Vegan restaurant becomes first in Britain to win Michelin star
A vegan restaurant has become the first of its kind to ever receive a Michelin star in Britain.
Plates, in central London, only serves plant-based food and was given the prestigious culinary award on Monday night.
The restaurant serves a seven-course tasting menu for £75 or an eight-course alternative for £90.
The eatery was opened just seven months ago by brother and sister Kirk and Keeley Haworth.
“Earning a Michelin star is such an incredible honour and a lifetime goal since I was a young boy,” head chef Mr Haworth said.
“To be the first in the plant-based sphere in the UK to win this prestigious award makes me unbelievably proud, and I am so grateful to our talented team for their support and dedication.”
Ms Haworth, who is the restaurant’s managing director, said: “At Plates, we’ve always believed in pushing boundaries, and this achievement proves that plant-based dining can stand proudly at the highest level of gastronomy.”
The restaurant was praised by the Michelin inspectors as “small but not cramped” with a “good buzz rattling around the room”.
“Kirk Haworth is a classically trained chef, and you can see that in his impeccably made sauces; what’s most interesting is how he has adapted this to plant-based ingredients in such a clever way,” one said.
Mr Haworth became vegan in 2016 to mitigate the symptoms of Lyme’s disease and opened a development kitchen with his sister the following year.
He trained at a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, including The French Laundry and Northcote.
The inspector added: “He is clearly passionate about what he’s doing here; as someone who’s going to eat plant-based food for the rest of his life, he’s on a mission to make sure it’s as delicious as possible.”
Last year, Mr Haworth appeared on BBC Two’s Great British Menu and became the first plant-based chef to reach the show’s final banquet.
He was crowned “champion of champions” on the programme after judge Tom Kerridge described his winning dish as “first rate, magical, unbelievable”.
Plates, which seats 45 people, offers dishes including barbecued Maitake mushroom and lasagne made from mung and urad beans.
Diners can also enjoy squash and ginger soup, rice pudding ice cream and chocolate gateau made with raw cocoa.
The inspectors said the “groundbreaking” restaurant was so good that it could “convince the most committed of carnivores”.
“Since it opened, Plates London has been permanently packed – and not just with vegans,” they said. “The restaurant is full of curious and discerning diners, who are here not because of their diets but because they’ve heard it’s one of the most exciting new restaurants around.
They praised the “depth and balance of the dishes” and their “layers of flavour and texture”, singling out the house-laminated sourdough bread with whipped butter for praise.
“This glistening golden roll was warm and flaky, almost like a croissant in texture with its lovely crisp exterior and soft, slightly sweet interior,” they said.
Also praised was the barbecued Maitake mushroom served with a black bean sauce, kimchi, aioli and puffed rice.
“The way each layer of flavour and texture married together here was a prime example of everything this kitchen is great at,” they said.
