Nottingham pub goes 100% vegan

Vegan chef David Best, who created the meat-free menu at the Peacock, Mansfield Road, told local paper The Nottingham Post​ he had been inspired by visiting other thriving vegan pubs around the country.

He said: “Just because you are vegan does not mean you have to eat quinoa and lentils.”

The pub’s food offer now features dishes such as seitan ‘wheat meat’ and stuffed Portobello mushroom burgers; asparagus, minted peas and caramelised onion pie; soya mince, homemade ricotta and cashew nut lasagne and battered tofu wrapped in seaweed.

'Gut feeling'​

Licensee Michael Scholes told the local paper he had been nervous before the change but had a ‘gut feeling’ it was the right move.

“I have quite a few friends who are vegan. We originally changed the menu so there were vegan options for everything but we got lots more vegans than meat eaters so we thought why not scrap it and make it all vegan?”

Show of support

The Post ​reported that some of the pubs' regulars had protested about the switch and promised to go elsewhere, but many of the city’s vegans had come out in a show of support for the pub.

Fellow vegan pub the Adam & Eve, Bristol, closed earlier this year​ after only being open for 11 weeks.

Licensee Bruce Gray, who previously worked for BrewDog, said at the time that despite thriving trade, repair and refurbishment costs had left him with no option but to close.