Australian Celebrity Chef John Mountain Excludes Vegans From His Restaurant “For Mental Health Reasons” Following A Negative Review
Veganism is becoming more and more popular these days. The reasons are various, starting with animal welfare, health and also due to the environmental impact. So it is not a surprise that various arguments between people with different food preferences occur more often.
Probably you’ve come across quite a few situations where vegans are disappointed with the variety of plant-based foods they find in restaurants. Some of them share their anger online with the audience or write a bad review about unfulfilled expectations and others discuss it with friends or family. And there is nothing wrong with all of that, except probably when you come to meat-oriented restaurants.
Celebrity chef drastically bans all vegans from his restaurant
Image credits: FYRE
Australian celebrity chef John Mountain has been going viral for a few days after drastically banning all vegans from his restaurant. The UK-born chef runs his restaurant called ‘Fyre’ in Conolly.
Recently the chef posted a statement on Facebook that “Sadly all vegans are now banned from Fyre for mental health reasons. We thank you for your understanding. xx”
Mountain told PerthNow that a heated complaint from a customer that turned personal was what sparked this decision.
The decision was made after a negative review from a vegan woman that felt personal to the chef
Image credits: FYRE
John Mountain mentioned that a young girl reached out to him asking about vegan options in the restaurant. “It was my only shortfall… I said I would accommodate her, I said we had gnocchi, vegetables… and that was that.” However, on the same day, he had a private dinner party and forgot about her.
According to PerthNow, the woman later wrote a complaint via direct Facebook message: “My only option was the vegetable dish… it was okay but not that filling… and I was shocked to see it was $32. I think it’s incredibly important nowadays that restaurants can accommodate everyone and to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef.”
“I hope to see some improvements in your menu as I have lived in Connolly for quite some time and have seen many restaurants come and go from that building and none of them last,” she said.
The chef mentioned that people know what they are getting coming to his restaurant as he had a recipe book with pork recipes
Image credits: FYRE
The chef told 7NEWS.com.au that he is done with vegans. “I once wrote and sold a book called Pig which had pork recipes. People know what they’re getting from me. I understand where vegans are coming from but my job is to make food taste as good as I can and I can’t always cater to everybody’s dietary requirements.”
Also, the restaurant dropped from 4.2 stars to 2.8 overnight. However, later on, it picked back up to 4.3 stars.
Image credits: FYRE
The Facebook post received various different comments from folks, some supporting the idea, but some were also shaming. “Imagine not being able to cook a vegetable dish and then blaming a vegan,” one user wrote. Another added: “Banning vegans for ‘mental health reasons.’ You’re both childish and ignorant.”
On the other side, there were many comments like: “Love it. Your restaurant, your rules. Simple as that.” Another person wrote: “Good on you, stand up for what you worked so hard for.” “Good on you Chef. Keep making the food you love. Your menu. Your choice,” fan commented.
Also, while this chef decided to ban vegans, check out the story where a landlord prohibited cooking meat and fish in a $5,750-a-month Brooklyn apartment.
Folks in the comments share different opinions on the whole situation
I wouldn't go to a vegan restaurant and demand they cater to my carnivorous dietary needs.
Exactly! I haven't met a lot of vegans, but the ones I have met are all holier-than-thou. Go to a damn vegan restaurant. Where are the vegans getting on their high horse because someone wants a steak? All over the friggin' place. I wouldn't think of asking my vegetarian friends to have a burger or a steak. We each know that the other wants and deal with it accordingly. Restaurant owner, send me a copy of your recipie book, I want to learn how to cook pork. Let the poor pitiful vegan cry an review elsewhere.
Load More Replies...If every restaurant has vegan options why care if one restaurant that is specialized in beef does not. Don't go there. People don't need to cater to everyone's diet wishes. (Im vegetarian myself and don't complain if as steakhouse or fosh restaurant has no options, its just not the place for me)
exactly. go to another place if you know there are barely any vegan options.
Load More Replies...From the post, it seemed he did provide her a vegan meal. I don't see he cursed at her. He said he forgot about her, meaning after she ate and left she was just another customer, not that he neglected her. She wrote a petty review, telling an award winning chef how to run his restaurant.
This is just stupid... the menu is very clear detailing what is serves.. I fully support this chef and his decision. Why would any vegan go into this particular restaurant and act like that? Just screams of entitlement from the customer.. as many other posters mentioned, you wouldn't go into a vegan based restaurant demanding a beef steak and leaving a bad review, insulting the chef in the process for not getting it. Oh and if you were a true vegan, you wouldn't even step one foot into this particular restaurant.
