Islington schools are some of the best in the country at providing vegan meals.

The Vegan Society has rated Islington Council ‘green’ for the steps it has taken to be inclusive of veganism.  

The council was among 19 local authorities commended by the charity after responding to a Freedom of Information request (FoI) about its plant-based catering provisions.

Islington Council said that its school meals contractor is expected to accommodate all dietary requirements, including veganism, to ensure every pupil can take up its food offer.

In spring of this year, a vegan main meal was available at least twice a week in schools.

The council's caterer has been providing a daily option of freshly cooked jacket potatoes with a choice of fillings as an alternative for pupils.

Children are also given the choice of two cooked vegetables, five vegetable salads and fresh fruit each day.

In its response to the Vegan Society's FoI request, Islington Council also said that catering for external events is “strictly vegan”.

Claire Ogley, head of campaigns, policy and research at The Vegan Society, said: “It’s fantastic to see some councils – including Islington Council – leading the way and taking strong steps to include vegans and acknowledge the urgency of the climate crisis.

“However, for many local authorities there is still a long way to go and we hope our report will be a useful tool to help people to hold their local areas to account and push for more sustainable options.

“Ensuring that all public sector menus provide a 100% plant-based option every day is a crucial step towards vegan-inclusion across the UK and to encourage the transition to a more sustainable and healthier food system for everyone.”  

The Vegan Society's report is a further boost to Islington's plant-based credentials.

As well as being home to a whole host of vegan eateries, it was chosen as the place for the UK's first vegan butcher to open in 2020.

The charity said that among the local authorities that responded to its FoI request, it had categorised 136 as ‘amber’, meaning they have taken limited steps to provide plant-based options.

A further 54 were categorised as 'red', meaning that they have not taken steps to be inclusive of veganism or to address their meat and dairy consumption.