Chef Andrew Robertson, regional chef at Joseph Richard Group, has established a diverse and highly-rated menu at JRG establishments. As someone who lives a plant-based lifestyle, he has had to modify his work to incorporate the demands and expectations of his audience. We chatted with chef Andrew to find out how he does it. —Noa Nichol
Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.
My name is Andrew Robertson, and I am the regional chef for Joseph Richard Group. I have been in the hospitality industry for over 15 years now.
Focusing for a moment on your plant-based journey, when did it begin, and why?
My plant-based journey began when I first cut out all chicken, pork and beef about five years ago. I started this journey to make a positive change for my personal health, as well as make a positive impact on the environment.
The Joseph Richard Group roster of restaurants is not strictly vegan; how do you navigate this, professionally, as being plant-based? Challenges? Benefits?
Over the years, our team at JRG has made a constant effort when developing our menus, designing them to include vegan/vegetarian offerings. We continue to develop new offerings and ensure that our vegan and plant-based dishes are keeping up trends and remain relevant. Moving forward, we understand as a company that more and more people are switching to a plant-based/vegan diet, so we will also continue to evolve in our restaurants.
What vegan offerings have you added to JRG in your role?
I played a role in adding the buffalo cauliflower appetizer to various location menus, which has been one of our top-five selling appetizers across our public house division. This example shows that plant-based foods are popular amongst not just plant-based customers, but all customers. We also have a completely vegan buffalo cauliflower taco dish, a tofu rice bowl, a plant-based poke bowl, as well as our Impossible Burger with house-made vegan burger secret sauce. I’ve had the privilege of working with my colleagues on menu and recipe development for each of these dishes.
Top tips for people who are curious about veganism or want to do more plant-based eating and cooking?
I think everyone should be open to trying vegan and plant-based items! A common misconception is that eating plant-based means eating just salads and greens. However, there are a lot of dishes nowadays that can easily be modified to be plant-based.
Favourite local plant-based ingredients?
My favourite seasonal local vegan ingredient right now is corn! It is the main ingredient in one of my favourite dishes right now, the corn “ribs”. It is super easy to make, just pop it in the air fryer. Delicious!
Can you share your go-to vegan/plant-based comfort-food recipe for fall/winter with us?
My go-to vegan comfort food for fall/winter is my take on a shepherd’s pie! Using vegan “beef” ground, local fresh vegetables, topped with yam mash and baked to perfection!
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