Guest Contributor Spotlight
I love to travel, but as a vegan, things can get complicated.
Anyone who’s tried to vacation as a vegan knows what I’m talking about. You’re wandering along a beautiful seafront, and your tummy starts to rumble. “Don’t worry,” you think. “We’re surrounded by restaurants.” But it turns out not a single one has any options. So, you go back to the hotel, slip into detective quick-drag, and spend two hours researching all the local vegan options. You trawl through Yelp, place all your trust in Happy Cow, mentally pre-order lunch from a grainy Google review photo, and then arrive to find the restaurant has been permanently closed since 2017.
Sounds familiar, right? This hangry nightmare scenario is why, for the past four years, I’ve relied on The Getaway Co. to plan all my vacations. You’ve probably heard me rambling about The Getaway Co. before (because I’m obsessed), but if not, they’re a fully vegan vacation company that specializes in bringing plant-based travellers together for incredible trips all over the world.
I’m a creator partner with The Getaway Co., which means I get to host these incredible trips and meet all the wonderful guests who attend. It’s a really special way to build relationships and community with likeminded people, and in fact, I’m actually hanging out with a former guest (now close friend) in London this weekend! That’s right, the Getaway Co. is not only entirely responsible for my vacations, but also my social life 🤣. When I talk about these trips, people always ask what kind of food we eat, particularly when travelling to countries that might not be exactly, ahem, vegan friendly. So I thought I’d put together a list of the best meals from every The Getaway Co. trip I’ve hosted. Each trip is so meticulously planned and makes use of vegan guides who are actual locals to the areas we visit, so even though we’re far from home, the food is consistently spectacular. Below are seven of those meals, which I think about pretty much every day. I’m hosting two Getaways this year; the first, to Switzerland in June (now sold out, sorry!) and a second to Bali in September (which still has a handful of tickets left)! If you are looking for an escape, but feel daunted by the idea of travelling as a vegan, consider coming with me! You can find full details here for my Bali trip, and if you have any specific questions, fire them over to Amanda and Lauren via The Getaway Co. Instagram! |
1. This Antipasti Salad with Homemade Parmesan in Tuscany
OK, I actually helped to make this one, but it still counts ok!? This was my first trip with The Getaway Co. and I co-hosted with the incredible Lauren Toyota (aka hot for food). On each trip I do a cooking demo for the guests and this time we made vegan versions of three Italian cheeses: Mozzarella, Parmesan and Ricotta. Then, for dinner that night, we used the delicious homemade parmesan as a topping on Lauren’s incredible antipasti salad.
The getaways to Italy are located in the Tuscan countryside, specifically an ancient market town called Panzano. We’re talking rolling hills of vineyards and olive groves, just a short drive from Florence.
2. This Entire Cabinet of Ice Cream in Athens
I’ll be honest, I really wasn’t expecting much from the vegan options in Athens, but once again, The Getaway Co. proved me wrong. We were taken on a full vegan food tour of the city which included the best gyros I’ve ever tasted. But the cherry on top was this ice cream spot called “Sugar Killer”. It’s a fully vegan ice cream spot that used no refined sugar in any of its ice creams. And every single one was sensational.
Greece has a huge number of accidentally vegan traditional dishes, or ones which just require a slight tweak, so every single meal we ate was kinda mind blowing. We also learned about how capers are made and saw them growing wild on the side of the road! 🤯
3. This Entire Spread of Pastries in Zurich
Zurich was packed with incredible vegan options, but I’d have never found half of them without The Getaway Co. This tiny bakery (called Moon), tucked in the back streets of Zurich, was absolutely incredible. They also make chocolates in house, as well as incredible espresso coffees.
The custard filled bun was my favourite, and the sticky pecan rolls. Oh no I should’ve had breakfast before writing this…
4. These Pastel de Nata in Lisbon
I’ve always been a massive fan of pastel de nata (those gorgeous, flaky, slightly caramelised Portuguese custard tarts) but I assumed we wouldn’t be finding any vegan ones in Lisbon. I don’t know about you, but I find that eating traditional local delicacies is usually impossible when travelling.
Anyway, The Getaway Co. took us to this hole-in-the-wall spot that exclusively sells vegan pastel de nata, and my life was changed permanently. I ordered (and ate) six!!
5. This Patisserie Pic Nic in Paris
In 2023 we hosted “The Megatrip” – named so because we travelled from London to Paris to Berlin, all in ten days! Paris isn’t famous for being particularly vegan friendly but our local vegan expert knew all the best spots. We picked up a selection of patisserie from the best spots in town and had ourselves a french pic nic in a sunny idyllic park. Those lemon meringue tarts fundamentally changed me for the better!
6. This Masterpiece Appetizer in Split
Last year I helped host The Getaway Co.’s first trip to Croatia, and our opening night dinner in Split old town included this masterpiece! The plating alone was breathtaking, but the food was also something else. Homemade vegan soft cheese, ajvar gel spheres, pickled mushrooms… just spectacular. And this was just the appetizer! I had 3D printed vegan steak for main, in a red wine sauce that I could’ve spooned directly into my mouth.
7. This Carbonara in Tuscany
And last but not least, this bloomin carbonara! The location for the Italian getaways is so remote and idyllic that we hire a private vegan chef to cook any meals we might eat at the hotel. The wonderful Chef Gabriele Palloni made this carbonara using homemade vegan bacon and homemade vegan parmesan and oh good gosh, I have literally dreamt about this meal numerous times!
Final Thoughts
If I’ve managed to make you hungry (for vegan food and vegan travel) then consider coming along with me to Bali! The trip is about half-way sold out, so check out the full details here if you’re on the fence!
We’re staying at the incredible Theanna Eco Villa in Canggu and we’ll be packing our schedule with volcano hikes, excursions to Tegalalang rice terraces, a visit to Ulun Danu Temple and swims in tropical waterfalls. I really hope you can make it!
xxx Richard
Richard Makin is the creator behind School Night Vegan, a blog dedicated to quick, delicious, and accessible plant-based meals. After transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, Richard focused on making cooking enjoyable and easy, even on busy weeknights. His recipes feature fresh, wholesome ingredients and are designed to bring flavor to your table with minimal effort. We’re so thankful for Richard’s contribution to our guest blog, where he shares his favourite vegan meals enjoyed during his time with us at The Getaway Co.
Check out Richard’s blog for more tasty plant-based inspiration: School Night Vegan.
