High street retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has launched vegan hot cross apple buns just in time for Easter.
Each bun features candied Kentish Bramley apples and cinnamon — a pack of four will set you back just £1.50. While the packaging notes that the traditional Easter treat is vegetarian, an M&S representative confirmed to LIVEKINDLY that the hot cross buns are free from animal ingredients.
It seems to be the only vegan hot cross bun in M&S for the time being, but you can find options in other stores. ASDA’s vegan hot cross buns feature currants and orange peel. Leading supermarket chain Tesco also carries a vegan version of the popular Easter treat.
Vegan Easter Treats in the UK
There are plenty of vegan Easter treats to be found in the UK this year. All of the major supermarket chains — including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi, ASDA, and M&S — offer dairy-free chocolate eggs.
Even fine chocolatiers like Hotel Chocolat and Montezuma’s are getting on board with options. And independent candymaker Mummy Meagz makes a vegan version of the classic Cadbury creme egg, with a cocoa butter filling instead of dairy.
The demand for vegan chocolate is on the rise in the UK and EU — particularly around holidays like Easter — according to a report released by Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) last March.
“There’s currently a focus on plant-based eating in the chocolate sector. Manufacturers have responded to the growing interest in plant-based diets by replacing dairy milk with nut-or-grain-derived milks in milk chocolate products,” said Marcia Mogelonsky, Director of GNPD Insight.
The report also noted that the UK eats more chocolate than any other region — 18.5 pounds (or 8.5 kilograms) of chocolate per person, to be exact — so it follows that vegan Easter chocolates are so readily available this year.
The UK also launched more vegan products than any other nation last year, representing one in six new product launches, according to Mintel data. As noted in the data firm’s chocolate report, this is thanks to the rising interest in plant-based food across the country.
