The Emerald Isle is developing itself as a true foodie destination, and you can find vegan, vegetarian and gluten free culinary creations all over the island. In this thread I have collected some helpful information and resources to help you plan the perfect plant based and gluten free trip!
Where to eat & drink
You will find that bigger cities and towns are very vegan friendly, with a growing
vegan community and some wonderful vegan friendly restaurants, eateries, and health-food shops. In cities such as Dublin, Galway, Belfast, Cork, and Limerick you can usually find a good range of
vegan, vegetarian and
gluten free friendly
restaurants.
Even outside of the cities almost every cafe or restaurant will have a plant based milk option, and people are more than happy to accommodate vegan, vegetarian and gluten free diners. Reach out to the restaurant, cafe, B&B or hotel beforehand as they would love to tell you more about what they can do for you.
Via
The Happy Cow you can find a complete overview of all the available vegan and vegetarian restaurants and options. Take a look at this article about
Eating Vegan in Dublin from Peta for more inspiration as well.
If you're thinking of visiting the Guinness Storehouse as a vegan you can do so guilt free, since the world famous black stuff is
now vegan friendly. If you're looking for other vegan friendly Irish drinks, the
Barnivore website is your best friend. Bottoms up!
Supermarkets & shopsGrocery shopping is super easy as well, as supermarket ranges have their own 'Free From' section with a selection of dairy, egg and gluten free products. Most of the super market brands have even brought out their own vegan selection of plant based ready meals, pizzas and sandwiches, so there is a lot to choose from. Simply check the label for the vegan symbol, and you're good to go!
Take a look at
the Irish Vegan page for a list of vegan friendly supermarkets in the Republic of Ireland, and the
Vegan Society website for a list of supermarkets in Northern Ireland.
The
Gluten Free Ireland page is a complete guide to gluten free and coeliac friendly shops, venues and restaurants on the whole island. Take a look at the
Food Safety Authority of Ireland page as well.
Festivals There are also loads of Vegan festivals taking place throughout the year, with the
Irish Vegan Festival in Belfast,
Dublin Veg Fest and
Cork Veg Fest. During these festivals you can try the most delicious dishes, treats and deserts, as well as attend workshops, talks and demos.