Plates London becomes first vegan restaurant in UK to win a Michelin star
A vegan restaurant in London has become the first in the UK to be awarded a Michelin star.
Plates London, located on Old Street, serves a fully plant-based menu and chef Kirk Haworth impressed judges by “taking his classical training and inventively adapting it to a vegan diet”, Michelin said.
The ceremony to mark the annual Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland was held in Glasgow on Monday.
Asked at the event what he loved about cooking vegan dishes, Haworth said: “Trying to get rid of that word is everything that I love about it. It’s just about flavour, that’s all it’s about. Flavour, excitement, innovation, and trying to take it to a new space of deliciousness.”
The number of vegans in the UK increased by 1.1 million between 2023 and 2024, according to research conducted by Finder last year. It estimated that the number of people who had adopted a plant-based diet was 2.5 million, representing 4.7% of the adult population.
Plates London was one of 26 restaurants given an accolade at the ceremony. Moor Hall, a modern European restaurant in the village of Aughton about 10 miles from Liverpool, became only the 10th restaurant across the UK and Ireland to hold the coveted three stars. It opened in 2017 and received its first two Michelin stars in the two following years.
Michelin said: “At Moor Hall, Chef Mark Birchall and his team have continued to hone their craft and have now achieved new levels of excellence. The ingredients, many from the kitchen garden, are outstanding; the chefs’ culinary technique is hugely impressive; and the judgment of flavours, of when to prioritise simplicity and when to add complexity, is exemplary.”
Birchall said: “I think you kind of dream about these things. You kind of almost act it out in your mind of how you would be, but the the emotion is incredible.”
A first Michelin star was awarded to 22 new restaurants, including nine in London, three in Ireland and two in Scotland, while Gorse in Cardiff became the first restaurant in the Welsh capital to achieve the feat.
Greek restaurant Oma, in Borough Market, London, received its first star after it had earlier won the Opening of the Year award.
This year’s ceremony, in which five new Green stars were awarded for commitment to sustainability, was held as the Michelin Guide celebrates its 125th anniversary.
