Sowing Seeds of Revolution
Vegetarian entrepreneurs Peggy Chan and David Yeung discuss the rise of the meat-free movement
It would be hard to find a more apt venue for an interview with two of the city’s most passionate proselytisers of vegetarianism, Peggy Chan and David Yeung, than Grassroots Pantry. With its focus on sustainability and organic produce, Peggy’s hip Sheung Wan restaurant embodies the essence of the vegetarian lifestyle in 2018. In the six years she has been running it, Peggy has not only made Grassroots Pantry one of Hong Kong’s most imaginative vegetarian eateries, but also expanded its role to that of a workshop for plantbased experimentation. “This is one of the most pivotal places to have put vegetarianism in Hong Kong on the map,” says David. “Peggy has really been a game changer.”
So has he. David is the founder of Green Monday, a social venture that addresses animal welfare, environmental issues, health and climate change through a number of innovative projects, including working with restaurants and schools to help them to incorporate green options into their menus. In 2015, he opened the world’s first plantbased eatery and retail chain, Green Common, which is now one of Hong Kong’s most popular grocery chains (and eateries, too). He’s also a distributor for American vegetarian and vegan brands seeking to break into the Asian market. A few months ago, hot on the heels of the launch of meat alternatives such as Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat, he delivered the faux-pork option Omnipork, specifically conceived for the local market. It is now served in a growing number of hotels in Hong Kong, with plans to scale up distribution in the next few months.
In the two hours I spent with these enthusiastic promoters of plantbased living, they won me over to their conviction that the world is in the midst of a systemic change in the way we approach food and feeding ourselves. Here they discuss their passion for plant-based living and vision for a more sustainable future.
MEAT-FREE MOTIVATION
Peggy: I remember very clearly the day I decided to go vegetarian. I was 16 and had an awakening of sorts. I began thinking, “Why do we allow such a disconnect between the food we eat and where it comes from?” I cut out beef first, then gradually all other meat and fish. I’ve never looked back.
It wasn’t easy. The Hong Kong of the early 2000s hadn’t quite grasped the terms vegetarian and vegan, nor were there many plant-based dining options other than a few Buddhist restaurants. But the situation has changed immensely over the past two decades. We were part of it with the first Grassroots Pantry and Prune in Sai Ying Pun, and now here. It’s been a real journey.
David: I have been vegetarian for 17 years. I started at Chinese New Year in 2001. At the time it was very simple—i just didn’t want to cause any suffering to animals for my personal enjoyment of food. Soon after that, I started reading anything I could on the topic and it became more about the health and sustainability aspects. That’s when it really surprised and stunned me—how the animal agriculture industry could do so much damage to the planet, which is damage to us, basically.
VEGGIE BUSINESS
“HONG KONG IS ADAPTING WITH INCREDIBLE SPEED TO THE RISING DEMAND FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE LIVING”– PEGGY CHAN