STORY: :: Britain's first Michelin-starred vegan restaurant is often packed with meat-eating diners
:: London, England
:: November 20, 2025
:: Kirk Haworth, Chef-Patron at Plates
"I believe that we cook delicious food, and that's the most important thing. We're not trying to replace meat or make things look like meat and fish. We're trying to showcase flavor, texture, acidity, depth of umami, all these array of things that your palate, you know, feels alive when it tastes them, let's say, through a journey on a menu."
"I don't say that we're a vegan fine dining restaurant, you know what I mean. So we let people come in here not knowing what's going to happen to them. And a lot of people actually come in. They say, oh, you know, they come on a table of four, It's like 'I didn't tell my dad what he [the food] was going to be because he probably wouldn't have come. We just told him we'd take him to this restaurant', you know what I mean, and then halfway through he's like, 'Oh, my God, I'm, I'm changed. I'm a changed man' or whatever. You know, I love this flavor."
Haworth, who co-founded Plates in London with his sister, avoids the "vegan" label. He wants diners to judge dishes on taste, not ideology.
Plates became the first plant-based restaurant in Britain to earn a Michelin star earlier this year, a milestone Haworth says reflects a shift in how chefs and critics view vegetables, inviting those who are skeptical to "come and eat, then make your mind up".
Britain's vegan population is still small - about 3% of adults - but curiosity is growing.
Michelin praises Plates for its "earthy, natural vibe" and inventive and inviting dishes that give vegetables the respect they deserve.
