Vegan ‘meat’ makes its debut on Michelin-starred menu

A GASTROPUB in west London has become the first Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK to serve a vegan meat substitute.

The Harwood Arms i n Fulham, which has one Michelin star, has started serving a meat-free scotch egg containing plant-based bacon.

The upmarket gastropub is known for its focus on British food and game, with dishes such as pig’s head and fallow deer adorning the menu.

It decided to use the plant-based bacon after seeing demand for meatfree options grow during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The meat-free Glamorgan scotch egg costs £5.50 and contains a mixture of herbs, leeks and vegan bacon to create a savoury and meaty taste.

Sally Abé, head chef at the Harwood Arms, said: “The venison Scotch eggs have become a much-loved favourite on our menus over the years.

“So we knew that if we were going to offer a vegetarian version, it had to really deliver on taste and texture.

“We spent a great deal of time perfecting the recipe.”

The eatery collabrated with This, a plant-based meat brand, to create the meal.

The brand promises “hyper realistic” meat substitutes, with the bacon made from soy.

Andy Shovel, the company’s founder, said: “Meat alternatives have often been met with scepticism by Michelinstarred restaurants and chefs, so I was actually quite emotional when the Harwood Arms team told us they wanted to put This on their menu.

“Our collaboration represents a major step forward in plant-based food innovation where products are now so realistic they are welcomed into the world of fine dining.”

Earlier in the year, Sat Bains, a Michelin-starred chef who runs Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham, said he would never serve vegan food as it wasn’t value for money.

He said: “Vegan food is the biggest rip-off. The ingredients are so cheap.

“I want to give people value for money. We are not specialists in vegan food and I never set out to be a vegan restaurant.”

However, Mr Shovel claims his company has experienced a surge in demand for plant-based products has during the pandemic.

An estimated eight million Britons now describe themselves as either vegetarian or vegan.

And the global meat substitute market is expected to reach £13.6 billion by 2027 – largely as a result of Covid-19.