Last week, I landed myself in hot water for questioning the efficacy of Alexis Gauthier’s policy of calling out people for eating meat and fish. His targets have included Tod Inskip (as in Eating with Tod), Stanley Tucci, Prince William and, most recently, me.
In a video posted on Instagram, the UK’s most high-profile vegan chef took issue with my suggestion that he serves his dishes with a side order of self-righteousness (he definitely does) and that he’s having a “tempeh tantrum.”
At the time of writing, the post had attracted nearly 700 comments, and many of Gauthier’s 244,000 followers reached out on a more personal level - via DMs and post comments - to suggest, among other things, (and rather against the spirit of veganism) that I should cook and eat my cat. Some of Gauthier’s more passionate supporters have had to be blocked, and I now lift the covers each morning half expecting to find a catering-sized box of tofu at the foot of my bed.
I should point out; the article was far from a hit piece on Gauthier or high-reaching vegan restaurants. He highlighted a single line and neglected to mention that I also described him as a talented cook, and said his “approach was completely valid and aligned perfectly with the mission of his two London restaurants.”
I also take issue with the video’s caption, which accused me of trying to shut him up. Surely I’m doing the opposite?
The article, which I’m certain most commenters didn’t read, not least because Gauthier didn’t link to it, compared the Frenchman’s insurgent communications style and approach to running a vegan restaurant with the more softly-softly style favoured by another, equally talented, subset of plant-based chefs.
I’ve tried to reduce my meat and fish consumption in recent years, especially at home. But the reality is that for all the talk of vegetable-forward cooking, the vast majority of UK restaurant menus are still centred on meat and fish. My job is to report on the industry as it is, not how some people might want it to be.
As Gauthier ably highlights, veganism is an emotive issue, and it is entirely understandable that people who choose not to eat meat on ethical grounds can take issue with those places that serve it and people who do eat it.
Yet, for me brilliant plant-based meals at places like Holy Carrot and Plates prompt more reflection on my meat and fish intake than being told I’m a monster for doing what at least 90% of the population does. There’s a lot of conflicting data out there, but according to a recent report by The Vegan Society, 3% of the population identify as vegan and 4% as vegetarian.
That kind of extreme stance makes me - and I suspect many others - switch off from the debate. And so does a reliance on so-called fake meat (and fish) products, which are also a turn off for many. At his restaurant 123V, Gauthier replicates sushi but using only vegan ingredients. Dishes include ‘seafood’ made with pressed tapioca, 3D printed plant flank, and tempura plant prawn.
It’s very clever and creative and it’s struck a chord with many vegans looking for a way to get their sushi fix. But what places like Plates and Holy Carrot are doing is promoting a different style of plant-based eating where vegetables are not pretending to be something else (for the sake of balance I should point out that Gauthier’s menus aren’t exclusively comprised of dishes that imitate meat and fish) .
No single approach is ‘right’, but isn’t that the point? I believe we should all be eating a lot less meat and fish. I respect Gauthier’s ethical position and his innovation in the restaurant space, but if we want to change people’s eating habits then the softly-softly approach – however odious it might seem to die-hard vegans – might prove more effective in the long term.