Pigs in Blankets – Tasty snack or cruelty on a plate?

When most people think of Christmas dinner in the UK, pigs in blankets spring to mind: little sausages wrapped in bacon – something that we see in EVERY Xmas advert right now. But behind that iconic comfort food lies a reality that often goes unseen and that is for the sentient beings themselves.

A Christmas Shock-Fact

It’s estimated that 668 million pigs in blankets are eaten across the UK over the festive season – that’s roughly 11 per person. That’s a lot of sausages, and behind each of those is a life and what makes it even sadder? One million of those are thrown in the bin as waste on Xmas day and a staggering 180 MILLION animals are slaughtered for the festive season in the UK alone.

Who Are These “Pigs in Blankets” Really?

In the UK, around 10 million pigs are slaughtered each year, and many of these pigs are raised in intensive indoor system which foster overcrowding, fighting and misery. Most pigs are around 6-10 months old when they are killed for meat, which means they are each robbed of around 15-20 years of life. Those pigs in blankets are, in fact, babies who, as a species, are more intelligent than a dog (and imagine the uproar if you served up Fido wrapped in more Fido on Xmas day) and are smarter than the average three-year-old child. When pigs are slaughtered they have the emotional capcity and intelligence to KNOW to be terrified, and yes, they scream when they’re herded to their death. Tragically, a large proportion of pigs are killed via high-concentration CO₂ gassing, which experts warn causes significant suffering.

On top of all these young animals being killed to be part of a 10-minute meal, breeding sows often live in farrowing crates, confined for much of their lives. The truth is that if you pick up a pack of pigs in blankets, you’re not just choosing a festive treat – you’re participating in a system that costs millions of pigs their lives every year. It’s very easy to turn a blind eye and feel like you’re an animal lover as you have your spoiled cat curled up on your lap, and your dog wagging with happiness to be part of your life, but if you truly love animals, then it shouldn’t be about species – it should be about having compassion and love for all animals. They all feel love, happiness, fear and pain.

What’s the Alternative? Cruelty-Free Christmas Magic!

Thankfully, you don’t have to give up your Christmas spirit (or your blanket-wrapped nibble) to make kinder choices. There are now delicious, cruelty-free versions of pigs in blankets, and they’re easier to find than ever. THIS Isn’t Pigs in Blankets are our particular favourites, but all supermarkets offer, as they should, a “no-pigs-in-blankets” option, especially in their vegan Christmas ranges. Beyond Meat’s plant-based sausages are another one we love, and you can easily get creative by wrapping vegan sausages with vegan rashers – or try new festive side dishes that don’t involve animals at all.

Why This Matters – Moving Beyond Taste and Tradition

Compassion: Every time you choose a vegan or cruelty-free option, you spare a pig a life. Those 668 million pigs in blankets? Even a small shift in purchasing habits can reduce demand significantly.

Welfare: The current system often involves high-stress rearing conditions and inhumane slaughter methods. Choosing plant-based options rejects that suffering.

Environmental Impact: Reducing pork consumption also helps with reducing environmental pressure with fewer resources spent on raising animals intensively.

Cultural Change: Christmas traditions evolve. Just as plant-based roasts and nut wellingtons are now common, vegan pigs in blankets can become a compassionate new tradition. Fish bladder jam used to be a popular choice, for example, once upon a time, and goes to show how traditions around food can and should change.

Is Your Meal Worth Their Life?

It’s a simple but powerful question. If we only think of pigs in blankets as a tasty snack, we risk ignoring the reality that 10 million+ sentient animals are killed in the UK every year to satisfy demand for pork alone (and don’t get us started on the 202 million chickens killed EVERY DAY). But when we remember that these are intelligent beings – individuals, not just ingredients – the stakes feel very different. Choosing cruelty-free options isn’t about giving up joy or celebration; it’s about expanding what our traditions mean: making them kinder, more inclusive, and more conscious about the lives behind the plate.

What You Can Do

Try plant-based pigs in blankets this Christmas – they’re widely available and often just as satisfying.

Share with friends and family what you’ve learned – spark a conversation at the dinner table.

Support organisations (like Hopefield) that care for animals and educate others.

Explore more cruelty-free holiday recipes: roasts, sides, puddings – Christmas doesn’t have to mean suffering.

At Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, we believe in a world where pigs are celebrated for who they are. This Christmas (and beyond), let’s choose compassion, let’s choose life.