Typical vegans demanding the world cater to their dietary CHOICE. Too bad i know a few normal vegans but the crazies give em all a bad rep.
That's what I said, above. I'm deathly allergic to shellfish. If a restaurant served meals other than shellfish, do I demand they have what is basically a separate kitchen? No, of course not. I don't go to those places if I'm alone, I'll have a salad if offered.
Load More Replies...Do you exclusively eat meat? or perhaps you eat things like bread, potatoes, fruit, cakes etc all of which can be vegan
Load More Replies...They are trying to spin it, as if the vegan lady was the "victim", but, if I understood correctly, she did get a vegan dish and wasn't turned away. So the negative review was unjustified.
I mean, if anything, she complained about the portion and price. Meaning she was still served something to complain about.
Load More Replies...The wording of the post makes me think he's just trying to stir up controversy for free advertising (and I guess it worked since we're all here). A normal way to phrase it would be "sadly we will not be offering any vegan options" not "all vegans are banned".
He also they said they could accommodate her with other options and then didn't because he "forgot".
Load More Replies...Johanna Masterson, the difference between vegans and celiacs is that vegan is a chosen lifestyle people generally are not born into, celiac is a chronic disease. So, if a vegan accidentally eats a tiny bit of meat, they’ll be fine. If a severe celiac is even exposed to gluten—-not ingesting it, just being exposed to it—-the effects can be disastrous. So, if you decide not to offer gluten-free items cooked on dedicated pans, then make damn sure you advertise that for very obviously, so people with Celiac disease, gluten/wheat allergies, or gluten sensitivities can avoid your dump like the f*****g plague. “Celiac disease itself is unlikely to kill you, but side-effects from untreated celiac disease, such as malnourishment, osteoporosis, chronic anemia and the potential for developing certain types of cancer can lead to a premature death”. (Link: https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/faq/#:~:text=Can%20celiac%20disease%20kill%20you,lead%20to%20a%20premature%20death. )
Unfortunately lots of people claim to have celiac who actually don't.
Load More Replies...I'm vegan, it's great when restaurants do vegan options along with the usual menu. It means I can eat out with family/friends and we can all be happy.
But they shouldnt have to. And to insult the chef for not having one is an a*****e move.
Load More Replies...I don't like the new (past 20 years) vegan community, they've ruined vegetarian food for those of us who used to order veg options. Now there is all this fake meats, and the tasty options are gone.. where are the bean burgers? where is the stuffed mushrooms, stuffed peppers, and a whole load of other tasty options I used to order... now it is fake meat that tastes like I am eating pre-digested food...
so my understanding is vegan is a lifestyle. They will not support animal suffering. So why go to a meat restaurant? The money they spend is going to help pay for anything that is needed.
There is an extremely popular family-owned and operated BBQ restaurant near my home. It's so Southern that even the vegetables have meat in them. They have proudly had T-shirts made with their only 1 star review printed on them: "Will not return, no vegan options". Most of the wait staff wear these now.
Yum! Where is that BBQ restaurant located? No details needed, just the state. I can find it from there.
Load More Replies...Vegans.... ugh. 99% of the ones I know are respectful of others, then there's that 1% that ruin it for everyone. Like the ones that ask neighbors to not cook meat because they can smell it, if I got that I would purposefully cook meat every. Single. Day. So they could smell it.
Wow. This guy is childish as f**k but I'm more concerned about the guy saying he's going to celiacs from his restaurant like bro that has to be some form of ableism
It's HIS restaurant, so he can do what he wants. Also it's his workplace, and he did what he thought was necessary to avoid a toxic work environment. Good for him! There are enough restaurant with tons of vegan options. Don't go to a stake house if you want to eat salad?!
There is a growing trend where vegetarian meals/food are being replaced with vegan meals, especially in stores.
Here's the thing, if you're vegan but those closest to you are not are you then supposed to not attend birthday dinners and other friendly get togethers with your nearest and dearest or starve while everyone around you is eating? Also, another chef said he had an issue with coeliacs who by definition get very sick if they ingest gluten, are these poor people supposed to miss celebrations and get togethers and hide in their homes or something? She wasn't mean or nasty just factual about her reasons for being dissapointed. I bet she rang and asked privately rather than kicking a fuss with friends who wanted to go there but also wanted her with them and then thought sweet I don't have to bug out I can join them only to find she had been lied to.
