Plates London, a plant-based fine dining restaurant in Shoreditch, has made history as the first vegan establishment in the UK to receive a Michelin star. The prestigious honor, announced at the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland ceremony in Glasgow, recognizes chef Kirk Haworth’s innovative approach to plant-based cuisine.
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Michelin inspectors praised Haworth for “taking his classical training and inventively adapting it to a vegan diet.” The restaurant, co-founded by Haworth and his sister Keeley, offers an intricate seven-course tasting menu for £75 (approximately $93), featuring dishes such as barbecued maitake mushrooms with black bean mole and a raw cacao gateau. Plates London is known for its emphasis on seasonality and innovation, using high-quality produce to create refined dishes that push the boundaries of plant-based gastronomy.
‘It’s just about flavor’
At the awards event, Haworth spoke passionately about his culinary philosophy. “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,” he said. His commitment to plant-based fine dining stems from personal experience, having developed chronic Lyme disease, which led him to embrace a healthier, plant-focused diet. His background working in Michelin-starred restaurants, including The French Laundry and Restaurant Sat Bains, has informed his approach to creating dishes that rival traditional fine dining experiences.
“The service team at Plates have a knack for seeming fully relaxed yet being constantly efficient and switched-on,” wrote the Michelin inspector. “They are friendly, personable and slick, allowing the experience to unfold as smoothly as possible. During this particular visit, we were sat at the counter so had the opportunity to engage with the chefs, including Kirk Haworth himself. 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.”
According to the inspector, there were a number of things that impressed the team about the cooking at Plates, “but the one that struck me was the strong culinary technique underpinning all the dishes,” they wrote. “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. What’s more, the depth and balance of the dishes was superb; each one came with layers of flavor and texture that all worked together in brilliant harmony.”
Plant-based fine dining on the rise
The rise of plant-based dining has coincided with a surge in vegan food sales, as supermarkets and restaurants expand their offerings to cater to growing consumer demand. According to the Plant-Based Foods Association, sales of plant-based foods in the UK have seen double-digit growth annually, with meat alternatives and dairy-free products becoming staples in mainstream grocery stores.
Large food conglomerates are investing in vegan product lines, and high-end restaurants are recognizing the potential of plant-based cuisine in fine dining. Major retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Tesco have significantly expanded their vegan product ranges in response to this demand.
Plates London was among an increasing number of plant-based restaurants to receive Michelin recognition in recent years. London has long been home to innovative vegan fine dining, with restaurants such as Pied à Terre on Charlotte Street offering an extensive plant-based tasting menu. While Pied à Terre is not exclusively vegan, its dedication to plant-based haute cuisine has earned it a Michelin star and a devoted following. The restaurant’s inventive dishes, such as miso-roasted aubergine with smoked tofu and truffle-infused risotto, have won widespread acclaim.
Beyond the UK, Michelin has acknowledged the excellence of vegan cuisine in major cities worldwide. Eleven Madison Park in New York City transitioned to a fully plant-based menu in 2021 and retained its prestigious three-star rating. Gauthier Soho, under chef Alexis Gauthier, made a similar transition in London, proving that fine dining and veganism are no longer mutually exclusive. The restaurant is known for its vegan take on French classics.
The increasing presence of plant-based restaurants in the Michelin Guide reflects shifting priorities among both chefs and consumers. Sustainability, ethical sourcing, and innovative flavor combinations are now at the forefront of high-end dining. According to a report by the Good Food Institute, investment in plant-based food innovation has skyrocketed in recent years, with global funding for alternative proteins reaching more than $1.6 billion in 2023. High-profile chefs who once specialized in meat-focused dishes are now pivoting toward plant-based cuisine to meet changing consumer expectations.
