Whetherspoon confuses punters by warning lemons and limes 'may not be vegan'

There are lots of obvious no-gos when it comes to food and drink as a vegan, but there are some less expected slip ups, too.

For instance, Wetherspoon just warned punters that they "cannot guarantee" their garnishes are plant-based, in a statement that left many baffled.

The warning came in the form of a sign at a pub in Bristol, which read: "While many of our drinks are listed as being vegan, we cannot guarantee, unfortunately, that the fruit garnishes are vegan.

"If you require a vegan option, please ask for your drink to be made without any fruit garnish."

Wetherspoon's sign confused a lot of plant-based customers (Credit: Reddit/CasualUK/bigdave_1)

Say what now?

Now, we know what you're thinking, and it's the same as many others were, too. Fruit is vegan, right? Right?!

"As a vegan, this really baffles me," said one person on Reddit, where an image of the sign was shared

Whilst another wrote: "I think most people would be surprised that fruit garnishes aren't vegan."

The reason, dear reader, is because of the wax on fruits lime lemon and lime.

The fruit on your tipple might not actually be vegan (Credit: Getty)

"We've just put these signs up in the Spoons I work in too. Apparently it's because the wax on the fruit contains animal products," said another in the comments.

Let us explain...

You see, there are two reasons that fruit peels are often not regarded as vegan.

The first is because post-harvest beeswax which is used in some peels, and the second is because fruit peels also contain shellac, which is a resin released by the female lac bug, found on trees in India and Thailand.

This is true for some oranges, lemons and limes, though shellac isn't always used – it varies depending on the supplier.

Fruit wax contains shellac which isn't vegan (Credit: Getty)

The fruit is covered in the wax and shellac to increase shelf life and reduce food waste. Plus, it improves their appearance.

Though many people aren’t aware, such fruits are also labelled non vegan in supermarkets, like Morrisons and M&S.

Of course, some vegans might decide that eating such ingredients isn’t an issue for them. These decisions depend on an individual’s reason for living a plant-based and their ethical stance on the matter. 

Every day's a school day, ey?

Featured image: Getty/ Reddit: CasualUK/bigdave_1