Dairy Free - Brit Buyer

Like many food-conscious people I’m increasing the number of vegan meals I eat. Not only to try to reduce the meat in my diet, but to embrace healthier, more ethical food options. There are loads of creative and tasty vegan options to be had in the UK, even if you’re usually a meat-eater. After loads of research I’ve made a comprehensive list of the best places for buying vegan food online in the UK, including many shops and vegan supermarkets offering home delivery. In no particular order, here are some great places to buy vegan food online in the UK: 1. Greenbay Greenbay is a supermarket where 100% (yes, everything) is vegan. No checking labels, no reading ingredients. If they sell it, it’s vegan. It’s run by vegans as well, so if you’re after certain items or want to try new things, you can always ask their knowledgeable staff. They’re particularly good at ‘hard to find’ items and have a few vegan products that are exclusive to them. The variety they stock is impressive. For example, they’ve got over 90 vegan cheeses – that’s more than most non-specialist cheesemongers. They also have a ‘cruelty free’ health and beauty section if you want to buy vegan products as well as vegan food. Returning customers will be rewarded with their ‘GreenClub’ loyalty scheme. People I’ve spoken to who use Greenbay also say that they do frequent deals and discount/promo codes as well, so it might be an idea to sign up for their mailing list and/or offers if you plan to shop there frequently. Do they do home delivery? Yes – and it’s free if you spend over a certain amount. They deliver all over the UK and some European destinations, too. If you’re in London you can also collect your order from them for free. 2. Planet Organic Planet Organic has been around for a long time (since 1995) and has expanded into a reliable, trusted name when it comes to organic food. Their online supermarket allows you to “shop by lifestyle”, on their homepage, so just click ‘Vegan Shop’ and you’ll be able to browse all their vegan products – over 3000 of them. They also have a ‘Vegan Health’ section with items such as vitamins, protein powder and probiotics. Alongside this, there’s a ‘Vegan Beauty’ section as well, with almost a thousand different cruelty-free, ethical beauty products. They have a Payment and Loyalty app called YOYO, which rewards loyalty but also gives you access to promotional offers and deals. Joining their mailing list usually gives you a small discount code to use straight away, too. Do they do home delivery? Yes – and it’s free with a minimum spend amount, available throughout the UK. If you’re in London you can get their ‘fresh’ items and organise delivery like you would with any other supermarket, choosing an hourly slot, or collect your order in the store for free. 3. Ethical Superstore Ethical Superstore is huge, and their focus is on “products that put people and the planet first”. This not only includes vegan and other food, but also ethical clothing, fashion, beauty, kids and products for the home, too. They give you the option to shop in many different categories. For example, I really like their ‘plastic alternatives’ subsection where you can buy plastic-free products. They have a good vegan section with over a thousand items available in it. You’ll find their vegan items under the “free from” section or under the ‘shop by ethics and tags’ link at the bottom of the site. Once you’re in the vegan section, you can easily navigate by groceries, clothing, and so on. Ethical Superstore offers a price guarantee, which is something not commonly found in specialist shops. They promise to be the cheapest on ‘leading ethical products’ and will refund the difference on these products if you find them cheaper elsewhere. They have a loyalty and reward scheme too, with points vouchers sent out quarterly. Do they do home delivery? Yes, they’re an online-only store and only deliver within the UK. They have a free delivery threshold if you spend a certain amount, with express options available. In keeping with their ethical ethos, they’ve paid a lot of attention to their delivery infrastructure, including their carbon footprint and packaging, which is nice to know. 4. Amazon UK Amazon has moved into the grocery and fresh food markets in a big way in the UK, and now offers thousands of food products on the site. This includes lots of vegan food and vegan products, with many items sold directly by small independent suppliers. At the time of writing, selecting the “vegan” section in their grocery category yields over thirty thousand (yep, 30,000) product results. Of course, some of these aren’t vegan specialisms – they’re just food products that happen to be vegan - but it certainly helps widen the breadth of choice available when choosing vegan-friendly food. Amazon also has a “fresh” grocery shopping arm. This is similar to a normal supermarket where fresh produce and chilled products are delivered either the same or the next day, in hourly slots. It’s only being rolled out in select postcodes at the moment, particularly around London. You can click here to check if your area is covered. It’s worth considering Amazon if you want to buy a mix of vegan and non-vegan products – for example, if your household has mixed dietary requirements – and still take advantage of Amazon’s free shipping if you spend a specific amount. Do they do home delivery? Yes, as you would expect – it’s usually free over a certain amount, or if you’re an Amazon Prime member. 