jerseybean

Hello we are arriving in April and are all Vegetarians.
Will everyone think we're strange?
I know there's no quorn or Linda McCartney stuff has anyone found anything similar?
Any good vege restaraunts in Hamilton?

happynz

Plenty of people here are vegetarians. I don't think you'll have any problems. You can even grow your own. We live in a tiny rental unit and we are harvesting our own tomatoes, courgettes, chilis, several varieties of lettuce and enough herbs to make things interesting. Gardening seems to be a popular activity. You will also find shops that sell organic produce if that is your thing.

I don't live in Hamilton so I can't help you with any restaurant tips, but I would think you'd not be too hard pressed to find something acceptable.

Kiwiprincess

No! Plenty of people are vegetarian. My experience is probably a bit skewed because i work for a conservation group (greenie tree hugging hippies the lot of them! hehe) but i have never ever had a problem finding vege venues for eating out or finding food for various functions.

One thing you should note - NZ has less ready made packaged products of either vegetarian or omnivore problems. So there isn't the range of premade vege sausages etc. There is definitely a range (at least in Wellington) but it is simply not as big.

No, you won’t be viewed as freaks. Even in the Waikato

Personally, I think I should become a vegan – meat & dairy is becoming SO expensive lately. As long as I can eat steak and eat ice cream I think I would be quite a happy little vegan.

sarahw

My OH is a veggie and it took a while to find good products to replace quorn. Our local New World (in Auckland) stocks a good range of tofu products - marinated chunks, sausages, bacon etc from Bean Supreme www.beansupreme.co.nz. Also in the frozen section they sell burgers, veggie mince etc from Frys www.vegedelights.com

The think we found most tricky was vegetarian cheese (be prepared for lots of label reading!) and items such as yoghurt and creme fraiche containing gelatine. I even found some crackers the other day that contained beef as an ingredient

On the eating out front that's probably more of a challenge. If you say you're veggie they often try to offer you something made of chicken or fish!! We only really eat out in mexican, thai and pizza places.

There is a vegetarian society in NZ that you could contact too www.vegetarian.org.nz

Good luck

alyj

can anyone please advise me what make up can you get in Hamilton or anywhere in NZ> please, christian Dior> is it expensive>

Kiwiprincess

Out of interest- do you still have a problem finding vegetarian cheese? I know it is quite common in Wellington (at least for the big Mainland type cheeses) to be able to buy vege cheese.

Never realised that about vege restaurants - I think my grandmother would probably ask if chicken was ok (roll eyes now) but for a restaurant to do it - well that's pretty bad! Never had a problem with organising vege food at restaurants with the hippies at work. Maybe they can just see us coming....they probably assume we don't eat anything that casts a shadow.

sarahw

We've got the cheese thing sussed now with the exception of a decent veggie parmesan. Any suggestions on that (except the Puhoi parmesan which is horrid)??

I know one veggie who was asked at a BBQ if they wanted a steak. When they declined saying they were veggie, they were offered the sausages instead