Mock meat: the rise of the vegetarian butcher

Vegetarian butchers are growing, and Jaap Korteweg, founder of The Vegetarian Butcher, is leading the way. Credit: The Vegetarian Butcher Written for the Telegraph by Sue Quinn T raditional butchers might be disappearing from UK high streets but there’s a new breed sharpening their knives to slice a different kind of meat – made from plants. So-called “vegetarian butchers” are popping up across the globe, selling products that mimic meat but contain no animal flesh at all. Their counters are brimming with chicken, ham, meatballs, minced beef, steak – even seafood – that purportedly looks, feels and tastes like the real deal, but are actually made from plant protein. And this new wave of butcher shop could be headed towards Britain. N iko Koffeman, marketing director of Holland-based Vegetarian Butcher , the world’s first plant butcher, says his business is in talks with an ethical investment company that wants to bring the concept to the UK soon. The Vegetarian Butcher’s innovative range of meatless meat and fish is claimed to be “indistinguishable from the real thing” in both appearance, texture and taste, and are now sold to restaurants and plant butchers in 13 countries, from Switzerland to China, and including the Hyde Park Book Shop café and bar in Leeds. “Britain is the cradle of vegetarianism and is ready for the Next Big Thing in vegan meat,” Niko says. “It won’t be long before the Vegetarian Butcher is in the UK.” M ock meat, of course, is nothing new. Patties made from soy-based protein and wheat gluten have been around since the 1960s, the spongy texture a vague approximation of meat. But a new generation of high-tech “meat analogues”, as the food industry would have it, is being engineered not only from soy and gluten but also peas, chickpeas, lupins, rice, maize, canola, fungi and even bacteria, to mimic the fibrous, juicy texture and taste of real flesh. And now they’re being sold as if they were meat, from traditional-style butcher counters. L ast month The Herbivorous Butcher opened in Minneapolis, the latest of a slew of plant butchers in the US and Canada. Founded by siblings Aubrey and Kale (yes, really) Walch, their plant-based Korean ribs, porterhouse steaks, pastrami, turkey and ham made international headlines. Meat-mad Spain now boasts the plant-butcher chain La Carnicera Vegatariana , and sausage-loving Germany will have its own Vegetarian Butcher outlet by June. And there’s not just mock meat – fake fish is making waves too. Last year, one of the world’s first vegan fish and chip shops opened in Sydney offering ocean-flavoured plant protein “seafood”. S o is faux flesh, once the preserve of hippies and food militants, turning mainstream? Certainly our appetite for meat substitutes is growing. According to consumer research group Mintel, the value of meat-free food sales in the UK rose from £543 million in 2009 to £657 million in 2014 – but it’s not just vegetarians and vegans buying the stuff. The Vegetarian Society says the number of vegetarians in the UK has actually remained steady in recent years, but more non-vegetarians are buying vegetarian food. The Vegan Society , meanwhile, reports increasing numbers of people dabbling with a vegan diet, albeit part time. It seems that “ flexitarians ” – those who eat meat occasionally – and carnivores trying to cut back on meat, are on the rise. “There is strong evidence that reducing your meat intake can lessen your impact on the planet and choosing tasty meat-free options more often can also have a positive effect on your health,” says Lynne Elliott, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society. “Overall, it’s a choice that makes a lot of sense. People love meat replacements – they’re a tasty, easy, quick-win at meal times. If you want to cut down on the amount of meat you eat and look after your health, meat alternatives are a great way to enjoy your family favourite meals.” But why should food from plants have to taste like meat? Isn’t it better that vegetables, grains and pulses taste like the best versions of themselves? No, according to Niko Koffeman, who says meat substitutes need to be convincing in every way to persuade hardcore-core carnivores to cut back. In fact, many of his customers buy meat lookalikes to “cheat their partners” into eating regular meat-free meals. “The only way to win the hearts of meat eaters, which is very necessary, is to give them sustainable, healthy, animal-friendly meat which tastes great,” he says. F ans of ersatz steaks and imitation chicken skewers hail the advent of tasty meat substitutes as a culinary lifeline, especially vegetarians and vegans who struggle to eat enough protein. Advocates also argue that in the west, where consumers eat three to four times the amount of animal protein they actually need, meat substitutes benefit the planet and human health. But critics claim this new generation of meat surrogates is just another form of processed food. “A significant percentage of “meat” style products have been through a number of processes and include a wide array of ingredients including GM soya and preservatives,” says Mark Smith of the Real Food Campaign . “The conflict is not between meat butchers and ‘vegetarian butchers’, it’s about ensuring our food producers and retailers maintain high standards of food production, limit food processing and provide accountability, traceability, sustainability and integrity in what we eat.” He is also angered by the term ‘vegetarian butcher’. “This undermines and devalues the industry,” he says. “It is not a new movement, simply another gimmick to create some media interest in a range of products that can be purchased at any good deli. Surely a vegetarian version of a butcher is a greengrocer?”