5. Big Green Smile Big Green Smile is based in Amersham, Buckinghamshire and specialise in natural and organic products, deliverable throughout the UK. They have a large Vegan section that focuses mostly on ethical vegan products for skincare and beauty rather than vegan food. However, they have been included here because they sell vegan baby food, which is sometimes difficult to source. They also carry a range of vegan food supplements. Vegan friends tell me they like Big Green Smile because of their policy of giving you a couple of free samples with every order over a tenner. You get to choose which samples to try, so it’s a good way of bagging a free trial of new vegan products without having to purchase the full-size item to see if you like it. Do they do home delivery? Yes, they offer UK wide delivery – and it’s free over a certain amount. At the moment the free sample policy is for any order over £10. They’ll also ship to most of Europe, too. 6. RealFoods RealFoods are a long-established Edinburgh institution who has been selling ‘real foods’ and shipping them worldwide for over forty years. They’re still going strong, and offer a wide range of vegan food products as part of their commitment to everything “natural, healthy and ethical”. Their website is a wealth of information, including tips on how to ‘go vegan’ and numerous books and recipes as well. They do have a large vegan section which is sometimes a bit tricky to navigate to on their site. You select a subcategory first (e.g. ‘Special Offers’ or ‘Superfoods’) and then click the ‘Vegan’ checkbox under ‘Filter by Diet type’ on the left. However, every single product is labelled with little icons showing if it’s vegan, dairy-free and so on so if you just want a browse, it’s easy to find lots of options. One thing RealFoods specialises in is wholesale. If you want to bulk buy vegan food then you can usually buy it here at pretty competitive prices. They offer bulk and case discounts, too. Do they do home delivery? Yes – with one of the lower ‘minimum spends’, not restricted by weight for normal shoppers in the UK mainland. If you’re buying wholesale vegan food, you’ll pay a small ‘unit charge’ for each item, up to 25kg(!) in weight. Check their delivery days if you’re buying fresh food, because they only send these out on certain days depending on when their stock comes in. 7. eBay UK When a vegan friend told me to add eBay to this list I thought: huh? As it turns out, vegans are flocking to eBay to get competitively priced vegan food direct from specialist sellers and suppliers. Apparently, it’s excellent for vegan sweets and chocolate! eBay historically hasn’t been known much for any type of food selling, let alone vegan food, but I had a look around and sure enough, there are loads of vegan food options available to the UK market, from UK sellers. As eBay doesn’t really have a dedicated vegan category, it helps to know what you’re looking for first. You could just search for ‘vegan’ and see what comes up in your search results, but it’s better to be specific. Typing “vegan sweets” for example, showed over a thousand results. eBay is also pretty strong in the supplements and vitamin department, but as always – check the seller’s feedback before you buy. It’s very handy to read multiple reviews on whether something was good value, tasted nice, or is decent quality for the price. As with all other eBay purchases, particularly if you pay via PayPal, you’re protected by their buyer’s protection scheme. Do they do home delivery? Yes, and prices vary from free postage and packing for just one item, up to bulk deals and offers. Each seller’s listing will be different, so check postage and packaging charges on each item, which is usually clearly displayed. 8. VeganStore VeganStore is a true online vegan supermarket. Everything they sell is vegan, so you can select any product on their site safe in the knowledge that it’s already been checked and certified as vegan. What’s particularly good about VeganStore is that they source good vegan food from all over the world rather than just the UK. Very often they have been the first to market with interesting imported vegan food. They try to use UK suppliers where possible in the spirit of keeping things local, but acknowledge that some countries (particularly the USA) have some great vegan products that UK vegans would be interested in. They’re also particularly strong on seasonal products such as Easter eggs, Christmas food or vegan valentine’s day items, depending on the time of year. If there’s a particular vegan item you know about and can’t find a stockist for, they’re also open to feedback on what to get in stock. Do they do home delivery? Yes, they have different flat rates depending on spend, and a minimum spend threshold for free UK delivery, too. Next-day or express delivery is available for an extra fee. They will also post worldwide – check their site for country-specific delivery information. 