Why creating a vegan dish was so important to a ‘fish and chips’ business
November marks World Vegan Month and, although we’re primarily known for our Indian-style fish and chips, the development of a vegan fish alternative has long been an important step for us as we strive to make the business as environmentally friendly as we can.
We’re all too aware of the sustainability issues when it comes to cod fishing, and while we’re always on the lookout for more sustainable fish sources, working on a high quality, just-as-tasty vegan option felt like the most ethical long-term approach.
According to research by The Vegan Society and the Food Standards Agency, the number of vegans in Great Britain quadrupled between 2014 and 2019 to 600,000, and in 2022, research by Ipsos found that 46 per cent of Brits aged 16-75 are considering reducing their intake of animal products in the future.
Our co-founder Anna has, herself, adopted a plant-based diet in recent years, meaning she’s been the perfect guinea pig for any vegan trial dishes – of which there’s been a few!
Developing a vegan dish to satisfy our loyal band of fish-lovers has been no mean feat, and we’ve had a few missteps along the way due to handling and storage issues (banana blossom, anyone?!). But we reckon we’ve hit the proverbial nail on the head with our delicious pakora-battered artichoke ‘vish’ – that’s vegan fish to the uninitiated!
Our artichoke ‘vish’ first appeared on our menu back in spring, and went down a storm with everyone who tried it, earning its place as a permanent English Indian fixture. The beautifully firm texture of the artichoke coupled with our signature crisp pakora batter is a match made in vegan heaven – it’s already Anna’s all-time favourite dish!
And with our chaat masala chips and array of sides already all vegan, it promises to be a hearty meal which is sure to satisfy even the hungriest vegan diners!
Over the summer, we attended several events where we offered a purely vegan menu, and we were delighted to take part in Lichfield’s first ever Vegan Market in October.
So next time you dine with us, why not give our artichoke a try – it could be your new favourite! And if you’ve already been a ‘vish’ convert, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop us a comment below, or pop over to our socials to let us know what you think!