World Vegan Day: Meet the chef bringing ‘chicken shop culture’ to veganism
‘I’m not your stereotypical vegan’
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Your support makes all the difference.Chicken shops might be a staple of British culture, but it’s not quite the same for vegans, who typically avoid such establishments – for obvious reasons.
Historically, those following a plant-based diet have missed out on the UK’s thriving chicken shop scene, which connoisseurs will know is about a lot more than a buckets of wings.
Today, the humble chicken shop has become a gentrified cult, populated by classic chains like Nando’s and trendy spin-offs like Soho House’s Chicken Shop.
And now, after years of being left out in the cold with not even a nugget to nibble, vegans are finally being invited to join in the fun.
First came Temple of Seitan, the popular street food stall selling meat-free, greasy goodness in true chicken shop style, only the chicken was made from seitan: a protein-rich meat alternative made from wheat gluten.
Then it was time for Temple of Hackney, a standalone shop to follow the stall, which also sells gluten-free soya nuggets.
Now, there’s Vegan Rudeboy: a fun and vibrant food venture bringing chicken shop culture to veganism via a whole host of creative dishes, such as pesto mayo burgers and succulent fried seitan strips.
Launching on Saturday in London at Soho Vegan Market on Rupert Street, Vegan Rudeboy aims to tackle the stigma surrounding the quintessential vegan, whereby plant-based eating is viewed as accessible only to those who can afford to shop in expensive organic supermarkets like Whole Foods or Planet Organic.
“We want to help to normalise vegan food to a non-vegan demographic and introduce the wider benefits of vegan culture as a result,” explains founder Luciano Zeraschi, who has only been vegan himself for three years, a decision he made in response to his views on animal cruelty.
It was on his travels in South America that the 24-year-old began experimenting with vegan recipes.
Zeraschi honed his skills in the kitchen by adapting non-vegan dishes, which led to a six-week cooking placement at Salud De Luz, a popular vegan restaurant in Peru.
While working there, friends started calling the former youth football club manager “vegan rudeboy” as a joke due to his innovative and urbanised approach to vegan cooking.
With dishes like mozzarella sticks, breakfast burgers and pulled pork burgers on the menu, there’s no doubt about the fact that Vegan Rudeboy has mainstream appeal, firmly debunking the myth that vegans are bound to live a life of lentils and lettuce.
“I’m not your stereotypical vegan and I want to appeal to vegans like myself,” Zeraschi tells The Independent.
“I think the name Vegan Rudeboy works because whether you’re vegan or not, it captures your imagination, and indirectly represents what I’m trying to achieve: two words that represent two conflicting cultural identities that I’m trying to connect”.
He hopes that the new venture will inspire people to experiment with veganism, touting the benefits of cutting down meat as “something that will have huge positive effects on the climate”.
In July, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford found that cutting meat and dairy products from your diet is the “single biggest way to reduce our environmental impact on the planet”.
“From preserving habitats to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions; adopting a vegan diet benefits us all as a society just on that basis,” Zeraschi continues.
“Not to mention the personal health benefits of a plant-based diet, such as the lowering the risk of heart disease”.
He explains how it’s now easier than ever before to eat a vegan diet, with many supermarkets selling plant-based ready-meals and chain restaurants, from Nando’s to Pizza Express, creating special vegan dishes.
“It seems like more and more people are becoming vegan each year,” Zeraschi adds, “and since I became vegan in 2014, it’s way easier to access vegan food.
“We’re definitely going in the right direction for the veganism to match the mainstream appeal of chicken shop culture in the future”.
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