You don’t win friends with salad…

Recently we have held – for the first time in the restaurant’s history – several successful vegan nights. I wanted to reflect on why we have begun to consider plant-based food, how that practically works for a non-vegan restaurant and, perhaps, what it might teach me about food and food culture more generally.

By means of history – I am no stranger to veganism. My foray into plant-powered politics was entirely driven by my musical heroes.  It was de rigeur in the hardcore and punk scene and, in spite of protestations, all punks want to fit in (secretly). Besides, I was deeply concerned that Morrissey and I would never be best friends if I didn’t go vegan.

 My time deeply embedded in vegan culture was complex and could easily fill an entire monograph.  Suffice to say it had high points, low points and saw me wear fancy dress far more often than I care to recall. Fundamentally, I believe now, as I believed then, that our food systems are broken.  Whilst the way this expresses in my life now diverges widely from the veganism of my youth, this belief remains a driving principle reflected in our continued meticulous approach to sourcing and intentionality in ingredients. 

It was professional cookery that ended my veganism. Veganism was then a very close-knit community and, understandably, I faced some backlash when I ended my involvement.  The front of our first restaurant was once chalked (eco-friendly at least?) with “Ex-Vegan”.  It was, of all the trolling I’ve received (and there’s been plenty), one of the more confusing acts. Given it was simply accurate.  I reflect now what it perhaps implied. To the masked chalk-crusader this was an act of rejection or distaste.

I suspect it was that in a dogmatic way my lack of interest in any particular label or dietary restriction felt like a lack of integrity, a disingenuous reversal of all they felt I previously stood for.  The irony being those same values have continued to be my guiding principle in my career to date. 

Thus, on face value my reticence to explore vegan cookery was, in part, a selfish reluctance to clean more chalk off my restaurant.  Time, that perfectly seasoned antidote to most of life’s ills, mellows one’s thinking. I recognise that the rise of veganism in contemporary culture is rapid and it is a much changed world.  Whilst I’m not convinced it is yet mainstream, its impact is undeniable.  The day McDonald’s launch a Vegan Big Mac is a rather good arbiter of where we are at in adoption.

The stream of vegan diners eager to spend time in The Wilderness world has only increased in recent years.  It is very important to me that our restaurant remains contemporary, and that means to me that we are grounded by our founding values, but also that we listen to culture, evolve with the world we occupy.  It’s been a discussion internally for years – one centred around how we can translate our existing creativity into plant-based dishes with integrity and authenticity. To write less like a wanker, how do we create something that feels equal to the rest of what we do?

There is a wanky truism of cheffing that is “there is nowhere for the ingredient to hide.”  This is very much true for me, and there must be an intentionality of ingredient.  We will never seek to obliterate the core ingredient, only elevate it.  Regrettably, post Brexit the quality of fruit and vegetables available in this country is lamentable.  Imagine a restricted set of ingredients, and then half it again to account for the produce that is still a daily struggle to get at the standard we require.  One suspects plant-based cookery would flourish in a country that recognises better the beauty in exceptional plants.

There is a flip side – cooking with no animal products will expose your ingredients. Animal fats and dairy are incredibly adept at carrying flavour and enhancing mouthfeel.  I think, especially, on a rather wonderful ice cream that Marius has created using oat milk and koji.  It is one of the cleanest and most accurate expressions of flavour I’ve tried in recent years – in a way that I suspect good quality dairy would mask, demanding our attention.  I adore butter, cream, the good shit, but it is absolutely an attention seeker. For us, we have found vegan cookery is the culinary equivalent of the wise advice of that gastronomic behemoth Marilyn Monroe – “take the last item of clothing off.”  Having less to work with really hones the intentionality behind flavour.  There is an unmitigated joy in learning more about food en masse on this journey.

 The other major observation is one of process.  We do not create plant-based food using any shortcuts, brought in ingredients, or analogues (meat substitutes, etc).  This makes it incredibly process-driven.  An exceptional piece of fish requires a gentle concern, but relatively little to express well.  Raw vegetables – granted more so in this season – require a lot more process.  To deliver an evening, it took our entire brigade two full days to prepare (not accounting for the many days spent on development).  This is not, in and of itself, a criticism – many good and delicious things take significant time.

 This however intersects with a more delicate point on value for money.  Another obstacle to us offering plant-based options has been the correlation between enquiries and an expectation that without animal products, this menu ought to be significantly cheaper.  This is a societal expectation – it is bigger than an individual.  We do not place equal value on vegetables – from supply chain through to £££.  Nor is this exclusively a problem for vegan food, it intersects with the universal problem that restaurants are much misunderstood businesses. The cost of produce on your plate is just one of the many elements that must be accounted for by the restaurateur hopeful of making a slim profit from their endeavours.

 So, what’s the point? Given the above, I have to be honest and say that, for now, vegan nights at The Wilderness will remain impromptu but continued evenings of exploration. We have no desire to remove them entirely from our repertoire, but business dictates that we cannot deliver them in line with our principles on anything more than an ad hoc basis…for now.

 That said, it’s a thread of culinary thought and cultural interest that Marius and I are committed to exploring. So, perhaps read this not as a lament, but as a plea for redemption from the “Ex-Vegan”. Whilst I may be on the outskirts now, I am standing on the sidelines calling out for connection. If you have thoughts on how fine dining can navigate the complexities of veganism and, let’s face it, the future challenges for food, I’m all ears. Email me, DM me, or chalk it up on the side of my restaurant if you must. 

Our next impromptu evening of plant-based exploration is March 3rd 2022.