From Skeptics to Advocates: Why Today’s Hottest Chefs Are Excited About Vegan Food

Do you remember when dining out meant piecing together limp, flavorless meals from restaurant appetizers and sides? Or having someone scoff and huff at you over the phone when you asked about an eatery’s vegan options? Dining while vegan hasn’t historically been a walk in the park, but now, the movement is exploding and big-name chefs are beginning to take heed. The mainstream culinary world may not be as plant-based as we want it to be—yet—but with much of it in the hands of these vegan-curious pioneers, the future is looking bright.

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Andrew Zimmern

James Beard Award winner and TV host who was named as an advisor to premier plant-based chicken brand, TiNDLE

“The activity in the plant-based space is vital to a healthy food system … [and personally] I have cut my meat consumption by at least half and keep chopping away at it.”

RELATED: David Beckham Praises Vegan Michelin Restaurant: “Never Been Blown Away Like This”

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Gordon Ramsay

Celebrity chef and TV personality who once boasted about being “allergic to vegans” but now proudly serves plant-based dishes

“After all these years, I can finally admit that I actually love vegan food. It’s taken me 20 years to get to this point.”

Sebastian Nevols

Daniel Humm

Chef of Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York who turned the meat-heavy restaurant completely plant-based in 2021

“Plant-based eating is the future. This is not a trend. This is not going away. We have to change the way we eat. We have to reduce how much meat we eat. And I say this all the time, but we’re not anti-meat, but we are pro-planet.”

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Michal Ansky

Acclaimed MasterChef judge who gives SuperMeat’s cell-based, lab-grown chicken of the future her seal of approval

“As someone who loves chicken and incorporates it into family meals regularly, it’s inspiring to see a more sustainable future can be achieved via cultivated chicken … This kind of breakthrough has been a long time coming.”

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Spike Mendlsohn

Top Chef alum and co-founder of PLNT Burger, fighting the climate crisis with his totally vegan chain

“When you’re looking at our planet, climate change, what’s happening, and all the carbon emissions, it’s enough data to make a good argument for why we need to redefine.”

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Marco Pierre White

The first-ever British chef to be awarded three Michelin stars who added whole-cut vegan lamb to all 22 of his restaurants

“The world needs to eat less meat … [New vegan] products are pure genius, giving you all the sustainability and health benefits of plant-based, without the compromise on taste and texture. I think [they’re] going to revolutionize our world.”