Launch attended by Ken Hom on 26 January 11.30 to 4.00 in St John's Wood

Veganuary, the month of January which every year puts plant-based food in the spotlight, is fast approaching. The Gate Restaurant Group, which has been at the forefront of plant-based food for 30 years and is suddenly at the centre of the biggest food movement of the decade, is celebrating with a very special vegan menu devised for the occasion by celebrity chef Ken Hom, OBE.

Ken Hom, the man who showed the British how to cook Asian food and use a wok, and one of the most respected and celebrated TV chefs of all time, has developed a three-course menu with nine dishes at choice, especially for The Gate. It will be launched at the group's latest restaurant opening The Gate in St John's Wood, 87 Allitsen Road, London NW8 7AS on Sunday 26 January 2020 with two lunch sittings, at 12 noon and 2 pm. Ken Hom himself will be in attendance together with the Gate's executive chef Morris Wegrodski, to welcome guests and talk through his own take on vegan food.

'Chinese cuisine, and most Asian cuisines, naturally lend themselves to vegan recipes, where ingredients such as grains, vegetables, tofu, nuts, noodles are used extensively every day by home cooks and restaurant chefs alike. Growing up in Chicago, we didn't have much money, meat was rarely seen, and my mother used to send me to school with a flask of hot rice, which other kids always wanted to get a taste of, as it was so different from their burgers. Her food was delicious and I still cook many of her recipes, which were mainly vegan. The synergy with my food and that of The Gate Restaurants was obvious, and I have used my Chinese twists in the dishes I have created'.

Priced at £35 for three courses, the Ken Hom Vegan Menu includes starters such as Crackling Rice Paper Asparagus Rolls, Daoist Braised Chinese Mushroom Beancurd Casserole, Stir-Fried Cucumbers with Hot Spices; mains of Buddhist Casserole, Chinese Ratatouille with Cornmeal-Spring Onion-Ginger Waffles, Curried Spring Rolls; and desserts of Warm Mango Compote with Basil and Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream, Deep Fried Plant Milk served with Caramelized Walnuts and Warm Banana Compote in Plum Wine with Candied Ginger. The menu will be available in all four Gate restaurants in London until the end of February.

Michael Daniel, founder and chairman of The Gate Restaurants Group, says: 'As a group which has been operating for 30 years at the leading edge of the vegan movement, we continuously look at improving our sustainability in everything we do, from the materials we use to the food we serve. It is therefore such an honour to welcome chef Ken Hom to our recently opened restaurant in St John's Wood and share his incredible knowledge of food which is not only delicious but also highly sustainable. His recipes are delectable and will be warmly welcomed by our guests'.

QUICK FACTS:

The Gate Restaurant Group was founded 30 years ago operating as the trailblazer of the vegetarian and vegan restaurant scene. It is now at the centre of the plant-based movement currently sweeping the UK. The first restaurant opened in Hammersmith in 1989 and took its name from the gate which gave access to the restaurant. The four locations are Hammersmith, Islington, Marble Arch and St John's Wood – the latter opened in April 2019. thegaterestaurants.com

Ken Hom OBE is the man who showed the British how to cook Asian food and use a wok. Hi is a leading authority on Chinese cuisine and one of the most respected and celebrated TV chefs of all time, who the British public have loved for over 30 years for his many television series and his books. His biography, 'My Stir Fried Life', will be presented to guests on Sunday 26 January. Kenhom.com

Ken Hom will be available for interviews between 12 noon and 4 pm. These need to be booked in advance, please see below.

ENDS 

For immediate release 30 December 2019

Further information on the Gate Restaurants from: Peppino Esposito, The Gate Restaurant Group, peppino@thegaterestaurants.com; Tel: 07799345808

Further information on Ken Hom and to book interviews: Luisa Welch, I-Mage Communications, luisawelch@i-magepr.com Tel: 07774 234 899