Behind the Scenes with The Vegan Chef School
What started as a course to help keen home cooks progress their careers has now become a fully industry-accredited school for vegan chefs led by Chef Day Radley.
Lisa catches up with Day to find out how she has trained more than 100 vegans to become professional chefs.
Learn more at www.theveganchefschool.com
You took up a vegan diet yourself when you were 17. How has the vegan food scene changed since then?
It’s changed a great deal! When I first went vegan there was very limited pre-made vegan foods in the shops which I quickly got tired of, so I really had to learn to cook for myself. There were only a few vegan recipe books available from animal rights groups, whereas now there is a huge selection of vegan recipe books, enough to take up a whole wall in my local bookshop. There are now many more options when eating out and, of course, many new vegan restaurants. It has been incredible to see the huge rise in veganism over the last few years and it just keeps growing. Vegan food is everywhere now. It is so exciting to think about the future of the vegan food scene!
You became a professional vegan chef in 2010; that doesn’t sound a long time ago, but it was well ahead of the trend! Did you worry that there wouldn’t be enough people who would be interested in eating vegan food?
I wouldn’t say I was worried. I had finally found a career with a purpose I believed in, doing something I thoroughly enjoyed. I focused on that. I was aware that my new career choice wouldn’t be easy so I got involved in food in any way that I could; photographing food, writing for food magazines, and continually developing recipes until I began working as a chef at a vegetarian restaurant. I worked my way up from commis chef to executive chef and then worked as a private chef for several years. There is certainly no need to worry about the availability of jobs, as the job opportunities are becoming more varied & the sector continues to grow in ways we can’t even predict at the moment.
Your mission with The Vegan Chef School is not to get more chefs to create vegan food, but to get more vegans to become professional chefs. Why is that important?
There are some fantastic non-vegan chefs who have created wonderful vegan eateries, and they were able to access chef training because they could work with meat, fish, eggs etc. After years in industry, in non-vegan restaurants, they have used that experience to create fully vegan businesses. Vegans, on the other hand, have not been able to access this type of training and work experience. We have a massive population of talented, creative, passionate people who can make vegan cuisine on a par with classic French cuisine, if not better. But they need vegan-only training and work opportunities.
There are some fantastic non-vegan chefs who have created wonderful vegan eateries, and they were able to access chef training because they could work with meat, fish, eggs etc. Vegans, on the other hand, have not been able to access this type of training and work experience.
It’s a big step up from cooking for yourself and friends at home to then cooking in a professional kitchen. How do you prepare your students for that culture change?
It is. I offer my chef students the opportunity to complete an internship alongside their studies. Getting hands-on experience in a professional kitchen really is the best way to prepare. I have organised internships at incredible vegan food establishments around the world. I also teach my students how to scale recipes, order from suppliers and cost recipes for events.
Being vegan is now easier than ever with all the major supermarkets now having their own vegan ranges, so is it still important to learn to cook for yourself as a vegan?
Definitely! Having all of the ready-made vegan food is really great and convenient when you are busy and in need of a quick meal. But it is important to make food from scratch and not rely on readymade food. Although most vegan convenience food is healthier than its non-vegan counterpart it still isn’t as healthy as homemade food. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. I make a lot of one pot dishes at home because I am very busy and so I don’t have lots of time or energy to cook dinner. If you can learn a selection of easy meals then you can rotate them and change them a bit depending on what leftover veggies you have and what’s in season. By doing this you will have a varied and interesting diet.
We know that social media loves photos of food! How much of being a professional chef is knowing how to promote your food and getting people to try it, not just being able to make it?
In this day and age knowing the basics of how to take great food photos is so important for chefs. It allows them to showcase their work to a wide audience. Knowing how to create a multi sensorial experience (eating) through just one sense (sight) is essential to make your food look as delicious as it tastes! If you apply for a job, it is likely that your potential employer will google you, check your website or social media. So, it is a great place to show off your very best work. This is why I have just released my Food Photography For Chefs course. Food photography is an integral part of being a successful chef, recipe developer or caterer.
If someone already has a passion for food and they think they could turn it into a career, what would your advice be?
Arm yourself with these three things: tools, techniques and tenacity. Tools are the cooking knowledge and skills, how to pair flavours & plate food consistently. The techniques you need are not just a variety of cooking techniques but also how to self-promote your food on social media, how to take great photos of your food and an understanding of nutrition. Tenacity is the primary character trait I believe that people need as food creators. We need tenacity when we are recipe developing as we can’t be put off when it doesn’t work the first time. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – those mistakes make you a better chef. Importantly we need tenacity to keep pushing our careers forward. Whilst it is possible to have a successful career in vegan food, it might not always be easy. You need to nurture your tenacity because you will need to rely on it time and time again.
Lisa Fox says:
Day is really working to change the vegan food scene from the inside. Without more vegans taking leading roles in the industry, vegan food will always be seen as an ‘alternative’ or a dietary option rather than taking central stage on the menu.
