Top chef says he will never offer a vegan option – because it’s a ‘rip-off’
A top chef has vowed never to offer a vegan option because it's a "rip off".
According to the Vegan Society, about 600,000 Brits are vegans. That’s about 0.9% of the UK population as a whole.
Despite the comparatively small number of vegans, options for an entirely animal-free diet are on almost every menu – from The Ivy to Greggs.
One place you won’t find vegan option, though, is in the Michelin-starred Restaurant Sat Bains.
Head chef Satwant Singh "Sat" Bains says that the ingredients are so cheap for vegan dishes that he wouldn’t be giving his customers value for money.
He said: "Vegan food is the biggest rip-off.
“The ingredients are so cheap.”
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He says he’s not interested in compromising his culinary vision for the sake of niche dietary requirements.
He said that catering for one diner with a deadly nightshade allergy, which rules out tomatoes, was "so hard to get right".
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He explained: "We were no longer doing our food. We were putting up dishes to meet this person's needs and almost forsaking our own style.
"You can't go to a heavy metal concert and expect classical music. It's my business and my business model to do what I want. I don't do vegan, halal or kosher.”
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Sat says he can work around food intolerances and allergies and caters for vegetarians and pescatarians – but won't be introducing a new addition to his menu.
The chef, whose 33-year career has been dedicated to developing a unique culinary style, says he won’t compromise when it comes to his celebrated seven and ten-course tasting menus which cost £105 and £120 a head.
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He said: "It's not just 10 dishes thrown on a menu – it's thought about so much in minute detail. We want to give our customers the best food we can.
"We are not specialists in vegan food and I never set out to be a vegan restaurant.
"The customers coming here know what to expect. We're niche – we can be niche with our menu in terms of ingredients so there are certain dietary [needs] we can't do and won't do. I can't go to a vegan restaurant and ask for steak."
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Dozens of people agreed with Sat’s stand.
Malc Appleby said: "It's his choice not to prepare or serve any vegan food. I respect that statement. I read (about) far too many restaurants doing it and getting it wrong and facing huge criticism."
Jane Curtis commented: "I agree Sat, vegan is a rip off and should not be given meat or fish based names eg vegan 'tuna' with no fish in sight, just watermelon at a very expensive price."
Nick Rhodes wrote: "Good! He’s continuing to cater for food lovers who like variety. Finally someone not jumping on the pathetic vegan band wagon. As for the people moaning about the price, guess what, this place isn’t targeted at you."
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