She said in her social media post that "to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef", which is a pretty shítty thing to say. Just because a chef provides the dishes HE wants in his OWN restaurant (and not the dishes that, say, a vegan wants) makes him have "shortcomings as a chef"? That's just petty. And in regards to the first part of your comment, vegetarianism and veganism are overwhelmingly lifestyle/moralistic choices and NOT a dietary restriction, so yes, if you are vegan and those around you are not, you should not expect everyone to provide vegan options just for you if they were not already going to have vegan dishes (at a birthday party, wedding, get-together, etc.) Either you don't eat, or bring your own meal/food. To demand and expect one's veganism to be catered to at a restaurant or event that does not normally have vegan options is absolutely ridiculous.
Load More Replies...The problem here is entitlement, you'd probably react less than perfectly if someone attempted to damage everything you've spent your life building just bc they wanted something special and didn't get it. Your dietary restrictions are not anyone else's responsibility, and a chef in his own restaurant does not need to cater to your specific needs. That's why there's a menu. Asking for a special accommodation is already entitlement, and then getting mad when you're forgotten about and throwing a tantrum online bc you thought you were more important than you are is just ugly person energy. Customers think they're God's, but they're a dime and dozen. Good on this chef for taking a stance, I support his choice completely. Do whatever makes you happy, but don't ever think your opinion matters to anyone but yourself, bc it just doesn't.
Just.. go find a restaurant that caters to vegans, jfc. I wouldn't go to a vegan restaurant and demand meat. (though thankfully, I eat plenty of vegan meals) or I wouldn't go to a Chinese Restaurant and demand Italian food, or some ridiculous s**t. Not everywhere has to cater for everything, some restaurants specialize in specific foods. this one specializes in meat. Go find one that doesn't. ITS THAT F*****G EASY.
Not really. My last two partners were vegan. Generally people do not check/cater for them and when there's a friend/family gathering at a restaurant and they go through, there's seldom a good option for them on the menu. This is particularly bad at italian places where they basically have to always have spaghetti arrabiata, because everything else is cheese/dairy/meat. It's not really fair. All restaurants should at least have 1x Vegan, 1x Palaeo, 1x Coeliac, 1x Halaal, 1x Kosher, 1x Vegetarian option on the menu.
Load More Replies...What kind of a chef can't work with only vegetables? I'm vegan and gluten-free (health reasons), but I'd have to miss out on a lot of events if I only went to completely vegan places. I can usually find something that works for me, but $32 is expensive for any dish here, I'd be pissed to be expected to pay that much for a half-plate of steamed veggies. Heck, that's exactly why I'm suspicious of fully vegan restaurants, they often try too hard to be fancy and modern and end up offering 150-calorie dishes for way too much money.
Chefs aren't wizards, you know - they actually need to order products and plan ahead. So if a chef is caught off-guard by a sudden request for a vegan dish, it is perfectly understandable that they would have some difficulties (and meal options would be limited + the price may be higher). And I know this may sound a bit cold but... sometimes you just have to miss out on events and there's nothing you can do about it. Yes, I know it sucks... but that's just the way real life is. Choices have consequences.
Load More Replies...“Can you caters for a vegan?” “Yes.” “I was disappointed by the vegetable dish.” “I HEREBY BAN ALL VEGANS.”
Are you on some kind of crusade repeating the same again and again under so many comments? Why would you even believe this was the guys first experience with picky vegans? And no, before you start, I don't need to present you any "proof" that this is the case, just as you can not proof that he reacted this way after one bad review. It seems that you are very biased and WANT to present him as some crazy person who over reacted. And even if this was the case, it is his restaurant, his choice. Stop trying to turn this into an outrage.
Load More Replies...People get to hung up on someone being vegan. This situation has nothing to do with veganism. It has everything to do with bad service. Here is the situation: a customer called and asked for an accomodation, had the chef told her, no sorry, I can't/won't accommodate that the story would be over and everything was fine. But he didn't do that. He promised the guest he would accommodate her and then 'forgot' about it. So when she came to his restaurant, fully and rightfully expecting the promised accomodation, she only found the one common dish that fit and not what was promised, and the one dish that did fit was ridiculously expensive. So she rightfully complained. It doesn't matter that she's a vegan. The story wouldn't change one bit if it was anything else. The point is: a guest asked for something, the chef promised to provide it, then he just didn't and threw a tantrum because he was called out for it. That's just bad service. I like porc. I still wouldn't go there.
