Vegan and vegetarian food at Ivano's in Dumfries: what to order and what to ask

Ivano's Italiano, the Italian takeaway at 11 Whitesands in Dumfries, makes four vegan pizzas and a vegan garlic focaccia, and any classic pizza can have vegan mozzarella or no cheese. Our fryers use beef dripping, though, so nothing fried is suitable for vegetarians or vegans. This page sets out what's marked vegan or vegetarian on our menu, what isn't, and the questions worth asking before you order.

Our old menus promised an "extensive vegetarian menu" next to the pizza, pasta and fish and chips, and meat-free food is still a big part of what we cook on the Whitesands. In an Italian kitchen the surprise is usually the cheese; in a Scottish chip shop, it's the fryer.

First, the fryers: beef dripping

We'd rather say it plainly here than have you find out afterwards. If you're ordering for a vegetarian or a vegan, leave the fryer menu out of their part of the order and choose from the dishes below.

Four vegan pizzas

Our vegan pizzas are made on our pizza dough and pomodoro (tomato) base, with grated vegan mozzarella:

• Vegan Margherita

  Basil and sliced cherry tomatoes.

• Vegan Al Ivanos

  Mushrooms, capers and oregano.

• Vegan Piccante

  Red onion, chilli flakes, black olives and infused chilli oil.

• Vegan Toscana

  Mushrooms, black olives and oregano.

One thing to know if you have an allergy: our allergen table marks the vegan mozzarella may contain tree nuts and soya (some vegan cheeses are made from cashews).

Any classic pizza, without the dairy

Every classic pizza on our menu comes with a choice of cheese: ordinary mozzarella, vegan mozzarella for a small extra charge, or no cheese at all. So if a Vegetariana (mushrooms, roasted peppers, sweetcorn and onions) or an Al Funghi is what you fancy, swap the cheese and you're done. You can also build your own 12-inch pizza on the tomato-only base and add the vegetables you want.

A couple of toppings aren't vegan even though they aren't meat: the anchovies on the Pizza Di Napoli, and the honey on the Pizza Al Scozzese.

Garlic bread: olive oil, not butter

In a lot of places garlic bread is made with garlic butter, which is why "is garlic bread vegan?" is such a common question. Ours is a focaccia: our pizza dough baked with garlic, olive oil, oregano and sea salt. There's no butter in it, and it's marked vegan on our menu. The Special Focaccia adds mozzarella, so it isn't vegan. There's more about our focaccias in focaccia, calzone and panzanelle.

What's marked V on our menu

Our menu marks dishes V (vegetarian) and VG (vegan). These are the ones that carry a mark:

Two notes from our allergen table: it marks the Sweet Chilli and Garlic dip and the Spicy Marie Rose "may contain fish", so if that matters to you, ask us before you order. Our guide to dips and sides has more about each dip.

Pasta without meat or fish

Several of our pasta dishes have no meat or fish in them:

• Arrabbiata: tomato, garlic, chilli flakes and Italian herbs.
• Funghi Piccante: garlic mushrooms in arrabbiata.
• Vegetariana: mushrooms, onions, sweetcorn and roasted peppers in arrabbiata.
• Imperiale and Imperiale Vegetariana: arrabbiata with fresh cream.
• Al Creama and Funghetto: cream and white wine, the Funghetto with mushrooms.
• Macaroni Cheese and Quattro Formaggi: our cheese sauces.

Our menu doesn't mark any pasta dish V or VG, so if you're vegetarian or vegan, ask us about the dish when you order. The Arrabbiata, Funghi Piccante and Vegetariana have no milk in their allergen rows; their only "may contain" is egg, which comes with the tagliatelle option, so choose penne or spaghetti. Gluten-free penne can be swapped in too: our article on gluten and allergies explains what we can and can't promise there.

A word about cheese

Some cheeses are made with animal rennet, and strict vegetarians avoid them. Traditional Italian hard cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano are always made that way, and so is a good deal of gorgonzola. On our menu, gorgonzola is in the Quattro Formaggi pasta and pizza, and parmesan is in the four-cheese pasta dishes and the Pollo Parmigiano.

We don't list the rennet in each of our cheeses, so if that matters to you, ask us before you order. We'd rather tell you exactly what's in a dish than label it and hope.

Rice dishes and salad

The Funghi Risotto (creamy mushroom rice) and the Speciale Verdure Risotto (tomato sauce, mushrooms, onions, sweetcorn and peppers, topped with cheese) have no meat in their descriptions, but they aren't marked V on our menu, so ask us if you'd like to know more. The Caprese Salad, sliced beef tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella, olive oil, oregano and basil, is marked V.

How to order

1. Choose your pizza or dish

   Pick a vegan pizza, or choose vegan mozzarella or no cheese as you build a classic one.

2. Leave out the fryers

   Chips, onion rings and panzanelle are fried in beef dripping.

3. Ask before you order

   Check our allergens page, and if anyone has an allergy, or you'd like to ask about a dish, add it in the notes box at checkout, ring the shop, or tell us at the counter before you order.

Once we reopen, we're open Thursday to Sunday, 4pm to 10pm, for delivery across most of Dumfries and for collection from 11 Whitesands. The vegan pizzas are on the menu.

Have an allergy? Please read our allergen information and tell us before you order.

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