Carried out by customer feedback provider Feed it Back, the data compares figures from January and May this year – revealing that bad reviews of vegan food have increased by 5% in just five months.
Main complaints include:
- Lack of vegan options/ choice
- Menus were often limited and uninspiring
- Bad value for money – respondents said they are often offered regular meals with less ingredients/sides but at the same price
- Operators’ lack of understanding about vegan diets
Feed it Back chief executive Carlo Platia commented: “Hospitality is a fast-paced and innovative industry that is constantly evolving in an on-going pursuit to stay relevant.
“In this environment, it’s imperative that operators understand what is going on in the industry and actively seek out customer feedback to gain insight on how to drive return visits.
“This year, veganism has been the dominant trend in the industry. Our results show that it’s not good enough for operators to simply ‘pay lip-service’ by putting one or two vegan items on menus by stripping back existing dishes.
“Clearly, consumer expectation has significantly risen - driven in part by large vegan ranges and innovation and the industry needs to focus menu innovation around variety and bespoke dishes.”