A RESTAURANT has added a new vegan dish to their menu in celebration of Veganuary.

The new Vegan Quesadilla will be available at Mexican restaurant Tortilla in West Street, Brighton, from January 1.

A plant-based alternative to their smoky cheese will form part of the filling, along with Tortilla's signature vegan chilli-no-carne and grilled veggies, a side of tortilla chips, salsa verde and a pot of guacamole.

The dish is the first plant-based cheese alternative to be trialled by Tortilla.

The Applewood Vegan cheese will also be available to add to Tortilla's other main items including burrito, naked burrito and tacos for 50p.

Applewood Vegan marketing manager Lisa Harrison said this year, at least five per cent of the UK took part in Veganuary - an annual challenge that encourages people to follow a vegan diet for the month of January.

“With restaurant groups such as Tortilla rolling out vegan options for Veganuary 2022, we are hopeful that this number will increase as people will have more options,” she said.

The new Vegan Quesadilla will be available at Tortilla’s 50 eat in and takeaway sites across the UK from 2pm every day in January.

It will also be available to order through nationwide partnerships with Deliveroo and SSP.

It will cost £6.50 for a medium or £7.50 for a large.

Martyn Clover, head of food at Tortilla, added: “We pride ourselves on having an option for everyone and a cheese alternative is the one thing our vegan customers ask for most. We're stoked to be giving it to them this Veganuary.”

Since Veganuary began in 2014, participation has more than doubled each year. More than 400,000 people signed up to the 2020 campaign.

International head of communications and marketing at Veganuary Toni Vernelli said: “Veganuary's role is to help people choose plant-based foods, whether their motivation is health, planet, people or animals.

“And it is much easier to persuade people to try vegan if there is plenty of great-tasting, high-quality food like this readily available in restaurants."