A vegan TikToker was left speechless after a popular restaurant in the United Kingdom refused to serve her, stating that they “don’t cater for vegans.”
Amie-Beth Steadman from Essex in England had a bone to pick with the Chigwell-based barbecue restaurant, Sheesh, after calling them up to see if they had any plant-based dishes on the menu. However, she was in for a rude awakening when she was allegedly told by the person that answered the phone that they “didn’t know why a vegan would come here.”
Taking to TikTok, the 27-year-old recalled the event to her 2,800 followers.
“I’d been to Sheesh a couple of years ago, and I’m a vegan, and they didn’t actually have anything on their main menu that was vegan. But I was thinking… Maybe I could just get some sides. Some chips and rice, all of that, and like mix it all together,” she said in the three-minute video.
“Whenever I go to restaurants, I actually prefer side dishes to mains a lot of the time…Anyway [when I went to Sheesh] a couple years ago, I asked to do that, and they wouldn’t let me,” she continued before going on to say that she decided that this time round, she would call the establishment in advance to get some more information on their potential vegan options.
“So the lady on the phone said ‘we don’t cater for vegans,'” she explained. “[My friend said], ‘yeah, I understand that. But I can see obviously you’ve got loads of sides. She was just wondering if maybe she could order a few of those. And have that as her main?'”
The employee’s next reply was the one that shocked the pair.
“I don’t even know why vegan would even want to come to our restaurant anyway,” they were told over the phone.
Of course, Steadman was left feeling frustrated and upset after the interaction, stating that “being a vegan isn’t weird.”
“Like we were just asking a question like, fair enough if that’s your policy, but, saying ‘why would a vegan even want to come here?’ I just can’t believe that a restaurant that…is so well known would just be so rude,” she added.
Thankfully, the 27-year-old received some support in her comment section, with many people slamming the eatery for it’s impoliteness.
“If a restaurant doesn’t offer vegan, vegetarian or gluten free options in 2023 it’s dead! No excuse,” wrote one user.
“This is so bizarre, what is the issue with ordering multiple sides instead of a main I don’t get it,” another added.
A third agreed, writing: “I’m not vegan but what actually is their issue with vegans ordering sides or spending money in their restaurant.”
However, not everyone was so empathetic, with this user pointing out that it was a “meat restaurant.”
Steadman quickly shut them down by countering that it was actually a “Turkish restaurant” also adding that “Many Turkish restaurants serve falafel. It’s not predominately meat. Saying that, I have been to steakhouses offering vegan.”