Vegans occasionally get a (totally unfair and untrue) rep for being "picky eaters," but that hesitance stems from the fact that a huge proportion of fast food and chain restaurants don't offer any non-dairy, meat-free alternatives. Ordering a pizza, for example, usually means a Google search deep dive. For instance, a common search might be: "does Pizza Hut have vegan pizza?" Well, if you live in the UK, the answer will soon be yes.
According to Metro.co.uk, since September, Pizza Hut UK has been conducting a test run for vegan pizza options in five locations in Southern England — Bluewater, Canterbury, Chatham, Crawley and Thanet. From the outset, the international pizza chain made it clear that in order to roll out a similar option throughout the whole of the UK, the response would need to be overwhelmingly positive — and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it was. As for US locations introducing vegan pizza, there's been no indication that the chain has plans to. (Bustle has reached out to Pizza Hut for comment on whether vegan pizza could be coming to the US, but has not yet received a response.)
Beginning on Nov. 29, all 262 Pizza Hut locations throughout the United Kingdom will be enjoying a new, permanent addition to their menus — non-dairy cheese, available on both pan and "All-American Thin Base" crusts (which are vegan to begin with). Their Flatbread pizza bases are vegan as well. The vegan pies will be available for in-restaurant diners and takeout patrons, though they won't be making an appearance at Pizza Hut's notorious(ly delicious) buffets and, for now, won't be available for delivery. A vegan Brit can dream, though.
The non-dairy cheese will be sourced from Violife, a Greece-based company whose vegan dairy products are free from GMOs, gluten, nuts, soy and preservatives. An order of vegan cheese will bump your order up one euro, according to a Grubstreet article, unless it's a kids' pizza — yep, baby vegans eat free from additional fees.
Founded by a pair of Kansas-based brothers in 1958, Pizza Hut was made famous by its now-iconic, pointy, red-roofed buildings (which weren't a thing until 1969) and their crispy pan pizza. Though the name stemmed from the original location's inconspicuous curb appeal, Pizza Hut has amassed over 16,000 restaurants in more than 130 countries, proof that sometimes, borrowing $600 from your mom to open a pizza restaurant in Wichita is truly a million dollar idea. Moms, are you listening?
In 1973, the pizza chain hopped across the pond and established Pizza Hut UK, which now has over 700 locations and claims responsibility for inventing the Stuffed Crust Pizza and Cheesy Bites. Yes, that's right, despite possessing the idiosyncratic American characteristic of being almost too much, the concept of making a pizza on a crust that essentially functions as a mini pizza itself is all UK. So thanks, British pizza people. That was very dope of you.
Unfortunately, as of now, neither stuffed crust nor cheesy bites will be made with vegan cheese. Those treats will remain exclusively lactose-containing — though Pizza Hut UK's Twitter did say a vegan stuffed crust could possibly one day become a reality. "Maybe one day...." is technically what they said, in response to Twitter user @EmmaPowellDesign. Hey, it's not a no!
Still, British Pizza Hut fans have been buzzing with the news that their fave chain slices will be free of dairy, meat, nuts, soy and GMOs. Twitter has been exploding with responses, which have been overwhelmingly positive. And what's not to like? Non-vegan pizza lovers won't be forced to eat non-dairy cheese, vegan pizza lovers can get their fill of non-dairy snacks!
While vegan pizza at Pizza Hut in the US may still be a dream, American vegans aren't completely out of luck: You can always travel to a Pizza Hut location in the UK beginning Nov. 29, or you can enjoy Violife products, which hit shelves in the United States earlier this year.