She called and asked if there were vegan options. He said "Yes, there's a vegetable dish." She ordered said vegetable dish, then claimed it "didn't fill her up" and was "too expensive" (did she not see the price before she ordered it?) Nowhere in the article does it say that he agreed to provide her a CHEAP vegan meal, nor a PERFECT vegan meal. She asked, he answered, she ordered, and THEN decided she wanted to be pissed about it. I'm not sure if she expected him to craft an entire personalized off-menu vegan entrée for her or what. I doubt that's what he "agreed" to over the phone, and even if he had, he had a large event that day (which is what the "forgetting" part is, not that he literally forgot the customer existed, as you seem to imply) and he likely could not provide a one-of-a-kind, special, personalized vegan dish for his one vegan customer in attendance that day. This vegan said (on social media, of course) that "to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef", which is absolutely ludicrous. A chef can serve whatever meals they want at THEIR restaurant. That's like going into an Italian restaurant and saying the chef has "shortcomings" because they don't serve "American" food like hot dogs and fried chicken. Absolutely ludicrous. The customer is in the wrong here, not the chef.
Load More Replies...Not all vegans are pretentious a******s, to be fair. Some are nice people who understand it's a choice their taking on out of the goodness of their hearts, it's something their responsible for and that their taking it on to be the best version of themselves... Then there those people. I think banning them all together was going a bit far, but I think all or at least most artists can relate to the emotional toll someone viciously disparaging your art can take, and they way that can manifest as shame and cause you to make rash decisions that seem manic in retrospect, so I get the unstable mental state he's coming from. I think non-creatives tend to underestimate the toll harsh criticism takes on a creative person, especially the needlessly vicious sort.
If he hadn't flat out said he could offer her the option of a vegan meal he would be in the right. He forgot, should have owned up to it but instead acted like a brat. Bro if that's enough to cause a mental health problem you shouldn't be in F&B. And yeah, that flub flat out makes him a bad chef. Well over half of the job of being a chef is pure managerial work. After crafting a menu and training the line most chefs rarely cook at their resteraunt, and he was an owner to boot. If you can't handle a complaint, can't handle a bad review, can't handle your responsibilities and follow through on a promise to a guest, you shouldn't be anywhere in the service industry. Definitely not running a business or kitchen.
The disservice he did to this customer was by telling her they could cater for her, but then he 'forgot about her'. It's unprofessional, you can't just 'forget' about a customer request that you agreed to. That is the key issue here, she didn't turn up and demand it, she called to check. (I don't believe anyone can just turn up and demand vegan food). If he'd said the menu wasn't suitable for vegans, she wouldn't have gone. It doesn't matter what the request is, just follow through for customers if you agree to something. My brother & his wife are vegetarian, and they have on special occasions gone to a restaurant with a tasting menu. They called and asked about the suitability of the menu and were very kindly offered a special vegetarian menu by the chefs. If they had turned up on the night of their 10th wedding anniversary and been told the chefs had forgotten and there wasn't anything for them, that would be really upsetting.
What's wrong with a vegetable dish? I mean 32 is expensive, but that's what you get for going to an expensive restaurant.. What did they expect?
She expected the dish he agreed to make her when she talked to the restaurant in advance.
Load More Replies...With some exceptions, vegan food is nobody's "dietary requirement". It is usually a dietary choice. Choices require strategies to be successful. In this case, one of those strategies is picking a restaurant that serves vegan food. If I need a plumbing wrench, I don't go shopping at Victoria's Secret.
Why did the chef say he could accommodate the vegan and then didn't?
Load More Replies...So if I got to a vegan restaurant, I can get upset and demand they accommodate my carnivorous needs??
I have been a vegetarian since the early 1970s. You know what you do? Cope. That's what you do. "Oh, that's a beef-only restaurant"? They must serve sides. Eat those. A salad bar, perchance? I've foraged successfully at steakhouses. So.... Yeah, the vegan needs to grow up a bit. But the chef didn't have to be a d*ck, either, IMO.
Good for him! if you are vegan why go to a meat restaurant if not to try and stir up trouble?
Hmm Just a question here... if a person came in saying "do you have kosher food" or "do you have halaal" and he says no, and they later complain... do you subsequently ban Jews/Muslims from your restaurant, and if so... why would that not be ok, but banning vegans would be ok? Is it that there's an assumption that vegans are north EU descent, or something-- meaning you won't get accused of racism by telling them to f**k off? Not trolling, asking a serious question. Can anyone explain the logical difference...?
That's a religious thing (not a racial thing, necessarily), and banning them would give the optics that you're discriminating against a protected class. Veganism is not a protected class; it's not tied to race, religion, gender, etc.
