With veganism and the animal-friendly food industry growing exponentially around the world over the last decade, it was inevitable that Manchester—as a blossoming global food city itself—would not only keep pace but lead the way.
More recently, vegan chefs have begun to move away from vibrant superfood bowls, instead remixing the sort of classic junk food dishes which were traditionally known as a carnivore’s paradise.
From greasy kebabs to mac ‘n’ cheese, here are the best vegan comfort food spots around the city.
Inspired by a quintessential American road trip, Robyn and Damian of Herbivorous have enjoyed a meteoric rise in the blink of an eye; after setting up at a food festival and winging it, so to speak, they sold out within two hours and went on to supply vegan comfort food to damp revellers at festivals nationwide. Today, whilst flipping loaded burgers and tossing buffalo wings in their Hatch unit, they offer the same menu at their newly-opened second branch in Withington.
After a series of beloved pop-ups around the city, from Ancoats to the Arndale, cult favourites Wholesome Junkies are set to open their permanent headquarters on Red Bank this summer. Tucked under the railway arches, vegan foodies can expect irresistible takes on world cuisine, including sesame prawn toast, curly fries, stacked burgers and more.
Established five years ago in Chorlton, long considered Manchester’s pre-eminent vegan outpost, ZAD’s specialises in pizza and other junk food staples in their focus on feeding ‘an ethical generation, who care about their health and the world we all live in’. Incredibly, ZAD’s offers the best of cruelty-free comfort food at standard takeaway price points: a large margharita costs just £8.99, while cheesecakes and heavily battered side dishes all come in at under a fiver each.
Taking inspiration from Berlin’s pioneering food scene, vegan kebab artists Doner Summer have branches across the North. Based out of the kitchen at the ever-popular YES, they offer kebabs on a range of breads, stuffed with an even more diverse range of fillings. They’ve also just unleashed their ‘DS Chick’n’ range, with deep-fried strips coated in lashings of your chosen sauce.
Unwavering in their mission to create the ‘world’s best plant-based comfort food’ that transcends the act of eating, and becomes a ‘creative, show-stopping event’, Biff’s began in London six years ago as the brainchild of the titular former McDonald’s manager. After adapting crispy fried jackfruit (now trademarked) into a revelatory burger, Biff and partner Christa operate Europe’s largest network of vegan delivery joints, billeting out burgers and wings of all types and inspirations. Order from their Manchester HQ on Deliveroo.
Nell’s insane 22″ New York-style pizzas have quickly become the stuff of legend in Manchester, and with over half of their menu either vegetarian or vegan-friendly, their inclusion in this list feels more than justified.
Try the Vegan Greens pizza—seasonal greens, roasted garlic cashew cream, vegan n’duja, evoo and vegan parm—you’ll thank us later.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Tue 17 May 2022
Beginning, naturally, in the Northern Quarter, vegan diner V-Rev offers an exhaustive menu packed with animal-friendly recalibrations of classic American junk food. Starters include buttermilk seitan wings, battered pickle spears and loaded fries, while their mains feature everything from teetering dirty burgers to jumbo hot dogs and doner kebabs. Their website also provides key resources and texts on the origins and ethics of veganism.