How to accommodate one vegan guest

knottie0054b1781a5a8105

We're going to have a taco cart at our wedding, and we're offering a vegetarian option for a handful of guests who follow that diet, but we have a single guest who is a strict vegan - like their food can't come into contact with non-vegan foods or they'll probably get sick. What do you think is the simplest way to accommodate them?

banana468

knottie0054b1781a5a8105 said:

We're going to have a taco cart at our wedding, and we're offering a vegetarian option for a handful of guests who follow that diet, but we have a single guest who is a strict vegan - like their food can't come into contact with non-vegan foods or they'll probably get sick. What do you think is the simplest way to accommodate them?

First and this is unsolicited - is the taco cart the way that everyone will be fed?  Has the cart advised how long it will take for all the food to be served?   I ask because while carts of all kinds are awesome, the food can take a while to be served.  I remember going to a family wedding a few years ago and they had an ice cream truck for the kids and that was still several minutes to get the kids dessert.  So please talk to the owner and figure out how long it will be based on your guest list.  If it's going to take a long time can you look into using the taco cart to supplement another meal?

Regarding the vegan, talk to the vendor.  Are they skilled at providing vegan foods from an allergen level?  If not, it would be great to contact your venue to see what they recommend as a food option that can be vegan.

MyNameIsNot

Talk to your caterer. It's really unlikely that a professional who makes food for large gatherings doesn't have a protocol for making a safe vegan option. If they really can't accommodate your guest's dietary restrictions, your next option would be to arrange for a meal from a vegan restaurant or kitchen that you know will be safe. 

There are certainly obscure allergies and restrictions that all caterers wouldn't be able to adapt to, but vegan is so common that they should know.

MesmrEwe

If the vegetarian food coming into contact with the vegan food will make them sick, you need to know what they're allergic/intolerant to and take that to the food cart operator and find out what accommodations they can/can't do.  

If the food cart vendor cannot do a strictly vegan meal, the next option is seeing about using something like Uber Eats to deliver them a meal to some place they will eat the food from with agreement from the caterer that this will be taking place for that one meal.

climbingsingle

Another vote for talking directly to the caterer/vendor. You'll need to confirm with them how they'll assure that your vegan guest's food is handled safely and properly. If they're not able to do that, you'll need to figure out a plan to get this guest another meal. 

MobKaz

My SIL is very strict with her GF diet.  While she may find a restaurant that will make her french toast, using GF bread, and even making her own egg batter, she often will have to decline.  Unless the restaurant has a griddle/stove top that is not used for anything else, she cannot risk the cross contamination.  I would find it hard to believe a food truck would be able to accommodate such an equally stringent requirement.

Perhaps there is a restaurant nearby in which you could purchase one safe vegan meal for your guest.

knottie16ff7afc3da0f1b6

Just talk to the caterer. We need 4 vegan meals and 2 kosher for our wedding and it is in the catering contract - and kosher is very tough to accommodate bc it has to be cooked in a special oven, so idk how they are going to do it, but it’s in the contract, so gotta trust that it will be done!

if you know your vegan guest is a really strict vegan, just ask her for a list of common foods considered acceptable for most vegans that won’t work for her - IME, one such common ingredient is honey, which more relaxed vegans will eat but stricter ones won’t - and give it to your caterer. 

One of the venues we toured had told me that they
 would bring 2 kosher meals in from outside since it was only 2 kosher guests out of 75. So if it’s only one meal, that would often be the option. But caterers want to work with you and are used to such restrictions, so just ask!

knottie16ff7afc3da0f1b6

Also, in this specific context, I’d think the caterer could just set aside a plateful of any vegan friendly toppings - salsa, guac etc… or lettuce if you want to be very American about it lol - and then keep them off to the side in the kitchen along with a few vegan tortillas plus seitan strips or cauliflower or whatever is being used as the meat sub … and then just present that to her on a plate at dinnertime so her food stays separate. Maybe it depends on where you live - I’m in NJ and vegan food, kosher food and halal food are common here .. but even in areas with less food variety, caterers are so used to strict dietary restrictions and I really think you’ll be surprised by how accommodating they’ll be! 

knonce

I agree that it is best to talk to the caterer if they can come up with a simple solution based on their experience. And make sure they stick to what they promise. Besides talking to the manager of the caterer, I would also check with the server who will be in charge of the vegan guest and give them a heads-up before the meal is served.