Virtually all shorthaul is catered out of London isn't it? Sadly choices (if there is one) get used up on the outbound often.

As for the meals, it stands to reason they will make vegan and they will make Asian vegetarian. So given they need to make those and a lacto ovo can also eat them that is what you will frequently get, generally the vegan one.

Accordingly I generally go for the Asian vegetarian as you know it will be a curry. Just need to remember to turn it back to lacto ovo vegi if it is a morning flight - or it will be a curry for breakfast!

The best standard lacto ovo vegi used to be the chickpea casserole - every single flight other non-vegi passengers asked for it. Without exception - which shows that meat eaters eat vegi meals - so the spares should be vegi.

Fed up with not being able to get a vegi meal inside 24 hours. I booked as qantas flight inside 3 hours of departure and a vegi meal appeared in front of me (was amazed - it had flowed through from my BA.com profile).

Compare that with BA. Inside 24hours they can't even take it as a request on a 'best endeavours' basis flying out of their hub. Get a lecture from cabin crew that it can be booked - not inside 24 hours it can't.