11 January 2024 , 20:53
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A pub is giving punters taking the Veganuary challenge something special to chew over by serving up “meat” that has been 3D-printed.
The Queen Inn serves 100% plant-based food including the “steaks”, which cost £25 with sides of chips, mushroom, peas and sauces. A £55 mixed grill sharer includes a “meat” flank, “filet” and other plant-based items that mimic chicken breasts, BBQ ribs and sausages, as well as a dairy-free stilton sauce.
Owner Ryan Edwards said: “We have a couple of different vegan steaks, which is unheard of for a lot of restaurants, and in veganism as a whole. People all across the UK know about us. People all across the world support us and it’s amazing to see the reaction.”
The 3D-printed steaks have been made by Israeli firm Redefine Meat since 2021 under a closely guarded recipe. It developed AI to observe the texture of meat to replicate it – but their “meat” is made from products including pea, soy, beetroot and wheat. The ingredients mimic three components of animal flesh – muscle, fat and blood.
A thick vegan steak (WALES NEWS SERVICE)The industrial-size 3D printing machine then layers the ingredients – the ‘ink’ for the printer – on top of each other to make “meat”. It is then sent to The Queen Inn, in Cwmbran, South Wales, for cooking, where steaks are fried in oil, salt and pepper before being sealed off.
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The pub went 100% meat free in 2022, after Ryan and his family signed up to the Veganuary challenge, in which people follow a plant-based diet during the month of January. They also wanted to see if there was a demand for meat-free menu items. Ryan said the pub is busier than ever. He said: “A lot of other pubs are struggling at the moment with the cost-of-living crisis. So for us to have that selling point with Veganuary, and then continuing into February and March, it’s a big help for us.”
The Queen Inn’s menu means they are in the top five vegan restaurants in the world on HappyCow, a tripAdvisor-like site for people who eat plant-based diets.