Raymond Blanc has praised the explosion of vegan offerings on London’s fine-dining scene and insisted it is not a trend but a “necessary” change which will “challenge chefs in the most extraordinary way”.
The chef, 70, runs Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, the only restaurant in the world to have maintained two Michelin stars for more than 35 years, and is president of the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
He has used produce grown in his gardens to form menus for decades and today often replaces butter in his vegan recipes with aquafaba — chickpea water — or cashew milk.
Blanc said he sees himself as “the Stella McCartney” of sustainable eating, in reference to the designer’s shunning of fur and use of carbon-neutral materials.
He said: “I’ve always been involved in these issues and I’m so glad luxury now has to change. We will have to reinvent ourselves. It’s a revolution which will completely change our habits.
"[In London] there are some brilliant chefs who are embracing good ethics … Veganism is an important part too. It is part of a new lifestyle that is necessary and will challenge a chef in the most extraordinary way. It’s good because for too long vegetables have been ignored."
Tomorrow he will host Lord’s Dining Club, where Michelin chefs serve four courses at the cricket ground. He will serve a new vegan recipe — a tarte tatin of celeriac and mushrooms.
Tickets at lords.org
