A woman has sparked a huge debate online after taking to TikTok to complain that her local restaurant does not cater for vegans.
Amie-Beth (aka @amiebeth125 on the video-sharing app) shared her recent experience with a popular Turkish BBQ hot spot in Essex, not far from where she lived, which also happens to be a celebrity favourite.
Beth uploaded a video explaining how she and her friend were looking forward to having dinner at Sheesh’s, but she was a vegetarian and could not find any options matching her dietary requirements on the main menu.
She said that, although veganism still had a bad reputation, the diet had been on the rise in recent years, and you could not knock people for wanting to do their bit to save animals and help the environment.
In a now-viral clip, she explained that a friend was coming home from Dubai and they had decided to arrange a meal out.
The TikToker introduced the video by saying: “I don't know if I should actually be annoyed at this, or if I'm just being a little bit privileged in some way.”
“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 of years ago, I asked (them) to do that, and they wouldn’t let me,” she explained, 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 reply was the one that shocked the friends.
“I don’t even know why a vegan would even want to come to our restaurant anyway,” they were told over the phone.
@amiebeth125 #sheesh #essex #restaurant #vegan #antivegan #annoyed #rant #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound - Amie-Beth
People have shared their thoughts about the incident, with many agreeing that the eatery was out of line.
One user wrote: “If a restaurant doesn’t offer vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free options in 2023, it’s dead! No excuse.”
Another commented: “I’m not vegan, but what actually is their issue with vegans ordering sides or spending money in their restaurant.”