9. Ocado I’ve included Ocado on here because it was recommended by a couple of vegan friends. Many people have heard of Ocado: it’s an online-only supermarket that used to be closely aligned with Waitrose, but now they also stock many branded and specialist products of their own as well. If you want to buy Waitrose vegan products and meals but don’t live near a Waitrose, Ocado may be the answer. Check on their site first if they deliver to your postcode area. Searching for vegan food is relatively simple as there is a ‘Dietary and Lifestyle’ checkbox on the left to filter all results by diet only. This is also very handy for other filters that are often overlooked by other supermarkets and shops, such as the ability to filter out food that contains nuts, sesame or other allergens. You can also choose food that is Fairtrade and/or organic as well as vegan. Ocado is a good choice if you buy (or want to buy) popular brands that are vegan without having to go to several different supermarkets, and if you want your shopping delivered to your door. Do they do home delivery? Yes, this is all Ocado do as they don’t have physical stores. They cover a lot of the UK and are a good option for people who want to shop at Waitrose, but who don’t live near one of their stores. The online-only status means that there’s no option to collect (in which case you might want to choose Waitrose directly, below). Delivery fees vary depending on both the spend amount and the hourly time slot you’ve booked. 10. Waitrose Waitrose probably offers the widest selection of vegan food of all the high street supermarkets and chains, including a lot of own-brand products like vegan ready meals. You can, of course, go and shop in Waitrose in person, but this article covers online shopping, which is also something that is easy to do at Waitrose and could be more convenient for busy people. I use their online shop quite a lot. Waitrose has a big ‘vegan’ category on their online grocery shopping pages, as well as many subcategories not usually found in other stores such as vegan snacking, vegan desserts and so on. First, check if there is a Waitrose that will deliver in your area. I’m from the North West, where Waitrose stores are scarce. If you don’t have a local store, you might be able to get Waitrose products through Ocado (above). Shopping directly with Waitrose online enables you to use their MyWaitrose loyalty scheme and/or vouchers, as well as having the option of collecting your shopping in a store – which you can’t do with Ocado. The spend threshold is also lower, and Waitrose staff will also substitute items if the one you ordered isn’t available. Do they do home delivery? Yes – if you live within a ‘catchment’ area near a Waitrose store. Check their website to see if they deliver in your area. All delivery is free, but over a certain amount. There’s no extra cost for choosing more popular time slots, either. The drivers are usually really nice, helpful folk too! 11. Mock On the topic of Vegan ready meals being few and far between, Mock stand alone as producing some of the best plant-based Indian ready meals available. They're handmade, high in protein and have had excellent reviews for taste. They're not just popular with vegans and vegetarians, but are also eaten by those interested in lean, meat free healthier curries. Although all Mock's meals are meat free, about half are vegan and half are vegetarian. They have made a vegan subsection in their website, though, so it's easier to find the half dozen or so vegan curries. You can find Mock meals in some health shops, but they also offer a delivery service of four portions or more, direct to your door. As it's fresh food, you'll get a one hour slot so that you don't miss it. Be aware, though, that they only deliver Tuesdays to Thursdays and only in the UK. 12. The Vegan Kind / The Vegan Kind Supermarket TVK (The Vegan Kind) is great at what they do and has two businesses catering to vegans. The first is The Vegan Kind supermarket. This is a 100% vegan online supermarket operating out of their Glasgow warehouse. It’s owned and run by vegan staff, so they know their stuff. One of the things I really like about them is that they discount food that is reaching its ‘best before’ date – a great way of reducing waste. They display discounted items with the ‘use by’ date on the product listings. It’s the online equivalent of the ‘reduced’ stickers you see in physical supermarkets and it’s a good way to find some bargains if you know you’ll use the food quickly. The range of vegan food and products should keep most vegans very happy – their food section has everything from a vegan bakery to vegan alcohol. They also have an ‘ethical fashion’ section and stock plenty of beauty and household products that are vegan-friendly as well. They operate a loyalty scheme with different tiers, and friends tell me that they also frequently have discount vouchers and codes sent out to regular customers. One of the specialisms of the Vegan Kind Supermarket is fresh and chilled vegan products available for delivery. Some suppliers shy away from chilled and perishable goods because of the logistics of getting them out to customers in time, but TVK has done lots of work with DPD, their specialist courier, on ensuring that food reaches you within a day, and that it’s packaged well enough to last another whole day if required. Do they do home delivery? Yes – they use a specialist courier for fresh goods, and if you’re only buying ambient goods then you can choose standard delivery instead. If you order by 2 pm you can very often have your vegan food with you the same day, which is great. Prices vary depending on if you’re buying chilled or frozen products, and how heavy your package is – check their site for details. Their second business is The Vegan Kind Subscription Box The Vegan Kind Subscription Box is a clever idea because since they’re a supermarket, they have access to a wide range of vegan products at competitive prices. At the time of writing they have the most popular vegan subscription box in the UK. First, you choose the type of box you want to receive – their ‘lifestyle’ box is full of vegan food and treats, at least one lifestyle product, plus