The ultimate vegan guide to Lancaster

Calling all grass eaters! Our lovely Lancaster is filled with places to live your vegan lifestyle to the full. From one vegan to another, we want to make your life a little easier by making this guide for you. Despite being a small city, Lancaster has an array of places to eat, that accommodate everyone (including us). We’ve created a little guide of our top 10 places to dine and enjoy.

The Tab Lancaster has compiled some of our favourite places and hidden gems to eat Vegan in Lancaster, that you definitely don’t want to miss.

Herbarium

You probably guessed it! Herbarium is a haven for clean plant-eaters. We all know the struggle of going into a restaurant and seeing that the only thing you can eat is salad (and maybe chips, if you’re lucky). Here at Herbarium, everything is 100 per cent plant-based! From waffles to buddha bowls; your hunger will always be satisfied. With its relaxed atmosphere, it’s perfect to visit with a study group, and they even offer weekly yoga sessions, to make you feel even more zen!

Whale Tail / Single Step

For a quick bite to eat, we’d recommend popping into Whale Tail. Their full vegan breakfasts were a lifesaver after a night-out at Sugar (if you get out of bed before 12pm). For a veggie/vegan cafe, they have a lot to offer for a decent price. Whale Tail’s veg is provided by Single-Step; a sustainable, zero-waste store, completely run by generous volunteers – and offers everything from toiletries to turnips. If you’re looking to cut down on plastic, live more plant-based, or just want to support a local business; be sure to make a visit.

Filbert’s

We accidentally found out that our local bakery, Filbert’s, offers vegan pasties, pastries and the tastiest fresh bread in Lancaster. Filbert’s is in the middle of town on King Street and their vegan mushroom pasty is elite -don’t knock it until you try it!

Nami Sushi

If sushi is what you are after, then Nami Sushi is a must! Lancaster’s own take on yo sushi, with a conveyor belt offering an array of vegan delicacies! The vegan items are clearly labelled, but our main recommendations are the inari, maki and the tofu katsu curry.

KF Oriental (Food supermarket) / Full House Noodle Bar KF Oriental

Not all vegans love tofu or tempeh, but if you do, then you need to check out KF Oriental Food Supermarket. We buy whole trays of c.600g firm tofu blocks for less than £2!! That’s a bargain compared to Sainsbury’s c.300g tofu for nearly the same price. They also sell a variety of flavoursome vegan dumplings – in addition to packs of herbs and spices which are incredibly cheap! What makes it even better, is that Full House Noodle Bar sits right above the supermarket, and offers a list of veggie/vegans options to choose from.

Molly’s

Lancaster’s best independent restaurant for vegan Italian. Molly’s offers its own vegan menu, providing lasagne and pizza with freshly made dough and vegan cheese! Definitely rate the tomato pasta.

Dalton Square Market

On Wednesdays and Saturdays in Dalton Square, there’s an outdoor market which has a few delights for plant-based enthusiasts. For sweet-treats and savoury snacks, Pure Vegan is the place to go. Their maple syrup tempeh wrap is mouth-watering, and their cake-stand of cookies, cakes and brownies are always in rotation. The temptation to visit weekly is real.

The market also has a fresh fruit and veg stand, with student-friendly prices, with punnets of grapes, strawberries and blueberries for £1 each. Come prepared with cash, or spend £5 or over and pay by card. Ask to try their ‘exotic’ grapes; they’re way better than store-bought.

The Study Room

Craving junk food? The study room offers great vegan options, ranging from Vegan Chilli Dog to BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich. What’s more is that for the rest of October they are offering the eat out to help scheme, so kick back and relax whilst enjoying your comfort food at a cheaper price. If you are having a night out in the town, they sell 2-4-1 cocktails, an offer that you can’t resist.

The Sir Richard Owen

Of course, we can’t miss out on The Sir Richard Owen. To our surprise, Wetherspoons actually offer an entire vegan menu – you’ve just got to ask for it. If you haven’t tried the Beyond Meat burger yet, what are you doing? The Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart with dairy-free Vanilla Ice Cream? Shockingly delicious.

Papa John’s

We also couldn’t leave out the best pizza takeout for vegans. Papa John’s is constantly updating its vegan menu with delicious new pizzas, which include meat substitutes such as jackfruit ‘pepperoni’ and vegan cheese. They are also currently offering the cinnamon scrolls which are also to die for! To make things even better, Papa John’s is giving away free (yes, FREE)  medium pizzas if you sign up with your student email. Who can say no to free food?

Vegan society

As well as all of this, Lancaster University Vegan Society hosts a number of talks and socials, such as quizzes, bake offs and usually potlucks and nights out pre-corona! We spoke to Katie Bates (the President of the Vegan Society) to sum up what the group offers, and here’s what she said: “vegsoc is the perfect place for positive discussion about eating plant-based and living the vegan lifestyle. We are open to everyone, whether already vegan or just a little curious!”

Being vegan definitely isn’t as much of a struggle as it used to be, and whether you’re vegan or not, and Lancs is full of vegan friendly gems. Thank us later.

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