Vegan restaurant becomes first to win Michelin star

A London restaurant has become the first to be awarded a Michelin star by serving a plant-based menu.

The Michelin Guide celebrated its 125th anniversary, with this year’s ceremony held at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow on Monday (10 February).

At the event, 22 new restaurants were awarded their first Michelin star, with nine in London, three in Ireland and two in Scotland. Cardiff also secured its first star. Meanwhile, five Green stars were given to restaurants for their exceptional commitment to sustainability.

Based in Old Street, Plates London became the first vegan restaurant to ever be awarded a star in the accolade’s history.

Kirk Haworth, chef and co-founder of Plates, first began exploring a vegan diet after being diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2016. He took his classical training and “inventively” adapted it to his health needs.

Plates serves a meat-free, fish-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, organic menu that does not use refined sugars.

“The word trend is something that comes and goes, but what I do and the place that it’s been created from is definitely not a trend,” Haworth told The Independent. “It’s got so much purpose and soul that if it was a trend, it wouldn’t last. But, hopefully it inspires more restaurants to celebrate fruits and vegetables and get creative with it.”

The chef, who was the first to cook up a vegan-only diet on the BBC cooking competition Great British Menu, said he found it initially difficult to do classical cooking without meat or fish.

“Trying to work out the formula of our food and how to create without any kind of meat and fish, which is what what I was trained in all my life, was super, super challenging,” said Haworth.

He added: “We have so many incredible, classical chefs. When you're a young chef, you learn how to make a red wine sauce or a terrine. But, in this kind of space, there isn't really that much history. I look at that as a positive and that we can create our own rulebook, you know, there are no rules, so it's kind of like a blank canvas, which is cool.”

Born in Blackburn, and coming from a family of Michelin-starred chefs, Haworth opened the flagship restaurant with his sister Keeley, and believes “it’s a great moment for northern cooking”.

“Celebrating with Mark Burchill [who was awarded his third star [for Aughton eatery Moor Hall] who I grew up with in kitchens, and to celebrate with him was just amazing,” he continued.

For Haworth, this is “just the beginning”. What’s next? “Three stars” he said.