who buy organic wine and 25% of people who buy vegan wine do so because they perceive it to be better for their health
Stuart Brown, Head of E-Commerce at Virgin Wines, says “As soon as people hear that not all wines are vegan, it can be easy to assume that vegan-friendly wines must be difficult to find. Anyone who has picked up a bottle in the supermarket, only to see an allergy warning that it contains traces of milk and egg, would be forgiven for thinking it’s hard work to find wine for a vegan guest – but that absolutely isn’t the case.”
While some hosts may not be keen to keep track of all their guests’ dietary requirements, raising awareness of the lesser-known ingredients in drinks like wine and beer is important for those with allergies, as well as those who have dietary restrictions for other reasons. With around 4 in 10 UK adults unaware that many wines contain animal products, now might be a good time to brush up on that knowledge ahead of the impending festive season.
To see the original survey data, visit the Virgin Wines blog: https://www.virginwines.co.uk/blog/vegan-wine-is-it-on-your-radar/
Please hyperlink to the original report when referencing the research in future stories.
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