Accredited Care Home membership

VfL Accredited Care Home membership recognises care providers that go further for their older vegetarian and vegan residents. Accredited members are listed on the Vegetarian for Life UK List with the VfL Accredited badge. Please read the Code of Good Practice below, then complete the application. Once you submit, you’ll be taken to our shop to pay the Accredited Care Home membership fee. Please contact us if you have any questions.

This advice is provided as a best practice guide. Members of the Vegetarian for Life – UK List undertake to operate within its spirit, in order to provide ethical catering for older vegetarians. They may also choose to include provision for older vegans.

Vegetarian dishes must not contain:

• animal flesh (meat, fish or shellfish)
• meat, fish, or bone stock, or stock cubes containing same
• animal carcass fats (including suet, lard or dripping)
• gelatine, gelatine-based jelly, or aspic (jelly made from meat stock)
• products with ingredients derived from slaughterhouse e.g. lard, or calf rennet in cheese.

Battery or intensively produced eggs should be avoided wherever possible. Please consult individual residents regarding their attitude on eggs.

Vegan dishes must not contain:

• anything on the vegetarian list above
• dairy products including cheese, milk, butter, cream and yoghurt
• eggs
• honey.

Stumbling blocks

Cheese – Traditionally cheese was made using rennet, an enzyme extracted from the stomach of slaughtered calves. But today most UK cheese is vegetarian. If in doubt, please ask your supplier. Cheese products are never suitable for vegans. Vegan cheese-alternatives are available in some stores.

Fats, oils and margarine – Butter is suitable for vegetarians, but not for vegans. Other animal fats and fish oils, and products containing them, are unsuitable for either. There are many margarines suitable for both vegetarians and vegans – usually clearly indicated on the container.

Gravies and stock – Cubes or powders containing meat, poultry or fish extract are not acceptable. Please use vegetable stocks and stock cubes.

Honey – Royal jelly is not vegetarian. Honey is acceptable to vegetarians but not vegans. Agave syrup can be a useful replacement.

Milk and cream – Milk and cream are acceptable to vegetarians, but not to vegans. Soya milk is readily available in supermarkets and is good for most vegans. Rice, nut and oat milks are also available for those who do not like soya.

Worcester sauce – Usually contains anchovies, but vegetarian versions are available.

Toiletries – The majority of vegetarians and vegans have adopted their lifestyle due to concern for animal suffering. If you provide soap, shampoo and similar products, please try to ensure that they are animal-free and have not been tested on animals.

Kitchen hygiene

Work surfaces, chopping boards, utensils and other kitchen equipment should either be kept separate from those used for non-vegetarian food preparation, or cleaned thoroughly beforehand. Cross contamination should also be avoided between vegetarian and vegan foods.

Please ensure that fryers, grills and griddles used for preparing meat and fish are thoroughly cleaned. Fryers must be filled with fresh, uncontaminated oil before vegetarian or vegan food is cooked.

Choice

• For each meal you should offer at least one vegetarian option.
• Good communication with your vegetarian residents or service-users should ensure that individual preferences are observed. (If necessary – for frail or vulnerable vegetarians – family or friends should be consulted to ascertain preferences.)
• Menu planning should ensure a good variety of food of high nutritional value – with an appropriate mix of carbohydrate, protein, fat and fibre – providing at least 5 portions a day of fruit or vegetables. ‘Dairy-overload’ should be avoided. (More guidance is contained in our catering guide and on our website.)
• We would encourage you to offer your meat-eaters the vegetarian options – which will be good for the variety and nutritional needs of their diet.

Listing options

All members of the VfL – UK List accept our guidelines for vegetarian provision. We would encourage members to also agree to their listing including the following symbols:

• (Vg) Members agree to adhere to the guidelines for vegan provision
• (F) All eggs used are free range and, where possible, any ready-made products used contain free range eggs

Listing is by individual establishment or organisation. Group listings are welcome – please email us the contact information for each site you would like included. VfL reserves the right to remove from the List any establishment or organisation which fails to follow the Code of Good Practice.