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The comments on here are as bad as the ones from the original post. Did anyone actually read the whole thing? She sent valid and not impolite feedback of her experience as a paying customer of his business VIA DIRECT MESSAGE (*aka NOT PUBLIC*). Worst for me is how this manchild is making light of mental health. The reality is he can't accept (even private) criticism. What a joke of a person, and a joke of a 'story'. 🤦♀️
He shouldn't have told the customer that he could accommodate her if he couldn't do it. The customer should've done her research, or she could've left and ate some place else. But he was salty because she said her meal was nasty. Get over yourself, sir.
He did say he would accommodate her. He should have said he can't promise that. But they do have a vegetable dish.
You don't go to a BBQ joint + complain there are no vegan options. Use your head, people!
So...I'm allergic to mint, that means I can give a bad score to an ice cream parlour because they give me mint ice cream and I don't say anything? Say something right away, politely, and people are typically more than willing to go out of their way to help you. People leave b******t ratings on websites all the time, just go look at the one star ratings on any Amazon product. Decisions were made in this situation. I say, dealer's choice.
Why did the chef say he could accommodate the vegan and then didn't?
Load More Replies...This relates to the newer post about a NYC landlord banning cooking any meats, poultry, or fish in the building.
So over vegans/vegetarians thinking they're helping the animals they don't eat....you are eating all THEIR FOOD. When I read about them asking neighbour's to not cook meat in their own homes, why didn't you ask about your neighbours and decide not to move in near them???
I threw a party years ago, and during passing out invitations I was asked about the food, and suggestions were made. I made sure to have food for them, and they DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP!!!!!
Really no surprise that people don't want to be around you, you're unhinged.
Load More Replies...You have never worked in a restaurant before, have you? I really hope this was sarcasm.
Load More Replies...I wouldn't go to a vegan restaurant and demand they cater to my carnivorous dietary needs.
Exactly! I haven't met a lot of vegans, but the ones I have met are all holier-than-thou. Go to a damn vegan restaurant. Where are the vegans getting on their high horse because someone wants a steak? All over the friggin' place. I wouldn't think of asking my vegetarian friends to have a burger or a steak. We each know that the other wants and deal with it accordingly. Restaurant owner, send me a copy of your recipie book, I want to learn how to cook pork. Let the poor pitiful vegan cry an review elsewhere.
Load More Replies...If every restaurant has vegan options why care if one restaurant that is specialized in beef does not. Don't go there. People don't need to cater to everyone's diet wishes. (Im vegetarian myself and don't complain if as steakhouse or fosh restaurant has no options, its just not the place for me)
exactly. go to another place if you know there are barely any vegan options.
Load More Replies...From the post, it seemed he did provide her a vegan meal. I don't see he cursed at her. He said he forgot about her, meaning after she ate and left she was just another customer, not that he neglected her. She wrote a petty review, telling an award winning chef how to run his restaurant.
This is just stupid... the menu is very clear detailing what is serves.. I fully support this chef and his decision. Why would any vegan go into this particular restaurant and act like that? Just screams of entitlement from the customer.. as many other posters mentioned, you wouldn't go into a vegan based restaurant demanding a beef steak and leaving a bad review, insulting the chef in the process for not getting it. Oh and if you were a true vegan, you wouldn't even step one foot into this particular restaurant.
Typical vegans demanding the world cater to their dietary CHOICE. Too bad i know a few normal vegans but the crazies give em all a bad rep.
That's what I said, above. I'm deathly allergic to shellfish. If a restaurant served meals other than shellfish, do I demand they have what is basically a separate kitchen? No, of course not. I don't go to those places if I'm alone, I'll have a salad if offered.
Load More Replies...Do you exclusively eat meat? or perhaps you eat things like bread, potatoes, fruit, cakes etc all of which can be vegan
Load More Replies...They are trying to spin it, as if the vegan lady was the "victim", but, if I understood correctly, she did get a vegan dish and wasn't turned away. So the negative review was unjustified.
I mean, if anything, she complained about the portion and price. Meaning she was still served something to complain about.
Load More Replies...The wording of the post makes me think he's just trying to stir up controversy for free advertising (and I guess it worked since we're all here). A normal way to phrase it would be "sadly we will not be offering any vegan options" not "all vegans are banned".
He also they said they could accommodate her with other options and then didn't because he "forgot".
