OUR guide to Veganuary is full of info on high street participants in this monthlong promotion of all things non meat, fish, eggs and dairy, but to get expert advice on where to locate the real vegan culinary deal ToM asked one of its favourite chefs, Jackie ‘Hungry Gecko’ Kearney.
It was back in 2011 when the Chorlton-based street food and supper club guru made the last four in Masterchef, since when she has championed Asian vegan cuisine via her vintage mobile kitchen Barbarella and in print by publication of Vegan Street Food (Ryland Peters, £16.99).
Now back surgery means large scale catering is out for her and Barbarella has been sold; the good news is she continues to teach and is currently consultant for an upcoming restaurant in London. The hugely successful Vegan Street Food is being reprinted and she has a new book scheduled for next autumn based upon her Pacific North West travels in the States.
So, if we don’t cook out dishes out of your book, Jackie, where should we eat out vegan in Manchester?
1 Tampopo “All the branches have consistently featured at range of vegan dishes, all marked ve alongside then meat and fish based ones.”
(She has advised the Manchester-founded pan-Asian chain with spectacular results, see below)
2 Bundobust “They’ve made an impressive arrival in Piccadilly Gardens with their combination of craft beer and Gujarati vegetarian food, much of which is vegan-friendly (marked v on the menu). Cleber, deft food.”
3 The Allotment “Stockport has an amazing food scene at the moment and our meal at this brave foray into vegan fine dining was near faultless – and it’s less expensive than, say, Manchester House in the city centre, where Aiden Byrne offers a 14-course tasting menu, again with a lot of vegan dishes.”
On her recent travels Jackie saw the how good vegan food could be in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, often in high end surroundings with most places offering separate, comprehensive veggie/vegan menus. “We obviously have a long way to go, but Veganuary is heightening the profile. Veganism can sometimes seem political, confrontational. It doesn’t have to be like that.
“I’m just happy to see people increasingly prepared to mix and match in their food, perhaps eating veggie or vegan a couple of days a week, seeking a healthy balance. I’m pleased to see V-Rev in the Northern Quarter attempting to wrest the burger audience away from meat. It has been a big leap for them from a limited cafe and it’s early days, but they are symptomatic of how eating habits are changing.
“We must recognise, though, veganism is an affluent lifestyle choice, quite different from how it is in the Far East and India. What we must mot lose sight of with all the ethical concerns is the taste. Vegan food can be amazingly tasty in the right hands.”