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A Welsh pub that became fully plant based two years ago is now HappyCow’s best-ranked restaurant in Europe.
The Queen Inn in Cwmbran, South Wales, removed animal products from its menu for Veganuary 2022. Two years later, it has been named the fourth best plant-based restaurant in the world.
Menu items include gourmet versions of pub classics like Battered f*sh and chips and Ch*cken & b*con pie. Owner Ryan Edwards told Plant Based News they were “over the moon” to have reached the top spot on the list.
Redefining traditional Welsh pub food
The Queen Inn, established in the 1800s, is a family-owned business in the Welsh town of Cwmbran.
Self-described as the “world’s first plant-based steakhouse,” The Queen Inn is pushing plant-based dining in new directions. The pub serves hyper-realistic plant-based meat cuts, including Redefine Meat flank and Juicy Marbles filet. This “meaty” formula has helped attract vegans and non-vegans alike.
“Most of our customers are animal-eaters who want a cruelty free way of eating their favorite pub meals,” said Edwards.
“We also get big parties with just a few vegans, who would usually go to non-vegan places where the token vegan will have a disappointing meal.”
For those who prefer vegetable-based food, The Queen Inn serves dishes like Cauliflower steak, Fable shiitake mushroom pie, and Chana masala.
Changing perceptions one vegan steak at a time
If there was ever a myth that eating plant-based food meant missing out, that has long since been dispelled.
“We always find that animal-eaters are pleasantly surprised at the quality of the meals,” said Edwards. “They realize that plant-based dishes don’t always ‘taste like cardboard.’”
In Veganuary 2024, new food launches have shown the diversity of vegan food in the UK. From vegan honey and pepperoni to plant-based shrimp and duck, the range of traditionally meaty foods now available without the cruelty keeps expanding.
Since being named the number one restaurant on HappyCow, The Queen Inn has seen “a huge surge in bookings.” According to Edwards, “every Saturday in January now fully booked.”