Load More Replies...Johanna Masterson, the difference between vegans and celiacs is that vegan is a chosen lifestyle people generally are not born into, celiac is a chronic disease. So, if a vegan accidentally eats a tiny bit of meat, they’ll be fine. If a severe celiac is even exposed to gluten—-not ingesting it, just being exposed to it—-the effects can be disastrous. So, if you decide not to offer gluten-free items cooked on dedicated pans, then make damn sure you advertise that for very obviously, so people with Celiac disease, gluten/wheat allergies, or gluten sensitivities can avoid your dump like the f*****g plague. “Celiac disease itself is unlikely to kill you, but side-effects from untreated celiac disease, such as malnourishment, osteoporosis, chronic anemia and the potential for developing certain types of cancer can lead to a premature death”. (Link: https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/faq/#:~:text=Can%20celiac%20disease%20kill%20you,lead%20to%20a%20premature%20death. )
Unfortunately lots of people claim to have celiac who actually don't.
Load More Replies...I'm vegan, it's great when restaurants do vegan options along with the usual menu. It means I can eat out with family/friends and we can all be happy.
But they shouldnt have to. And to insult the chef for not having one is an a*****e move.
Load More Replies...I don't like the new (past 20 years) vegan community, they've ruined vegetarian food for those of us who used to order veg options. Now there is all this fake meats, and the tasty options are gone.. where are the bean burgers? where is the stuffed mushrooms, stuffed peppers, and a whole load of other tasty options I used to order... now it is fake meat that tastes like I am eating pre-digested food...
so my understanding is vegan is a lifestyle. They will not support animal suffering. So why go to a meat restaurant? The money they spend is going to help pay for anything that is needed.
There is an extremely popular family-owned and operated BBQ restaurant near my home. It's so Southern that even the vegetables have meat in them. They have proudly had T-shirts made with their only 1 star review printed on them: "Will not return, no vegan options". Most of the wait staff wear these now.
Yum! Where is that BBQ restaurant located? No details needed, just the state. I can find it from there.
Load More Replies...Vegans.... ugh. 99% of the ones I know are respectful of others, then there's that 1% that ruin it for everyone. Like the ones that ask neighbors to not cook meat because they can smell it, if I got that I would purposefully cook meat every. Single. Day. So they could smell it.
Wow. This guy is childish as f**k but I'm more concerned about the guy saying he's going to celiacs from his restaurant like bro that has to be some form of ableism
It's HIS restaurant, so he can do what he wants. Also it's his workplace, and he did what he thought was necessary to avoid a toxic work environment. Good for him! There are enough restaurant with tons of vegan options. Don't go to a stake house if you want to eat salad?!
There is a growing trend where vegetarian meals/food are being replaced with vegan meals, especially in stores.
Here's the thing, if you're vegan but those closest to you are not are you then supposed to not attend birthday dinners and other friendly get togethers with your nearest and dearest or starve while everyone around you is eating? Also, another chef said he had an issue with coeliacs who by definition get very sick if they ingest gluten, are these poor people supposed to miss celebrations and get togethers and hide in their homes or something? She wasn't mean or nasty just factual about her reasons for being dissapointed. I bet she rang and asked privately rather than kicking a fuss with friends who wanted to go there but also wanted her with them and then thought sweet I don't have to bug out I can join them only to find she had been lied to.
She said in her social media post that "to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef", which is a pretty shítty thing to say. Just because a chef provides the dishes HE wants in his OWN restaurant (and not the dishes that, say, a vegan wants) makes him have "shortcomings as a chef"? That's just petty. And in regards to the first part of your comment, vegetarianism and veganism are overwhelmingly lifestyle/moralistic choices and NOT a dietary restriction, so yes, if you are vegan and those around you are not, you should not expect everyone to provide vegan options just for you if they were not already going to have vegan dishes (at a birthday party, wedding, get-together, etc.) Either you don't eat, or bring your own meal/food. To demand and expect one's veganism to be catered to at a restaurant or event that does not normally have vegan options is absolutely ridiculous.
Load More Replies...The problem here is entitlement, you'd probably react less than perfectly if someone attempted to damage everything you've spent your life building just bc they wanted something special and didn't get it. Your dietary restrictions are not anyone else's responsibility, and a chef in his own restaurant does not need to cater to your specific needs. That's why there's a menu. Asking for a special accommodation is already entitlement, and then getting mad when you're forgotten about and throwing a tantrum online bc you thought you were more important than you are is just ugly person energy. Customers think they're God's, but they're a dime and dozen. Good on this chef for taking a stance, I support his choice completely. Do whatever makes you happy, but don't ever think your opinion matters to anyone but yourself, bc it just doesn't.
Just.. go find a restaurant that caters to vegans, jfc. I wouldn't go to a vegan restaurant and demand meat. (though thankfully, I eat plenty of vegan meals) or I wouldn't go to a Chinese Restaurant and demand Italian food, or some ridiculous s**t. Not everywhere has to cater for everything, some restaurants specialize in specific foods. this one specializes in meat. Go find one that doesn't. ITS THAT F*****G EASY.