a free recipe card in it every month. You’re guaranteed to get 6 – 8 products in the box every month. The other option is the ‘beauty box’, which contains a selection of vegan beauty products such as make-up or vegan skincare products. You’re guaranteed to get five or more items in this box. Next, you choose a subscription for however many months you like. You can pay per month, or save money with a three-monthly, six-monthly or annual subscription (which is a great vegan gift idea). This is a really good way of trying products you’d never think to try, and to discover new brands you may otherwise not have found. If you want to see the kinds of things they’ve included in past boxes, you can check this on their website. Additionally, if you fall in love with one of the products in one of the boxes, you can then buy it online from their supermarket (as above). Judging from the reviews, lots of people are happy with their subscription boxes and feel that they’re good value. 13. Vegan Tuck Box The Vegan Tuck Box website isn't a shop per se, but they offer a vegan subscription box service like the one offered by the Vegan Kind (above). I’m including them here because they offer special ‘letterbox’ subscriptions as well as the standard boxes. These are designed to fit through a letterbox – so not waiting for couriers – and you can choose different types. For example, the ‘chocolate letterbox’ has several vegan chocolate bars in it for you to try, or the ‘snack letterbox’ has a selection of vegan snacks for when you get the munchies. You can have these delivered fortnightly instead of monthly, too. You can also get one-off ‘special’ boxes ideal for giving as gifts, such as the Vegan chocoholic box or the ‘ultimate’ selection box. It’s a good way to try new products, and ideal if you want something new, tasty and vegan sent to you more frequently than once a month. 14. Holland & Barrett Holland and Barrett are a well-established UK high street chain, known for specialising in health food and vitamins. They sometimes get overlooked as a destination for vegan food shopping, and many people don’t realise that you can order on their website, which has a much broader range of products than their individual stores. They are particularly strong on multiple dietary requirements. For example, if you’re a coeliac vegan who also needs to avoid nuts, then you can select all three filters on the left-hand side of their webpage. This takes the pain out of reading labels and combing through hundreds of products for the allergen information. Because they are such a large company, they often run very competitive promotions on popular products, including vegan supplements. They also have other big savings when they do a ‘price drop’ or ‘buy one get one free’ so if you buy a vegan food product regularly, there’s the potential to make bigger savings. They also have a loyalty point scheme that will work both in their physical shops and on their website. It’s available via their branded mobile app as well. Do they do home delivery? Yes, and the prices are very competitive compared to many other online vegan supermarkets. As with many similar sites, delivery is free if you spend a minimum amount. Because they are a high street chain, you also have the option of ‘click and collect’ either for a small fee or free over a certain amount, where you can pick up your order in any of their stores. 15. Vegusto Vegusto is based in Switzerland, and if there’s one thing the Swiss know about, it’s cheese and meat. But don’t despair – theirs are all 100% plant-based and have a bit of a cult following. They make their products in an entirely vegan factory perched atop Lake Constance near the Swiss/German border. Although you can buy their products in some shops, you can get their full range online and have it delivered to you at a decent price. One of their most popular products is in their ‘no moo’ series of cheeses. They have a huge variety, and one that is veg, dairy free and nut free as well – a ‘cheezy sauce’ for pouring over pasta or spreading on pizza. They also make a lot of vegan sausages, burgers and sliced deli items. You could run an entire plant-based BBQ by using their range of products. Do they do home delivery? Yes, they do, but they only ship Mondays to Thursdays, so check when you order. Prices vary depending on the amount spent, with free delivery over a certain amount. Bonus: Vegan Wines Online Many people automatically presume that all wine is vegan. It’s grape juice, right? Wrong. I had no idea that animal products are often used in the fining process. One particularly weird example is isinglass protein, which is made out of dried fish bladders. Fortunately, there are lots of wines that aren’t processed in this way and many wines are vegan. It’s quite difficult navigating through different wine labels though, as wines don’t often mark themselves as vegan on the label, even if they are. This is slowly changing. Based in Chichester, Vegan Wines Online has found and sell over 100 wines that are definitely vegan. Their site is pretty simple, best navigated by clicking the ‘Vegan Wine Shop’ green button on the right, then refining the search to find what you need. They also have several interesting articles on the site, including one explaining the animal-derived additives that can be found in many non-vegan wines. Do they do home delivery? Yes, they’re an online shop rather than a physical one. Delivery is a flat rate for one or several bottles, and free over a specific amount. They only deliver in the UK and not overseas.