A vegan TikToker revealed her shock at being turned away from a prominent restaurant because “we don’t cater for vegans.”
Amie-Beth Steadman of Essex, England was shocked to hear back from Sheesh, a popular BBQ restaurant in the nearby town of Chigwell, and find it unsatisfactory.
After being confronted with a curt response to her inquiry as to whether the restaurant could accommodate her plant-based diet, she vented her fury to her TikTok audience.
As a vegan who dined there Sheesh a few years ago, I can attest to the absence of any plant-based major menu items. In her three-minute video, she said, “I thought, maybe I could create a meal by combining some sides like chips and rice.”
She detailed her prior unsuccessful effort at making a similar request at the eatery. She was undeterred, and this time she called ahead to inquire about vegan options. However, things apparently went south during her talk with the waitress at the restaurant.
According to Amie-Beth: “The person on the phone responded, ‘We don’t cater for vegans.’ When my buddy probed further and suggested they order many sides to make a main meal, the worker’s answer was nothing short of remarkable.
There are reports that the worker’s response was something like, “I don’t even know why a vegan would want to come to our restaurant anyway.”
Amie-Beth was shocked by the exchange and made it clear that being a vegan is nothing special. We wanted to know something, that’s all.
To ask “why would a vegan even want to come here?” when that is your policy, however, is not acceptable. She said, “I find it hard to imagine that a reputable establishment could be so impolite.
Social media users rallied to her defence after the event, with many calling out Sheesh for its insensitivity.
In 2023, if an eatery doesn’t include vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free menu items, it will close. In response to a user who said there was “no excuse” for the problem, another user asked, “This is so bizarre, what is the issue with ordering multiple sides instead of a main?” What I’m missing?
Although not everyone agreed, there were many who pointed out that the restaurant mostly serves meat. A vegetarian or vegan is not welcome at any BBQ joint. “It’s really that easy,” another person said.
Beth quickly set the record straight, describing Sheesh as a “Turkish restaurant” and noting that many Turkish restaurants have vegan alternatives such falafel. She also said that upscale steakhouses have made vegan options available to their patrons.