Not really. My last two partners were vegan. Generally people do not check/cater for them and when there's a friend/family gathering at a restaurant and they go through, there's seldom a good option for them on the menu. This is particularly bad at italian places where they basically have to always have spaghetti arrabiata, because everything else is cheese/dairy/meat. It's not really fair. All restaurants should at least have 1x Vegan, 1x Palaeo, 1x Coeliac, 1x Halaal, 1x Kosher, 1x Vegetarian option on the menu.
Load More Replies...What kind of a chef can't work with only vegetables? I'm vegan and gluten-free (health reasons), but I'd have to miss out on a lot of events if I only went to completely vegan places. I can usually find something that works for me, but $32 is expensive for any dish here, I'd be pissed to be expected to pay that much for a half-plate of steamed veggies. Heck, that's exactly why I'm suspicious of fully vegan restaurants, they often try too hard to be fancy and modern and end up offering 150-calorie dishes for way too much money.
Chefs aren't wizards, you know - they actually need to order products and plan ahead. So if a chef is caught off-guard by a sudden request for a vegan dish, it is perfectly understandable that they would have some difficulties (and meal options would be limited + the price may be higher). And I know this may sound a bit cold but... sometimes you just have to miss out on events and there's nothing you can do about it. Yes, I know it sucks... but that's just the way real life is. Choices have consequences.
Load More Replies...“Can you caters for a vegan?” “Yes.” “I was disappointed by the vegetable dish.” “I HEREBY BAN ALL VEGANS.”
Are you on some kind of crusade repeating the same again and again under so many comments? Why would you even believe this was the guys first experience with picky vegans? And no, before you start, I don't need to present you any "proof" that this is the case, just as you can not proof that he reacted this way after one bad review. It seems that you are very biased and WANT to present him as some crazy person who over reacted. And even if this was the case, it is his restaurant, his choice. Stop trying to turn this into an outrage.
Load More Replies...People get to hung up on someone being vegan. This situation has nothing to do with veganism. It has everything to do with bad service. Here is the situation: a customer called and asked for an accomodation, had the chef told her, no sorry, I can't/won't accommodate that the story would be over and everything was fine. But he didn't do that. He promised the guest he would accommodate her and then 'forgot' about it. So when she came to his restaurant, fully and rightfully expecting the promised accomodation, she only found the one common dish that fit and not what was promised, and the one dish that did fit was ridiculously expensive. So she rightfully complained. It doesn't matter that she's a vegan. The story wouldn't change one bit if it was anything else. The point is: a guest asked for something, the chef promised to provide it, then he just didn't and threw a tantrum because he was called out for it. That's just bad service. I like porc. I still wouldn't go there.
She called and asked if there were vegan options. He said "Yes, there's a vegetable dish." She ordered said vegetable dish, then claimed it "didn't fill her up" and was "too expensive" (did she not see the price before she ordered it?) Nowhere in the article does it say that he agreed to provide her a CHEAP vegan meal, nor a PERFECT vegan meal. She asked, he answered, she ordered, and THEN decided she wanted to be pissed about it. I'm not sure if she expected him to craft an entire personalized off-menu vegan entrée for her or what. I doubt that's what he "agreed" to over the phone, and even if he had, he had a large event that day (which is what the "forgetting" part is, not that he literally forgot the customer existed, as you seem to imply) and he likely could not provide a one-of-a-kind, special, personalized vegan dish for his one vegan customer in attendance that day. This vegan said (on social media, of course) that "to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef", which is absolutely ludicrous. A chef can serve whatever meals they want at THEIR restaurant. That's like going into an Italian restaurant and saying the chef has "shortcomings" because they don't serve "American" food like hot dogs and fried chicken. Absolutely ludicrous. The customer is in the wrong here, not the chef.
Load More Replies...Not all vegans are pretentious a******s, to be fair. Some are nice people who understand it's a choice their taking on out of the goodness of their hearts, it's something their responsible for and that their taking it on to be the best version of themselves... Then there those people. I think banning them all together was going a bit far, but I think all or at least most artists can relate to the emotional toll someone viciously disparaging your art can take, and they way that can manifest as shame and cause you to make rash decisions that seem manic in retrospect, so I get the unstable mental state he's coming from. I think non-creatives tend to underestimate the toll harsh criticism takes on a creative person, especially the needlessly vicious sort.
