London Butcher Shop Goes Vegan for One Day

Today, Hill & Szrok—a “whole carcass” butcher shop in East London, United Kingdom—will transform into a vegan meat store selling only chicken and sausages made by Holland-based brand The Vegetarian Butcher. Former cattle farmer Jaap Korteweg founded The Vegetarian Butcher with the mission of creating the flavor and texture of meat without the need to harm animals. While the pop-up is short-lived, Korteweg hopes the effects of exposing meat-eaters to vegan meat is long-lasting. “Many people think they should eat less meat for a variety of reasons, but they feel like they simply can’t live without it,” Korteweg told The Sun.  “They love the taste, juiciness, and texture and feel that it’s the highlight of their meal. Even Michelin-star chefs can’t tell our chicken chunks from actual chicken.” For one weekend in June, UK grocery chain Sainsbury’s opened a “Meat-Free Butchers” counter in London where it showcased 20 vegan meats, including Sainsbury’s Shroomdogs and products from The Meatless Farm such as ground beef, plant-based bacon, and steak, amongst others