Sister Restaurant of London’s Foremost Steakhouse Goes Vegan For a Month

For the month of November, the four sister restaurants of London’s most famous steakhouse, Hawksmoor, will launch a vegan menu — an initiative, they say, is to coincide with “World Vegan Month.” It launches on Wednesday 1 November (“World Vegan Day”) and will be available at both lunch and dinner.

It might strike many as a surprise to learn that a business known for some of the city’s best meat would join in on London’s apparent obsession with the faze. But owners Will Beckett and Huw Gott and chefs Richard Turner and Lewis Hannaford, say that the addition of vegan dishes to Foxlow menu is a reflection of how they like to eat, and how difficult they found it to find great vegetarian or vegan food when the mood hit them.

Some of the vegan menu items, priced between £5 and £9.50, will be available beyond November; they include:

• Carrot hummus with carrot top pesto and chilli
• Roast acorn squash pie with vegan gravy
• Spice-roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, wilted spinach and curried aubergine sauce
• Aubergine ‘steak’ with wild mushrooms, onions and vegan béarnaise

Here’s what the three operators had to say.

“We love our meat and fish it’s true, however at Foxlow we have leaned towards plant-centric dishes and vegan month presents a delicious challenge to pursue this even further,” said Richard Turner, Hawksmoor and Foxlow’s executive head chef and thoroughbred carnivore.

While co-founder Will Beckett said: “We eat meat, but when we do we eat the good stuff – properly reared with a view on the life of the animal and proper prices paid to farmers. We like our fair share of seafood, but again want the right stuff – sustainably caught in British waters. The rest of the time we eat a lot of vegetables – for various reasons, including health, wellbeing and ethics – but actually mostly because they’re delicious.”

Foxlow has been known, like many of London’s more conscientious operators, to support local, sustainable and independent producers. “We always wanted it to be really flexible, so you could come and eat really healthily if you want, or come and indulge, but you’d always feel comfortable with where your food came from and what it’s doing for you.” said co-founder, Huw Gott.

Other new season dishes at Foxlow — that aren’t vegan, but will be introduced next month — include Loch Duart salmon, leek & potato cakes with poached egg and crème fraîche or jumbo oat porridge with honey; date; cinnamon; syrup; or banana and apple compote at breakfast. At lunch and dinner, a “no-bread” sugar-pit BLT made with bacon belly with wilted baby gem and roasted tomatoes; as well as whole grilled sea bream with rosemary, thyme and chilli; plus a smoked mackerel salad.

Who next?

Soho: 8-10 Lower James Street, London W1F 9EL
Clerkenwell: 69-73 St John Street, London EC1M 4AN
Balham: 15-19 Bedford Hill, Balham, London SW12 9EX
Chiswick: 11 Barley Mow Passage, London W4 4PH