If he hadn't flat out said he could offer her the option of a vegan meal he would be in the right. He forgot, should have owned up to it but instead acted like a brat. Bro if that's enough to cause a mental health problem you shouldn't be in F&B. And yeah, that flub flat out makes him a bad chef. Well over half of the job of being a chef is pure managerial work. After crafting a menu and training the line most chefs rarely cook at their resteraunt, and he was an owner to boot. If you can't handle a complaint, can't handle a bad review, can't handle your responsibilities and follow through on a promise to a guest, you shouldn't be anywhere in the service industry. Definitely not running a business or kitchen.
The disservice he did to this customer was by telling her they could cater for her, but then he 'forgot about her'. It's unprofessional, you can't just 'forget' about a customer request that you agreed to. That is the key issue here, she didn't turn up and demand it, she called to check. (I don't believe anyone can just turn up and demand vegan food). If he'd said the menu wasn't suitable for vegans, she wouldn't have gone. It doesn't matter what the request is, just follow through for customers if you agree to something. My brother & his wife are vegetarian, and they have on special occasions gone to a restaurant with a tasting menu. They called and asked about the suitability of the menu and were very kindly offered a special vegetarian menu by the chefs. If they had turned up on the night of their 10th wedding anniversary and been told the chefs had forgotten and there wasn't anything for them, that would be really upsetting.
What's wrong with a vegetable dish? I mean 32 is expensive, but that's what you get for going to an expensive restaurant.. What did they expect?
She expected the dish he agreed to make her when she talked to the restaurant in advance.
Load More Replies...With some exceptions, vegan food is nobody's "dietary requirement". It is usually a dietary choice. Choices require strategies to be successful. In this case, one of those strategies is picking a restaurant that serves vegan food. If I need a plumbing wrench, I don't go shopping at Victoria's Secret.
Why did the chef say he could accommodate the vegan and then didn't?
Load More Replies...So if I got to a vegan restaurant, I can get upset and demand they accommodate my carnivorous needs??
I have been a vegetarian since the early 1970s. You know what you do? Cope. That's what you do. "Oh, that's a beef-only restaurant"? They must serve sides. Eat those. A salad bar, perchance? I've foraged successfully at steakhouses. So.... Yeah, the vegan needs to grow up a bit. But the chef didn't have to be a d*ck, either, IMO.
Good for him! if you are vegan why go to a meat restaurant if not to try and stir up trouble?
Hmm Just a question here... if a person came in saying "do you have kosher food" or "do you have halaal" and he says no, and they later complain... do you subsequently ban Jews/Muslims from your restaurant, and if so... why would that not be ok, but banning vegans would be ok? Is it that there's an assumption that vegans are north EU descent, or something-- meaning you won't get accused of racism by telling them to f**k off? Not trolling, asking a serious question. Can anyone explain the logical difference...?
That's a religious thing (not a racial thing, necessarily), and banning them would give the optics that you're discriminating against a protected class. Veganism is not a protected class; it's not tied to race, religion, gender, etc.
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The comments on here are as bad as the ones from the original post. Did anyone actually read the whole thing? She sent valid and not impolite feedback of her experience as a paying customer of his business VIA DIRECT MESSAGE (*aka NOT PUBLIC*). Worst for me is how this manchild is making light of mental health. The reality is he can't accept (even private) criticism. What a joke of a person, and a joke of a 'story'. 🤦♀️
He shouldn't have told the customer that he could accommodate her if he couldn't do it. The customer should've done her research, or she could've left and ate some place else. But he was salty because she said her meal was nasty. Get over yourself, sir.
He did say he would accommodate her. He should have said he can't promise that. But they do have a vegetable dish.
You don't go to a BBQ joint + complain there are no vegan options. Use your head, people!
So...I'm allergic to mint, that means I can give a bad score to an ice cream parlour because they give me mint ice cream and I don't say anything? Say something right away, politely, and people are typically more than willing to go out of their way to help you. People leave b******t ratings on websites all the time, just go look at the one star ratings on any Amazon product. Decisions were made in this situation. I say, dealer's choice.
Why did the chef say he could accommodate the vegan and then didn't?
Load More Replies...This relates to the newer post about a NYC landlord banning cooking any meats, poultry, or fish in the building.
So over vegans/vegetarians thinking they're helping the animals they don't eat....you are eating all THEIR FOOD. When I read about them asking neighbour's to not cook meat in their own homes, why didn't you ask about your neighbours and decide not to move in near them???
I threw a party years ago, and during passing out invitations I was asked about the food, and suggestions were made. I made sure to have food for them, and they DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP!!!!!
Really no surprise that people don't want to be around you, you're unhinged.
Load More Replies...You have never worked in a restaurant before, have you? I really hope this was sarcasm.
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