From essexlive.news
"It's been a long old journey, but an exciting and interesting one along the way"
A vegan restaurant voted one of the best in Essex in our Essex Eats Awards prides itself on its good food and local staff. The OakTree Vegan Restaurant in Leigh-on-Sea is one of the restaurants that have made the finals of EssexLive's inaugural foodie awards.
We spoke to James Anderson, who owns and runs the OakTree along with his wife Samantha. He said that while they're very proud of their vegan food, what's most important for them is that they serve good food that just happens to be vegan.
The restaurant serves both imitation meat - from mock steak and chicken through to calamari and prawns - and vegetable-based dishes. The owners are local, as are their staff, and after many challenges over the last 10 years the OakTree Vegan Restaurant continues to thrive.
The OakTree Vegan Restaurant is now in the running to be named the best restaurant in Essex. EssexLive readers sent in nominations for the first-ever EssexEats awards and the OakTree made it onto the shortlist.
We’re now profiling each pub, restaurant, cafe and takeaway on the shortlist. We’re finding out their story, what they have to offer and why think they deserve your vote.
Why did you decide to open the OakTree?
James said he and his wife opened the restaurant 10 years ago, in 2013. He said: "We're both vegan and we couldn't find anything locally.
"So we thought it would be a wonderful idea to open a restaurant and 10 years later here we are. Like everybody, we've been through the pandemic, we've gone through the energy crisis, we've gone through everything so it's been a long old journey, but an exciting and interesting one along the way."
What are the best dishes on your menu?
James said: "It's difficult because we've got we've got two strings to our restaurant. We've got a lot of imitation meats, which are really popular with a lot of people.
"So we sell steaks, prawn, chicken, calamari, all vegan versions. They're sort of 3D-printed steaks made from wheat and pea protein, and they're mind blowing, but to a lot of people, it's just too realistic.
"Our second biggest seller, funnily enough, is in fact a butternut squash curry. I invented it 10 years ago and it's still on the menu. So much has fallen by the wayside over the years, but that one has been there since day one."
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James said: "Being vegan sets us aside from a lot of places. But we've always prided ourselves on being a restaurant that serves vegan food rather than being a vegan restaurant.
"We don't want to be defined by our veganism. We've always just tried to be just a good restaurant owned by local people with lots of local staff.
"So what sets us apart I think, for me anyways is us and the staff. Since day one, it's been run by Sam and I, and we employ 22 local, enthusiastic staff members, and we just so happen to showcase the very best vegan food that we can."
Why do you think people should vote for you to be named best restaurant in Essex?
James said: "We've been here 10 years, and we've worked really hard. It's not easy working every day with your wife, and she'd say exactly the same thing, in fact, probably with a few more expletives, but we've come through it and you know, and we're so proud of what we do, and it's a passion project. It's always been a passion project.
"It would have been a lot easier to open a restaurant that sold you know meat because it's what 99 per cent of the world eats so we've thrown ourselves out there. We've suffered the trolls, we've suffered people storming out because they can't get a burger that they want.
"So we stuck with it for 10 years. I'm very proud, I'm very proud of of the restaurant."
OakTree Vegan Restaurant can be found at 75 Leigh Rd, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 1JN. Opening times - 12pm to 10pm Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm to 6pm on Sundays.
https://www.essexlive.news/whats-on/food-drink/essex-eats-awards-essex-vegan-8551045
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