{"id":1393,"date":"2019-10-16T16:15:52","date_gmt":"2019-10-16T16:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=is_it_vegan&p=1393"},"modified":"2020-11-24T13:36:12","modified_gmt":"2020-11-24T13:36:12","slug":"bisto","status":"publish","type":"is_it_vegan","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/is-it-vegan\/bisto\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Bisto Vegan?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bisto
chrisd2105 \/ Bigstockphoto.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Aah, Bisto<\/em>! Few things evoke images of family Sunday lunches or really bad 1980s TV adverts like the famous tagline of the well-known gravy powder product.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, gravy has been the sauce of choice for meat, but given that Sunday lunches<\/a> are for vegans too, the question has to be asked: is Bisto vegan? And the answer is not going to please gravy lovers who follow a strict vegan diet\u2026 no, Bisto is not vegan. (At least that is the case for vegans who are concerned about possible cross contamination with animal products.)<\/p>\n

Why Isn’t Bisto Vegan?<\/h2>\n

Perhaps surprisingly, many Bisto products do not actually contain any ingredients that derive from animals, and as such many are classed as vegetarian (including their familiar Bisto Gravy Granules and the Original Gravy Powder). The problem is rather that the Bisto products are produced in factories that handle animal products. As such, the Bisto products that are suitable for vegetarians are not suitable for vegans because of the possibility of cross contact or cross contamination, at least according to the manufacturers.<\/p>\n

What the Makers of Bisto Had to Say<\/h3>\n

\"BistoWe contacted Premier Foods, the makers of Bisto, for clarification and they responded with the following:<\/p>\n

As a responsible manufacturer, we will only confirm if a product is suitable for vegans when we are happy that we can make the claim and it is supported with analytical data. This is not the case for at this moment in time due to our current manufacturing processes and operations where we manufacture products that do contain ingredients of animal origin and products that do not.
\n<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of course, there are plenty of people who view themselves as vegans who would happily consume the Bisto products that don\u2019t explicitly contain any animal products. For these people we have listed the main options later in the article.<\/p>\n

Other vegans, who might cite ethical reasons<\/a> for being vegan would probably want to avoid even the Bisto products that don\u2019t list animal-derived products on the ingredients on the basis of possible cross contact\/contamination or indeed that the company makes other products that do include animal products. For these people, fear not, there are plenty of vegan-friendly gravy granules available, as we detail in the next section.<\/p>\n

Before we come to that, though, note also that many of the Bisto products contain palm oil, and many people would argue that palm oil isn\u2019t vegan<\/a> due to the harm its cultivation does to animals due to deforestation and habitat destruction.<\/p>\n

Vegan Friendly Gravy Granules: Alternatives to Bisto<\/h2>\n

Whether you want a bit of gravy on your favourite vegan pie or for your vegan Christmas dinner<\/a>, there are loads of very tasty options for vegan-friendly gravy granules. Of course, you could just make your own vegan gravy, but if you\u2019re pressed for time, here are some fine options that will take the hassle out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Brand\/Flavour<\/th>\nWhy We Like Them<\/th>\nWhere to Buy<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Marigold Vegan Bouillon Powder<\/td>\nVegan-friendly powdered stock that has a lovely flavour and which dissolves readily<\/td>\nGreenBay<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Free & Easy Gluten Free Vegetable Gravy<\/td>\nThough a more acquired taste, this gravy option is smooth and flavoursome<\/td>\nThe Vegan Kind Supermarket<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kallo Organic Garlic & Herb Stock Cubes<\/td>\nOne of the tastiest vegan stock cubes out there, this goes very well with vegan meat alternatives to add a little extra flavour<\/td>\nPlanet Organic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tideford Organic Vegan Gravy with Red Miso<\/td>\nThis fresh, refrigerated vegan gravy option ticks a lot of boxes, the miso adding a unique umami hit and very welcome flavour<\/td>\nOcado<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Which Bisto Products Contain No Animal Products?<\/h2>\n

As mentioned, many of the Bisto products available in the UK don\u2019t actually contain any animal products amongst their ingredients. Here are the Bisto options that are fine for vegetarians to consume and which contain no dairy products.<\/p>\n